This quarterly newsletter is meant to help all of our customers stay apprised of what's happening at Hiawatha Log Homes. In this issue, we'll touch upon what's new at Hiawatha, and where we're headed in the future.

Hiawatha in the news

Log Home Living Magazine makes plan to feature a Hiawatha Log Home

Recently, Log Home Living added a Hiawatha Log Home to their photography schedule. The 2,550 square foot white cedar custom log home is located in the northern portion of Lower Michigan and is tentatively slated to appear in the 2009 Log Home Living Annual Buyer’s Guide.

Active, outdoorsy types, the homeowners enjoy many water and winter sports. Their home’s design mirrors the inviting rustic charm of a ski-lodge – the perfect retreat to return to after an invigorating day on the slopes. A custom recreational room is one of the unique features of this home and includes Idaho Gold outdoor patio stone to provide the tolerance needed for sporting equipment.

Near the top of the homeowners' preference list was kiln-dried logs. A popular choice for numerous reasons, Hiawatha's kiln-dried logs are structurally graded and produce a home with unsurpassed dimensional stability.

From the impressive entrance to the stone fireplace in the great room, this 10-inch, Swedish cope, traditional full-round log home is a sight to behold.

Make plans to watch for this home on the newsstands next year. To see a complete home tour of this and many other homes, visit our website at www.hiawatha.com.

A Hiawatha log home to be featured in
Log Home Living in 2009.

Log Homes Council

The "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval®" for Log Home Producers

As with any sizable endeavor, it is recommended that you adequately research to obtain the best possible results. To experience an enjoyable log home-building venture is no exception, and the selection of a log home manufacturer is a logical beginning. Starting with a reputable log home manufacturer makes sense, but how does the consumer with no experience in the building industry identify those manufacturers and single them out?

Formed to serve log homebuyers, owners and producers since 1970, the Log Homes Council (LHC) is a national organization with membership comprised of manufacturers of log homes. The LHC is part of the Building Systems Councils, a council of the National Association of Home Builders.

Akin to the "Good Housekeeping Seal®", when you find a manufacturer that is a LHC member, you can be assured that their practices meet the highest standards in the industry. LHC members are united to develop and promote quality building systems and ethical business practices and proudly display the LHC logo.

Since 1987, Hiawatha has been proud of its LHC membership. Hiawatha's owner, Paul Essinger, is a past LHC President and is often asked to serve as a member on many committees. Paul's formal training as a forester and experience as a manufacturer in this industry gives him the knowledge and expertise to forward LHC's objectives and goals.

There are many high standards the manufacturer must meet and maintain to become and retain a membership in the LHC. One of the requirements of membership includes participation in a certified log-grading program. This ensures that manufacturers have inspected and are using the highest quality logs available. They also must follow the recommendations provided in the "Log Homes Council Construction Manual Guidelines," designed to address issues unique to log home construction as they relate to the manufacturer's individual construction system. Each manufacturer must submit their company's comprehensive construction manual to the council for review. The council member must also abide by the LHC's written Code of Ethics. To ensure well-constructed, code-complying structures and fair business dealings, this rigid Code of Ethics was developed to benefit the consumer and implies a high level of integrity. The council member must also agree to provide interested persons with truthful and accurate information and educational materials about log home building systems.

With these requirements in place, consumers can have confidence that the manufacturer they have chosen is committed to professionalism and customer service. This can provide them the enjoyable experience they are looking for as they build their dream home.

Dealer spotlight: RJ Vannerson Company, Inc.

Meet Bob Vannerson and Liz Wilson

Bob and Judy Vannerson with their dog Chipper

Bob Vannerson is a retired naval aviator who has 30 years' experience in virtually every aspect of building. He has been a licensed building contractor in Florida for 25 years and a successful manufacturer's representative of building components for the last 15 years. Because Bob spends a tremendous amount of time researching the newest technology in building systems and components, he is an incredible resource to his clients – bringing an abundance of innovative thinking and creative problem-solving skills to every project.

"I first met the Hiawatha folks when my wife, Judy, and I were researching which company would be the best to supply our log home package. After visiting the factory and talking with the Hiawatha design department, it was very clear to us that Hiawatha Log Homes was head and shoulders above the competition."

In fact, Bob was so impressed with the quality of the logs and the professionalism of the company that he decided to represent Hiawatha in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. Since becoming a representative, four log homes in Colorado are complete and currently four more are in various stages of the final planning and ordering process.

Last year, Liz Wilson, the Vannersons' friend and licensed Interior Designer, joined the company to assist in selling and designing the log homes. Recently her husband Tom also joined the company, serving as construction superintendent. Now R.J. Vannerson Company, Inc. is both a full service sales and log home construction company.

Liz Wilson

Liz determined that she would become an interior designer in junior high school when she took her first space-planning class from a student teacher. Since earning a BFA in Interior Design, she has owned and operated her own interior design businesses in Montana, Oregon, Washington, Louisiana and Florida. She is currently a licensed Florida interior designer and is an Allied Member of the American Society of Interior Designers. During the last 35 years, Liz has been involved in every aspect of the home-building process – from selecting the perfect building site to making sure the furniture in every room is appropriate.

