CMM General Contractors
Custom Log Home Construction
"Build your dream, and Live it".

[ Up ]

    So, you're ready to go for it and build your dream!  Great!  Here, we will try and lay out the steps, so that you can turn your dream into a reality.   A log home is a big step, and you have to be willing to put in the effort to research what you want, and be ready to spend the money necessary to make it happen. 
    Let's start with the cash part, as sooner or later you're going to need some.  Building a log home is a little different than building a stick-frame house.  First of all, the lending institutions don't normally entertain loaning money on the raw materials until they are delivered to the site.  Since the log shell is the major part of the home, this means that you need more "up front" cash than you might in building a conventional house.  How much?  It depends on the size of your home.  It's not all bad---as this up front cost is re-absorbed later and goes as part of your "down payment" to your lender, so it isn't money "lost."   But it's still something to prepare for.  Normally, the buyer will be required to pay for 1/2 the log shell before the shell can be manufactured--that could be as much as $25,000 on a $50,000 log shell package.  Prior to the final shipping of the log package to your lot the entire log package and the freight charge associated to transport it have to be paid to the log supplier before the home can be shipped.  This doesn't however mean you have to come up with this amount too. 
        When CMM builds your home, our proven track record has allowed us to obtain financing for this second half of the shell along with the freight charges.  Of course, if you build the home yourself, then it will be your track record your lender will be interested in, and you might well be required to pay for this up front as well.  On CMM's Turn-Key construction, we can obtain financing for 50% of the log shell, after a 90% letter has been received from your bank or lending institution.  Usually a $10,000 deposit will be required to obtain interim financing.

Here are the steps to build your home:

1.  Contact CMM.   Share with us your dream; bring your sketches, plans, or ideas and together we will work together to come up with an affordable home which will meet your needs.   Remember that log homes require extensive planning prior to construction and CMM must book a slot with our log supplier long before the building season. 

2.  Find the location for your dream, and purchase the land.  Many of CMM home owners purchased their lots many years previously, dreaming about the day they could put the home they wanted on their property.  Of course, it is possible to buy the land and the home at the same time, and regardless of how you do it, you will need a place to build your CMM constructed home.  If you don't have your lot yet, give us a call and we can give you some guidance on what to look for.  You definitely want a buildable lot, with good water, good drainage, and access to your site.   
  
3.  Prequalify.  This is a must!   Anyone buying a home should shop for their financing.  You will want to know exactly how much you qualify for and the funds required for the loan program that you select.  We are FHA and VA approved, so obtaining financing for qualified buyers has not been a problem.  We can give you some suggestions on lenders who have worked with previous owners.  Be prepared for a lot of paperwork---most lending institutions must have a papermill in the back office!

4.  Pick your floor plan-We are a custom oriented company, and will build anything you want.  The sketches and floorplans located on this website can give you some ideas, but many of our owners have found their home of dreams in books, magazines, and on their own.  Once you have committed to a floor plan, then we need to turn that plan into a set of blueprints.   The cost of blueprints varies, but our contacts charge around 55 cents per square foot.  We can start to nail down the actual building cost and give you precise numbers once we have a set of working blueprints and your lot has been inspected by the builder.  We will price the log shell separately from the construction costs, so you will have a better idea of what your are paying for.  The sooner you can commit to a plan, the sooner we can build your home. 

5.  Book a Slot.  As a minimum, if you are planning to build in the Spring/Summer timeframe, you will need to "book" your log slot the previous Fall/Winter.  You can think of your home as having to be built "twice."  Our log supplier obtains the logs, in the size you will need, and then builds the shell.  This shell is then shipped to your building site where it is re-assembled into a final home by CMM.  Once you have your plan, a $5000 deposit will "book" your slot and you will be given a specific date in the future where your home needs to start coming together so it can be shipped on time.  Since the log supplier can only manufacture a certain number of homes each year, these slots are important.  This future slot date will be your "booking date."  Your $5000 deposit is fully refundable if you cancel your booking within 90 days prior to this booking date.  Within 90 days trees are being cut and stacked, and the deposit would no longer be refundable in full.  The booking date system has worked very well, as it allows you to book your slot in the fall, get things finalized during the winter, insure you obtain winter cut wood, and still get your house built during the normal building season.  Realize that CMM has a limited number of bookings for each construction season, so it is very important to reserve your booking with the initial $5000 deposit on the log shell as early as possible.  Building slots are reserved on a first come first served basis.

4.  Finalize.  Once you have your slot booked, you can work to finalize the process.  You can update your plans, get your lot ready, and secure the financing you will need.  Once your plans are complete, a final estimate can be accomplished and a contract can be executed.  The signed contract is one of the items that, along with a set of blue prints for your home, will be required by your lending institution.  They may also require a "perk test" and a "well report" from your lot, if the lot requires well and septic.  You will want to have your finalization finished and your contract signed well before your "booking date." Before you know it, you will be watching your dream become reality.   It's always exciting to see a structure go from plain dirt to a new home---and the log shell goes up normally in just a few days. You will want to have your camera ready!