I've lived most of my adult life in wooden structures that are over 100 years old. They will stand for another 100 as long as waterproofing is maintained (and a

I've lived most of my adult life in wooden structures that are over 100 years old. They will stand for another 100 as long as waterproofing is maintained (and a masonry building will be severely damaged as well if it is not waterproof). They have been through multiple earthquakes and are easy to repair if damaged, by opening up one of the "cardboard" walls and nailing in some more wood pieces. When they are built in wildfire-prone localities, they are coated in stucco and given concrete roof shingles, making them as fire resistant as masonry buildings. Houses are expensive in the US because the land is expensive here (location location location), and because there is shortage of skilled labor due to the high employment rate. Areas of the US with levels of economic performance similar to Europe have similarly cheap houses.