Log Homes - Dreams to Reality

Many of you have been dreaming for many years of living in a log home. Is it time to do something about it?

The reasons for prolonging log home dreams are as varied as the lives of those who are doing the dreaming. Let's look at some of those reasons:

Financial Constraints - One of the most common reasons to put off a log home purchase is financial. The problem might be high-priority family obligations, college expenses, excessive debt, job instability, lack of savings, or concern about financial future.

Job Constraints - Jobs can impose requirements that make it difficult to relocate. For example, if you travel in your job, you may need to be located near an airport, which might be a problem in your dream home location.

Family Constraints - A desire or need to be located near family can often hamper plans to move to your dream home in the mountains. Children may still be in school and can't uprooted right now.

Health Constrains - Sometimes, a need to be close to health care facilities dictates where one lives. A dream home on an isolated mountain-top simply wouldn't be practical in this situation.

Lack of Commitment - In many cases, log home dreamers are simply not quite committed enough to take the next step. Some like the idea of being a perpetual dreamer and will never actually build. Others have higher priority interests that override any serious planning for a new home. Still others have difficulty making decisions of such significance. After all, moving to a log home is a change in lifestyle for many people.

What To Do
There's nothing we can say here that will somehow magically remove your constraints and get you quickly on your way to building your dream log home. However, we can suggest some things that may help.

First, just a reminder that it's a certainty that your life situation will change — guaranteed — and that many of the reasons you now have for not building your log home can easily go away later — either because you made them change, or just because.

Finances can improve, families change and move around, kids get out of school, jobs come and go, priorities often change. Therefore, if you know you really want to live in a log home, prepare yourself and be ready when the time is right.

It doesn't hurt to put your dreams on hold for a little while until you can make everything fall into place, but if you want to make your dreams come true sooner rather than later, it's often amazing what can be done once you set your mind to it.

Make a plan and timetable. Write it down. Share it with your family and friends. If your plan is written down and talked about, it will become more real and you'll have a greater sense of commitment. Change your plan when the situation requires it — but don't abandon it

Take a realistic look at your finances. If your dreams are important, what financial adjustments can you make? Reducing debt? Increasing savings? Using equity in your current home? Finding sources of additional income? What sacrifices are you willing to make?

Consider this. You have to live somewhere - why not in your dream log home? Unless you are looking at a second home or vacation home, you have to spend money on a place to live anyway. Convert that equity in your 20 year-old home into a beautiful new log home. It's possible that you can live your dream for the same money you now spend.

If job, family, or health are current constraints, examine possible solutions that could get you closer to making your dream home a reality. Write down your ideas without trying to analyze them right away. Be creative. Let your mind work freely. It's entirely possible that you'll reveal solutions that you would not have otherwise thought about.

Finally, decide how important it is to you to live in your dream log home. Be realistic and honest with yourself. If know you are a hopeless dreamer, then keep dreaming and enjoy. But if you really know that you want to live your dream, make it happen. Do whatever it takes.

Best wishes.

+++