[Lawtan]

Most of the "we are losing our forests" deforestation is for cattle farming and the like. That's one reason to reduce your beef intake. They use slash and burn techniques. (Note: much of this is encouraged outside of the USA as a quick and cheap way to try to grow developing country economies...it doesn't work as old forests don't have the soil for farming...which invites some intentional western exploitation)

I wouldn't say the tree farms are as bad as you make them out to be. For one thing, the trees used are rather short lived. Also, artificial trees are more of a concern due to their effect greenhouse gass-wise. While some use recycled materials, the effect per pound is still greater than for normal tree use.

Alternatives would include designing homes that had a central area for a growing tree, or even creating a woodpile for animals and other plants to use.