The following e-mail message was from a person who did not attend Skip's class (because he did not hear about it prior to purchasing a "kit" log home). From: Mark McClure <mcclurm1@muohio.edu> To: loghouse@premier1.net <loghouse@premier1.net> Date: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 7:00 AM Subject: trouble on the home front. I need help!!! I just found your site and wish i [sic] found it a year ago. I always dreamed of building a log home. We started building last April and are about 99% finished. I decided to go with a large company b/c I thought they would have it together. WRONG! Here is my problem. I purachases [sic] the shadow ridge model from a major company. I wanted to have alot [sic] of windows so I could enjoy the view . We are right on a lake and I thought this is the model for me. It's a standard model and I didn't make any changes. It would be great if the window side of the house was stable. I can push on the wall and it gives about 3-4 inches. The company said they are willing to work with me, but they can't seem to answer my questions. They have since changed the plans on the model and mine was the last of the rejects. If you can give any ideas that would be great. Mark Mcclure
This was Skip's response:
"DEAR MARK, WE ARE SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT THE PROBLEMS YOU ARE HAVING. UNFORTUNATELY, YOUR CASE IS NOT UNIQUE. IRONICALLY, YOUR HOME MIGHT NOT EVEN BE BUILT WITH LOGS. THE CHANCES ARE QUITE GOOD THAT YOU R HOME IS ONLY BUILT OUT OF GIANT DOWELS (PIECES OF WOOD THAT HAVE BEEN "TURNED" ON A GIANT LATHE). THESE TYPES OF "GIANT DOWEL" HOMES ARE OFTEN BUILT WITH DOWELS THAT ARE ONLY EIGHT OR TEN FEET IN LENGTH, WITH BUTT-JOINTS EVERYWHERE IN THE WALLS. WE WISH THAT WE COULD HAVE SPOKEN WITH YOU BEFORE YOU "COMMITTED" TO DEALING WITH A "KIT" BUILDER. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "BUILDING" A LOG HOME, AND "PUTTING ONE TOGETHER" THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS BUILT. THERE IS EVEN A GREATER DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "BUILDING" A LOG HOME, AND PAYING A CONTRACTOR TO PUT ONE TOGETHER FOR YOU THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS BUILT. IN COMPARING "REAL" LOG HOMES WITH "KIT" LOG HOMES (THAT ARE OFTEN NOT EVEN BUILT WITH REAL LOGS), IN OUR OPINION IT IS MUCH EASIER, FASTER, BETTER, AND LESS EXPENSIVE TO BUILD YOUR OWN "REAL" LOG HOME. AT THIS POINT YOU ARE DEALING WITH WHAT USED TO BE ONE OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF LAW, WHICH IS... "CAVEAT EMPTOR." ("LET THE BUYER BEWARE."). UNFORTUNATELY, NOW THAT "COMMON LAW" NO LONGER EXISTS IN AMERICA, THE "EQUITY" AND "ADMIRALTY" COURTS SEEM TO HAVE ALMOST ELIMINATED THE PRINCIPLE OF "CAVEAT EMPTOR." IN A PERVERSE SENSE, THIS MEANS THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN SOME SATISFACTION (A "REWARD" FOR NOT DOING ANYTHING TO OVERCOME YOUR OWN IGNORANCE ?) THROUGH THE COURTS FOR THE MISTAKE THAT "YOU" YOURSELF MADE. FORGIVE ME FOR THINKING OUT LOUD HERE... BUT WE ENCOUNTER THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS SO OFTEN THAT WE CAN'T HELP BUT JUST SHAKE OUR HEADS IN BEWILDERMENT. WE ARE FRUSTRATED, MARK, BECAUSE WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HELP YOU. HOWEVER, WE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA HOW YOUR HOME IS BUILT. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOUR HOME IS A "REAL" LOG HOME. WE WOULD NEED TO KNOW SUCH THINGS AS "WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW, WHY, HOW MANY, HOW MUCH, ETC." WE DON'T EVEN KNOW "HOW" YOUR HOME IS DESIGNED - OR EVEN "IF" IT WAS DESIGNED. THE NAME OF THE "MODEL" (OR WHATEVER...) HAS NO MEANING TO US. THE "MODEL" NAMES ARE USUALLY "IN-HOUSE" TERMS, THAT WOULD ONLY BE USED TO FACILITATE COMMUNICATION VIA A CATALOG OF SOME SORT. MY MAIN WORRIES WOULD BE AS FOLLOWS; IF YOU MADE A SERIOUS MISTAKE IN JUDGMENT ONE AREA (BY DEALING WITH THIS COMPANY) THEN WHAT OTHER SERIOUS MISTAKES IN JUDGMENT HAVE YOU MADE REGARDING THE SAME HOME ??? ALSO, IF THIS COMPANY BUILT A HOME FOR YOU WITH WALLS THAT ARE NOT STABLE, THEN WHAT OTHER MISTAKES DID THEY MADE ??? IF POSSIBLE, WE WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP YOU. HOWEVER, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE MUCH MORE INFORMATION. HAVE YOU DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH AN ATTORNEY ???"
From Tom Fricke; "Dear Skip, In your class last weekend I hand-copied the essence of one of the short newspaper articles you passed around the table. It was the article about the anthropologist, Wade Davis, that quoted him as follows;
"The most important revelations of anthropology are that there are other ways of orienting yourself in the universe -- profoundly different ways of thinking and being. We see the obvious and terrible spread of the generic modern industrial world and its power to crush the spirit of different peoples and cultures. We forget that when other societies are assimilated, or go extinct, we lose entire intellectual traditions - traditions that we really don't understand. I don't know if we can change that, but we at least have the obligation to bear witness to it - and learn from it."
In your two-day class, you are obviously doing your part to preserve one of our American traditions that is both physical, intellectual, ethical, valuable to our society, and needed by many. When I signed up for your class I thought I was only going to learn how to build log homes correctly. Thanks to you and your profound insights regarding what you called "the human condition," I learned much more than I ever anticipated. I have three university degrees, including a doctorate, and I must say that I learned more about "life" in your two day class than I previously learned in any class I ever attended. I have never had a better teacher. You undoubtedly realize that you are making a profound difference in this world. Don't change a thing, Skip. Just keep doing what you are doing. My wife and oldest son will definitely be in your next class. Sincerely,
Our secretary just told us that she has probably typed enough of these letters to give you a "representative" feeling about the way people have responded to what Skip is doing in his seminars -- and how he is changing people's lives by enabling them to build their own log homes.
If you have any "specific" questions about log houses, please communicate with Skip. He will help you free of charge by phone and/or e-mail.
Otherwise, we suggest that you attend his two day class – and utilize what you will learn.
It might set you free from a 30 year mortgage.
© Copyright 1985 DeWelle Ellsworth. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.