Good news! The land directly behind the log house is now for sale. For $159,900 you can get forty acres to add to the almost fifteen acres on the Living Springs Log House property. Can you imagine having that much privacy, and the ability to expand whatever your vision is?

Why This Land Excites Me So Much

The steep hillside behind the log house climbs straight up to these forty acres. The land belongs to the Rutz Family Trust, which at one time owned about 700 acres out here. For years I’ve looked up that hill and wondered who would one day be its steward.

It Sits Above the Spring

The upper land lies directly above the cave spring that supplies the log house with its water. Whoever owns that hillside decides what goes on it. If you owned both properties, you would never have to worry about someone putting a septic tank, or anything else that could pollute the water, on the land above your spring. Water runs downhill, and so does whatever is put on the land above it.

Privacy From the Bluffs

Sadly, the land up there was clear-cut, all the way to the bluffs. Those bluffs actually overlook the log house and the property below. Owning the top would mean no one else looking down on you, and a great deal more privacy.

A Blank Slate, Waiting for Care

It was hard to watch that land cleared. Ever since, I’ve dreamed that someone would plant a big orchard up there, and food forests, along with a homestead. One good thing about cleared land is that you get to choose what comes next. There is room for pasture too, and maybe a nice pond.

Someone could take very good care of the land up top, and help it heal. How I would love that.

Connected Land

A path could be made to connect the two properties on foot, although driving between them by road takes about 20 minutes. Just think of it: connected land, a larger space for community, for animals, for growing.

And just for fun, I can picture a zip line coming down from the top, and a huge slide!

Sister Communities

It doesn’t have to be one buyer. Maybe two organizations could each buy one of the properties and become sister communities, supporting each other, sharing work, ideas, tools, and friendship.

The Two Together

Together, the log house property and the upper land make 54.75 acres. The Living Springs Log House is offered at $475,000 and the upper forty acres at $159,900, for a combined total of $634,900.

About the Upper Listing

The listing is at 1 Madison 3405, Huntsville, AR 72740, an unimproved 40-acre parcel listed for $159,900.

Property Overview

• Property Type: Unimproved Land / Vacant Lot
• Lot Size: 40 Acres (38 acres wooded)
• Topography: Rolling to sloping, all-wooded terrain

Key Features & Highlights

• Building Sites: Multiple building options, including a cleared site offering vast mountain views.
• Access: County road frontage with quick access to Highway 74.
• Utilities: Electricity and fiber optic internet are available at the property. A well and septic system would need to be installed by the buyer.
• Zoning / Restrictions: Mobile homes are allowed; not located within a subdivision or city limits.

Listing Agent Details

• Listing Agent: Brent Owens / Harley Owens (Owens Realty and Auction)
• MLS Number: 1359930

An Update on the Neighboring Land and Erosion

I have some good news about the land next door. The problems with that property are all resolved, at least for the moment. That includes the clear-cutting and the lawsuit. We are not worrying about that property anymore, or about erosion coming from it.

The erosion we see probably comes just from being on a steep hill.

We still recommend that a buyer have the right kind of engineer look at the land. That would be a geotechnical or civil engineer, someone who looks at slopes, soil and drainage. The neighboring owners need to give permission for that, but they are very cooperative. Please ask the realtor for more information.

How We Wrote This

This article was written together by Patricia, a friend of Barbara’s (the owner) and a resident of the Living Springs Log House, and Claude.ai, an AI assistant made by Anthropic. Patricia shared her memories of the land above the log house and her dreams for it in a quick burst of ideas; Claude helped put them in order and checked the acreage and the numbers.

A Few Insights

• The land above a spring matters as much as the spring. Protecting water often means caring for the hillside, not just the source.
• Cleared land is a loss, and also an invitation. What was taken can be replanted as orchard, food forest, and pasture.
• Neighbors can be partners. Two smaller communities side by side may be stronger than one large one.
• Connection doesn’t always need a road. A footpath can tie two places together.

See more of the property, including the spring, the gardens, the metal building, and the swallows, at livingspringsloghouse.com