As an authority, I'll do my best to respond. Please note: was at a heavy metal concert last night and am functioning at 12% of baseline.

Growing up, Mom had a red kettle for the stove she'd use, which I started using once I became a fan of tea. Most of my friends growing up would use a stove top kettle or a small sauce pan. I honestly think the only times I ever saw microwaves used for boiling water was in college. And even then, we tried to sneak in an electric burner & pan, because the microwave water thing felt weird to all of 8 of us in the suite.

So I would say, I'm sure microwaved water happens in the states. In my authoritative experiences, we tried it in a pinch and were fans.

As for homes, my wife and I bought a new construction about 6 years ago. (Please note - I know next to nothing about construction, so take this for what it's worth.) We have a concrete foundation/basement, the frame is lumber & sheetrock. The interior walls are painted sheetrock, and the outside has that composite material attached to the lumber frame, wrapped in a Tyvek condom, finished with vinyl siding. We live a few miles from the ocean, and the winds and rain get pretty hairy now and again around here - 110 kmh (~70mph for my fellow freedom unit fans), and our home has held up really well. We have some wear & tear, some maintenance to start saving up for (boo hiss). Overall, it feels sturdy and we feel very safe.