The rural house does have a new roof, new AC, and new hot water heater. The wood in the attic looked good from the ladder, and the wood/vapor barrier in the crawl space looked good too. But it definitely has a cheaper feel build quality. I'd be confident in it, but the other house definitely feels more solid and feels more well made. But yeah I just can't get excited about the area, even though it is much closer to family.

The new one comes with "builder warranty and RWC home warranty". I don't have a ton of faith in builders but if the other is 3rd party and an actual warranty company, that would help.