Lincoln’s log home

Each February, a national holiday honors past leaders who have shaped the country we live in today — Presidents Day. As children growing up, we often learned to associate these leaders with certain things — George Washington and his cherry tree; Theodore Roosevelt and his bull moose; Abraham Lincoln and his log cabin.

Like America itself, the log cabins of today have come a far distance from the one-room structures Lincoln knew in the 1800s. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), more than 26,000 log homes are built annually — sales figures have more than doubled to $1.7 billion since 1995 — and comprise nearly 7 percent of the American custom home market.

With the wide variety of choice available and their high energy efficiency, it’s no wonder the popularity of log homes is rising. Planning and building a log home is a unique opportunity to build your dream home, but it’s important to do some research first.

•Talk to professionals who know the process and can help you understand the value and challenges of building a log home. A good place to start is with the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Log Homes Council. Council members are log home manufacturers and producers who have united to develop and promote quality building systems and ethical business practices by participation in both mandatory and voluntary council programs designed to benefit log home customers.

•Consider the site of where you hope to build, says Al Theriault, director of Operations for Kuhns Bros. Log Homes Inc., a Pennsylvania log homes manufacturer and president of the Log Homes Council. Buyers should own the land where they plan to build before committing a manufacturer to a particular design. The cost of the site can affect the overall project cost dramatically.

While most log homes are situated in more rural environments, due to baby boomers leaving the hustle of city life, they don’t have to be. In 2001, the last year of record, the most popular states for log home construction were Colorado, New York, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. Costs from state to state can vary widely.

“Consumers need to consider the cost of the land they are interested in,” Theriault states.

When selecting a site, first get your budget in order and think carefully about the site. Will the site allow you to orient the home they way you want? Keep in mind other details as well — will the site allow for that walkout basement you want?

•It is important to have financing in place for the entire project before you break ground. Also, as with any major purchase, make certain that you understand your manufacturer’s terms. Pay attention to the time period of your agreement and know what happens if you exceed that time limit.

“Know your budget and get realistic estimates,” Theriault emphasizes. When buying a new home, most consumers don’t have to think about the kind of wood in the 2-by-4s or a construction-to-permanent mortgage. But the tens of thousands of consumers in the market for a log homes quickly learn that buying and building their rustic dream house is very different from purchasing a conventional home. By knowing this going in, and doing your research, you’ll be in your new log retreat in no time.

Want to know where to start? Contact the Spokane Home Builders Association at (509) 532-4990. You can also visit www.loghomes.org for a whole host of resources designed just for the log homeowner. To sign up for NAHB’s free consumer e-newsletter, visit www.nahb.org/housekeys.