The tech always gets better.
Like what are most Americans living in now other than Sears catalog homes, tract housing, manufactured houses, and stuff that are little more than stuff made from generic planes in some developer’s office 50 years ago?
If Americans wanted fine craftmanship, they haven’t been demonstrating it for the past 100 years.
The Sears House my husband’s great grandfather ordered and built is still lived in, in Oregon.
I completely agree with this. The problem is the cost.
Let's take an example, the common front exterior door for a house. For the typical house, it is originally built with a ahemmm “builders grade door”. The purchase cost to the builder is in the $250-500 range for a prehung steel door. In 5 to 8 years, the door starts looking pretty poor and at 10 years it is leaking and the wood jamb is rotting. Time for a new one.
To get an intermediate grade door, the homeowner freaks out when the purchase cost of a quality replacement is in the $1600-$2500 range. The homeowner passes out when the purchase cost for a premium door is $3500 and up.
With respect to traditional fine craftsmanship, the door is a good example of this. A decent wood door starts at the low $2000 range purchase cost. A wood door requires a craftsman. The individual pieces are cut using a jig or perhaps even CNC but it comes down to a craftsman to select the woods with matching grain, sand paper and a mallet to assemble the stiles and panels, apply glue, stain, etc. This takes a craftsman's touch, eye and judgments. This is expensive both in $$ per hour and the number of hours required.