Hello palomalou
Could you post the picture of the house?
We are going to build a house and I wanted it to be contemporary but here 93% of buyers prefers traditional (new american), 6 percent likes prairie style and 1 percent likes contemporary and honestly I want my house to have resale value, specially because we will sell it (god will) in about 6 years. Maybe when we build the retirement house I can do a more contemporary style.

If you have a sloping lot, you could build a house with a daylight basement, then place the master on the "downhill" side of the house. This way you would have the master on the main floor, but still have it inaccessible from the outside without a ladder.

Marthaelena, here are pics of the house. It's not a BAD house, it's a good house if you like that style, which we don't.
NWHome, actually in our old house, the master was on the main floor on a sloping lot, amounting to being upstairs because the windows were unreachable from the yard. It's a great idea, but boy, is this a flat town! :(

Here is a link that might be useful: current house

here is the kind of thing we like:

Here is a link that might be useful: our old house

Your current house is not a contemporary. Sometimes people call modernized (streamlined) versions of something else a contemporary-whatever ("contemporary colonial" being common). The style you like would be called a contemporary, at least around here (New England). And you would likely be stoned by your neighbors if you built it in my town. They are also difficult to sell. I grew up in a contemporary (not that style, but still a contemporary). There were a lot of that style (or similar) built during the 60s and 70s, and there is a negative connotation associated with them.

If you want to build that style and find it won't get approved by the HOA then you need to find a lot not associated with a HOA (or town rules that govern style). Some HOAs are crazy strict, governing what percentage stone, the color of the shingles, etc. Others only have some general rules, some not including style (square footage in our neighborhood).

I understand where you are coming from re: master bedroom on the second floor. Ours is on the second floor as well. I sleep with the slider to the outdoor balcony open. I would never do that if it were on the first floor.

Both gorgeous houses IMO.

Palomalow,
Thanks for bringing the photographs.
Yes, as raam says, the both are beautiful.
Definetly, your current house is not contemporary.
There are a few houses like your old house here in my city (central illinois)
There are praire style houses and some people call them contemporary which is not ok.
My boss is an architect and his house is similar to your old one and he calls it contemporary.
The "actual" contemporary style is like the ones featured on Residential Architect Magazine.
If you have a specific subdivision on mind all you need to read is the covenants. Most covenants does not limit the persons to a certain style, usually talk about size or materials to be used on the front elevations. last lime we built a house the conants stated that the roof pitch had to be 8 as a minimum. I talked to the commite and they approved a to 7 since it looked better with the style of the house.

I do not see any problems having a master bedroom on the first floor and another one on the second floor. I have see a couple of houses like that. You will spend a bit more in the extra bathroom.
Good luck

your current house has much more eye appeal. we always have to be mindful that we dont build a white elephant. you might have to sell it to someone else someday.

We're about to build a house I designed with the MBR on the second floor. I want to feel like I'm up in the trees at night. And there's just something about "going up the wooden hill" at night as my dad used to say as he carried me to bed. We designed my husband's media room on the first floor with an adjoining bath so it could be a semi-master on the main. If he eventually can't go up the stairs he won't mind, he can watch sci fi 24/7!

It all comes down to taste, but... Your current house doesn't have any magic. I grew up in a Deck House so perhaps I am like another poster, conditioned to like contemporary. I currently live in a typical new house. Most people like them, but it leaves me cold. No thought to mass and proportion, and how the roof tells a story... But most people don't have a problem with that which is fine. Your old house makes my eye and heart happy. There seem to be a lot of contemporary lovers here, but that doesn't apparently represent the general population. It's like cork flooring: here everyone is using it but try shopping for it locally--no one seems to be using it.
Anyway, your predicament makes me thankful we don't have to build a house with selling it in mind. Good luck!

Your current house would NOT do well in my area. It is *very* 1950-ish in general appearance; and lacking landscaping.

Note that vhehn has the opposite viewpoint, so check carefully as to what is actually selling in your area!