
We love saying that this is the golden age of self-taught self-starters. The internet is full of information and tutorials, most of which are easily accessible and free. With enough determination and a can-do state of mind, you can do just about anything. Cara Brookins, a single mom of four from Arkansas, decided to put herself, her family, and all the internet had to offer to the test. Struggling with debt and the hardship of raising children alone, Brookins wasn’t afraid of taking on another huge challenge.
She, with the help of her kids, built a house entirely using Youtube tutorials. Once you get to know the Brookins and see the beautiful home they have, you’ll want to move in with them!
1. Meet The Brookins

In 2007, Cara Brookins was living in the suburbs of Little Rock, Arkansas with her four children: Hope, Drew, Jada, and Roman. Cara had just recently broken out of an abusive relationship with an unstable man. The last of three difficult relationships and years of domestic violence that caused her and her children immense pain. The newly free Cara decided she and the kids were in desperate need of a vacation.
“We lost the ability to laugh together,” Brookins told TODAY. “We had spent so long being beaten down.” So, the family got in the car and set out to a Thanksgiving weekend trip to the beautiful Ozark mountains.