Stucco Exterior In The Northwest

Carl,We are in the process of building a custom home in the Seattle area. We'd really like to build a house with a Mediterranean design but are a little concerned about having stucco exterior in the northwest. The other concern is the cost of stucco vs. hardy siding.Do you have any advice for us regarding the cost of stucco and the disadvantages of using stucco in the northwest?BTW - I've been