While IF are nice, they are on the upper end of custom frames (price wise). There are other options that can also make a very nice, custom steel frame for a much lower price. One suggestion is Curtlo:
http://www.curtlo.com/
Looks like a custom road with steel fork can come in at under $1k.
Also, not a custom model, but GVH Bikes has very nice Land Sharks with carbon fork on sale for $1k (
http://www.gvhbikes.com/).
Anyhow, my point is you should really open up your choices beyond Lemond and IF, especially if budget is a concern.