I'm not saying you're wrong to hold this list of desired attributes, but the short of it is that houses are generally built the way they are to satisfy demand at the lowest possible construction cost. When you consider the average time people stay in a given home is only about 7 years, durability doesn't carry particularly much sway.
FWIW, the reason there are so many crappy houses in the Bay Area is that the climate is so mild that even the most poorly constructed shacks have staying power... and with the cost of remodeling/construction here, there isn't much incentive to rebuild unless you've got significant disposable income.
FWIW, the reason there are so many crappy houses in the Bay Area is that the climate is so mild that even the most poorly constructed shacks have staying power... and with the cost of remodeling/construction here, there isn't much incentive to rebuild unless you've got significant disposable income.