[tis]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

I guess thats my point, most of these people are NOT getting what they think they are paying for.

You shop around for a reputable builder and pay a fortune to get what you think is good quality, only to find too many builders use low cost materials and pocket the savings. Most of these people wont own the homes 10 years down the road when the problems start popping up, its the second and third owners that find out their OSB/Zipboard doesnt hold nails well, or is swelling from water intrusion, or the frame is buckling or floor lifting or roof flexing because the kids with nail guns only landed every 5th nail into something on the other side.

When we built our house 7ish years ago and I talked to several builders about materials, some wouldn't even discuss what they used, and the few that did were not interested in what you wanted (for example choosing actual plywood over OSB for sub-floors or exterior walls and roof). I was ultimately able to build our home with the materials I wanted and the cost difference was not significant to upgrade to better materials/windows/etc but the builder questioned me every time I asked for an upgrade as if it was just a waste of money to upgrade. In the end I got what I wanted, but only because I knew what to ask for. Most people not familiar with the business and materials do not get what they think they are paying for when they build an expensive home and expect it to include top shelf materials, unless they specify those materials and make sure there are no substitutes.

You are so right!!