“A newer house saves a lot in utility bills.”
No doubt; in my area (northeastern NJ, about a dozen miles west of Manhattan) there aren’t many new constructions (due to space limitations - the area was settled in the mid-17th century). Those that do go up are very expensive to buy, with very high taxes to boot.
I’ve lived in the South and West most of my life. The oldness of the Northeast blows my mind. My cousin lives in Haddonfield, near Philadelphia, in a mid-1800s house at an astounding cost.