The exterior finish is the 'face' of your new home. Your choices depend on what look you would like your home to portray.
 Is it traditional? classic? rustic? etc. MW has many choices of exterior finishes to choose from and have many examples of homes they have contructed that have gone with different styles to help you visualize the perfect fit.

EIFS stands for Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems. The product is also called synthetic stucco, and refers to a multi-layered exterior finish. There are three layers to EIFS: Inner Layer - Foam insulation board that's secured to the exterior wall surface, often with adhesive. Middle Layer - A polymer and cement base coat that's applied to the top of the insulation, then reinforced with glass fiber mesh. Exterior Layer - A textured finish coat. Synthetic Stucco vs. Traditional Stucco, Synthetic stucco is soft and sounds hollow when tapped, traditional stucco is hard and brittle, and sounds solid when tapped. Stucco adds a beautiful, professional, neat and clean look to the outside of your home and can be applied in many different colors.

Cultured Stone® products originated in 1962  when it began developing manufactured stone veneer: exact replicas of natural stones used for building, cast in flexible molds and hand colored with iron oxide pigments. Made of lightweight aggregate materials, the veneers were approximately one-quarter the weight of full-thickness stone and could be adhered to most wall surfaces. Cultured Stone® is now the undisputed brand leader and preferred name in the manufactured stone products industry. Cultured Stone® manufactured stone veneers meet AC-51 criteria, the strictest requirements in the industry. Products are available in more than 21 textures and more than 100 colors and are available nationwide from more than 850 dealers.

Information provided by www.culturedstone.com

Hardie board siding is an ideal long lasting siding for any home.  Hardie board comes in many sizes including 4×8 sheets, 3×5 sheets, 4×4 sheets, and also in planks.  Hardie board siding also comes with designs to give the appearance of brick, wood, and vinyl siding.  It has been proven to last 30 plus years in harsh weather of all kinds.  Cold, heat, snow, rain…etc.  It has the awesome ability to stay submerged in water yet keep its shape and strength, without molding or falling apart. Hardie Board siding takes paint and caulk very well.  It is priced comparable to wood siding, but will long outlast it.
Information provided by www.hardiesiding.org
Main picture for this page is also Hardie Board Siding.

Vinyl siding is plastic exterior cladding for a house, used for decoration and weatherproofing, as an alternative to traditional wood siding or other materials such as aluminum or fiber cement siding. It is an engineered product, manufactured primarily from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, resin, giving vinyl siding its name. Approximately 80 percent of its weight is PVC resin, with the remaining 20 percent being composed of other ingredients that establish color, opacity, gloss, impact resistance, flexibility, and durability. It is the most commonly installed exterior cladding for residential construction in the United States and Canada.