[zdragnar]

That is more an issue of cost than anything... If your choices are between building a wood framed house that you can afford and will last a hundred years or much more, versus not being able to afford to build at all... Well, you go for stick and frame.

Because they are so popular, they are even less expensive- construction crews experienced in building double brick walls are scarce to non existent around here.

On a final note, tornados. We get quite a few of them around here... The odds of actually being hit by one are low, and yet it does happen, and I doubt brick walls would hold up much better facing the full fury of those.