Posted by Mary Pierce on 2/24/05 7:55am
Msg #22147

beautiful home

I did a signing last night for a couple that owns a log cabin, huge.....when I drove around their home sat in the middle of a field covered with snow...winding driveway....the home looked like a church all lit up...when I finally pulled up to the side of the house it was a log cabin. I walked in and it was breath taking. These people built it themselves. I was totally speechless and told the wife "I'm jealous".....this is my dream home. I've never seen such a beautiful home in all my life....looked like something out of a magazine.

Reply by Ted_MI on 2/24/05 8:24am
Msg #22149

Mary,

Out of curiosity, where is it?

Reply by Mary Pierce on 2/24/05 11:46am
Msg #22173

Wyalusing, PA, NE PA

Reply by Shane_IN on 2/24/05 8:48am
Msg #22153

Then of course when you look at the appraisal its valued way below what it should, because log cabins are considered unique property, and usually there aren't any or enough comparable homes in the area to justify a high value... ugh..... Sorry.... investment instinct kicking in hehe.

Reply by Cherilyn on 2/24/05 1:53pm
Msg #22195

and this is one of the reasons I love being a loan closer..

In the past few years, I've got to see some pretty fabulous houses.

And then there's the not so fabulous, messy, dirty houses that make me feel like mine's not so bad after all :-)

Reply by Gaylynn-UT on 2/24/05 4:15pm
Msg #22216

Re: and this is one of the reasons I love being a loan closer..

I think we should all get together and write a book about the bad places!

Reply by CarolynCO on 2/24/05 8:18pm
Msg #22258

Re: Why only the bad? NM

Reply by CarolynCO on 2/24/05 8:43pm
Msg #22266

Mary,
Not to brag, but my husband and I began building our mountain log cabin in 1983 and it's *almost* finished. We've built as we've had the money, and it's always been free and clear. It was good that we began the project when we were *younger* and still deeply in love -- not that we're not deeply in love now, but we began when we were still in the stage of "oh, whatever you say" -- now it is dangerous for both of us to have sharp, blunt instruments in our hands at the same time. <g> Our cabin is in an old ghost town from the 1800's when they mined gold and silver and is smack dab in the middle of a national forest. Many of the original cabins are still standing, as well as many of the original outhouses. The creek goes through the middle of our property, which is why we had to build up, having two floors and livable space in the attic. You can stand on our desk and fish. We have several deer, elk, moose, foxes, and even bear who are also *residents* of our little town. When we go up in the winter, we can only get to about 6 miles from the cabin and have to snowmobile in the rest of the way. I have some pictures on my website if you'd like to take a look. -- oh, and I have to disagree about the property value of a log cabin being less -- our taxes on the cabin are about $500 more per year than our house just outside of Denver.

Reply by Shane_IN on 2/24/05 9:13pm
Msg #22270

Thats your taxes.... Try to get it appraised... Appraisals have an impossible task of finding comparables...

On average, the only place log cabin homes, retain their value, or increase in value, is in mountainous areas, where they are common.... but put 3500 square foot beautiful log cabin on acreage in Indiana, or Florida, New York, or any other non-mountainous state....and you'll find the value drops because appraisers can't compare it to anything....which is how each homes value is determined.

Reply by CarolynCO on 2/24/05 9:45pm
Msg #22277

*Thats your taxes.... Try to get it appraised... Appraisals have an impossible task of finding comparables...
On average, the only place log cabin homes, retain their value, or increase in value, is in mountainous areas, where they are common.... *

While what you say is probably true for flat land states, since our cabin is the mountains, our value will only continue to increase. We had to have the cabin appraised before we could get our occupancy certificate and insurance. Actually, it's never made much sense to me to see log cabins built in mountainless areas. I would imagine it would be very cost prohibitive because the logs (for a true log cabin and not a kit home) would have to be trucked in. JMO.

Reply by PAW_Fl on 2/24/05 10:00pm
Msg #22279

There are actually quite a few log cabin homes here in West Central Florida. There's a custom builder that does them and that's all he does. These are not the kit home either, but true log cabins, with modern technology. One that I know of is in Inverness (Citrus County). I don't know what the value of the home is, but it is just gorgeous, from the outside. I also think there are a few of them in Beverly Hills, FL (not CA) by this same builder. And, Beverly Hills, FL lives up to its name as in expensive homes and property prices.

Reply by CarolynCO on 2/24/05 10:21pm
Msg #22299

The great thing about the cabin is that I can put a nail in the wall (log) *anywhere* and not have to get out the stud finder to locate a 2x4 in order to hang something. We actually took this fact for granted until we remodeled the kitchen and installed new cabinets in town.