I'm not sure most NA houses are so different. For instance, cheap floor treatments, drywall + stickbuilt, multipane windows that leak after a decade or two.
What are the "cheap floor treatments" and why would drywall or a house made of wood mean that a house won't last more than 30 years? There are plenty of houses built in the 90s with wood that are not just fine, but look practically new and modern.
