Need some serious help and advice!!

[magrimo]

MY name is Mike:

I happened upon this whole log home thing purely by accident 2 days ago. I was in the library looking for some metalworking books (a possible future hobby of mine) and i saw a book entitled "How to Build Your Own Log Home For Less Than $15,000". I was immediately intrigued. I am 21 years old. Married for 2.5 years. Have a son of 1.5 years. My wife is pregnant with number 2. I have made mistakes financially, and as of late have only begun to fix them. But i digress, all this is to say that i have decided that i am not looking forward to a life of servitude to mortgage companies, entrapped my my fico score, in need of a wal-mart on every corner, and dependant on commercial zoning and deed-restricted covenant subdivisions. I was immediately hooked on the idea of building a log home because of the price. I do not want to have to wait until i am 70 to begin enjoying life. I want to spend the next few years probably researching techniques, refining building plans, saving financially, acquiring the necessary tools, finding land, and generally preparing for this. What i have seen on the user forums here has been very enlightening. There are a few things that i would want to clear up. I read the posts here about eminent domain and my questions is: Is there a way in modern society to be able to purchase land and actually OWN the land (mineral rights, water, timber, everything . . .) without having the fear of it being taken/used/abused? Also, i am clueless when it comed to building codes. I would like to know of a way to be able to build my house and not have to worry about building codes. If there is no way to be able to avoid codes, at least is there a way to build it yourself and circumvent contractor and licensing requirements for building permits? Obviousl;y if i have to hire an electrician and a plumber and a bricklayer and laborers that are licensed, it kind of defeats the purpose of the cheap home. I know that i am asking for a lot of information here, but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Mike

[rocklock]

Mike;
you are asking for a lot...
First, you need to get your entire support system (wife, kids, in laws, out laws, parents, sibling, dog, cat, hamsters, what ever) on the same sheet of music... That means everyone must agree with what you are doing.... and help you achieve your goals in what ever way they can... You need to focus on one thing at a time, get that done and go on to the next... And be extremely disciplined... One members mother in law is kinda in charge in getting the logs pealed and clean... His logs lare bare naked and super clean... Mine are not so much, so I need to work on that... But you get the picture, everyone need to work for the same goal...
Second, you need information... If your support system agrees on building a log home, you need to take the two day class and become a member of this association... The information in the members section is worth 10 times as much as you will pay for the class... Probably more...
Third, you need to find land... You can have all the tools, cash, logs, whatever, in the world, but you can't build with out land!
Forth, you need a plan... This association has three basic plans that are very good. And of course, a plan is just that, and can be modified to fit your needs.... Mine is a 30 by 30 with a walk-out basement that has 2565 square feet...
Fifth, we member's are here to help in what ever way that we can if you decide to build a log home...
At this point I will tell a lame joke that will call into question my judgment but what the hey.... Hagar the Horrible was a comic strip many years ago...
This strip appeared twenty or more years ago. Hagar the Horrible was addressing his young and some what dumb assistant in one frame "Remember .... rape.... THEN PILLAGE!!! rape... THEN PILLAGE!!!"
In building, as in many other things, the correct order, is extremely important... Remember the above stupid joke...
Hope this helps some...
Dave

[GammaRae]

Heh - they're not so clean after this week's rain. But the basement is up and poured, so we're pretty pleased.

[papackbi]

Where I am from in Colorado if the homeowner is the primary electrician or plumber then a license is not requires. You will still need to pull the permits and get the necessary inspections, but you can do the work yourself, I know a guy that was watching a video on how to wire a house while he was wiring it, and it turned out pretty good. The most important thing to remember is taking your time and doing it right, because it will be your family living in the home. Codes can be a pain but the county building department is usually pretty good about answering questions and helping out (the inspectors are all former contractors themselves) so if you have a question go and ask. I was rebuilding a roof a couple of years ago and was going to apply for the pemits and was told as long as I didn't remove and of the structural members then I could call it a repair and I wouldn't need any permits, so I put the new 2x8 rafters on lay-out with the old warped and bowed 2x6 rafters still in place and "repaired" all of the sheeting with out needing to file for a single permit. Of course in new home construction you can't get away with that, but there are loop holes in the requirements and sometimes all you need to do is ask.

[ChainsawGrandpa]

Hi Mike!

Hey welcome to the group. You have just stumbled onto what I consider one of
the greatest groups of people in the world. All are helpful, and we all have a great
comraderie.

Well, your questions cover a broad scope. Here's a quick starter. Go to the library
and get Living Homes by Thomas Elpel. Not only does he have a wealth of information
but he is also a member. The book doesn't give enough information to build a log home
but it does get you started in the right direction.

One thing I have said about the class is still true; Triple the price and it will still be the
deal of a lifetime. Run through the forums. They contain a wealth of information and
can answer a lot of your questions. Let us know how you're progressing on your dreams.

-Rick

[RockEngineer]

How many building codes and how they are enforced depends completely on where you get your land. Here in Washington there are still a very few places that if you are an owner/builder you can get by without a permit and the only inspections are electrical and safety. Other places just 100 miles away control every step of the process and want over $10,000 for permits. You will have to do your own research on code enforcement where you look for land.

There are very few areas anywhere in the US where you can buy land any more that you will own the gas and mineral rights.

Good Luck. It sounds like you are turning the corner and making headway in the right direction for financial independance.

[artc1]

Hello Mike,

I'm a couple of weeks old to this group and have found this site to be very informative. It seems like I know the people in this group although I haven't met anyone yet. I haven't taken the class. I will.

I think land with mineral and water rights are available. I own 41 acres here in Ca. Sierras and many of the lots here are available with mineral and water rights. The great thing is that this gold country. My neighbor had made a living for a few years "sniping" for gold! Gold was about $280.00/oz. now it's $723.00/oz. so it doesn't take much from what I hear. I haven't found gold on my land yet (I haven't been looking) but I'm pretty certain it's there. It shows all of the signs. Did you know that only 20% of the gold was found during the "GOLD RUSH".

Anyhow, my main point is that the land is available and not that expensive, in California's definition, but you'll have to be willing to go way out into the boonies.

I don't live on my land yet but I'm planning on it. I hate the rat race too!

Good luck


ArtC1