FWIW, growing up in SV the low quality was invisible to me because I didn't know anything else. I didn't know it was crap. It wasn't until I lived elsewhere that I saw the nose on the face.
I wonder if some of this is the moderate climate. I live in Utah and my house has 2x6 walls with lots of insulation. I suspect that's all about keeping me warm in the winter and cool in the summer. In CA the temp changes less so you need less of that insulation. That doesn't excuse the expense, of course.
Consequences of the climate as well. Because we get no frost, termites are endemic here. Pretty much every house needs to be tented every 5 years or so, and after 30-40 there may not be much foundation left. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to build to last when it's not going to last anyway.
Same thinking for earthquakes & wildfires. Over the short term, CA is paradise. Over the long term, it's temporary. That kind of thinking suffuses a lot of the CA worldview.
Yes, I make a similar argument about the roads as well. Winter is hard on roads & buildings. Subzero temperatures, ice dams, & two feet of snow on your roof make quick work of uninsulated shacks, while ice & snowplows demand a regular cycle of road repair. In nice climates on the other hand you can scrape by with slowly crumbling roads and declining housing stock for decades.
FWIW, growing up in SV the low quality was invisible to me because I didn't know anything else. I didn't know it was crap. It wasn't until I lived elsewhere that I saw the nose on the face.