Construction-defect liability killed condo building

California no longer builds condos because construction-defect liability laws are so expensive—a building can be sued 10 years after construction because paint is bubbling or chipping, turning defects into a profit center for trial lawyers rather than something simply repaired—so new multi-family housing is almost always built for rent, contributing to California having the lowest homeownership rate in the country, 10% below the national average.