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Howard hit several nails on the head in this post. However, I think he held back on one of the major reasons why people choose in-house development: hubris.

I have used the Tapestry framework for my last two major projects. It has made an incalculable difference. By using an Open Source framework, I was able to focus on meeting my requirements while, at the same time, having access to the deepest levels of the code if need be. Earlier in my career I created and used my own J2EE framework, no more. I encourage developers to use a framework, any framework. The benefits (shorter development time, less “plumbing code”, genericity, community support) certainly outweigh the costs (steep learning curve, not being able to do it “your way”).