Would you be ordering the Jake through an LBS? If not, it loses some of its advantage over the Bikes Direct bike.
Here's the scoop with Bikes Direct. You have to be able to guess your size based on a geometry chart (or their rough guideline). The bike comes partially disassembled. You'll need to put the last few pieces together and adjust the brakes and derailleurs yourself. Sometimes the wheels need to be trued when you get them. Other than that, people seem to like them and it's hard to beat the price for the components.
If you can find an LBS that you like, try to establish a relationship with them. Tell them what your doing and why, and see if they'll help you. Bike shops don't make a lot of money on new bikes, so if you tell them you'll pay to have them do the final assembly and buy some accessories there, they'll probably be happy to help you figure out the size.
Failing that, you could try an online fit calculator, or BD's guidelines will probably get you in the ballpark. Learning to adjust the brakes and derailleurs is something you should do anyway. A good multi-tool will probably give you all you need for the assembly. If the wheels need to be trued, bite the bullet and take it to an LBS. They won't charge you a lot (probably around $25), and this isn't something a novice should attempt. You can easily ruin a set of wheels while trying to true them, and you might not know that you have until spoke start breaking.
You should also take a look at the
Nashbar steel CX complete bike with 105 components for $799. (It was $750 recently, and they often have 20% off coupon codes.)
All that having been said, let me say that I'm a big fan of the Kona Jake line. I've got a Jake and a Major Jake (both 2008) and love them both. There's something intangible about these frame that just really feels right, especially in a CX race. No doubt the frames are still made in Asia somewhere, but Kona designs them and they're nice.