Because wood is plenty strong and safe. I've lived in wood houses all my life, all of them built between 1920 and 1950. Balloon construction has, generally sp

Because wood is plenty strong and safe. I've lived in wood houses all my life, all of them built between 1920 and 1950. Balloon construction has, generally speaking, been great. The frames are strong and light, easy to run cabling/utilities, easy to modify/remove/renovate (You know what else I've done in every house I've owned? Moved at least one wall - in my current house we just completely modified the layout of the upstairs. Moving the walls cost on the order of a few hundred dollars each, since they weren't structural supports, and it's just wood and drywall) Basically - They're cheaper, better for the environment, and when cared for last a LONG time. Do they have some specific downsides? Sure. But overall they work fantastically well. Also - if you think concrete is sturdier than wood frames... in most cases I suspect you're wrong for residential homes. I live in a temperate rain forest (Atlanta, GA) the pine trees are HUGE, and they fall constantly - they hit houses a lot. Most take damage, but it's usually easy to repair, and honestly, the wood frame alone usually keeps people inside safe. Hundreds of houses a year take tree hits, and having someone die is rare enough it usually makes the news. Wood is tough. I've seen a 100ft pine literally bounce off a house.