Have to consider heating, light (solar energy, livability), views, and gardening. Many things affect these characteristics other than home orientation so it is truly a case-by-case thing. Identical houses with identical orientations can be totally different if one has a tall neighboring house to the West. Which rooms are in the front ? Which are in the back ? Is there more space in the back or front ? How much side space ? How far away are neighboring houses ? To you live at the top of a slope or at the bottom of a canyon? Can you fit an awning on some windows or not ? Do you live in San Diego, Anchorage or Tucson ? Breeze direction matters, too.
A good architect can manipulate the interior to make good use of any orientation, I think.
Also, personal preference plays a part. Do you want to hang out in the front yard or back yard? Pool ? Are you home all day or out? Do you watch a lot of TV on the weekend or spend time outside? At home or away on weekends? Do you like bright rooms or cozy rooms ? Do you know how to manage a shade-tolerant garden ?
The seasons have a way of making the orientation a zero-sum game. West-facing bedrooms that get afternoon Sun can be too hot in the Summer but are more comfortable in the Winter. East-facing rooms are too hot in Summer mornings but are nicer in Winter mornings.
I have a North-facing back yard with grass. I wouldn’t exactly call it a “frozen tundra” in the winter but the shadow of the house on the lawn causes goofiness. You just need some winter seed in there that will grow nicely when cold and wet. Also, zoning the sprinklers so that you can put less water on the shaded areas in the winter helps.
We have a concrete patio between house and lawn to reduce the effected lawn area as well. I wouldn’t consider it a deal-killer for a northern back yard.
Northern light is the nicest light, especially for desk work.
TV watching is a consideration. You don’t want a bright window behind the TV during the times you watch TV.
I guess, optimally you would want a house with a nice view to the north so the major windows would face north in as many rooms as possible.
