Some houses are owned by legends. Then there are the houses that become legends in their own right. The gorgeous Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC is an example of a house that became larger than life. Fallingwater, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is another.

Some houses have a quiet fame that is attached to their owners. One of those is the “Lake House,” once owned by Johnny Cash. Cash was first a country music icon and later, an icon that transcended all genres of music. From classic hits like “I Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues” to more modern masterpieces like “Hurt,” Johnny Cash could turn a simple song into an almost religious experience.

So it is no surprise that his beloved Lake House had a mystique all its own.

The Cash House in Hendersonville, TN. Image credit: CMT.com

The house that became a legend

Cash fell in love with the house the moment he saw it. Builder Braxton Dixon was erecting the beautiful structure as a home for his own family, but Cash worked hard to convince Dixon to sell it. The builder finally agreed. Cash took up residence in 1968, shortly after his marriage to June Carter Cash.

The 14,000 square foot Tennessee home had wide windows that overlooked Old Hickory Lake, round rooms that were 35 feet across, seven bedrooms and gardens that stretched across the property. The house was filled with stone, marble and reclaimed wood salvaged from old barns. There was never an original blueprint–instead, the builder just did what felt right at the time, and the house took on a form all its own.

Over time, the legend grew. The Cash family hosted musicians of every stripe and style, dignitaries from all over the world and even a President or two. It became a place where great music was born. But it wasn’t closed off from the world–this was the kind of place where fans could stop to say hello.

Even after June’s death in 2003 and Johnny’s death four months later, the mystique of the house lived on. Photographs from that time show a house that was in need of a serious remodel–a good cabinet refacing would have been in order and maybe a bathroom overhaul, as well as replacement windows for those sides of the house that had faced lake-fueled storms for decades. But the rooms were just as majestic and the view just as breathtaking.

It was sold to singer Barry Gibbs in 2006, and was in the midst of renovation when the unthinkable happened: a spark ignited flammable preservatives being used on the outside of the house, and it went up in flames. The Lake House burned to the ground.

The mystery that haunts Old Hickory Lake

But this was not the only tragedy to take place on the lakefront. Roy Orbison once owned a home right next to the Lake House. It burned down, killing two of his three sons. Shortly after the deaths, Cash bought the property from Orbison with the promise, “Only good shall grow on this land.” The Cash family planted fruit trees and cultivated an orchard on the spot.

A little further down the road once stood the home of Cash’s first guitarist, Luther Perkins. An accidental fire burned his home to the ground. Perkins eventually died of burns sustained in the fire.

The fire at the Lake House wrought such complete destruction that many in the country music industry said it was almost as though the flames had come from beyond the grave–that it was meant to be that only the Cash family would ever live in their beloved house. Though Gibbs still owns the property, he has no plans to rebuild on it. Today, the lot sits vacant, a quiet space overgrown by the gardens that the family loved.

Termites? Check.

Carpenter ants? You bet.

Powderpost beetles? Sure. (At this point, why not?)

I was completely puzzled by the fact that all of these infestations had rained down on my house over the past year. After all, both home inspections–the one that seller conducted and the one I had hired out myself–showed a clean record. The termite inspection had turned up nothing.

So where did these creatures come from, and how did they get to work so quickly? Most importantly, what did this mean for me?

An area ripe for ant damage. Image credit: OldHouseWeb

Not-so-fun adventures in pest control

The exterminator was pretty positive about getting rid of the termites. They hadn’t had much time to set up shop and besides, termite eradication has become very good in recent years as long as it is done thoroughly and diligently. Powderpost beetles damage wood very slowly, and getting rid of a small infestation is rather easy. Sure enough, treatment for each was done and over with in a few months.

The carpenter ants? Those turned out to be a nightmare.

The big difference between carpenter ants and the other pests found in the house is simple: Location, location, location. In this case, an astounding number of locations. Carpenter ants like to invest in serious real estate, both inside and outside the house. What I thought would be a simple job of finding the nest turned out to be a nightmare of finding dozens of nests spread throughout the walls of my home.

Typical do-it-yourself treatment involves watching where the carpenter ants go (assuming you can find them in the first place), then drilling holes underneath the baseboards and puffing boric acid into those holes. This will kill the nests and any ants who come into contact with it. It works wonders at first, but when you have a multitude of nests, it can be almost impossible to get them all this way. I worked diligently at the job for six months but recently gave up the fight and called in a professional contractor to handle the job.

