I personally would advise against building your own airplane. Unless you are mechanically sound and you have all the right tools, knowledge, and TIME and MONEY, I would advise against it. Luckily for my plane, my Boss has a Lathe, CNC, bandsaw, multiple welding machines and every type of tool one could need in building an airplane. LIterally ~$100k in tools and equipment.
I'm currently still building a Pitts S1S and it is A LOT of work. You wouldn't think a single-seat, fabric covered airplane with minimal comforts and avionics would be much work. But there is A BUNCH of work that goes into building an airplane. After going through this process I will NEVER build an RV or any type other type of kit plane. Would I refurbish one? Sure. But definitely not from scratch again.
Well, I'd like to consider myself a professional pilot now. I operate the aircraft I fly in a professional manner and within most rules and regulations (most of the time

). But as far as flying as a career? No, most likely not. Unless I get offered some dream job like a corporate gig that pays $80k+ a year and you're home at least 4 nights a week, or I get sponsored to fly the Pitts in airshows and it pays the all the bills plus some. I don't see either one of them happening. So right now, it'll be a different career track that'll afford me the salary to keep the Pitts and eventually buy another aircraft down the road. I also better hold onto the girlfriend I have now that's going for her PhD in Physical Therapy. Maybe I can get her to buy me another airplane down the road....
I contemplated selling my '09 Mazda and buying a cheap car and taking the left overs and buying this earlier this year:
Rans S-18 Stinger II. Tandem seated, open cockpit tail-dragger. 345' takeoff roll, 225' landing roll. Cruise at 85mph, stall at 43mph. Low and Slow with no doors or side panels. I dig it.