SEE PICTURES BELOW

June 12, 2009 

We though we were on our way to building our new home. 

We found a great builder in our area named Rod Davis.  He also shares our vision of building green, and would like to someday build an Ethanol plant that uses switch grass as its component to make the fuel

Anyway,We got the material bid from Dusty at Satterwhite Log homes.  (Dusty is fantastic to work with!)  Bids for the wind and Solar components, and also the bid from Rod our builder.  We were just waiting for the appraisal process to finish to break ground.

June 14, 2009

That all went to heck yesterday.

The bank contacted us to let us know that regulation have changed and they are required to have three comparable log home sales in the last year.  Needless to say, we do not live in Colorado, so now our process has come to a grinding halt.

We have not given up though.  I figure if we sell our current home that has a ton of equity in it, and have cash on hand, we can have more bargaining power.  The bank would not confirm that the required comparables would no longer be an issue, but state that we would probably have more luck getting the loan through.  Since we have been unable to seek out any other local bank in the area that has an in-house 30 year fixed mortgage we are waiting on our house to sell.  I hope that we will not be homeless for a long period of time.

** We are sitting in the middle of 40 acres building a log home which really puts us out of the main mortgage market, and leads us to a local bank that services there own loans.  Because of the mortgage crisis.  We need to find a fixed loan bec

ause we do not know if it will be resonable in the future to refinace to the secondary market, and the though of an ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) without the backup plan of refinancing is way to scary to me.

Hang in there --- as soon as we are able to break ground there will be pictures.  I promise

June 15, 2009

We are out shopping for a new loan.  Bank Midwest stated that even if we had the equity from our current home in cash, they could not confirm that they would give us a loan.  Well, who in their right mind would sell the house that they are currently living in, and not have a loan to start building our home.  Well at this point I am in my right mind, so back to square one.

July 29, 2009

Nothing new to report.  We have submitted a loan application with Farm Credit Services in St Joseph Missouri, so we are waiting to see if we get approved to start construction.  I hope it is soon.  I surely would not like to be building a house in the middle of a MidWest winter.  Joette with FCS has been a pleasure to work with.  It is great to hear options of how to build our house in the market rather than, You need to build a different kind of house.  Keep your fingers crossed and I will keep everyone updated as to the progress.

July 31,2009

Farm Credit Services came through for us, Looks like we will be breaking ground by the end of August.  There will be pictures galore to follow! 

August  16, 2009

We Broke ground.  Yea!  I was begining to think this day would never happen.   

August 20, 2009 

We have a big hole in the ground LOL

September 3, 2009

 Look at those footers.    

October 10, 2009 

Well our Builder Rod K Davis turned out to be a scam artist, and 12,000 dollars later we have hired a new builder named  Frank Lewis. He is our savior....

The walls of the basement are in, and the flatwork is getting ready to be done.  If I can get my husband in gear we have more picutes to post.  

10/15/09

The flatwork (floors) have been put on hold until we can dry out enough to get cement trucks into our site, but I have new pictures to share!

11/02/09

The floors are in.  The floor trusses are done and ready to be installed and the Logs are being delivered on Wednesday.  If we the rain can hold out we are on our way.  I just have to give kidos to Satterwhite log homes.  They have been the best most patience group of people to work with.  Thanks again Satterwhite for everything.

11/05/09

Our Log package was delivered yesterday.  It is hard to believe that you are looking at approx 3000 sq feet of house.  They only thing missing from this load if the roofing material.

 From what we understand it was a heck of an unloading process from two semi trucks.  As usall we were fighting mud from a unseasonally wet October.  If it were not for our Dozer guy Kenny that had to help pull one truck and widen the road for the other, I don't know what we would have done!

  We have the start of our home.  Yea!Dec 5,2009




12/12/09 The last of the logs were stacked this last weekend, now on to the interior framing and roof.  Pictured Below is Jason.  He is the head of our framing crew.  




12/20/09The house is growing fast now!






We are dried in Yea!