[gr8fl4porsche]

You can still get old world craftsmanship these days if you are willing to pay for it. The problem is the general population wants the least expensive large house they can buy. They pay an average price and expect premium quality. Codes and inspections only yield minimum standards. The average worker on a site only does average work.

Believe me, there are excellent contractors out there who will do remarkable work for you - if you are willing to pay for the hours that it takes to reach perfection.

I do not agree that quality in new houses has gone down - if anything, the methods today are far superior to yesterday. The problem lies in cheap materials combined with the need to keep costs, markup and sales price to a low but reasonable level to sell in quantity (what I call the Walmart business model).

If you want a well-built home, start with concrete and steel then start adding insulated prefab wall panels and roof.