America needs more houses. Estimates range from a shortage of 4 to 10 million homes this year.

It could take us close to a decade to close that gap.

Conventional wisdom says build more homes faster.

But what if the homes we build are falling apart?

TikTok and Instagram are flooded with thousands of homebuyers' hell videos of outrageous

construction blunders.

Inspectors find defects in the overwhelming majority of homes.

According to data from the National Association of Realtors, nearly two-thirds of buyers of new construction

houses uncover problems during the inspection. About one in four new homes requires warranty

repairs within the first two years, and not all are cosmetic. Some are serious enough to

affect the structure, safety, or livability of the home.

Brand new doesn't necessarily mean problem-free. It's starting to mean cheap.

30% of all sales today are for new homes. But unlike in times past, buying a new build isn't necessarily a status symbol.

It might be a sign that instead of buying the American dream, you've settled for an American nightmare.

Some people say there's no need to worry because in a free market, quality will correct itself over time as customers demand better.

But just how bad our new houses today? What went wrong? And how can we fix it?

There is no doubt we need to build. The American housing stock is aging rapidly. The median

age of an owner-occupied house is now 40 years old, up from just 31 years in 2005. Boomers,

who own over 40% of all homes in the U.S., and a third of all three-bedroom houses,

have taken to aging in place.

61% of them never planned to sell.

True to the law of supply and demand, home prices have risen 82% since 2000.

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