Adventures
in building our
DIY timber frame home
The Land
June 2012
We had been stationed in Hawaii for a year and we were back in West Michigan for a visit. During our stay, we fell in love with an inland lakefront property that was nearby to Scott’s aunt and uncle’s cottage. Through a series of events in one week’s time, our desire for the property waned and we changed our mind.
The evening before our return to Hawaii, while Benita was busy packing suitcases, Scott and one of the boys ventured out on the 4-wheeler. There was a nearby piece of land for sale that he was curious about. For over 20 years he had been fond of the location. Sure enough, when he surveyed the property, it was everything he remembered. The view was magnificent!
Once back in Hawaii, he mentioned the property to Benita. She thought it was a great idea. Scott reached out to the realtor and learned that the price of the land had just been reduced. The price was reasonable as the economy had not yet picked up from the ’08-’09 recession. Another challenge to the land was that, with no home on the land, it was hard to get financing. Thankfully we were able to secure financing with a farm bureau that specialized in purchasing vacant land.
Our military life took us from Michigan to Texas, Kentucky, South Carolina, Washington, and Hawaii. We had many conversations about where we would put down roots some day. The excitement of living in wonderful places shaped our conversations, but in the end, being near family was our top priority. We bought the land!
June 2015 ~ One of our first shipments of beams and boards delivered to our land.
October 2015 ~ Our supply is growing.
July 2013 ~ A bountiful crop of hay…and a wiener roast and sleeping under the stars while we are in town.
September 2013 ~ Scott and Luke made another visit to West Michigan. Scott began to envision where we would put a house some day and started clearing the land. He and Luke also strategically planted 25 – 3 foot Norwegian Spruce trees to the south of where our house would be and along the north property line. We are so grateful that the trees got a head start before we began building!
May 2017 ~ A little more land prep while we’re in Michigan for a visit. It’s going to be all hands on deck when it comes to this venture. 🙂
