The Log Home Experience is a new educational series by eLoghomes, meant just for you. From the time you first dream of log home living, until you are relaxing and unwinding in your finished home, our goal is to help make your journey easy and rewarding,
With recent market shifts, you may wonder about your ability to build that log cabin you’ve been dreaming of.
A methodical approach to understanding today’s market and mapping out these steps
will get you on a path from log cabin imagination to reality.
Some banks are finding creative ways to counteract the market shifts that have started to take place in recent months. The bidding wars over existing homes are starting to settle out, bringing home values down somewhat. At the same time, materials costs for construction are not coming down. A second shift is that with growing inflation…interest rates are climbing. These factors can add up to home values sometimes coming in under the cost to build, but some banks are offering alternative loan options to help manage the overall loan cost.
For instance, Rhonda Croft, Vice President of Federal Savings Bank in Fort Collins, Colorado, said, “For some of my customers where the home value and building cost are not aligned, they realize that in the long run, their home will be worth more. So, they will come up with cash for the difference in the loan amount and the estimated value. Other customers who can’t do that still have options. Our bank has created our own portfolio program offering an ARM (Adjustable-Rate Mortgage) loan below current market rates — and we can often qualify folks even for a new construction loan at that rate. The loan rate remains fixed for five years, allowing them to have a consistent payment and then refinance, if necessary, later when the market recovers.”
Depending on your situation, you may need two loans — one for the construction of your home, followed by a mortgage loan to pay over a longer period once your home has been built.
Borrowing money to build a home (construction loan) is different than borrowing to buy an existing home (mortgage loan). The main differences are that a construction loan represents a higher risk to the lender because it is secured only by land until the house is completed, it may have a higher interest rate, is shorter term (usually 6-12 months), and can be paid off by proceeds from the mortgage loan once the home is completed. By contrast, a mortgage loan represents a lower risk to the lender, can have a lower interest rate, and is longer term (usually 15-30 years). Another difference is that a construction loan is disbursed in a series of “draws” as the work is completed, whereas the mortgage is disbursed in a series of “draws” as the work is completed, whereas the mortgage is disbursed in a single payment at settlement.
Many national banks and regional lenders no longer offer construction loans for home building. This is partly because construction loans come with higher risks and lower returns. You are better off approaching local lenders, credit unions, a Farm Credit Service, or a regional bank. Certain banks also have more experience with log home construction loans and understand the intricacies of this type of build.
Your lender will want to know whether you are hiring a general contractor or attempting to build it yourself. A lender is more likely to determine a lower risk, and therefore higher likelihood of funding your loan, when a professional builder will do the work.
Your banker will need a lot of information to qualify you for a loan. Aside from documents such as your income,
assets, bank statements, credit score information, etc., your banker will want to know exactly what you’re going to build, how much it will cost, how long it will take, and who will do the work.
You will need building permits, a sales contract from your log home manufacturer, plans and specifications, cost estimates, and builders’ contracts. If you are acting as your own General Contractor, you’ll need a statement of your construction abilities. The bank will also need to see your land survey or plot plan, land deed, and comps of any nearby log homes.
Once you submit your loan application, and after you get your funds, the clock starts ticking with both the bank and the log home manufacturer. It is important to align the timing of the loan and the construction process.
Start making a list of all the costs for your home. Think of it in stages: list the costs of land preparation, utilities connections, laying of the foundation, roadways, and driveway, and permit and inspection fees. Then list costs for the log home kit, delivery fees, equipment to unload the kit, erection of the log home, window and door packages, and roofing. After that will come costs for the installation of plumbing, electricity, and HVAC systems. Finally, determine costs for interior finishes like flooring, lighting, cabinetry, kitchen and bath installations, and exterior landscaping.
Then make a schedule of homebuilding steps that correspond with loan disbursements. Certain percentages of your loan will be paid as a “draw” as the work progresses. The number of draws and percentages varies among both lenders and log home manufacturers, so be sure to ask for help from both of those parties as well as your general contractor to map everything out upfront, so you’ll have a workable plan with fewer surprises.
eLoghomes is a proud member of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
For more information on how to choose a log-friendly lender, check out this link:
How to choose a log friendly lender -NAHB
Watch for next month’s article, featuring ways to save on your new log home!