Even so, there are no guarantees. Just as a termite infestation can take a long time to clear up, so can the issue of carpenter ants. In the meantime, they are happily gnawing away at the very structure of the home. It’s enough to make you cringe–and worse, enough to make you a little paranoid. I’ve had more than a few nightmares about ants who tried to get revenge.

I’m glad I chose to call in the annual inspection before I moved forward with plans for my new cabinet refacing. A contractor who started work on refacing the cabinets and then found an issue with pests would have to stop the work while I called in another contractor, and that means serious hassle and a project that immediately catapults way over budget.

I will repeat what I have heard dozens of times: no matter how much of a hassle annual inspections seem to be, they are worth the time and money. It is the best way to stop pests in their tracks and take back your home.

But what about 2012, are there any indications that this may be the year of the housing market rebound? The answer is a resounding maybe, but probably not. On the bright side — it does look like this year could be better than 2011 for home sales. However, that’s not saying much as numbers are saying that 2011 was the worst year on record for the real estate industry.

A deal at less than $120,000

First the housing market good news

So are there any bright spots on the horizon — anything that might make a potential home buyer feel good about 2012? Well for one thing, interest rates are still unbelievably low. There were indications last year that they may begin to rise, but other than a few fluctuations that hasn’t been the case. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index also rose in January. The numbers indicate that the nation’s builders are becoming a little more optimistic about the immediate future of their industry. The index is now at a 25 which is the highest it has measured since June 2007. While anything under a 50 is considered a negative outlook, at least we’re seeing some improvement.

Now the bad

Still waiting for a buyer after 3 years on the market

Unfortunately, the good news continues to be weighed down by the bad. While interest rates are low, an article on CNBC reports that tough credit requirements are preventing many potential homebuyers from taking advantage. The big problem for many young families is coming up with the down payments that are necessary to qualify for a loan. Housing values that continue to drop aren’t helping matters. An ABC News report states that the S&P/Case-Shiller 20 city index showed a drop of 3.7 percent through November from the previous year.

So what does all this mean to the average person hoping to buy or sell a house in 2012? Well, if you have good credit, money for a down payment, and plan to live in the house for a few years, there may never be a better time to buy. An old house in my neighborhood that had been on the market for over two years recently sold to a young couple who plan to renovate. The home was originally listed for over $160,000 and they got it for under $120,000.

However, if you hope to sell a home in 2012, it may prove to be a long tough year.

A report produced by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental benefit of building reuse.

This groundbreaking study in a punny way says “don’t break new ground.”  It offers compelling evidence of the benefits of retrofitting old buildings to be more energy efficient rather than tearing down and building new.  The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse, concludes that it can take between 10 and 80 years for a new, energy-efficient building to overcome, through more efficient operations, the negative climate change impacts that were created during the construction process.

The U.S. has been in the bad habit of tearing down old, often historic, buildings and constructing new ones.  The emerging counter-trend is to consider the entire life-cycle cost of building new versus making old buildings more energy efficient.  In other words, how much energy will a building use over one hundred years including the energy cost of construction?

A new home uses a huge amount of energy and resources to construct.  And even though newer homes are better insulated and have more efficient appliances, we are still using more energy than in the past. We burn up our efficiency savings by bringing more appliances and electronics into bigger and bigger homes.

An older home generally takes very little energy and few resources to renovate.  But, if does not undergo a serious energy retrofit (improved insulation, air-sealing, and HVAC systems), it can use even more energy than a new home.

The study concludes that “building reuse alone is insufficient to meet our responsibilities to reduce climate change related impacts. This study demonstrates that retrofitting existing buildings with appropriate energy upgrades offers the most substantial emissions reductions over time.”

The study also cautions against the uber-renovations of old homes that became common during the housing boom.  It emphasizes that design matters.  Stuff an old house with new materials and you may lose the benefits of reuse.

The authors conclude that the bottom line is that “reusing existing buildings is good for the economy, the community and the environment. At a time when our country’s foreclosure and unemployment rates remain high, communities would be wise to reinvest in their existing building stock. Historic rehabilitation has a thirty-two year track record of creating 2 million jobs and generating $90 billion in private investment. Studies show residential rehabilitation creates 50% more jobs than new construction.”

But if you’ve read about my family’s 111-year-old net zero energy house where we have eliminated our utility bills . . . then you already knew all of this.

Photo courtesy National Trust for Historic Preservation

A salvage shop. Image credit: 1912bungalow.com

Anyone who has innocently walked into a salvage yard and come back out with a massive case of sticker shock knows that the best things for your old house aren’t always free. But there are some tips for salvage that can save you a bundle of both time and money.

