Oakwood Doublewide

[tony]

I'm in the process of buying a $ 74,000 Oakwood DW and would like imput or advise on any upgrades I should get and also any comments from folks that own an Oakwood DW on their satisfaction with the product.

[rmurray]

Just remeber...Oakwood is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy..There has been no public announcements as to the likelyhood that it will emerge as a going concern..or will fall into chapter 7...total liquidation..

Some companies survive bankruptcy..many do not...

Oakwood is the only company that has a disguntled consumer web site that has been in business for 5 years...somehow there has been enough activity to keep this site active...just remember all companies have some unhappy consumers....

http://members.boardhost.com/oakwoodhomes/

You have not posed the area you are in...but for the great majority (the expection is the high cost western states)..this price seems high for any average home on the market today..

[tony]

I am in North Carolina and the home is actually around $ 50,000 but I haved upgraded it to the level of $74,000.

So are you saying I shouldn't buy?

[rmurray]

You have to make your own decsions.....You are in the middle of Oakwood country....

The price seems much too high for the product...I am not sure what upgrades you could possible have to run the cost up 24K..Are you talking garages, concret drives and the like???

Or are these construction and feature upgrades???

[tony]

Upgrades such as high pitch roof, permenant foundation, extra insulation, carpet, clearing the land, driveway, etc etc.....

It is a land/home package.

[billy]

Tony,
Im located in NC as well,the first home I looked at was Oakwood,they tried to sell me a home,a week later they filed bankruptcy,personally I wouldnt touch Oakwood with a ten foot pole.

I did find a Palm Harbor on the lot 2002 model,2100 sq ft for 53K,which was an excellant buy,I financed 2.5 acres of land with it.

Where in NC are you located? Im in Winston Salem

[tony]

I'm in the Greensboro area and we are buying "The Cinama Experience" 2003 model home.

I talked with a lawyer yesterday and he informed me that I had nothing to worry about.... that OH has had trouble for years and would be fine.

[sabrina]

tony,
like doctors, i'd get another opinion. i am definitely a newby when it comes to mhs and live, unfortunately!, in mr. murray's "high cost western states."

i am not an attorney. however, for 22yrs, i've been consulting to businesses and their consumers to resolve very difficult issues.

to have a consumer's site full of difficulties running for 5 yrs and being in "trouble for years" would say to me an absolute no and this is what i have told the clients who've asked me.

have you read mr. eaton's book on comparisons? it's "really great" per many forum participants (this forum and new home owners).

also, i'd personally not go against mr. murray's advice.

sabrina

[rmurray]

As you know...Greensboro is the Homes office for Oakwood...I would expect that nearly 1/2 of the attornies there work for Oakwood and the other 1/2 spend time at the golf course hoping to get a connection to work there..

[tony]

It seems to me that you guys are hatin' on OH a little.

If these guys are so bad, why do sooooo many people buy their homes?

You talk about the "screwed by OH's" site, yet fail to mention that fleetwood and all the other big name MFH companies also have a forum about cutomers that were screwed.

There are always going to be stories of people disatisfied from any company.

Exactly what (specifics) is it I need to be so afraid of regarding buying an OH?

I am getting all the proper upgrades, it is going to be on my land and will be on a permenant fondation.