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Over the years, in an effort to improve the housing market, and lower construction costs, building products have become more and more synthetic; unnatural. We’ve become desensitized to the fact. It’s normal to see vinyl siding, and faux stone. Most of these materials are fire rated, and provide a high R value, but few are eco-friendly. Homes designed and built that function with minimal impact on the environment cost more to build, but some new home owners are willing to make the compromise, and we applaud these people. These homes are energy efficient, conserving power and water with the use of high grade insulation, LED lighting and solar. Low flow fixtures are often employed, and rainwater is sometimes collected. Eco-friendly materials are non toxic, recycled, or locally sourced, or recycled products.

A well designed home is placed on the site precisely, utilizing the solar orientation to assist in temperature control with less mechanical heating and cooling. Combined with a good passive cooling system, and you have a home that’s filled with fresh air, instead of air that’s been recycled over and over again. Natural cooling pulls air via a solar powered fan from outdoors, and beneath the grade to cool it, before releasing it into the living space. What energy is needed may be supplied by well placed solar panels, and if the home owner is located in a sunny location, the energy savings can be substantial. The map below shows the five solar zones in the US. If you’re located in 1, forget solar. If you’re in zone 4 or 5, you could actually collect more energy than you use.

Organic by nature, homes constructed from all natural materials offer an alternative from the standard homes being built today. Physical and mental health will be greatly improved. We’ve learned from science that our well being may depend on how much natural sunlight we get, and how fresh is the air we breathe. Colors and materials effect our mood with green being at the top of the list, especially the green born from chlorophyll; from real vegetation. Indoor water features create negative ions, which make us feel happy,  and joy brings good mental health, which leads to physical health.

Living in these types of homes may help us live longer, healthier and happier lives.

Yocum’s Bay fishing and living retreat

The road leading into our prospective development is called Yocum. The name has some historical value to the region, unbeknownst to most people. In the early eighteen hundreds, the Yocum brothers settled in Taney county. One brother traded some goods to the Delaware Indians for a silver mine, hidden in the hills. Eventually, the brothers began minting coins. These coins became popular, and circulated throughout the territory. The federal government got wind, and the brothers ran in separate directions to avoid capture. In time the mine was forgotten; its location lost forever, except for the stories left behind

• Bull Shoals reservoir
  Stocked with a variety of fish that can’t be found in other local lakes combined, such as spotted bass, walleye, large mouth bass, small mouth bass and white crappie, Bull Shoal is every fisherman’s dream. Thirty wooded acres of lake front property will become speckled with cabins for nature lovers that live to fish.
• Shanty house plan
  Building up, not out, will not only save precious land and keep building cost low, but will also offer a scenic view from the roof top patios. Real wood and metal exterior finish materials, combined with the no frills exterior styling, lives up to the fisherman’s reputation of being rugged and tough, but genuine. Step inside to modern conveniences and comfort that include options for gas log or wood burning fireplaces, with one, two, or even three-bedroom suite floor plans to choose from.The site has yet to be surveyed, and the land plan we’ve created is only a rough draft, however, the concept remains the same. The grade elevations will dictate the location of the stream. We hope it’s possible to have one continuous stream, however, it may be necessary to break the stream into three sections, as shown on the land plan. A minimum of forty homes will line the roads cutting through the acreage, but our goal will be to make it fifty. Home sizes range from 1400 SF to 2800 SF.
• Amenities
  Man-made streams will cozy up to the homes, with rear decks hanging over the water’s edge, making life a little easier for the lazy fisherman. Being bottom feeders, catfish will be safe from predators in the shallow streams, keep the water free of algae, and provide some good eating as well. A small park with a few boulders to climb will make a great spot for the kids to play. Scatter a few picnic tables, and we also have a place for families and neighbors to gather. Nature trails will wind in and around the trees, opening up to small clearings that invite a variety of wildlife to frequent.
• HOA
  Yocum’s Bay home owners association will be established soon after construction begins. A cooperative of sorts, the homeowners will share ownership of the common grounds and shop, as well as the responsibility. One of the units will be modified as a shop with an apartment above for our shop keeper who will live on site. The shop will be located at the entrance, offering a wide variety of supplies, groceries and even kayaks to rent. The profit made from this shop will offset the cost to maintain the property, taking a good portion of the load off the homeowners.
• Lot description
  Lots sized at 1/10 of an acre, or approximately 56′ (width) by 78′ (length) starting at the road, and ending at the stream) with 10′ on each side of house for additional parking. Staggered placement of the lots, with a minimum of one lot size of common, wooded ground in between will offer each home a measure of privacy. Lots will be cleared as they are sold, with the fee charged to the buyer. Roughly five acres of trees for the entire project will be removed.  Completely cleared of trees, with mostly pervious substrate, such as river rock, the individual lots offer low maintenance yards that are harmonious with nature. Homeowners will be responsible for maintaining their own lots. In the event individual septic tanks are denied by the county, our streams will double as a lagoon.
• Buyer’s restrictions
  Buyers are restricted to using our home design and our builder, however, the shanty plan’s options will please the masses. Homes could be used for corporate vacations, short term lease investments or individual ownership, with our shop keeper available for registering guests, managing cleaning service and Kayak rental.
• Advertising and promotions
• Design and planning fees.….$7,500 to start (includes cost of rough land planning, Shanty home design and permit ready construction documents for one standard three bedroom unit plus shop with apartment above
  $1,500 per home sold (includes permit ready construction documents)
• Sales

• Project management

Park Villas Back up plan
In the event Green county doesn’t approve our forty home development, we’ll build twelve homes ranging from 3400 to 4400 SF using the same theme. The land plan will be close to the same, with the backs circling a park, and the fronts facing the road and outskirts of property

1600 SF club house, pool and cabana. Reception seats sixty, and doubles as daycare

Each home will be placed on a one half acre lot, which the homeowner will be responsible for maintaining, however, the entire thirty seven acres will be shared as common ground, owned and maintained by all of the twelve homeowners

Budget for start up…..$360,000 (return 50% of lot, or land share sales to investor
37 acre tract purchase………$300,000
Design and planning………..$30,000
Surveying, land plan, approval and permits ……..$20,000
Promotions, legal fees, accounting and insurance………$10,000

Infrastructure…………….$150,000 offer two home shares for one to builder. Two homes used as models
Road, utilities, park and landscaping

Club house and pool………………………$450,000
Start construction after half of the home shares are sold

Twelve home shares of the thirty seven acre development, starting at $150,000 = $1,800,000

Projected average 4000 SF of structure per lot with 12 homes total, estimated selling price at $225 per SF = $10,800,000
Projected average 4000 SF of structure per lot with 12 homes total, estimated cost to build at $150 per SF = $7,200,000

Projected gross profit…….$5,400,000
Less two home shares given to investor………. $900,000 = $4,500,000