Where to find the best salvage for your old house

Before you go to the high-end warehouse shop to find that rare flooring or lighting fixture that your old house simply must have, try these budget-friendly options:

1. Yard sales. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and that was never more true than at a yard sale. Look for tag sales in rural areas, older neighborhoods and those with multiple families participating. If you stumble upon a very nice door or other item at a reasonable price, inquire about what else they might have for sale.
2. Flea markets. Though flea markets might be a bit more expensive than what you find at yard sales, there could also be a larger selection. Some flea market vendors bring only a small portion of their wares, so if you see a vendor who has a nice collection of what you might need for your home, feel free to ask if there is anything behind the scenes. You might be able to strike a deal.
3. Private owners. Plenty of people try to sell items through online message boards, such as Craigslist. Though you might have to wade through a wide variety of useless posts before you strike gold, it pays to keep an eye on the possibilities.
4. Internet auctions. The good news is that you can get plenty of old-fashioned elements for your old house at a cheap price. Savvy shopping and bidding can keep your costs down. The bad news? Shipping can kill any savings you might get.
5. Estate sales. These sales are often large events that last for a few days. The high-dollar items tend to go first, so keep that in mind if you choose to bid. Estate sales can often yield a fantastic deal on rare items, but you must be patient, check out all the offerings and be ready to pay cash on the spot.
6. Antique shops. Some of the best deals I have ever made came from antique shops. I scored a beautiful stained-glass window for under $100 and the perfect chandelier for less than $50. Remember to take your time and be ready to negotiate a deal.
7. Reproductions. As home restoration has become more popular, coveted items have become rare. As a result, sometimes the original restoration of a part of your home can be more expensive than the house itself. In that case, reproductions can be the answer. Though they don’t have the antique pedigree, some of them are so good that only you will know that little secret.

From the perfect doors for your kitchen cabinet refacing to the ideal antique fixture to highlight your front porch, these salvage tips can help you find what you need at a price that your pocketbook can handle.

When it’s time to upgrade the exterior of a historic home, many homeowners will go with vinyl siding colors and styles that are meant to mimic the look of old clapboard. Manufacturers can do a fine job of making their vinyl siding look as though it belongs in a historic district, and in many cases even historic commissions are giving the enthusiastic go-ahead for vinyl siding use.

Historically accurate paint. Image credit: Victor Bloomfield

But what if you have an old house that features original clapboard or other original exterior cladding? It is a shame to get rid of that or cover it over with something modern. In that case, painting your house might be the way to go.

Choosing the proper historical paint colors

Early photographs can be the best way to determine the proper colors for your historic home. Even black and white photographs can lend a clue as to the color scheme. Look for photographs through your local library, historical society or former residents of the home. If you don’t have any luck finding photos of your house, look for photographs of your neighbors’ properties–your home could be in the background.

It is also a good idea to look at historical information on your particular neighborhood or street. In some cases, houses truly stood out with unique paint jobs, and that might have been mentioned in historical documents, such as old newspapers.

If you can find an area of the house that seems to have original paint, that can help as well. Though paint chips like this will likely be faded by the elements, a professional well-versed in historic paints might be able to analyze it to determine the original color.

Keep your eyes peeled when looking for antiques, too. Paint color cards were presented to homeowners as early as the 1840’s, and many of them have wound up in the dusty shelves of antique shops. Though those samples might not be the color your old house once was, they can serve as inspiration for a new paint job.

Creating your own color scheme

In some cases, finding the original paint colors might be impossible. That’s when you turn to the popular colors of the day. For instance, bright colors like yellow and orange were popular in the South, while darker hues of red, indigo and brown were more popular in New England states. Paints for homes built before the early 1900’s had natural pigments; synthetic pigments didn’t come along until well after that.

Those natural pigments showed up often in Colonial style homes, including indigo and deep red. Federal style homes had more muted colors, such as cream, pumpkin, or light blue. Greek Revival homes were often painted white or cream with a few accents in deep colors. The palette really exploded with Victorian homes, which were painted in every color of the rainbow. Colonial Revival homes went back to the darker colors, including various shades of blue and gray.

Before you embark on that important paint job, do plenty of research. Your color scheme should add to the neighborhood ambiance and curb appeal while staying true to the home’s unique history.

Image credit: ColdwellBanker

Among all of the celebrity homes that have hit the market lately, few stand out as a historic gem. This one in Connecticut, however, is definitely worth a look. “The Cotton Tavern” sits on 40 acres of what is commonly referred to as the “Quiet Corner” of Connecticut, where the population is surprisingly low. The Federal-style house was built around 1770, and has been added onto over time whenever the residing family needed more space. Owner Renee Zellweger recently put the house on the market for $1.5 million.

