Question: I'd like to buy or build a log cabin in Virginia to use as a vacation home. Where do I start?

Answer: For Abe Lincoln and his pioneer peers, building a log cabin must have been a no-brainer. You just staked claim to some land, cut down trees to make a clearing, notched them together and chinked them with mud.

That means you may need professional help for everything from land acquisition to long-term maintenance. Fortunately, a sizeable industry has emerged to cater to those with a hankering for backwoods style -- but you'll need to narrow down your choices before you begin.

First, decide whether you want to live in a community or off by yourself on a mountaintop. If the former, make sure that the covenants allow log styles (gated communities with all or mostly log homes do exist, but they are relatively uncommon). Otherwise, make sure your land has good road access that can accommodate a big crane, as well as a truck carrying several tons of logs.

That's because these days, few log homes are handcrafted on site by sturdy woodsmen. Rather, most are created from logs that have been milled in a factory to fit a computer-generated design, labeled, and trucked to the lot where they're assembled. Although these kits can be put together by folks with good carpentry skills, many buyers have the home built by a local builder who handles all the details, from pouring the foundation to installing the plumbing. The total tab for a professionally built log house is usually comparable to that of a regular site-built home.

While dozens of manufacturers sell these kits, don't feel limited by their published plans. Many companies can easily alter their floor plans to your specifications or create a custom design for you. Of course, before you buy, check the manufacturer's warranty and reputation with national and local consumer-affairs agencies.

You can purchase kits sight-unseen online from a number of companies, but it's a good idea to visit a model before you commit so you can see how well their logs fit together and hold up against the elements. Ask the dealer to explain why the manufacturer uses a particular type of tree -- popular varieties include white pine, hemlock, spruce, fir and cedar -- and how the logs have been treated (if at all) to resist splitting, insect infestation and decay.

Once you commit to a plan and a company, you'll have to decide how you want your logs finished -- choices include hand-hewn, round, peeled and a "D" shape that's flat on one side, round on the other. Although round shapes look the most rustic, it can be tricky to hang pictures or cabinets on them.

What about keeping the chill out? Logs have natural insulation value and can make a house quite cozy. But at least one company is touting logs that are split and filled with foam insulation to boost their energy efficiency. Don't worry about chinking, which is how frontiersmen kept out the wind: Modern milling techniques make logs fit together so tightly that chinking is usually unnecessary.

You will have to do some maintenance, though. Unless you want to live amid termites and other wood-boring bugs, log homes have to be pressure-washed and finished with a special sealer every three or four years.  The cost to have it done by a professional is comparable to having a regular house painted.