July 04, 2005
Log Homes
Log homes are booming in popularity. In the mid-80s, only about 7,000 homes were being built annually in the US, but today the number is over 25,000. They've become a status symbol, too, with celebrities buying them. Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, and Bill Gates are all log home owners.
Though touring one with its soaring ceilings, roomy great rooms, and open lofts can give you an idea why they're desirable, a recent online article from the Wall Street Journal's Real Estate Journal warns that log homes have quite a few problems.
First off, they are expensive to build (though they hold their real estate value well), costing between 25% and 50% more than traditional stick built homes. The problems are generally caused because of the way the industry works: log home kits are created and shipped to the building site where the future homeowner is responsible for finding a local contractor to put them together. Because contractors often don't have experience with log homes, there can be problems that can cost a lot in the long run.
For more information, consult As Log-Home Interest Grows, So Do Gripes. If you're still interested in buying or building a log home, there are some articles at http://www.aboutloghomes.com
