It sounds like your gut is telling you to go with the Juniper by the way that you are talking about the negatives of the Lantana. If so, go with your gut.
Everyone has their own feelings about "worth". The Iris (and Lily) were not available when we made our decision. When we looked at the Juniper versus the Lantana the Lantana was a clear winner. We much preferred the stucco to the frame from an appearance perspective (the frame was too "northern" for us; we have always had frame up north and wanted something that looked "Florida" rather than "New Jersey suburbs".)
We also preferred the stucco from a storm resistence perspective. As we sat in our closet during the tornado warning a week or so ago, it was somewhat comforting to know that we had a bit more structurally sound than 2x4s between us and the potential tornado (or hurricane).
As to the size difference, the few inches is not noticeable to us.
The block is also less prone to termites than an all-wood structure.
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