I built my own house from a mix of locally harvested trees--mostly lots of white pine and red oak. There's no reason you can't use it--though i can second all the comments about wet weight, shrinkage, and popping. It's main virtues over pine, in my opinion, are that you can use smaller timbers, and you don't risk bluestain. OTOH, it is a darker wood, and you might want to visit a couple homes to see if you like it all that dark. Sanding and oiling or poyurethaning could give you a luster that would offset some of that darkness. Finally, if you are going to cut the frame yourself, be sure to keep your chisels very sharp.