Entrepreneur Finds Silver Lining in Cloudy Housing Market

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Log Home

DANBURY, CT (11/12/2007)(readMedia)-- Bucking the national trend of slumping home sales, a businessman is building a strong following in the second home market – specifically the log and timber frame home market. Eric Johnson of Queensbury, NY is producing a series of log home and timber frame shows throughout the eastern U.S., including one in Danbury.

Johnson’s Log Home and Timber Frame Show will be coming to the O’Neill Center on the Westside campus of Western Connecticut State University, Saturday and Sunday, November 17 & 18. Exhibiting there will be some 30 log home and timber frame manufacturers, builders, and designers, plus support services like foundation contractors, land brokers, and rustic furnishings. Throughout each day, there will be free informational seminars, including one on selecting your log home company.

“We’ve hit a collective nerve with log and timber frame homes” says Johnson, “The log home has become ingrained as part of the American Dream. It’s like the American Dream Version 2.0 – folks who already have a home, now want the second, getaway home; the ski chalet, the camp, the place on the lake.”

Johnson’s enthusiasm is backed by a recent report from Research Institute for Housing America in conjunction with the Mortgage Brokers Association that projects an escalating demand for second homes as Baby Boomers reach their 50s. The report also stated that in 2004, there were over 43 million American households comprised of individuals aged 50 and older who owned their main residence, of which 15 percent, or 6.6 million households, also owned a second home. It also noted strong regional patterns for second-home ownership, suggesting regions like Connecticut, with its proximity to the Mountains of New England and New York might be a particularly ripe market.

Johnson deliberately targets smaller markets that are located close to recreational areas, such as woods, mountains and lakes. He looks for smaller, more intimate show venues, where customers can have quality interactions with manufacturers and builders.

One of his longtime exhibitors, Paul Lepcio of Lok-N-Logs in Sherburne, NY, has exhibited at all of Johnson’s shows over the past 3 years, and has observed the strength of the second-home market firsthand, “Log homes are a growing trend, and while the primary home market has seen a downturn, we’re seeing continued strength in second home sales.” Lepcio also noted that today there are some 500 manufacturers of log homes, up from only a handful 40 years ago.

Baby Boom Equals Housing Boom According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau projections, most of the growth in the number of persons aged 55 and older in the near future will occur because of the aging of the Baby Boomers, who have helped to fuel the growth in the national homeownership rate to historical highs. As this bell curve reaches its top, the commensurate demand for second homes rises with it. Second home ownership remains steady at about 15% of older Americans, but the population of that group is increasing steadily.

Johnson has observed this firsthand at his shows over the past years. “We have a lot of folks, who can now afford to spend money on themselves, and the log or timber frame second home is high on the list of must-haves.” Johnson urges his show attendees to take their time and “interview” the exhibitors, to find out how their product is different. He also has free informational seminars running throughout each day on topics such as financing, construction, and furnishing a log home.

Lepcio says that today’s log homes are thoroughly modern and convenient, making them more desirable for older buyers. “We’ve retained all the charm of the traditional log home, but we design and build them meticulously for energy efficiency, easy maintenance, and durability.”

Johnson’s Log Home and Timber Frame Show will be at the O’Neill Center, on the Westside Campus of WCSU in Danbury, CT, and will run Saturday from 10am to 7pm on November 17 and Sunday from 10am to 5pm November 18. Admission is $12 per person, 18 and under are admitted free. For more information about the show go to : www.loghomeshows.com or call (518) 745-8700.

More information: www.loghomeshows.com

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