Good things come to those who wait!

Big announcement for the Klossners today...it's official, we signed our construction loan paperwork!  We have been waiting for 4 years for this day to come...and it has happened.  We have gone through four attempts to get this funding for our dream log home!  Four financial institutions, 4 different loan officers, 4 different sets of requests.  It was time consuming, saddening, and heartbreaking when we got turned down and yet a true learning experience as we found out more of what is required.  Can I say...the one most frustrating was waiting for 4 months only to hear one of the loan officers exclaim to us:  "This is a log home?  We don't fund log homes!"

BUT...all good things come to those who wait!

Thanks to some very special people, who believed in us, fought for us, and went to bat for us.  We are now the proud owners of a new construction loan and mortgage!  Those two people are Mike Butterfield, from Eagle Nationwide Mortgage, our broker and Luis Contreras, Vice President of Colorado East Bank and Trust!  These two gentlemen were willing to invest in our dream and believe in us to the max!  Thanks to both of them for placing us high on their trust list!

We also want to thank our builder, Steve Copp, Above Treeline Construction, who has stayed by our side for the past 4 years:  guiding us, sharing his knowledge, and working out "kinks" each time we were turned down.  Steve is the man we are turning our dreams over to.  He is the man to make them become a reality!  To him we turn over our trust and desires...because of his expertise we will have our dream log home!

To our dear friends who have stuck by us through the past 4 years:  Char and Don LaBounty, Sally and Steve Campbell, Chris and Lorrie Farver, and Michelle and Kurt Frilow...bless you all!  You've believed in our dream as much as we have!

My personal advice to all of you...never give up your dreams!  Stay true to your dreams and work towards them...they too will come true!

Home location and view from the front windows
10,000 ft elevation

Purchasing the Land

This post was written by Hans but posted by Sophie.  


Negotiating - exasperating at best.  Once we decided the property at 6837 County Road 8 wanted us and we wanted it too, we began the arduous task of purchasing it.  We called the listed realtor and asked about the property.  This began an exchange of about a hundred or so phone calls, emails, faxes, visits to her office in Divide, CO, along with five or six offers and counter offers, research into county records, sales of other properties and countless visits to the land to walk the perimeter and all points in between.  It took four months of back and forth negotiations before the sellers accepted our final offer.  All the while we were negotiating with our credit union for a loan to purchase the land.  Hans was also changing jobs at the same time so our life was truly in an upheaval.  We got the loan approved, set the closing date and became indebted again.  Wahoo!!!  Such an experience no one can imagine, unless one has been a property owner.  Two weeks later, Hans jumped into a new job and we were off and running.  Next up plans for building the home.  

The Beginning...

Hans and I have been married for 25 years.  Each year we had looked at mountain property, in different states, in many locations and nothing ever really clicked with us.  That was, until July 24, 2006.  That was a life changing day.  We were camping at Colorado campground and our friends Sally Campbell and Dave Simpkins came to have dinner with us.  As we ate dinner, Dave started talking about some new property that he had just purchased in the mountains of Colorado near Pikes Peak.  Being adventurous and loving the mountain, we asked Dave to take us to see his new property.  As we drove up Highway 67 towards Cripple Creek, Dave explained that he had looked at two pieces of property.  The first one just wasn't what he wanted, so he passed on it and purchased something else.  As we turned onto Highway 81 towards Victor, CO Sally expressed her opinion that the first property was really nice, great view, well and septic system already on the property.  Dave turned onto Gold Camp Road and as we bumped along the dirt road, Hans and I both shared a thrill at being able to see someone else's dream come true.  As Dave turned into a long driveway, just past mile marker 2 and opened the gate to the Guide School, he explained his reasons for not selecting the first property.  Not isolated enough, didn't feel right to him, wanted more access to National Forest.  We asked him to show us this first property so we could see what he "didn't want."  

 

Going up a bumpy, rutted, narrow rocky driveway seemed reason enough not to want this piece of property.  Two hairpin turns later, we were sitting on top of a hilltop, overlooking the Sangre Di Cristo mountains, overlooking 35 acres of aspens, pines and wildflowers galore.  A "pole barn" already built, a well waiting for use and a septic system put in for a 5 bedroom home!  

Hans and I took hold of hands, looked into each others eyes and I swear, we both felt the call of the wild!  This 35 acre piece of property was calling our name!  Dave might not have wanted it, it didn't suit his needs,but when we took a look at it, took a look around, I really believe it was destiny!  I do think things happen for a reason.  We were destined to go with Dave and Sally to see this property.  We were destined to be in the right place at the right time.  It was meant for us!  We both felt it.

We reached out to the realtor, she reached out to the property owners, living in Texas and 5 months later, on December 8, 2006 we became owners of our mountain!  35 acres of beautiful mountain property.  The beginning of our dream!