The Manufactured Housing Forums

We are just beginning to look for a manufactured home. We moved here last year and bought some land in the country. We moved from our stick built home (self designed) in SC that we loved. Our original plan was to rebuild basically the same house when that one sold. However, our house has not yet sold and we are getting tired of living in our 29' travel trailer while we wait to build. So now we are considering putting a manufactured home on our land while we wait. We are also tossing around the idea of a manufactured home for our permanent residence. We would like to know the best lines available in NC and where to start looking. Also if anyone knows of any honest and knowledgable dealers in southeastern NC or northeastern SC, please let us know. We have heard of Horton, Mascot, and Clayton. We would appreciate an opinion and experiences on these companies and any others. Thanks.

Randy

From looking around I have found that Oakwood makes the best MH.

They are currently in chapter 11, but will soon be coming out.

Uh, then perhaps you need to visit the Screwed by Oakwood site.....http://members.boardhost.com/oakwoodhomes/ - Oakwood is the only manufactuer I know of who has such a vent site, as well as several other offshoot complaint sites.

Mascot homes are VERY nice and VERY well built, but you are going to pay $$$ for the home. Horton would probably be the next best imoho, and you might want to check out Adrian as well. Clayton's modular series is really nice, but the lower end homes are cheesy.

Hope this helps.

Uh, Fleetwood Homes also has a screwed by site and as any reasonably thinking person would know..... those are the 2 most popular and best selling MH companies.

When you are on top, folks wanna try and knock you off that perch.

As for the screwedbyoakwoodhomes site goes...... that site was started by a disgruntled ex-employee and he posts about 75% of the posts on that board, which averages about 1 post every 2/3 days. Not exactly an overwhelming amount of activity.

Oakwood Homes has a great product and the chapter 11 thing is absolutely nothing to worry about. Many big companies do this when they have a year or two in which they lose some money.

Again, if Oakwood is soooo horrible, why do sooooo many people own them in the SE part of the country?

hi randy,
mr. eaton's book on comparisons is the standard. it can be found here and on ebay at half.com.

what i've learned from reading here is that it really makes a difference WHERE a home is manufactured. a suggestion is to ask where the home is made and if you can do a site tour. things seem to go better when the home is built nearby so that you can make direct contact.

mr. murray will advise you if you tell him where it is made what kind of quality it holds.

also, here's a form to compare each one to the same standard. the specs i entered were put together by listening to advice from this site. modify it as you like and make it work for you. i was comparing existing homes.
MLS#:
SMOKED IN:
APPRAISED (when/by whom?):
ASSESSED (contact/year/amount):
ACRES:
FENCING (type/enclosing what?):
ZONING:
COUNTY CLERK RECORDER (contact info/y or n):
HOA (contact info/y or n):
Address:
T+R:
Original Owner (tele#/email):
When Placed/Who Set Up:
Current Owner (tele#/email):

MAKE (tele#/website):
MODEL#:
SERIAL#:
YEAR:
SQFT:
COLOR:
BE/BA:
EXT DIMENSIONS:

COUNTY BUILD INSP (tele#/website):
When?/Copy of Report:

INSULATION:
Roof:
Floor:
Walls:

INTERIOR FLOORING:
Carpet type (Warranty Transfer? Length/Who Honors):
Vinyl type (Warranty Transfer? Length/Who Honors):
FOUNDATION (perimeter):
Who?:

ROOF COMPOSITION (plywood, tar paper, metal):
Warranty Transfer? Length/Who Honors?:
ROOF LOAD ( regs req):
Warranty Transfer? Length/Who Honors?:
SIDING COMPOSITION (vinyl, Georgia Pacific Cedar Lane):
WarrantyTransfer? Length/Who Honors?:

INTERIOR STUDS (2X4):
EXTERIOR STUDS (2X6):

FLOORING (3/4" T+G Plywood):
FLOOR JOISTS (2X8):
RAFTERS (2X8):

OSB WRAP (FULL):
SHEET ROCK (1/2" truot):





Homeowner's Insurance (contact/yr average):

Mortgage Insurance (contact/yr average):

Yearly Taxes (contact/yr average):

Telephone (contact/mo average/connect fee/internet access?):

Internet Access (contact/mo average/connect fee/bb):

Gas(type/contact/mo average/connect fee/tank rented or owned/bb):

Electricity(contact/mo average/connect fee/bb):

Well or Public(contact/mo average):
Warranty Transfer? Length/Who Honors
Depth/Type/GPM
Dept of Natural Resources Says:

Septic or Public(contact/mo average):
Warranty Transfer? Length/Who Honors
Depth/Type
Public Sanitarian Says:

good luck finding your dream home!

sabrina

You also have to wonder why there are so many sites from unhappy customers. Research, if you dig hard enough you can find out the information you need. The sites you refer to Tony are not always there to "knock the company down because they are on top". It is one thing to just say they won't fix my house. It is another to PROVE the will not fix your home.

