As I was filming video released by Honest Abe Log Homes on YouTube which focused on hand hewing, it occurred to me how today’s crafts were often necessities to our forefathers. Now, I realize this certainly wasn’t any ground breaking discovery. What really caught my attention is how valuable those rare crafts are. What was once a common necessity can be a treasure to us today.
Just down the road from our national headquarters in Moss, Tennessee, Mr. Willie McLerran continues to create his craft. Mr. McLerran is 90 years old, but still manages to weave baskets from white oak timber. He harvests the trees himself, and still does all the work involved with his craft. I would guess when he first learned how to hand weave baskets they were still a useful, everyday tool to many. He once filled a necessity of life, but now he creates a rare craft. His baskets are much less useful to our everyday lives, but I guarantee they are a priceless piece of history.
What does that have to do with log homes? Well, nothing directly. However, it seems the craft of hand hewing has a similar story. Hewing is an ancient practice. It was used to square, and fit timbers for construction. Hand hewing now isn’t seen as a necessity. We have machinery and mass production processes in place today which makes the fruit of the hand hewer’s labor impractical. Timbers are now cut and shaped with a variety of milling equipment. Who needs a log hewn by hand when Honest Abe can mill the same log time and time again?
Some people are just fine with a mass-produced basket from Wal-Mart that one-third of their neighbors also own. Others however, want something unique which tells a story. Some will pay a few dollars extra to buy Mr. McLerran’s basket which has its own special value.
Some people are just fine with our exceptionally milled log homes. They are beautiful just the way they are. Some are just as fine having their home hewn by machinery, although it leaves a distinct pattern that poorly represents hand hewing. Others however, want something unique which tells a story. Some will pay a few dollars extra to have their precisely milled Honest Abe logs and timbers chopped on by a craftsman. Not just anyone can pick up an adz and start hewing. It takes countless hours of hard work to learn to do well. Our craftsmen don’t just produce a product, they make art.
Want your log home to be truly unique? Talk to us about having your log home hand hewn. Better yet, come visit our headquarters, and see the process for yourself.
Joshua Beasley,
Honest Abe Log Homes
PS: If you come to visit, don’t forget to ask us where you can find Mr. McLerran. You shouldn’t leave Moss without a basket!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
A New Year with an Old Resolution
Each year, millions of people around the world begin their new year with new resolutions. However, rarely are any of the objectives we set really new. One popular website (www.squidoo.com/newyears) lists these as some of the top resolutions each year:
1. Stop smoking
2. Get Fit
3. Lose Weight
4. Enjoy Life More
5. Quit Drinking
6. Get Organized
7. Learn Something New
8. Get Out of Debt
9. Spend more time with the Family
10. Help Others
There’s only one problem with this list. For log home enthusiasts it has this missing from the top of the list: “Build the log home of my dreams”.
Honestly, appraisals and financing are a struggle compared to the past several years. If you qualify to build a new log home, there may never have been a better time to do so. If you don’t, there may have never been a better time to, “Position myself to build the log home of my dreams.” That being said, create a list of “resolutions” to work through. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Do your Research: Find the log products and manufacturers you like and feel comfortable with. Learn all there is to know about log homes by reading through the magazines, browsing the Internet and so on. Attend log home shows, open houses and other events as well. The very first step might simply be to request free literature, which most log home producers distribute.
2. Pre-qualify and Establish a Budget: Whether you are planning to start building now, or not for another five years, establishing a preliminary budget is a good idea. It helps to keep our dreams in check with reality and what we can spend. Disappointment is a hard pill to swallow, and building your log home should be a joyous process. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment, set up to manage your money and future wisely. Many lenders can do a pre-qualification very quickly with no strings attached.
3. Reduce Debt: Before you actually apply for a loan, you want your credit score and income to debt ratio to be stellar. Making the list at #8 above, taking steps to reduce your debt is smart for your lifestyle all around, not just when trying to build your log home.
4. Save Money: This is a no-brainer really, but it was only a couple of years ago that financial institutions were lending at or above 100% of a home’s appraised value. That is no more. The more money you have saved, the easier it will be to qualify for a loan and construct your future log home.
