Log homes have a long and valued tradition in the United States and other countries, and despite our modern age, they've never really gone out of style. In fact, they're more popular today than ever. In our busy stressful lives, more and more people want a first home, vacation home, or retirement home that's off on a piece of land of their own, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. If this sounds appealing to you, and you're seriously thinking of taking the plunge and building a log home, let's talk about some tips that can save you time and money.

First off, buy the land on which you're going to build. Do this before you make a commitment to a log home manufacturer or decide on a particular design. Often the lay of the land will dictate the best way to go about building a home on it. (And going against the lay of the land will only cost you money and trouble.)

Second, have a realistic idea of how much the total project will cost before you sign up for a log home package. What they quote you for the kit and what the actual costs will be are going to be a lot different. To get a feel for how much more you'll end up paying once labor and non-kit necessities are included, talk to builders, contractors, and other homeowners who have built a log home. Don't be afraid to ask the manufacturers how much actual costs tend to run in your area.

Whether you're browsing kits or planning to have an architect design your dream home, keep a scrapbook of pictures and clippings in the months leading up to your purchase. Trying to say everything you want in words can be difficult, but if you can point to a picture and say "do the kitchen like that and the bathroom like that..." you'll be more likely to get the home of your dreams. Don't be afraid to spend months in the planning process, considering everything, before actually committing to a design.

Before you buy, check references. Look for a log home manufacturer that is a member in an organization such as the Log Homes Council. This means they have a comprehensive construction manual and have agreed to hold up to certain log-grading standards.

Make sure you've taken care of financing before starting construction (and make sure that financing will cover the cost of the whole project--there are too many tales of partially finished log homes out there that have been abandoned because the erstwhile builders ran out of money). Some home buyers with disposable income will start the process paying out of pocket and then try to get a construction loan when they run out of cash. This is a bad idea, since lenders usually refuse to loan money on construction that is in progress.

Make sure you understand the manufacturer's terms of purchase and that your financing covers those terms. Especially pay attention to the time period of the agreement (and what happens if you exceed the time limit). Examine the refund and warranty policies.

Keep these tips in mind as you think about your future log home. Plan copiously and don't rush. This way you'll be more likely to survive the building process and get the home of your dreams.

Buying or building a new home should always be a memorable and cherished experience. Unfortunately, it is not so for most people. This is because you as customers should be aware of certain loopholes the builders try to cover up. Lack of awareness of this, will result in a nasty experience.

Some of the things to be aware of are:

Constructors are always on the lookout for the cheapest ways to get the work done. A business will always place the bid in the hands of the lowest bidder while handing out work. Hence, never believe the builders when they say that they use the ace craftsmen in town. The reality is that they go in for the cheapest labor available, many a times hiring unskilled people with no experience. However this may not be true in the case of certain long standing builders who have their fixed team of workers throughout the year.

Before signing the deal, always have an attorney carefully scrutinize the terms and conditions. Look out for the options you have in case of a defect or malfunctioning. Never sign the contract if the builder is not legally bound to fix the defect or sort it after you move in.

Before moving in, it is beneficial to take your own certified home inspector to check for abnormalities and general quality inspection. Never trust the inspectors got by the builders. In most cases they are either unlicensed or hand-in-glove with the builder. These inspectors just come as a formality and are rarely bothered to check for the defects present. The government or county inspectors are generally worse. You must realize that they are so loaded with work that they can hardly spare 15 minutes per house. Also they are more concerned about health and hygiene conditions than labor defects.

Do not believe the sales representatives of a builder as they are generally not licensed or regulated by the state. So they go about making false promises. Never sign the contract before verifying all the said claims and better still, take them in writing.

With builders facing a land crunch, a lot of reclamation work is being done swamps and marshy areas and builders are building on them. These are not favorable areas to have the foundations of your house sunk into.

A lot of states have different rules so always beware of what happens to your token money in case you decide against going forward with the deal. Never assume the course of action and always take it in writing from the builder. You do not want to forego all your earnest money if you back out of the deal.

If you have not been able to find the perfect house on the market and you decide to build on a vacant lot, you’ll be faced with a very important decision – choosing a builder. Your builder is someone you are going to have an ongoing relationship with for about 12 months. There will be some bumps in the road as the process unfolds; and you must have an open and frequent line of communication and share a common goal and vision that goes beyond the blueprints for your new home. Start your search by asking your real estate agent for a few referrals. He or she will have local knowledge about area contractors, their reputation and the quality of their work. Once you have some direction, here are a few basic tips to help choose a builder and keep your project on track:

Get references - and don’t hire a builder until you have visited 2 or 3 other houses completed by the builder. Ideally, get the address of every house the builder has built in the last 2 or 3 years and contact several of the owners randomly. Don’t expect a perfect report card. Building a house is tough business and it is almost impossible to make a homeowner happy at every turn. Ask what each owner might have done differently if they could build the house all over again.

Pick a day and time to meet with your contractor each week and in person. Don’t ever miss this meeting - it will keep the project on track, keep costs and changes to a minimum and establish a great working relationship. Make sure that all “change orders” are reviewed and signed during the meeting. Above all, make sure that your builder agrees in writing to the weekly meeting in your contract.

Visit the builder’s other working job sites to make sure that they run a tight ship. Specifically, look to see if unused materials are organized and protected from the weather. Make sure that there is some evidence of a temporary workspace to review plans. Insure that garbage and construction waste is routinely removed from the job site. Also, investigate to make certain that work begins and ends each day on a regular schedule – same time, every day.

Make it clear to your builder that you expect progress every day of every week. Your money is being used to build a house that you cannot move into until it is completed. A day of inactivity at the site costs you money and you deserve progress in exchange for that money.

Don’t expect your builder to have a crystal ball. Do expect some minor deviations from what is planned. You will have fewer surprises cost-wise if you take the time to make sure that every possible item is included in the construction price. Before making a commitment to use any builder, make sure you have a comprehensive list of what is included in the price and what is not included in the price. If you add something extra in mid-stream, that will result in additional time and expense to the builder. Don’t expect changes for free.

Building a house can be a great experience. Chances are, if you take this advice, you will move into your new house on time, within budget and as a happy customer. The builder will be happier at the end also.

Las Vegas is among the most popular cities in America and it is known as the fastest growing city too. Having a house in Las Vegas is always an intelligent decision. Buying a house in Las Vegas is all about vision. Buying a house in a city that is one of the fastest growing cities in America can surely benefit you for what you pay for it that's why we call it a vision.

Las Vegas is full of growth and it is an exciting place. It has become Mecca in the area of home construction. You can find almost every type of house or you can build as well.

You can easily find agents here that can give you right guidance and help you to buy a house of your choice.

But before you go and buy one try to get some information about Las Vegas real estate online. When you have an idea how things can work, you can start finding a house. There are a lot of advantages of buying a house in Las Vegas.

This is an ideal place for sports lovers. Las Vegas is full of enthralling golf courses. So the essence of suggestion is, you have a lot of things to do here if you are a sports freak.

So this place is becoming popular like anything. People are hunting this place. This place is a center of attraction for tourists also, so you can imagine the standard of your life in such a city.

We hope that in near future, it is going to emerge as one of the most expensive places. So those who hit this place early will be earning a lot.