Keeping up with market trends, making the most of your money, and financing the log or timber frame home you have always wanted may seem more challenging than ever in 2015. In reality, there is no time like the present to make log and timber home dreams come true. Several key elements influence home financing today, and these are basic, even during times of economic instability that are hopefully in the rear view mirror for both businesses and consumers. First, work with professional…
Rebbecca Abair recalls having a passion for designing unique spaces and landscapes her entire life. “As far back as I can remember,” Rebbecca says, “I have been fascinated with small spaces and always pictured myself residing in a little log cabin in the woods.” Her father, a talented design and construction visionary in his own right, taught his little girl how to do roofing, mix concrete, and build all manner of things, from furniture to structures. To date, Rebbecca has designed and built eight diffe…
In your dreams, you imagined the builder handing over the keys to your new log or timber frame home, each inch of the house completed just as you imagined it would be. But for many of us, dreams are sometimes deferred—or at least spread out over time. Whether it is due to budget restrictions or lifestyle changes, there are many reasons you might want to build your home in stages instead of completing the whole project at once. Perhaps you intend to eventually retire to your new log or timber frame home,…
It’s no secret that securing a loan for any purchase has gotten a bit more complicated. Where just a few years ago lenders were willing to shell out big bucks to pretty much any credit-worthy individual, the real estate market slide, sub-prime lending issues, and the credit crunch have made getting a loan a bit more difficult. Factor in the notion that a log home is usually considered a “nontraditional” property, by lending standards, and it’s easy to see the value of a well-researched financing strateg…
Childhood memories often play a big role in one’s adult life. For Sylvie Gagnon-Sciortino, the summer vacations she spent at her grandparents place on the shore of a lake in the Lac Supérior region of the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec were just magical. It was a haven of peace, she recalls with emotion. So it is not surprising she would choose to build her small (27-by-24-foot) log cabin in this enchanted location, especially since her family still owns the land and her parents are her nearest neighbor…
If you’re like most Americans, you’ve spent the past several years watching economic events unfold with a moist eye and your fingers crossed that the worst is over. Well, we’ve got some good news for you—economists and housing authorities believe we’ve finally hit bottom and are starting to emerge from the recession. Not only that, but there are glimmers of recovery. The housing market has shown modest gains, and though it will be methodical and …
For many, building a log home is a dream come true, an opportunity to settle into a long-sought lifestyle combining the finest in comfort with the pristine beauty of nature. Making the most of this building project that may occur only once in a lifetime means research, quality shopping, and informed decisions. No aspect of the decision-making process is as challenging as that of balancing comfort, décor, and cost. Therefore, the inclusion of amenities is the subject for detailed discussion. Partic…
Log homes are timeless. So when you’re outfitting a space, like the bathroom, where the fixtures are semi-permanent and not easily (or inexpensively) swapped out, you want get it right the first time. It’s important to make sure that this very utilitarian space looks current but won’t look dated 10 years from now. Plus, this is a space where you can really employ some environmentally friendly tactics that will preserve natural resources and save money on energy costs. Here are a few of our favorite idea…
They call it simply “The Cabin.” On Blue Mountain in the Appalachian Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania just two hours from the bustle of the city, Tony and Dottie Differ own 3,355 square feet of freedom and relaxation. Located in the Eagle Rock Resort near the town of Haverton, The Cabin is one of 1,000 homes in the sprawling 8,800-acre development that offers tremendous amenities, both man made and natural. “It’s a private, gated area containing natural mountainous woodlands with large natural roc…
This issue’s theme is legacy log homes—building a log home now that will be passed down to future generations. It makes sense to build the best possible log home using the highest quality of materials that will withstand all weather conditions, pests, and other natural elements. It also makes sense to build a log home that is energy and water efficient. Energy costs are on the rise now and there’s no telling how high they will go in the future. Water, a most precious resource, is also worth conserving t…
This living room, just steps inside the front door, is waiting for a family to plop down, put their feet up, and warm themselves by the fire. The cathedral ceiling prevents the large fireplace from overwhelming the space. Numerous windows keep the space filled with natural light.
Now the happy owners of 18 acres in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the couple spent many days strolling through its meadow and dreaming about enjoying the mountain views it afforded. The couple knew this was the perfect spot to build their dream getaway. They originally owned a small cabin on 11 acres just up the hill from this location, and when seven additional acres became available they jumped at the opportunity to buy. “As luck would have it, the owners of the property adjacent to ours, with a view of tha…
