Trivia Question: What are the 8 least expensive places to live in the US? (See the answer below.)

Six ways to build a better log home: 1. Proper orientation on the site. Consider the view from each room plus the path of the sun and direction of wind. (And don't put your septic or well under where you plan on adding on a room later!) 2. Keep all the trees you can around your house. Use deciduous trees on the south and west to block the summer sun. Use a good windbreaking pine tree where you will have driving wind. 3. Think about window placement. Limit windows facing north. Limit windows facing west unless you have a porch to shade the sun. 4. Have rooms with more than one purpose. An office can double as a guest room. A sunroom can double for a dining room. Large open spaces provide flexibility and minimize square footage. 5. Use dormers in two story homes. They make a huge difference in the useable space in a sloped roof design. Worried about maintenance on the dormers? Use a low maintenance siding for the dormers so you won't have to climb on the roof. 6. Don't rush the design stage of the project. Changes are much easier to make on paper than on site during construction. We offer preliminary blueprints that allow you to get started at a nominal investment. Call us to find out how to get your plans started!

Do your kids or grandkids want to paint on the walls? NO PROBLEM!! Benjamin Moore has Chalkboard Paint that turns any interior surface into a chalkboard. It is water based so easily applied and is washable. PLUS Sherwin Williams makes a Dry Erase 2K paint that will create a dry erase wall. It can be applied to virtually any interior substrate and over any color. WOW! Those sure would have kept my kids out of trouble!

The most important tool for log home construction: an accurate level Keeping walls level as you build anything is critical to a satisfactory end product. To do that, you need a level that is accurate and durable. Because lets face it: a level will be dropped numerous times during a project. Check out Empire Levels to see extreme durability. What else do you need from a level? You need to be able to see the bubble! Empire levels use Lexan glass for exceptional clarity.

Easy to Install Wi-Fi Enabled Light Switch: Want to be able to turn your lights on and off with your cell phone from anywhere in the world? All you need is a standard light switch connection, a Wi-Fi network and a Belkin We-Mo light switch. It has no minimum wattage so can be used with any type of light fixture and can even control ceiling fans. Works with Apple devices IOS5 or higher or Android devices 4.0 or higher.