Less than $1000? I just got my Dan Wesson CBOB shipped and transferred for under $860. I looked at the RIA, and considered it, but I think you get what you pay for in this case. Top quality parts, made in the US, and all the features you can ask for in a bobtailed 1911.
I'd love to have an Ed Brown or a Wilson, or a Les Baer, but my budget had to be stretched far enough just to buy this Dan Wesson, and I love it.
Personally, my feeling is that if you want a 1911 and want it cheap, the RIA would be a fine choice. I also think it would be a waste of money to get an RIA bobbed, just like I think it's a waste to put a racing engine out a Honda Civic. By the time you buy a RIA 1911 for $350-ish and pay someone for labor and parts to put in a bobtail, you're looking at a gun that's over $500 anyway. At that point you might as well just get a DW, with the night sights, beavertail, trigger, slide stop, etc, which are all premium parts. That's just my opinion, but those are some of the reasons I bought one.
I also don't know why you would want one in 9mm when the frame is sized for 45. Might as well get the biggest cartridge vs. frame size you can, especially for a carry gun. If you're just looking to save money by shooting 9mm, I think you might be better served by something other than a 1911. But that's just my opinion, which doesn't mean much sometimes.