Should we buy a house with empty lots next door??

My husband is being deterred from buying a newer home because it has empty lots and many of the homes in the neighborhood are still for sale. We live in Michigan where housing is at an all time low, is this a legit concern? Do you/have you loved with empty lots next door. How long? Did nobody else buy the houses in the neighborhood? What happens if no one ever buys the property? Can we have the option eventually to buy it at a low cost? If the builder goes bankrupt how does that effect the people who have moved into a completed home?