Have you considered the resale value of a timber frame vs a log home? Go grab a "homes for sale" magazine from the grocery store and see how many timber frames there are listed for sale vx log homes.

My guess would be if you had a timber frame for sale it would be the only one listed. You could probably find several log homes. I think I would like to be the guy with the ONLY timber frame for sale.

You might also want to talk to your insurance agent to see if there isn't a difference between the insurance premiums on the two.