Dudley Dix has some excellent thoughts regarding the whole why it’s smart to build your own boat… I’d call it a must read.
That said, I still think the most logical choice for a VolkCruiser budget is to rehab something cheap/free in reasonable shape but I’d much prefer to build from the keel up if funds allow.
The big problem, of course, is that materials pricing continues to go up and even being open to alternative boat building materials (formply comes to mind) unless some designer comes up with some new (as opposed to old dressed up to be new) ideas I just don’t see it.
I can hope though…