Separate question on quality of workmanship

[Dave D]

Myra,

I've seen the Palm Harbor homes in person and frankly, I wasn't overly impressed. At the local lots here in Oakwood, Georgia, they're showing homes that are high on glitz and glamor, but not much in the way of substance. Like what caught your eye, the upgraded appliances. Meanwhile, the cabinetry in the ones I saw was particle board covered in vinyl paper and the interior walls were 2 X 3 inches thin or thinner, gypsum board 3/8th's or less, felt like 24 inches on center.

I liked the insulation package when fully upgraded, but was not impressed with the basic full house, it's layout was poor, not very efficient use of the space available and would appear it's designed to sell to a woman using glitz and glamor to distract her from the mediocre quality of the home. My wife, a very practical woman, was not impressed. BTW, I am an engineer, notice all the fine details and have been searching for a good combination of a quality floor plan, a good set of construction features combined with the size we needed.

My father sold mobile homes for years when I was growing up, then worked as a real estate broker for the my high school and college years. He taught me 90 percent of the families out there would be best served with a well built home running from 1400 to 1600 square feet with an efficient floor plan. Sometimes more space is not needed, if things are well thought out. Size isn't happiness and children grow up. Better to have a quality, trouble free home one can live in for years than a "large" energy consuming headache.

I found a floorplan at two different manufacturer's right now that's an extremely efficient use of space and quite attractive, though I didn't like the company's homes. The plan is approximately 1500 square feet and is called the Ohio by Horton homes, the Meadowbrook by Fleetwood homes. It's a beautiful home inside, can be built for around 55 to 60 thousand tops to a extremely nice home and is roomy and comfortable feeling as you're walking through. It has a living room, a formal dining room (adjacent to and giving the living room a nice much larger feeling), a laundry room, 3 BR, 2 BA and a nice bright breakfast room between the kitchen and laundry room. I would recommend looking at something along those lines, then you have enough money to have someone build you a 24 X 24 foot two car garage with a bonus room overhead for around 12-15 thousand, either attached or not. This gives you an attic over the garage to put things in and a place to put your car and your lawn stuff.

Just some things to think about.

Dave in Oakwood, GA

[rmurray]

To most in the construction business now...OSB is a better floor than plywood...It is at least as good and costs a few dollars less...OSB has a long term warranty...plywood does not...

The thing to avoid is pressboard....sometimes sold by the brand name NovoDeck in the SE...

Palm Harbor builds a range of homes...Notice the web site says very little about detail on construction..This is because the different plants use different specs..I am not sure about this model and which plant it is built in...but

The Lagrange, GA plant build the most basic Palm Harbor...Quality rises in the Alabama plant...and the very best homes in the SE for Palm Harbor are built in Plant City, Fl.....They are all different..

By the way...don't you realize that nothing is FREE...You paid the price of those appliances if you get them...Try telling them that you are a cash buyer and have no need for those items...See if the price comes down...bet it does..

[Myra]

k

[Myra]

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[Randy Eaton]

Hello Myra,

OSB is a good sub-floor and I would have no problem recommending it to you. It sounds like you're doing a good job in researching your options. Take your time and in the end you'll have what you want at a fair price. God bless.

Randy Eaton

[Threnody]

Myra: I completely forgot this mfg, but check out Sunshine homes. My brother owns one that is SUPER nice.

http://www.sunshinehomes-inc.com/

[rmurray]

Keep up the good investigating...Becareful of the sales pitches....this education will help you know which sales person knows his/her stuff...If they are factually wrong...move on...