Kevin,
I am also the kind of guy who likes to educate himself as far as I am able, but when it comes to building a home that will house my children I want it to be done right. Trust me on this, even if you take the class you will still be self educating yourself along the way. The class will give all the details on how to build the most solid and well built log home you have ever seen and the best part is they can teach you how to do it without a mortgage. So if you are "cheap" the price of the class is peanuts and will actually save you thousands of dollars and teach you how to avoid having your home rot to the ground.
Like LHN I make nothing from my participation on this forum, and that is the best part of a community like this. People here genuinely help each other. I live only 30 minutes from Asheville myself but I traveled to the extreme side of the country in Washington to take my class, and every penny it cost me has been recouped from the knowledge I gained not to mention the opportunity to see some beautiful country.

