A: The short one on the right.
All other considerations aside, the tall house on the left shows signs of some major roof issues. Notice the lack of an adequate “rake” — the overhang on the gable side of the house facing us– which prevents water from dripping away from the façade rather than running down its side. Indeed, you can see that icicles have begun to form against the face of the wall. In fact, you can see that icing has already appeared to form along the critical joint where the roof meets the wall. Capillary action created by the pressure differential between the interior and exterior will cause the melting icing to be sucked into the wall cavity, potentially resulting in severe moisture and structural damage. It looks like the process will be accelerated in this particular house because the trim pieces you would expect to see are either missing or rotted.
The house to the right, however, has a nice deep rake, keeping moisture away from the house. When those icicles melt, they will drip harmlessly to the ground, which should be sloped away from the foundation.
The second thing to notice is the thick layer of icing on the roof following a storm, compared to the relatively cleared off roof of the taller house, where it appears to have rapidly melted off. This indicates to me that the short house has much better insulation in its attic than the taller one. The insulation is keeping the heat within the building envelope where you want it, rather than escaping through the roof, which has melted the icing in the process. (It is hard to tell from this picture, but the tall house may also be developing an ice dam along the eave as a result.)
The house on the left may not offer the large interior spaces and high ceilings that have become de rigeur in much new construction, but it appears to be a sturdily built home from skilled craftsmen of another era.