Research the net for any info you can find on the homes you like. Ask serious questions about construction, warranty and shop around. Research any legal cases pending or closed and when you do run across a site where the owners are "less than happy" with their home, take a good hard look at what is being said and documented on the site. It isn't always an unhappy employee or an owner that didn't take care of their home. You have to look at both sides.

This site was started by an ex service person...he has not posted more than once in the last 2 years...The current webmaster of the site actually ownes a Southern Energy....Again he has not posted a single post in 6 months...The Oakwood site is self perpetuating....Obviously you work for OH..you are doing well at the company explanation...

Most of the info posted there is about homes of the past...It will be interesting to see what happens with the bankruptcy...I think it will be on hold until Buffet actually ownes Clayton...Then who knows...they might well merge in some way...

The Fleetwood site you mentioned is less than 6 months old....The OH site has lasted for years...Also..there are many more negative sites about OH many of which have links at the bottom of the OH site...

Hope you are happy with your home..

Hi, was looking at all of the posts and there are a lot of things to consider about purchasing home.

I must tell you I am the general manager of Clayton Homes in Easley, SC.

Our company will own Oakwood homes, its 100+ sales centers, its home office in Greenboro NC, and its 10 manufacturing facilities on or around April 1, 2004. Oakwood now is an excellent representation of the strong and reputable company that survived the bankruptcy. I would say many of the homes sold on the screwed by Oakwood website were probably sold off of one of their 200+ dealerships that are now shut down.

Clayton is in the process of doing an extensive background check on every employee of Oakwood before the merger. This will eliminate any crossover of sub par employees. This merger was supported by Warren Buffet himself.

Clayton will then be the largest manufacturer/retailer in the country. Clayton has been voted the #1 manufacturer in America by the Manufactured Housing Institute of America for 4 years in a row now 2000-2001-2002-2003. There are over 300 manufactured home builders across the country considered for this award every year. The Institute is an INDEPENDENT rating agency, thus non-biased in their ratings.

Clayton will soon own a total of 30 manufacturing facilities all building different varieties of homes. Some factories are more "value based" and less options oriented. This enables Clayton to build homes suited for "affordable home" shoppers. They also build everything in between this "value based" product and even modular homes that can cost up to $200,000.00. I hope this information helps and we sincerely hope whoever you buy your manufactured home from, it is an enjoyable experience from start to finish!

Oh, Clayton sales centers also provide their own financing through Vanderbilt Mortgage. Their bank rates for loans are as low as 5.99% fixed. If land is involved, there are 0 lender fees and no buydown points are needed to achieve this rate on an A credit customer. They also have special payment programs to allow you to pay the home off in 20 year or 15 year terms instead of thirty years! Saving the cost of the home in finance charges in many cases. FHA home only, FHA land/home, conventional home only, convetional land-home, land-in -lieu, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, are all programs that Vanderbilt offers.

You may be able to find a cheaper home, but if you're financing, I very seriously doubt you'll find better financing/purchase package anywhere, thus saving you thousands more in the long run.

My Phone number if you have any questions is 864-201-2712.

Clay Dellinger
General Manager
Clayton Homes of Easley

Mr. Dellenger,
I had a bad experience at Clayton homes in Ridgeway, Va.I purchased a home for my granddaughter over three months ago,it is yet to be completed. I have called several times to their office about the patio door that was bent and would not lock, they finally got it to close two weeks ago,now waiting for a new door. They delivered a washer and dryer that was not like the one we thought we would get, a very small washer, we went back to Lowes and traded it for a larger washer.My main complaint is about Donnie Pritt, this man talked to me with no respect at all. I went by July 12,2004 and paid cash for this home ,$79,354.81and told Donnie I thought they should pay the difference in the washer since this was not what we were shown. He said "you do not assume anything and they would not pay anything.He said he did not want anymore of my business , I had called and complained too much . The only time I called was when they said they were coming and didn't show up or to fix the door.I have never been talked to so rude by anyone. I will never send anyone there to buy a home.,my granddaughter has a friend who likes this home but she won't buy it there. This man is so friendly when you first go there,but after you buy he has no time for you. I was in management for many years and this man does not need to be in management.

ps, Roger and Angie who work there are very nice.

Sincerely
Mary R. Wilkins

Can you make a payment payable to Oakwood Acceptance Corp. to be accepted by Vanderbilt?
Thank you.