(Courtesy of Linda Ullian, Heritage Log Homes)

Gracefully curved arches and beams highlight this Harmony Exchange home’s mountain-style stone fireplace. HARMONY EXCHANGE

1. More customers are requesting and designing log home "hybrids." These homes are built with full logs, log siding and often timber frame construction.

2. In “hybrids,” the log home style is still present, but there is emphasis on the full timber roof, ceilings, porches, entryways and even gazebos.

3. Today, developers are creating many log home-only communities. These include mountain locations in North Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Michigan, and Ohio. (One notable such environment is Smoky Mountain Retreat in North Carolina.)

4. Frequently, in the case of second homes, the owners will put the home into a lease program when not in family use, making the house a good way to invest money that previously went into other areas.

5. There is also a growing interest in combining hand-crafted large log homes with the traditional log home cabin style. This pairing includes such elements as hand-made mantels, stairways, porch posts, railings, and outdoor entertaining areas.