Information

[G. Hilley]

Dear Terry,
First time buyer of manufactured home. I have really been amazed at what all is involved in this. Many hours have been spent on this have look at numerous homes, of course they all are the best and the other guys are about to go under. And they are the worst built homes. I do not have problem with credit or being finance. I also have & prepared to put a 10% down payment. This home will be place in a moblie home park. This weekend I think I am going to close on a deal, but I just am not 4-sure if I am making a good choice, not looking for a steal of a deal although that would be great. Just do not want to be getting a bad deal either. I would really apreciate your advice. The home in question a Fleetwood, Festival Limited, Model:6763w, upgrades & options choosen, comp roof and siding, bay window, redwood cabinets, washer & dryer. To set up home in park 1,500 hook up fees in addition they require specs and must have front and back cost 1,300...quoted price for this 38,400.00. As far as finace no more than a 20 yr note, I will see what finace charge they have., and then I may shop on my on for that, but needed a bottom line, which was not an easy thing to get...Please advise...thanks

[Terry]

G. Hilley, Let me advise you Fleetwood homes is in a class action lawsuite and I wouldn't recommend you this particular brand name. Fleetwood has a dirty reputation they produce in great volumes, that they don't pay attention to the construction and detail workmanship. If I were you I would shop another brand name with a good reputation. Go back to the older form list in this discussion form and click on the one that says, " Cabinets Quality in Mobile Homes, dated 09-23-00 by Kurt Jensen. This guy bought a Fleetwood Festival and had a bad experience with the company and other people also responded with the same problems they encountered with the Fleetwood Festival Brand. Go shop wisely and choose a company that doesn't produce in mass production. Most people fall in love with this kind of brand because of the way they dress the home but the quality isn't there at all. It's like a Cadillac with a Hyundi motor in it. Go shop around more and choose a quality constructed home. And Fleetwood is cutting corners alot too. Look at one of their models they used to put overhangs in the front but now they don't do that anymore. Look at their doublewides at the front end and rear end they cut the eves back on them it's only like 8" or so. This company only builds cheap playhouses I would say. Also when shopping for a manufactured home make sure you buy one with a one piece tub or shower stalls don't buy one in a two piece set they tend to leak and you wouldn't want that in a manufactured home. I hope I helped you. I know I sometimes really put some companies down, but let me tell you these companies that do shoddy workmanship are the one that gives manufactured housing industry a bad reputation specially to the first time buyers. So shop around some more and settle for a quality home with a good reputation.

[G.Hilley]

Terry,
Thank you so much for your advice I just cannot tell how much I appreciate it. I just had this feeling I just could not put my finger on it. Yesterday, I finally found this website & I am so greatful. I am trying to be an informed consumer it has really been hard just to get an honest anws. This has really been a hard task you would just not believe some of the things I have been told. But then again I guess you can. You have mentioned numerous home builders that you feel produce a good product in addition you especially like one in New Mexico for their customer service before and after the sale of their homes. I have been told that different states have different HUD codes they divide this by want they call zones. And that manufactores will only build for a certain zone. I would love to check into the one in New Mexico, that you really feel has a great home. I do not know if they deal in Texas. If so please advise, if not and you have any suggestion on a brand (s) of manufactued homes sold in Texas that although would not be your first choice but if you had too could live with. Again I cannot tell you how helpful this is. This is really a major move for me. Downsizing, home way to big ...soon empty nest. Did not want to be tied down to yard, etc..but did not want apt either, would be hard after having own home for years. So this is why I have decided on a manufactured home, but at the sametime I just do not want to make a really bad consumer choice. Again this website was so much needed.,....it truly has been a blessing. I know your info helped me from making a really bad choice.

[Terry]

G. Hilley, Thanks for the appreciation. I try to tell people over the net to watch for what they buy because this is a big investment and you want something back in return. I proudly stand behind the product at Karsten Homes of Albuquerque, New Mexico because no one could match their customer service level. I toured their factory and could not believe how they manufacture their homes. The steel I beams are leveled on this big jacks which roll on a rail type steel beam and throughout the process the home is moved on this rail and stays leveled at all times. They have more steel on the I beam than any other industy and the steel chassis are boulted together at the outriggers instead of screws at the joists.(Double Wide Models) Other manufactures use the wood to wood screw type. Make sure you check out the outriggers also. The outriggers under the home SUPPORTS the floor, sidewalls, and the roof. MANY companies place their outriggers every 8' or 12' apart, later on your floor couldn't support the weight of the furniture plus the weight of the sidewalls, and the roof and the floor will bow down on the sides and will tend to sagg every 8' or 12' and could effect the windows and the doors from properly closing. I highly recommend this company because they done alot of research on other manufactured homes and they don't want to make the same mistake like the others. Look at the roof vents also, BEAWARE ABOUT THE BLOWN WOOD INSULATION, Many manufactures place vents on the riggs and ship their homes like this because the home traves down the interstate at 65 mph or more the wind blows into the vents and blows the insulation to the sides and back of the home. I have seen this for myself on my friends home when he placed a roof jack for a wood stove he didn't have any insulation in the front of the home and the middle roof peak it was blown all the way toward half of the home and to side. I also recommend Solitaire homes of Waurika, Oklahoma they have their own factory owned retailers throughout Texas and they use alot of gridwork in the floor and ceilings and plywood floors. Their exterior walls are reinforced with plywood and then hardboard siding is applied over the plywood giving the home a solid support. I live in a Solitaire myself and I am proud of it 18x80 1999 model and has a 12" overhang no one in the industy makes overhangs on 18 wide homes except Solitaire they also have a 16x78 model the same way with dormers over the door way. I also grew up in one and my parents bought a Solitaire 3 times because of the growing family and they always recommeded Solitaire to their friends. They never, never built cheap homes. Solitaire makes their homes tape and textured thruout and you will be amazed with it and they use real wood cabinets not the cheap type. Also check out their hardboard siding they use a new type of siding that won't warp and is better than the maysonite siding and gypsum siding. They architectural shingles for the roof and use real house type felt pape on the bottom. Check out the outriggers on the bottom of the home they place theirs every 4' apart and supports the floor, siding, and roof very well. When I had mines delivered from Oklahoma to Arizona it only had a crack over the front and rear door way and no other cracks in the home. I had mines placed on a very big hill and the only way it got up on the hill was by a bulldozer and with all the uneven surface and the steep hill it went up I had no problems with it at all. Its because of the plywood wrap exterior walls this really reinforced the walls and the structure of the home. The company who I contracted with was amazed with my home after he pulled it up on top of the hill with all the stress it went through. The hard part was when the home was backed up to its final site it had to go up another very steep hill and the back of the home was about 12' off the ground and only on two front axle and the frame of the home didn't even bend or flex this is where I though their were cracks some where in my home but it didn't even crack at all, it stood to the test of time what my home went through. You can call Karsten homes if they have a retailer in Texas, the last time they didn't have a retailer there because of the market conditions. Write me back after you shop around the say what you think of Solitaire and Karsten Homes. I highly recommend these two companies because they don't build cheap homes. Let me also tell you any home that is built from Texas is called a Texas junk in other states because their is so much builder in that states and compete with one another. The only other one I could recommend in that state is Saturn Homes in Gainsville, Texas they build nice quality homes which they sold into Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. But check out the other company Solitaire and Karsten first. Don't even look into any brand name like the Champion, Redmen, Clayton, Oakcreek, Skyline, Liberty, Oakwood, Cavaco, PalmHarbor these companies produce in mass production and are very cheap. Let me reassure you that you will be happy and be proud of the other two companies Solitaire and Karsten Homes.