The Manufactured Housing Forums

We are thinking of (no, we're committed to!) moving to New Mexico. Job relocation etc. The job will be in santa fe, but I can't say I like *any* of the options *there*. too expensive and the parks just look crummy. Albuquerque, OTOH, has two or three truly delightful parks and a wider range of less expensive homes!

Anyone living in NM, can you tell us which builder(s) make the best homes for the NM climate and conditions? Which park(s) to avoid or look at in particular? At this point, either Santa Fe or Abq are likely as a relocation point and we'd sort of like to buy used to save $$$.

Anyone know if the far west dealer in abq was originally a dealer in the old Far West homes? We live in a FW now and adore it.

Thanks!

S and K.

I'm truly sorry for your having to relocate to the "Land of Entrapment". I'm also sorry to say that of the two cities, I think that Albuquerque would be a better choice. Last summer Sante Fe had to ration the little water that it had, and this summer is going to be worse (besides like you said its crummy and expensive) and if you can suvive without water during the summer you will soon grow very tired of the "culture"(http://santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe/Culture/index.html).

I don't live in Albuquerque anymore, but I do live a few hours North. When my wife and I were hunting around for new manufactured homes, our landlords (Owners of several MH parks and a concrete business that installs MH foundations) directed us to Solitaire Homes. (Our Landlords also asked us to steer clear of Fleetwood and PalmHabor because of serious problems.)

The standard features on a Solitaire are much better than the highest upgrades of any other MH that we have seen. We love these homes because everything is built solid. Some friend of ours have purchased their Solitaire Home two years ago and they have not had any problems with it.

Look on the web at http://www.solitairehomes.com/ to see the floorplans and construction. The Solitaire Homes Dealer is located at 10724 Central Avenue Southeast, Albuquerque, NM 87123 (505) 294-5555. The nearest plant is in Deming, New Mexico.

Some other websites that you may want to look into:

http://www.mobilehome.net/dealers/nm/
http://www.thecityofalbuquerque.com/
http://www.cabq.gov/
http://www.state.nm.us/
http://www.kobtv.com/

I hope that I was of some help

In a study published by consumer union, Elliott (Solataire) had the lowest number of complaints followed by Skyline than Palm Harbor. We looked at Solitaire and the offer a lot of space and good construction for the money. The one problem I had with Soiltaire was they are not flexable in making any changes. I could add a sliding door but little else. We were ready to order a Solitaire until we went and looked at one set up and decided that it had no character and they would not change anything to give it character. I realize this is a personal opinion and they vary but it made us revisit Palm Harbor and do some checking. Their houses are attractive and a little on the pricey side but I can find very little to complign about with them.
If you are in NM I would take a serious look at Karsten. In Oklahoma we have a lot of choices on the low to mid range side but little on the better end. We don't have Horton, Homes of Merit, Hart and some of the other ones I would consider.

My wife and I live in southern NM, far from SF & Alb. for which we are thankful. Last year I toured the Solitaire plant in Deming, NM. I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with their operation. The construction of their homes is equal to, if not better than many site built homes. The only drawbacks that I see have already been mentioned, little floorplan flexibility and plain Jane exteriors. However, if you want a home that will last, it would be hard to beat Solitaire for the money. If price is not that big of a concern, take a look at Silver Crest (not Silver Creek). Silver Crest is a high quality unit with beautiful exterior and interior appointments. My wife and I currently live in a 1998 Cavco 28x56 that we purchased new. This home was built in Litchfield, AZ. and has proved to be reasonably well constructed. However, we were very displeased with customer service. Our dealer bellied-up shortly after we bought the home and it was hard to get service from the manufacturer. Take my advise, research the dealer as thoroughly as you do the manufacturer. Best of luck in NM!

Land of Entrapment? *grin* Well, we lived in Albuquerque for a year and enjoyed it and my partner is *from* NM. How 'local' is she? Her middle name's Corlett. Yes... *the* Corlett. So I'm pretty sure we'll be OK with the land and culture. Thanks for the info on the Solitaire Homes! Yes, I will look carefully into my options and research the page links you gave me. Thanks!

The water rationing does worry me. We plan on Xeriscaping to the point where we could water by opening the window and spitting at the garden every third year.

Not only is cactus and sage pretty to look at but it keeps kids and dogs outta the yard! We want the sort of garden W.C. Fields would smile at. And rocks. Lotsa rocks! I plan on bringing one container plant, strawberries, which we will water with bathwater or the rinse water form the dishes.

Again, thanks for the tips. I will do my homework. We may well end up in Abq due to prices and water availability. Whatever we do, it will be well thought out.

Swan