In this article, I discuss some simple tricks of the trade for dealing with banks or mortgage firms when financing a straw bale house.
Tag Archives | construction loans
Contracting Part IV: Estimating and Creating a Budget
The primary place where both owner-builders and contractors fail when building a home is in the estimating of construction costs. Learn some tips to help you avoid that pitfall.
Easier Insurance and Lending for Straw Bale Homes
The inclusion of straw bale construction in the 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) has made it easier to get insurance and lending for straw bale homes. It may not be as easy as getting insurance and lending on conventional homes yet, but we are making major headway.
Land Development Process Revealed
Allow me to share with you what I have learned over my 20 years as a professional builder and land developer. All tweaks and adjustments aside, this will be a good footing to start out on for anyone interested in the start to finish process of finding, developing, and building on raw land.
Book Review: The Elements of Building
Whether you are an accomplished builder or just starting out, this book will help define the myriad of details that define a quality builder, contractor, sub contractor, consultant or any other professional working within the building industry.
Financing a Straw Bale Home
Perhaps the most commonly asked question about straw bale construction is: “How do I finance it?” Unfortunately, the answer hasn’t gotten much easier over the years as straw bale construction is still considered alternative to the mainstream and, as we all know, banks are not big fans of taking risks on alternative construction techniques. That said, there are some things that you can do to improve your efforts and increase your chance of receiving funding.
Minimizing Construction Costs
When designing a custom home, it’s important to know you can actually afford to build what you design. These seven tips will help you hit your target and successfully build the home you have dreamed about without breaking the budget.
Building in a Slow Economy
I’m not a fan of a slow economy, but I do see bright sides to the situation. If you have been thinking about buying land and/or building a straw bale house, now may be the perfect time to get started.
Beautiful Straw Bale Home Slideshow
Check out this short slideshow to view a beautiful Straw Bale Home in British Columbia, Canada
How Much Does It Cost?
This is without a doubt the most common question I am asked about straw bale construction. The problem is that answering this question is not easy. In hopes of reaching more people who might have the same question, I’ve outlined five things to consider when trying to get a handle on what your straw bale project might cost below. I’ve also included two examples of straw bale projects (the Applegate Residence and the Mountain View Cabin) and the material costs associated with them.