Ironically, the city known for its steel and auto industries is situated in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. Called the Great Lakes state, Michigan has some of the greenest land and bluest skies of any state in the Union. As such, weekend homes, vacation homes, retirement homes, and other types of second homes are common investments for wealthier Detroit homeowners. You can build a home on one of the lakes in the greater Detroit-area or opt for more secluded wooded areas in the heart of Michigan or even the Upper Peninsula.

Log Homes in Detroit, MI
Log home construction is one of the most beautiful methods of home building and has been that way for centuries. It's also one of the most durable, as evidenced by log homes in good, livable condition that were built hundreds of years ago. At the same time, though the basic method is still used, log homes have also come a long way. You can choose hand-crafted log homes, milled log homes, or even prefabricated log homes, each according to your desire and budget. Plus, don't get log homes confused with old-fashioned log cabins. Modern log homes can have every amenity you can think of, and probably several you've never heard of. What you're really choosing by selecting log home construction is the authentic, rustic, and beatific look of these homes. (For the more conscientiously-minded, they're also extremely green-friendly.)

Detroit Lake Homes: Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake St. Clair, and More
One of the most important details of a lake home in the Detroit-area, or anywhere else for that matter, has little to do with the house itself. As you begin looking at different plots for your lake home, you'll realize there's a big difference between deeded lake access and leased property controlled by various lake authorities. Alternately, a concern for avid boaters, you may have deeded lake access, but you may also have some distance to the nearest viable boat dock. That said, you can probably still find a building plot that meets your needs, priorities, and budget.

Depending on the lake and the shore of your choosing, you may also have some unique challenges and opportunities for the design of your Detroit lake house. Hilly terrain, for example, can complicate construction somewhat, but it also allows for built-in construction and beautiful deck views. As you might imagine, you can select a log home builder for a lake house plot or a more conventional home builder. Like any other home construction project, you can customize both the house plan and the construction methods to meet both your living and budgetary needs. These two primary concerns may also affect how soon the building gets under way, when you can move in, and, of course, how soon you can pay off the mortgage.

Cost of Building a Detroit Log Home/Lake Home
We try to give homeowners some sense of how much they might expect to pay for their home improvement projects, but with an entire home construction, any specific estimates make little sense. You can build the simplest of homes for $50,000 all the way up to untold millions. Naturally, more modestly wealthy homeowners still need a certain amount of living space, even if it means taking a few extra years to pay off the mortgage. On the other hand, even if you have the money to buy the home outright, you probably don't want the maintenance and daily chores associated with a larger-than-necessary home.

Detroit Log Home Builders/Lake House Builders
Just like a major home improvement project, you'll want to get several estimates and do your homework on each possible home building company. There's no reason not to given the number of Detroit-area home builders. Plus, with the economy and housing market of Detroit proper, many home building companies are marketing their services in more outlying areas, such as second home projects, catering to the wealthier who won't feel the economic pinch as much as middle-class Detroit homeowners.