Monroe, WA -- Folks who are fed up with high real estate prices are taking a tip from the pioneers and building their own log cabins.

Interest in the Abe Lincoln-era standby has skyrocketed in the last few years, according to Steve White of the Log Home Builders Association of North America, which holds classes on log cabin building.

He says you can construct a cabin for as cheap as $10,000 using nothing more than basic carpentry tools like axes and chisels and lots of rope and chain to haul your logs.

A log cabin may sound a little rustic for a modern American, but White says they don't have to be: He's seen ones filled with antiques and top-of-the-line gourmet kitchens.

They're energy efficient too, thanks to the thickness of the logs, which keep the house cool in the summer and warm in winter.

White's next class on cabin building takes place Feb. 28-29th in Monroe, Washington, at one of the log cabins featured in the TV series "Northern Exposure."

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