A very careful restoration

The list of renovations done on this house are impressive. There are the usual things you would expect, such as an extensive overhaul of the plumbing and electrical systems, as well as the addition of a heating and air conditioning system. The kitchen was completely rebuilt, but it was done with care–the custom kitchen cabinets were built to reflect the time period in which the original house was built, and the hardwood floors were carefully chosen to match the rest of the house. Crown molding and new baseboards were installed, but they mimic the “real thing.”

The library

Some important elements were kept in place or restored in such a way that the original integrity of the house wasn’t compromised. The rear staircase was rebuilt, probably for safety concerns, but it was designed to look just like the original. Most of the original hardwood floors were kept, and so were many of the bathroom fixtures, including the tubs and sinks. Rather than strip the paneling from the majestic library, it was painstakingly restored.

In keeping with the look of the original home, the siding is painted wood clapboard, and the replacement windows blend in well with those that have been there for over a century. The fireplaces? There are seven of them, and they are all original.

The guest cottage is the original carriage house, and it still has the original doors. It also has an abundance of rough-hewn ceiling beams, wide-plank hardwood floors and replacement windows that are customized to look like the originals on the main house.

All of this is tucked away behind dry stone walls that are five feet high and four feet thick. That’s a nice historical touch that also provides some serious security.

The kitchen

A refreshing new life for an old house

Many celebrities with virtually unlimited funds tend to cast aside older homes in exchange for something new. After all, new construction is often much easier than careful restoration, so it’s nice to see someone pouring their cash into keeping up the integrity of their historic home.

The new owners of this place could consider putting in energy-efficient improvements when it is time to do a bit more renovation work. As any old house lover will tell you, the renovation on a home built in the 1700’s never actually ends. In a few years, we might see this home touted in Architectural Digest, and it could well have more improvements that make this historic home more than a little green.

If you have icicles hanging from your eaves, you need to take action now.  Those frozen daggers are a sign that you’ve got ice dams.  The ice dam enables the trapped water to get under the roof shingles, causing water to leak inside.

Here’s five tips from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for preventing ice dams and saving you thousands in repairs.

· Seal air leaks: Seal air leaks and duct air leaks in your attic to stop warm air leakage, the source of ice dam problems.

· Add insulation: After sealing leaks, add additional insulation in your attic.

· Check ventilation: Provide adequate attic ventilation so the underside of the roof and outside air are at the same temperature. Check to make sure attic insulation is not blocking roof ventilation. Incorrect ventilation can also cause additional problems, such as mold and mildew.

· Clean gutters: Clean leaves and other debris from gutters before the first snow. This will help prevent ice build-up in gutters.

· Hire an accredited contractor: Hire a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor accredited through the Building Performance Institute (BPI) or approved by your local energy program to conduct an in-home comprehensive energy assessment. The comprehensive assessment will not only identify specific home improvements to prevent future ice dams, but will also recommend ways to reduce energy use, save money and improve the health and safety of your home. 

Matt Grocoff, Esq. LEED is founder of Thrive - Net Zero Consulting Collaborative, host of Greenovation.TV, a contributor to The Environment Report on Public Radio, the green renovation expert for Old House Web, and a sought after lecturer. His home is America’s oldest net-zero energy home and was called “Sustainable Perfection” by The Atlantic, honored as one of USA Today’s “Seven Best Green Homes of 2010″ and Preservation Project of the Year.  He has been featured in hundreds of publications and news shows including Washington Post, Detroit Free Press, Preservation Magazine, Solar Today, Fox Business News, Huffington Post and more.  Join him on Google+, Twitter and Facebook

The Governor Hotel. Image Credit: Hotels.com

After a few minutes of surfing message boards, I was reminded that yes, you can find anything on the Internet. That includes the history of the Governor Hotel in Portland, OR.

The history of a hotel

Originally known as the Seward Hotel, the swank downtown hotel opened in 1909 to fanfare and accolades. During that time, guests paid between $1.50 and $2.00 for a room that included luxurious and edgy designs for the time, including stained glass, terracotta and fine handcrafted details.

On the other side of the block, an entirely different but no less respected establishment was taking shape. In 1923, the Portland Elks Lodge was built. The Lodge was built in the style of the Farnese Palace in Rome, which was largely created by Michelangelo. The very classic look included coffered ceilings, inlaid marble and frescoes.

