Hello Ken,
I´m an architect and the problematic around "building without a permit" is my daily routine. However I live in EU, but It´s almost the same all around the world.
There are many possibilities how to build your small house even on the site which requires some kind of building permit.
I collect these "anarchy exceptions" in this article:
https://www.pinuphouses.com/building-without-permit/
Maybe it will inspire you in your passion to build your own house!
Vojta
