It's capitalism unchecked. Why make something which lasts for a long time if it doesn't benefit the builder? Houses which need to be rebuilt or replaced, on the other hand, do benefit builders.

Some houses in Europe are hundreds of years old. A fifty year old house in the US which hasn't required or doesn't require tremendous work is not very common.

The same can be said for the automotive industry - they want you to get a new car every few years, not every two decades. Windows vendors want you to get a new computer every two to three years. It's just our consumption-centric market.