During the Depression, the Elks Lodge lost their Portland building. Over time, the majestic space underwent some serious changes, including the construction of an office building inside the structure. Fortunately, the architect who created the interior office building kept the original walls intact. That turned into a very significant choice years later, when the owner of the hotel saw those walls and realized there was great potential there. Though the buildings had been joined in the 1980s, they were not seamlessly integrated until much later. In 2004, the former Elks Lodge became the new entrance of the Governor Hotel.

Careful renovation achieves a work of art

Architectural details. Image credit: Governor Hotel

Architect Barry Smith led the 2003 renovation, which posed a significant challenge: how to update the building for today’s modern hotel yet keep all of the historical features intact? The job was wide-reaching and included everything from hiding modern lights in old-fashioned ceilings to installing stained glass that had been removed years prior. Through the use of old photographs, dismantling layers of wood and carpet and doing plenty of old-fashioned research into the nooks and crannies of the hotel, the renovation team reclaimed the 1909 grandeur of the Seward Hotel. Contractors worked tirelessly to restore, renovate and improve every part of the building, including a few spaces that had never before been opened to the public.

One of the most interesting parts of the hotel is a mystery that hangs right out in the open–tall figures that look more like robots than gargoyles grace the top of the building and appear to be looking down at passersby. These figures are completely out of place with the architecture of the building, yet make for a lively conversation piece from a hotel that already gives guests plenty of things to talk about.

One of the "Robots." Image credit: Governor Hotel

Being featured as a set on Leverage is just the latest claim to fame for this hotel, which has seen a great deal of movie-making magic within those historic walls. Now on the National Register and listed as one of the top hotels in the world by Travel and Leisure Magazine, the Governor Hotel is proof that a multitude of styles, details and histories can weave together to form one truly beautiful work of art.

My previous home, a 1901 Victorian, was by far the “youngest” house I had ever owned. Every older home I had worked with was a study in restoration. I preferred to keep the home as original as possible, and so spent countless hours wandering salvage shops, working with restoration contractors and doing so much research that I dreamed about the late 1800’s with an almost unsettling regularity.

Moving into a home built in the 1950’s offered a sudden new lease on renovation. Though the home could still be considered “old” it was certainly not an ancient darling, and that meant more options for my fixer-upper. Many changes could be made without sacrificing the integrity or the history of the home. That meant that I could start anywhere with this buffet of choices, so I gravitated toward products I had never had a chance to use before.

And was that ever an eye-opener.

A whole new approach to renovation

One of the first projects I tackled was the kitchen floor. I needed a quick and temporary fix for the scratched, dented and gouged vinyl flooring that was already in the kitchen and dining area. I simply wanted to avoid tripping over those trouble spots, and that called for a smooth, safe floor. Since I do a great deal of cooking and entertaining, it also had to be a very quick project.

My kitchen floor in progress.

I started with the easiest route–a walk down the aisles of my local home improvement store. I browsed the offerings and found everything from hardwood to thin vinyl, as well as a selection of custom options, such as bamboo, cork and concrete. The prices were just as varied as the materials.

During the restoration of an older home, the options for materials narrows down quickly. But for a home built in the 1950’s, the choice of materials covers almost everything out there and makes the choice much more difficult.

I finally chose simple, cheap vinyl flooring tiles. The tiles were less than ten dollars for a box of twenty-five. At that price I figured they would last only long enough to keep the floor nice while I searched for a more permanent solution, and that suited my needs just fine. The installation was do-it-yourself and very easy. A full Saturday of work was all it took to complete the entire project.

What was meant to be temporary has really surprised me. After a solid year of walking on these tiles, the durability is still impressive, and I like the look. Not only do I now plan to keep the vinyl tiles in place, I am going to use them for the bathrooms, too.

The completed floor.

Restoration versus renovation

I admit that I went into these projects with a serious bias toward materials that had stood the test of time. Reclaimed wood? Much better than any other flooring out there. Traditional ceramic tile in the bathrooms? Best choice available.

But as I slowly became familiar with options that I never would have considered for my older homes, I was reminded that just as there are some old materials that will always be superior, there are modern options definitely worth considering.

However, I am not giving up on the tried-and-true products just yet. In my search for hardwood floors for the master suite, I keep wandering back to reclaimed woods. My tastes in fiber cement siding are leaning toward a very traditional look. Plans are brewing for installation of original clerestory windows over the dining area. Maybe it’s proof that old houses get in your heart and stay there, even when you’re living in a relatively modern rambler.