I think that what you will find is that for the most part all new houses have defects. Its not rocket science but still the earth shifts and people make mistakes.
That having been said, most of the construction done during the boom years was rushed. Quality control was lower and the skill of the people doing the construction was lower as well. Even builders for whom quality is their reputation, the pressure to build fast and profit during the boom was overwhelming. When you couple that with the scarcity of qualified workers, I think you’ll find that its better to buy houses build in between booms.
