She didn't have the money to hire builders, so she took matters into her own hands.

Cara Brookins from Arkansas was escaping an abusive relationship with her four children. She wanted to buy a home, but found that anything big enough would be too expensive. She considered building, but couldn't afford the builders. So, she turned to YouTube.

She sold a small plot of land she owned, and started building the house HERSELF in 2008. She estimated the cost to be about $130k. Her children pitched in - hauling water to mix the foundation, moving lumber, etc.

However, she found that YouTube couldn't provide her with everything, so she enlisted the help of a firefighter who had previous building experience and paid him $25 an hour to help. They finished the home in nine months.

It's got five bedrooms and a library - Brookins is a writer - and it's aptly named "Inkwell Manor." She's now written a book about it called Rise: How a House Built a Family.

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