Crown molding is quite easy to do (except for the slope ceilings). I got my molding at TH&H, http://www.th-h.com/. The most time consuming part is paint and caulk. If you learn to do it yourself, then you can do the rest of your house by yourself as well. If you go w/ MDF, material should be about $0.50-$1/lf while the labor is much more than that.