RE: build or buy a treestand
I used to try to build my stands but could never come up with anything that was really user friendly. THe last ladder stand we built took two good men to get into the field. If you want a cheap but useful stand, check out Cabela's 15 ladder stand. They sell for 50-60 bucks and are lightweight and work really well. I've got 4 of them and they don't weigh much more than a hang on stand.
Good luck.