This is just a question I've been wondering about.
So I just had Kyle move in the other day. He chose a nice spot right outside my house. (Of course he missed the nice spot and hit the path >.>)
But the thing is, I've already had Daisy and Julian put their houses in the exact same spot...
So I was wondering: are there set places in your town where houses are able to be placed? I have lots of other open areas and yet all three chose the same spot... or is that just a coincidence?
Villagers do have a tendency to place their houses where old villager locations were. They also seem to like putting their houses near things. There aren't any set house locations, though. If you plot reset enough you can get them anywhere there's room.
My villagers seem to also like to put their houses down where other's once were but I've also had villagers who chose to place their homes in very random places or close to my other characters houses. I think it's rather random but maybe the probability of them putting their houses in a spot once occupied is higher? I honestly don't know.
Villagers tend to place their homes near other villagers homes (including yours). Because of this, they will sometimes place their house in the same or similar location where a past villager resided. You'll often notice on your map that the homes aren't usually far from each other. I use plot resetting to help space them out a little when they get too bunched together, or if I just want them elsewhere.
And yes, I think there are certain places. I've had a few move into the exact spot another villager had moved out of the day before. They also like living near other stuff it would seem. I don't think I've ever had a villager move into a big, open space. This might be bad luck, of course.