Building with insulated concrete forms costs about 5% more.. So it is really not unaffordable to build a durable house in the US.
Everything is done to minimum standards in the US because of paradoxical markets like banks competing to give mortgages. The bank that wants only houses that will survive the mortgage let alone second buyers mortgage (for the threat to resale value) loses.
Everything is done to minimum standards in the US because of paradoxical markets like banks competing to give mortgages. The bank that wants only houses that will survive the mortgage let alone second buyers mortgage (for the threat to resale value) loses.