For many log home owners, the most daunting task in completing the purchase or construction of their ideal residence is dealing with financing. Although economic pressures have weighed on the market and banks have often been described as reluctant to lend, even during the best of times obtaining a loan for a log home requires planning, patience, and understanding of the necessary steps. While the processes of financing conventional and log homes share similariti…
Are cowboys and Indians and ranches and cattle the first things that come to mind when you think of Western style? It encompasses all of these things and so much more. Western style incorporates the Spanish, Mexican, Scandinavian, and Asian cultures brought to the American West by its many immigrants. Settlers who moved from the East to the West brought their own styles with them: Adirondack, North Wood…
Tim and Daphne Livingstone don’t have to change their latitude to change their attitude these days. All they have to do is make a right-hand turn onto the road where their log cabin home is located to enter a “stress-free” zone where natural surroundings, a tranquil setting, and a 2,632-square-foot log home join forces to create a sanctuary for good living. “Since moving into our home my whole temperament has changed,” says Daphne, an events coordinator at the California University of Pennsylvania…
When choosing flooring for your log or timber home, you don’t have to settle for second best. Selecting the best floors for your lifestyle will benefit your home for many years to come, says Richard Ragone, East Coast sales representative for Montana Log Homes. “Quality floors are one of the most important areas on the inside of a home,” Ragone says. “Short cuts should not be taken.” More styles of flooring are available now than ever before to fit your needs…
The Madison Valley ranch had been part of Montana history for decades. Showing signs of wear and tear from so many years of grazing and ranching activity, it was in dire need of someone to love and preserve it. “The new owners wanted to bring the ranch back to its original state in the early 1900s,” explains JoDean Bing from Blue Ribbon Builders, “when it served as a stagecoach stop as well as a working livestock ranch. But the primary design objective, in simple terms, was to create a fly fishing haven…
The process of building a custom log or timber home is the crossroads of personal preference, cost efficiency, and technical necessity to produce the right balance of aesthetics and sound, quality construction. Each of the primary parties involved, the homeowner, log producer, and builder, plays a vital role in the construction process. Each one lends individual know-how to the experience, complementing the others. In the end, the goal is for homeowners to enjoy the log or timber …
No segment of the U.S. economy has been so battered and bruised by the prolonged recession as the housing industry. Today, however, leading indicators show positive trends. Along with the housing recovery, the Federal government has mandated new mortgage financing rules that take effect through 2013 and beyond. Building or buying any home now involves revised guidelines that touch nearly every aspect of the financing process, including appraisals, disclosures of terms, closing costs, and qualifying fina…
The experience of building a log or timber home, making the vision become a reality, is extraordinary and may take place only once in a lifetime. The advantage of previous experience is often absent. Therefore, consulting professionals becomes critical to the process—from the beginning. The first step in the journey is often a comparison of pricing and deliverables from qualified log and timber home packaging companies, and the advice of professionals adds confiden…
A honeymoon is that time of marriage overflowing with joy and replete with opportunities. Dreams woven. Secrets spoken. Plans laid. It was no different for Mike and Maria Alderson during their short but sweet honeymoon at Petit Jean Mountain, Arkansas, following a St. Valentine’s Day wedding in 1987. “We only had a weekend for our honeymoon,” Maria recalls, explaining why they selected a log cabin resort called Tanyard Springs that was near their home. “We discovered that we loved being in the log cabin…
Hundreds of log homes throughout North America serve as model homes for log home producers. This is one of them. Visitors are welcome at all of these homes and we encourage you to visit them. It’s a great opportunity to view different designs, construction techniques, and craftsmanship. Look at Log Home Events in this issue for listings of upcoming open houses at these model homes. Be sure to call before visiting to ensure the home will be open when you arrive. “Big things come in small packag…
For a retired financier from South Carolina, the Blue Ridge Mountains proved to be the ideal getaway spot for relaxing and enjoying the outdoors. Since 2009, he and his family have enjoyed visiting their sprawling vacation log home in Highlands, North Carolina—a stunning location tucked away at 4,000 feet above sea level. “This homeowner likes the atmosphere that Highlands has to offer as a place to get away and to not be concerned about everything happening in the world,”…
Kristie McAden was born and raised in the mountains of North Carolina. Her husband, Mike, had always lived on the North Carolina coast. The two met while attending college at Appalachian State University in Boone, and the rest is happy history. “Mike and I started dating and pretty much saw everything eye to eye right from the start,” says Kristie, “Throughout the years of our marriage, that compatibility has remained, including our tastes in home design.” After graduating from ASU Kristie and Mike bega…
