Also survivor bias.

You need a certain amount of wet for mold and mildew. Push the levers too far and you just end up with termites, or a failed foundation, and the whole thing gets replaced with something new.

The houses that have beaten their nemesis, water, are the ones most of us are willing to walk into more than twice.

Reminds me of when my mother had her kitchen renovated. When they removed the lathe & plaster, you could see the road clearly, right through all the slats. From outside they look tight, but they are anything but.