"I fell in love with Hiawatha Log Homes when I was hired to assist in the planning and building of the Forbes Park model home. It was a special challenge to organize multi-use spaces within the residence and to select appropriate fixtures, finishes, fabrics and furnishings to harmonize with the beautiful log surroundings."

Liz now brings her expertise and professionalism to Hiawatha Log Homes as part of the R.J. Vannerson Company, Inc. sales team. In fact, every Hiawatha log home package they sell now comes with four FREE hours of interior design consultation with Liz.

Liz is married to Tom Wilson, R.J. Vannerson Inc.'s project supervisor. When her phone stops ringing, Liz enjoys reading, watching classic movies, spending time with her animals and directing the 4- and 5-year-old choir at church.

Vannerson's Hiawatha model log home

Hiawatha was "green" before "green" was cool!

If you are researching to build a home these days, inevitably you have come across the term "green building." What is it all about and why is it everywhere? It seems more and more people are becoming energy conscious and concerned about our environment. Green building revolves around those very concepts and many building associations have embraced going green in response to the consumer’s environmental concerns. The development of rating systems and guidelines has facilitated ease of understanding and implementation, giving a solid direction of specifics of how getting a green rating can be accomplished.

According to the Department of Energy, if just one in 10 households incorporates energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, we can prevent more than 17 billion pounds of air pollution - which is equivalent to removing more than 250,000 cars from the road. The impact of green building is more than just a good environmental decision. While it may cost slightly more to build green, the savings far outweigh the expense in more ways than one. The average home or business can save as much as 50 percent on their utility costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Going green means lower operating costs, increased comfort and a healthier indoor environment, not to mention in some instances tax benefits, lender benefits and grant incentives as well.

At Hiawatha Log Homes we are committed to preserving our resources. In addition to our participation in the Sustainable Forestry Program, we are diligent in using all of our waste material for energy. For example, all of our wood chips are burned for heat at our production facility. Each department within Hiawatha's organization considers carefully what it can do to conserve our resources and does its part; however large or small.

Going green means literally starting from the ground up, beginning at the drawing board. Let's look at what basic concepts are covered in the going green process. The following are guidelines from the National Association of Homebuilders' Green Home Building Guidelines.

The guidelines contain six primary sections:

• Lot Preparation and Design – Even before the foundation is poured, careful planning can reduce the home's impact on natural features such as vegetation and soil; and enhance the home's long-term performance. Such preparation can provide significant value to the homeowner, the environment and the community.
• Resource Efficiency – Advanced framing techniques and home designs can effectively optimize the use of building materials. Careful material selection can reduce the amount of time and money needed for home maintenance and, equally important, construction waste management.
• Energy Efficiency – This is the most quantifiable aspect of green building. Creating a better building envelope and incorporating more energy efficient mechanical systems, appliances and lighting into a home yields long-term utility bill savings and increased comfort for the homeowner.
• Water Efficiency/Conservation – Although the relative importance of water availability and usage varies from region to region, the concern with adequate supply is becoming more widespread geographically. Experience also shows that employing the line items from this section of the Guidelines for indoor and outdoor water use can reduce utility bills, regardless of location.
• Occupancy Comfort and Indoor Environmental Quality – Effective management of moisture, ventilation and other issues can create a more comfortable and healthier indoor living environment.
• Operation, Maintenance and Education – Given the level of effort a home builder goes through to create a well thought out home system, it would be a shame not to give the homeowner guidance on how to optimally operate and maintain the house. Line items from this section show a builder how best to educate homeowners on the features of their new green home.
• Global Impact – Some home building and land development issues are not included by the previous categories. The Global Impact category specifically addresses using paints and sealants that have low or no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). Utilizing products that release less VOC into the air reduces damage to the already overwhelmed ozone layer.

To further your understanding of green building concepts and for specific details of how to implement these concepts, access the NAHB's "Green Home Building Guidelines," available online at the NAHB Research Center website at www.nahbrc.org/greenguidelines/.

Now that you have had a sneak peek into what the focus of green building is all about, stay tuned for subsequent issues and we will look at each category in depth. Specific goals with measurable results make going green understandable and achievable.

Events planned for Hiawatha Log Homes

If you would like to discuss your upcoming building needs with a Hiawatha Log Homes Representative, stop by our booth at the following home show this fall.

Please call for details or to schedule an appointment.

FALL 2007 HOME SHOW SCHEDULE

Oct 26-28, 2007
THE LOG & TIMBER HOME SHOW NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Dulles Expo & Conference Center
Chantilly, VA
www.thelogandtimberhomeshow.com
Attending representative: Trevor Johnson, Livnlogs
Call 800.876.8100 or 866.504.5647 for more information.

Award-winning planbook & DVD available!

We have so much
more to show you!

Our award-winning Planbook & DVD are available to help you choose the best Hiawatha plan to fit your lifestyle. For more information and to order the Planbook & DVD, visit the Hiawatha Log Homes website.