What led you to LHBA?

[rocklock]

Well I have since paid off my debts, and now I have to overcome other obstacles before I can make my log house a reality. I have a serious girlfriend that does not necessarily agree with the lifestyle I want to live and I also have to change provinces (I live in Canada) to find some affordable land... which means I will likely have to quit my job which provides me with security and fairly good income. Man do I HATE being stuck in limbo!! Although I believe this is definitely the route to go and I am willing to make some heavy sacrifices.

Several comments... I can't believe you can't find affordable land in Alberta, although, I have never been there... I would redouble my efforts...
One of the first things that I did with my wife (of 43 years) was to make a list of things that she wanted in our log home. She has largely defined the inside of our log home, hence she is invested in the final product...

Lifestyle? I guess I am uncertain what life style has to do with a log home... Now if you plan on really roughing it, living off the grid and have cold showers, I don't like that either... But having a help mate, pardner, is a good thing...
Some how I don't believe in Sacrifices... I believe in a win -win.

http://www.century21.ca/ I tried this site and found a bunch of leads...

Best of luck

[Dewey]

Several comments... I can't believe you can't find affordable land in Alberta, although, I have never been there... I would redouble my efforts...
One of the first things that I did with my wife (of 43 years) was to make a list of things that she wanted in our log home. She has largely defined the inside of our log home, hence she is invested in the final product...

Lifestyle? I guess I am uncertain what life style has to do with a log home... Now if you plan on really roughing it, living off the grid and have cold showers, I don't like that either... But having a help mate, pardner, is a good thing...
Some how I don't believe in Sacrifices... I believe in a win -win.

http://www.century21.ca/ I tried this site and found a bunch of leads...

Best of luck

Hey rock lock


Thanks for the reply. With lifestyle, I don't necessarily mean the log house itself. My girlfriend is a city girl and feels safer in a tall apartment building (which I think is absurd) than being out in the middle of nowhere. The idea of a log house has gradually grown on her, but she still has these visions of mansions and wants it built in a U-shape (?!); so she is a work in progress. She also does not like the idea of commuting to work... so it really is a lifestyle difference. I suppose land in AB isn't that expensive, but with my limited budget it is for me. This is also prairie country, so there aren't many trees around. When I look at Ontario for instance, prices drop dramatically and the properties are just beautiful. For instance, I found an 80-acre property near Sudbury for $16,500 obo!!! Insane! Of course, no one wants to live there.. but I do! In any case, I'm saving every penny for now and keeping my eyes open. Still have some time to figure everything out... at least I know what I want I will check out that link and have a look at these leads you speak of!

[ivanshayka]

My dad has mentioned some of his dreams of buying acres of land in UP Michigan and building log hunting cabin. Few years later a friend of mine and I have stumbled on one of the display log homes (kit builders) near his town in Petoskey. I immidiately loved the look of log homes and fell in love with it. The only problem at the time was that their smallest model kit home was $250,000. I knew I could not afford it, so I ended up searching "log homes" and DIY on google. I came across this site (it was still the old site), and what realy captivated me is the price of the log home that you can build. It never occured to me that it was posible for me to build the log home for less than $50,000 untill I took the class. Now I am in the process of finishing my 10X10 tool shed (see pics). The idea of DIY and do it for as much or as little as you want captured me. I took the class in Jan 2011, and would not change it.
http://s1225.photobucket.com/albums/...t=IMAG0247.jpg
I am blessed to have my family back me up in this build, expeciealy my sweetheart. We are raising 3 kids, 2 of them are special needs, and we would love to stay away from morgage slavery as far as posible. Although we are still paying off our land (almost done). God bless you all.
Ivan.

[dvb]

We had purchased several acres of land in Colorado near Steamboat Springs and we wanted to build a log house on it. I did what everyone else does and started researching Kit homes. In the process of doing that, I found this site. After much reading, we decided to attend the class together. We were lucky enough to attend at the "House That Skip Built". After my wife, Carla and I had attended the class in Jan. 2005 we started down the path. It has been a great ride and we are nearing the completion of the house, hopefully this summer or fall. We are looking for another piece of land to build another house on. We will keep this one for friends and family to use as a vacation spot. Next one will be a little larger and more complicated, but I believe it will be easier with the knowledge we gained on the first build.

[loghousenut]

Hey rock lock


Thanks for the reply. With lifestyle, I don't necessarily mean the log house itself. My girlfriend is a city girl and feels safer in a tall apartment building (which I think is absurd) than being out in the middle of nowhere. The idea of a log house has gradually grown on her, but she still has these visions of mansions and wants it built in a U-shape (?!); so she is a work in progress. She also does not like the idea of commuting to work... so it really is a lifestyle difference. I suppose land in AB isn't that expensive, but with my limited budget it is for me. This is also prairie country, so there aren't many trees around. When I look at Ontario for instance, prices drop dramatically and the properties are just beautiful. For instance, I found an 80-acre property near Sudbury for $16,500 obo!!! Insane! Of course, no one wants to live there.. but I do! In any case, I'm saving every penny for now and keeping my eyes open. Still have some time to figure everything out... at least I know what I want I will check out that link and have a look at these leads you speak of!

OK, I found it on the map. Now what's wrong with 80 acres for $16,000 near Sudbury? Never been there so I haven't got a clue.

[Dewey]

OK, I found it on the map. Now what's wrong with 80 acres for $16,000 near Sudbury? Never been there so I haven't got a clue.

Absolutely nothing! Here's the link: http://www.mls.ca/propertyDetails.as...dKey=-27968399

I'm just itching to go have a look at it.. next trip home I will!

[sdart]

The key to the low price may be those two little words: "No access" ! Not sure how it works in Canada, but it might be difficult to get a legal easement through other people's property to make an access road. Probably depends also on who owns the property between those 80 acres and the existing road and how they feel about having neighbors. How about flying in supplies with a helicopter?!

[Dewey]

The key to the low price may be those two little words: "No access" ! Not sure how it works in Canada, but it might be difficult to get a legal easement through other people's property to make an access road. Probably depends also on who owns the property between those 80 acres and the existing road and how they feel about having neighbors. How about flying in supplies with a helicopter?!

Oops.. didn't notice the no access. Well, point is Ontario is full of really affordable properties.. I've seen many examples on mls of 2-5 acres for $15 -$30 grand that are well treed and in gorgeous surroundings. I wonder though why the hell anyone would want property with no access??

[rreidnauer]

I remember considering a property back when I was looking, that had water access only. Huge amount of property that was cheap as heck. I thought it might be kinda cool having to use a boat to get to and fro. I considered it for a while, then I started working out the logistics of moving vast amounts of building materials to the site. And then, what about in the winter when/if the river would freeze. Sure, could switch to snowmobile then, but what about those transitional periods when the ice is neither thin/thick enough for a boat or snowmobile? Hovercraft? Decided I best just pass.

Anyhow, 80 acres is big enough to hog out a runway for a bush plane. That would still be quite a job hauling stuff in, but how cool would that be? Pretty much a Dick Proenneke-esque scenario. That property isn't too terribly far from Les Stroud's off-grid build down around the Huntsville area.

[StressMan79]

in washington state, it is illegal to landlock a property, so you have an easement regardless. But you have to build whatever road you require to your property. Cutting a road can be difficult at best.

-Peter