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LarryNut
12-10-2006, 04:30 PM
LHBA Members

Please allow me to introduce myself and join the family. My name is Larry. I have already spent many hours on the site reading but today I sent my money and registered for the Feb 17-18 class at which time I'll be going farther west and taking the longest plane ride that I've ever been. But I must say that I'm pumped and can't wait to get there!

I live in middle Tennessee (profile would not let me plug in location) and for as long as I can remember I've wanted to build a log home. After moving to the Nashville area I learned about and met Dave Ramsey. For those who are not familiar with him, you need to be. One of his many tag lines are "Welcome to the Dave Ramsey Show- where debt is dumb, cash is king, and the paid off home mortgage has taken the place of the bmw as the status symbol of choice!" My wifeand I got on the program and by changing our lifestyle and busting our butts have sold an investment property just to break even for the sole purpose of getting a mortgage off the books and also managed to pay off approx 20k in consumer debt in just over a year. My tuition for the class was paid for with a debit card from my checking account, not a credit card. I project that in a year from now I will owe no one anything except my mortgage.

I am not on Dave Ramsey's payroll and by no means is this post meant as a solicitation or commercial. What I'm getting to is that it is amazing how when you start doing things the right way, more doors start to open that you never knew were there before. I have been on log cabin sites hundreds of times in the past, but just recently found this one. And at the very top of the site the mission statement says that they want to show me how to build a log home and live debt free and avoid being trapped by a 30 year mortgage. As I read on I see "You can do it, you just have to get off your ass and make it happen!"

See what I mean? I'm in, I'm there, let's rock. I've been making it happen getting rid of all debt. Next is the mortgage. It's time. And by textbook, I will be taking the class 2 years (at most I hope) before I build, but definately before I start throwing money at it and make any mistakes.

Before my first post gets too long, let me just say thank you for allowing me to join LHBA, I'm happy to be here, and look forward to being able to share my progress with you. I will be one who will be posting a website full of pictures. It may take another year or so to break ground because I want to be debt free when I start and pay cash as I go. I look forward to meeting Steve, Ellsworth, and all of the other members who will be taking the class with me, along with as many of you as possible. I see jeffro is in my part of the country and would like to network with others in the TN area to trade stories, experiences, and progress with.

Thank you all for contributing your pictures, knowledge, and experiences to the forums. My years of wishing are over. I now have a road map to get r done. Next stop - Monroe, WA. Keep the coffee going, I'll be one of the sponges who stays late to get every bit of knowledge I can get. Let's rock. Daddy sees a new Stihl in his future.

Larry

rreidnauer
12-10-2006, 05:05 PM
This must be KeithMN's brother! :lol: :roll: :D (by the way, where's he gone?)

But really, welcome aboard. No doubt, this building your own place and ditching the mortgage thing can be a life changing experience that really gets the blood pumping. Dropping the sawbucks for the class is the symbolic first step that you're prepared to walk this path.

You're swimming upstream against the general population's thinking, so don't let them discourage you. I've had my share of people try to talk me out of doing this, told me carrying debt is a good thing, and even flat out try to sabatoge my intent. The more resistance I meet, the more I strive to persevere.

Keep the faith.

linuxboy
12-10-2006, 10:02 PM
Welcome.

I have nothing about Dave Ramsey, and congratulate you on the financial discipline, but there are more ways to financial success than drastic action. For example, credit cards often come with added benefits, such as free warranty, rewards, miles, etc. They are a tool and when used wisely can contribute to one's success. Mortgages, too, can be used for arbitrage, or to lower one's risk exposure by having a bank assume responsibility in the case of a dramatic unforeseen disaster. Debt is a tool that when used properly can increase wealth. That many people do not use it well is no reason to label it as completely evil.

dbtoo
12-11-2006, 05:38 AM
This must be KeithMN's brother! :lol: :roll: :D (by the way, where's he gone?)


He's busy getting debt free.

New picture of you? Is that you with your new best friend? What size is that sucker?

Steve Wolfe
12-11-2006, 06:43 AM
dbtoo wrote:


What size is that sucker?

If I had to guess, a monster Stihl 880 with a 41-inch bar. What a friend!!
C'mon Rod let us know.

rreidnauer
12-11-2006, 07:26 AM
Husqvarna 395XPW with an Oregon 42" Power Match Plus bar spinning a Granberg skip tooth chain. It's the setup for the sawmill, but I thought it would make a dramatic photo.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v328/titantornado/DSCF0005.jpg

Steve Wolfe
12-11-2006, 07:36 AM
I was way off on my guess but non the less - WOW!

jawasan
12-11-2006, 07:32 PM
Hello Larry. My wife and I will be joining you in Febuary's class. We are really amped up, as you must be also!! Are you attending class solo or bringing someone? Originally I was going alone, but I know the wife will catch things that I will overlook. Regardless, look forward to meeting you.

Remember to stay in your car till 9am and they come get you. I had an experience once with a pit bull when I was a kid...out in a pasture just being a kid looking for rabbits and such, here comes this shadow whipping across the field, I ran like a raped ape toward a cypress clump, dog had me up a cypress tree for about 1/2 an hour out in the middle of a cow field... and cypress trees DO NOT have a lot of lower branches to climb up!! I stayed up that tree after the dog left out of my sight for about an hour, scared to death that dog was going to come back or was waiting! That was a scary walk across that field back home!!!

I am staying out of Fang's area! lol

Leo

jeffro
12-12-2006, 04:18 AM
I was way off on my guess but non the less - WOW!

I was thinking at least 48" from the original picture too.

TracyN
12-15-2006, 08:58 PM
Hi Larry. Welcome to the site. I paid off all my debt two years ago using the Dave Ramsey method. I am now debt free, but I will be taking out a building loan to facilitate the speed of the building process. I hope to not exceed $60,000 for a 2000 sq/ft home with detached garage on 8 acres.

Fang is very intimidating. I noticed several people get out of their cars despite this. I watched carefully wondering when they might be devoured.

LarryNut
12-15-2006, 09:52 PM
Glad to meet you Tracy and thank you. Congratulations on your success paying off your debt.

Yea, I went back and read some more on the directions upon arrival after Leo mentioned it and I'll be staying in the car until I get the ok. Booked my flight yesterday. Now I'm just trying to decide on a rental car and a place to stay. I could probably save some money staying in a hotel or the Gaylord but I'm leaning toward the Wallace Lodge just because it's student built and it would let me have some more close up reference study and take lots of pictures that I won't be able to take at the class site. But I would also like to be as close to the class site as possible too so I'm still thinking on it for a couple more days.

rreidnauer - thanks for the input and perfectly happy swimming up stream with you. I've been "down" the river and it's not all it's cracked up to be. I love not being normal.

Larry