5. Purchase your Land: While undeveloped land hasn’t decreased in value anywhere near the pace home values, there are still great deals to be found. Through auctions, desperate Realtors and land owners, a bargain could be just around the corner. Make sure the land is suitable for building. As beautiful as that view may be, if you can’t construct a log home on it, enjoying that view as planned with be impossible.
For many, “Building the Log Home of my Dreams” is as old and repetitive a resolution as the effort to loose a few pounds and get fit. It’s an achievable goal, one worthy of making the top of the list for many log home enthusiasts. We hope the few simple steps above might help you take an extra step or two closer to seeing that dream achieved. Here is to a prosperous and happy 2010!
Joshua Beasley
Honest Abe Log Homes, Inc.
If you would like to receive information on our log homes, visit: http://www.honestabe.com/info/
Visit our Facebook Page
Follow us on Twitter
1. Stop smoking
2. Get Fit
3. Lose Weight
4. Enjoy Life More
5. Quit Drinking
6. Get Organized
7. Learn Something New
8. Get Out of Debt
9. Spend more time with the Family
10. Help Others
There’s only one problem with this list. For log home enthusiasts it has this missing from the top of the list: “Build the log home of my dreams”.
Honestly, appraisals and financing are a struggle compared to the past several years. If you qualify to build a new log home, there may never have been a better time to do so. If you don’t, there may have never been a better time to, “Position myself to build the log home of my dreams.” That being said, create a list of “resolutions” to work through. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Do your Research: Find the log products and manufacturers you like and feel comfortable with. Learn all there is to know about log homes by reading through the magazines, browsing the Internet and so on. Attend log home shows, open houses and other events as well. The very first step might simply be to request free literature, which most log home producers distribute.
2. Pre-qualify and Establish a Budget: Whether you are planning to start building now, or not for another five years, establishing a preliminary budget is a good idea. It helps to keep our dreams in check with reality and what we can spend. Disappointment is a hard pill to swallow, and building your log home should be a joyous process. Don’t set yourself up for disappointment, set up to manage your money and future wisely. Many lenders can do a pre-qualification very quickly with no strings attached.
3. Reduce Debt: Before you actually apply for a loan, you want your credit score and income to debt ratio to be stellar. Making the list at #8 above, taking steps to reduce your debt is smart for your lifestyle all around, not just when trying to build your log home.
4. Save Money: This is a no-brainer really, but it was only a couple of years ago that financial institutions were lending at or above 100% of a home’s appraised value. That is no more. The more money you have saved, the easier it will be to qualify for a loan and construct your future log home.
5. Purchase your Land: While undeveloped land hasn’t decreased in value anywhere near the pace home values, there are still great deals to be found. Through auctions, desperate Realtors and land owners, a bargain could be just around the corner. Make sure the land is suitable for building. As beautiful as that view may be, if you can’t construct a log home on it, enjoying that view as planned with be impossible.
For many, “Building the Log Home of my Dreams” is as old and repetitive a resolution as the effort to loose a few pounds and get fit. It’s an achievable goal, one worthy of making the top of the list for many log home enthusiasts. We hope the few simple steps above might help you take an extra step or two closer to seeing that dream achieved. Here is to a prosperous and happy 2010!
Joshua Beasley
Honest Abe Log Homes, Inc.
If you would like to receive information on our log homes, visit: http://www.honestabe.com/info/
Visit our Facebook Page
Follow us on Twitter
Friday, December 18, 2009
Log Home Christmas Traditions
I have the pleasure of speaking with a variety of log home enthusiasts as I travel to shows and events across the country. It's always interesting to listen to the plans people have, and how they approach challenges and obstacles. As a log home provider, it is our job to help customers through the various stages of building a new custom home, so it is important that we always be good listeners. However, my favorite stories revolve around the passion our customers have for the log home lifestyle.
Everyone has a slightly different story, but we all have something in common. We all share experiences or an event where you "know you know" that log home living is for you. My story revolves around a family Christmas tradition. As long as I can remember, each year our family travels to my Aunt's log home on Christmas-Eve morning. Long before the sun is set to rise, she starts cooking breakfast for the multitude of people soon to come.
