Casey, as far as enclosures are concerned, I have lived in the Mid-Atlantic states all my life and the locale of your future home should determine the nature and materials of the exterior walls. So, I can not offer any advice that is specific to me that could be sound for you, other than you will have to balance concerns such as ventilation, vapor transfer, sunlight, thermal mass, responsive heating and cooling, indoor-outdoor flow and on and on. So pick your poison and work your way through. Now before building is the time to make thoroughly considered choices.