A few questions before taking the class

[jello]

Hello all, I am happy to say that my buddy and I just paid for the up coming class the third week of April. I am very excited but also want to be well prepared for the class. Our first notion in this was to conduct research and my question is what books are recommended for our type of building. I would like a good idea of what other members read to prep for the class and read after class/before building. On Amazon I see tons of different books on everything from masonry, to deck building, to building codes and ethics etc. I guess my question is what specific books are recommended.

We plan to build in Maine and our second question is about log availability in Maine. If anyone knows anything about the current availability of logs in Maine and/or has an idea of the market in Maine that would be helpful.

We are also going to be looking at properties prior to the class, and probably purchase around class time, is there anything specific (things specific to our type of building) that we should be looking for in our plots. Any tips on negotiating, lists of questions to ask realtors/land owners, etc would be very helpful.

Anything thing else to help prepare us for class would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all.

Steve and Angelo

[adubar]

Much of what you are asking will be answered in class or at the very least tips on how to answer for yourself the quesitons you are asking.

As far as books go, topics on how to save money, how to install home systems (air, electirc, plumbing & etc.) can prepare you but are not needed, as you will need to hunker down and figure out what you are willing to do yourself, at which point the real reading and education in those areas begins, long after you've taken the class.

Don't worry so much about reading on log home design, as much that is currently in print will steer you wrong and you may find yourself needing to "unlearn" some misconceptions by class time.
If you feel you must read something "log home-centric" before taking the class, look for simple historical overviews rather than technical books. Used/antiquarian book stores and libraries would probably be the best bet, as most box-book stores carry the same "modern" material---most of which were written by those working in the established kit-home markets and are very thin on historical let alone methodological meat.

Sourcing logs is covered in class.
The best advice I can give you is to be patient and take your time. Don't rush into land, logs or building your home.
Be methodical and deliberate in your researh and decisions.

-Andrew

[Klapton]

If you are already familiar with the hoops required to build a regular home in your desired location (application process, soils evaluations, wetlands checks, blah blah), and you want to know what ELSE to consider that is directly related to a log home...

1) You need room to store your logs while building. A tiny lot, even if your finished home will fit on it, is not really big enough, unless adjacent lots are vacant, and no one is going to get mad about you spreading your stuff out.

2) It's harder to sell / re-sell a log home on a small lot. People who buy a log home want to feel like they are "in the country". This is very hard to achieve with less than an acre or two.

I'll say this last thing, even if you do already know it, in case someone else reads this who doesn't. This is important, I mean HUGE important --

NEVER MAKE AN OFFER WITHOUT A CONTINGENCY ADDENDUM!!!

*ahem. Forgive me for hollering like that. But it's real important. If you make a contingent offer, you can get out of the deal if you find out that your septic will cost four times what you thought it might, that your proposed property is the last refuge of the endangered Foo-Foo-Schnizzle Bug... whatever. If you need to back out of the deal, you CAN. You do not get stuck with a property that you can't build your dream log home on.