I think that this is in large part an issue with inexperienced builders who aren't familiar with the resources to help them find what they need. A few minutes on Glen-L http://www.glen-l.com/resources/lumber-suppliers.html or Wood Finder http://www.woodfinder.com/ would solve an awful lot of problems with finding materials. Even a Google search would be a better start than going to a box store, but for many a box store is the only lumber supplier they've ever visited. They don't know to look anywhere else.

I don't and haven't had problems finding materials. But- there are two things to keep in mind for people looking for materials- don't expect suppliers to be local. They probably won't be. Don't expect it to be cheap. Good lumber is not cheap, no matter what kind it is. There is good lumber, and there is cheap lumber. Mutually exclusive in most cases.

Maybe the best thing to do would be to put together a crowd-sourced list like the one Glen-L runs.

m