Wood vs Masonry
Masonry would be better in a fire, but remember, most of California is prone to earthquakes, and unless it's some sort of reinforced concrete, a masonry structure might crumble in a quake. This is a reason why wood is still preferred out here for most home construction. With proper landscaping and setbacks, the fire danger is minimized although of course it can't be assumed anything made of wood is fireproof. At least in a fire one usually has enough warning to escape alive (Paradise deaths notwithstanding), whereas one would not want to wake up buried under a rubble of bricks and stucco.
Other comments:
Aluminum Xmas trees: I remember when those came out in the 50's, to nearly universal scorn. I still don't like them; but on the other hand I haven't set up an Xmas tree of any sort here for about a decade or more.
Modernist housing design: I wouldn't mind living in a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home. But a lot of the "modern" looking homes, like the one in the link, simply look like they put modernism over habitability. I'd want an enclosed garage instead of that oversized carport contraption, as well. Give me a Craftsman bungalow over a modernist atrocity any day.
YMMV
