[nradov]

Log cabins are perfectly legal as residences in many areas provided they're up to code. Drive around any ski area and see. You can even buy them in kit form.

Hardly anyone wants to live in rural areas where land is cheap because there are no good jobs or services nearby. In desirable areas, land acquisition costs are far higher than construction costs. Regulation has little to do with it, although in some areas zoning laws that limit density are a factor.

[randomdata]

There is a pretty large chasm between a log cabin that is up to code and a pioneer home. And the cost to build reflects that.

Desirable areas are expensive because regulation has allowed some people to make vast fortunes, allowing them to spend almost limitlessly on living in those desirable area.

Tech is the prime example of that. Without regulation like that which surrounds intellectual property, software would be quite literally worthless.