In the rural area of Tennessee we are from, everyone is invited. Family, friends, neighbors and folks you don't even remember make their way through for a meal. Our family usually arrives just as the sun is rising, but people come and go for several hours. "Merry Christmas" is sure to be heard, and if you leave without a hug or a warm smile and hand-shake, then you must be Scrooge himself.
My Aunt's Honest Abe Log Home provides the perfect gathering place for the family and community around Christmas. It's warm, cozy and the aroma of a country breakfast and coffee is wonderful. It's this Christmas tradition that drives my passion for log homes. What is your story?
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Memories from a Porch Swing
We often idolize our parents, but perhaps our grandparents even more so. One of my best memories from childhood is the time I spent with my grandfather on his porch swing. My grandpa and I spent many evenings watching the traffic go by. We would each choose a direction of travel, and make a contest out of counting the cars as they sped by. 
He always knew the direction most vehicles would be traveling, and picked the opposite so I would win. I remember he would often be sipping a cup of coffee and humming a tune, while I rubbed the belly of his old dog with my foot as we swung.
Those types of memories aren’t created just anywhere. My grandfather’s porch swing was a place of bonding, relaxation and seclusion from all the hectic disruptions of life. Now that I have my own family, I realize he probably treasured the time on that porch swing with me, even more than I do the memories today.
A great trend with many new home builders is to give more focus on outdoor living spaces. Bigger wrap-around porches and features like exterior fireplaces on a porch are becoming more common. On upper-end homes, outdoor kitchens grow to be a center of attention for family gatherings. The opportunities to create great outdoor living areas are only hindered by the imagination and one’s budget.
There are also very practical reasons to design a home with more porch area. The sun and rain are two major enemies of a home, and a porch helps protect the exterior walls, and doors and windows; whether it be log or conventional. A log home uses stain to help protect the logs, which in turn requires it be re-stained every so often. A porch further protects the stain, so the added expense of re-applying stain again comes much later. On homes featuring large porch areas the energy savings can be substantial, offering a “Green” advantage as well. Finally, and possibly most importantly, a porch is a great place to create long-lasting memories for you, your children and grandchildren. Whether the porch on your log home is simple and classic, or has a built in kitchen and hot tub, just remember to hang that porch swing!
Josh Beasley
Honest Abe Log Homes, Inc.
If you would like to receive information on our log homes, visit: http://www.honestabe.com/info/
He always knew the direction most vehicles would be traveling, and picked the opposite so I would win. I remember he would often be sipping a cup of coffee and humming a tune, while I rubbed the belly of his old dog with my foot as we swung.Those types of memories aren’t created just anywhere. My grandfather’s porch swing was a place of bonding, relaxation and seclusion from all the hectic disruptions of life. Now that I have my own family, I realize he probably treasured the time on that porch swing with me, even more than I do the memories today.
A great trend with many new home builders is to give more focus on outdoor living spaces. Bigger wrap-around porches and features like exterior fireplaces on a porch are becoming more common. On upper-end homes, outdoor kitchens grow to be a center of attention for family gatherings. The opportunities to create great outdoor living areas are only hindered by the imagination and one’s budget.
There are also very practical reasons to design a home with more porch area. The sun and rain are two major enemies of a home, and a porch helps protect the exterior walls, and doors and windows; whether it be log or conventional. A log home uses stain to help protect the logs, which in turn requires it be re-stained every so often. A porch further protects the stain, so the added expense of re-applying stain again comes much later. On homes featuring large porch areas the energy savings can be substantial, offering a “Green” advantage as well. Finally, and possibly most importantly, a porch is a great place to create long-lasting memories for you, your children and grandchildren. Whether the porch on your log home is simple and classic, or has a built in kitchen and hot tub, just remember to hang that porch swing!
Josh Beasley
Honest Abe Log Homes, Inc.
If you would like to receive information on our log homes, visit: http://www.honestabe.com/info/
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