Ahh. When I read "new zones" I just imagined a repeat of what the current situation is. My ping isn't fantastic so I can't really compete if there is any competition lol.
I wouldn't mind actually paying for a house/farm, but 100k as a result of people sitting on land, no ty.
I did quite a bit of exploring today and found that roughly 70% of housing are just blank lots with no activity. Just wasting away, waiting for pro-land-grabbers to flip for outrageous amounts of gold.
Hope you are right and that it presents some opportunities for new players.