[error99]

"...tried to build and sell well-built homes and couldn't compete with the guys who could slam them up and sell for 5% less. People would look at all the features he would point out, agree that it made the house better, then ask if he could match the 5% less of the guy down the block..."

Been there - Done that -

I found out real quick that home buyers
(99 % of them) only care about 3 things...
Price, price, and price.

I found out the hard way there was NO MARKET for the use
of quality materials or for quality constuction techniques.

[meyer]

I found out the hard way there was NO MARKET for the use of quality materials or for quality constuction techniques.

I think part of that problem stems from government regulation. Why? Because people have come to rely on the government to do their thinking for them, to their own detriment, of course. The general consensus, I suspect, is that housing codes ensure a quality home. That, of course, is not true. While codes have created a minimum level of quality in many areas, they cannot substitute for the knowledgable buyer. Plus, builders don't always adhere strictly to the code.

Let's see how many century homes are around 8 or 9 decades from now.

[Restorer]

I found out the hard way there was NO MARKET for the use of quality materials or for quality constuction techniques.

Very true. People like the idea, but are unwilling to pay anything extra to get it.

But how many of these people do you think will be willing to assume any of the responsibility when their home develops a problem?

I really don't understand it. We're perfectly willing to pay more to get higher quality in cars, clothing, restaurant meals, coffee, etc. But for some reason homes are considered to be generic, except for visible features.