Debby Ullman, the project manager for Hearthstone, who worked with the Buchholzes, says building a log home can be more challenging than constructing the standard stick-built abode, but the finished product is a "piece of heaven on earth."

Ullman, who has been in the log and timber-frame business for 22 years, provides the following advice for prospective cabin constructers: 

• Work with your builder to modify existing plans, as opposed to trying to find the "perfect" plan.
• Break the building process into five or six phases to avoid being overwhelmed with decisions.
• Create a construction journal by taking pictures at least on the first and 15th days of each month, including shots of all of the mechanics prior to the interior walls being put in place.
• When shopping for a cabin builder, get detailed proposals and work with company representatives to ensure you’re making apples-to-apples comparisons.
• For more helpful information, visit the Log Homes Council Web site at www.loghomes.org