Running a Cable Between Floors

I know many factors can affect the question I'm about to ask, but I guess what I'm really asking is if it is even remotely possible on a new construction (less than a year old) townhouse. I want to run an Ethernet cable from the main floor down into the basement. The walls I want to use in both rooms line up perfectly. So, if I were to put a small hole in the wall on the main floor and attempt to feed a cable down, could it conceivably make it down to the next floor? And if I were to run into any sorts of obstruction, what would that be and how could I overcome it?