Which Manufacture?

[Travis]

We started looking at homes last spring. we have narrowed our choices between the Champion/Redmon Homes and the Karsten Homes. In Randy's books he mentioned the pro's and con's with these two companies. Are there any updates about these two companies? I noticed an article on the Karsten web page which stated that they won the top builders choice and peoples choice awards at a recent home show. Is their logintudinal design of the floor joists okay or is it something we should stay away from. The one thing that I like about the Karsten is the numerous choices for floorings, cabinets, etc.

[Mac Walker]

I'm buying one from Karsten (Stayton, OR). I went through the plant yesterday. So far I feel quite good about it. The only potential issue I worry about (a bit) is that I live in cloudy, rainy Northwest Oregon, and there isn't plastic between the sheetrock and the studs. The quality looks pretty good and they're nice folk.

[Troy]

Travis,

Hello, I recently toured the Karsten factory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was impressed with the way this company builds their homes. They have huge jacks that level the homes and the homes are married from the start and go side by side thru the factory and they are built just like a house. The longitudinal floor is well secured to the frame and the outriggers are heavy duty, that support the floor, sidewalls, and roof of the home. They also showed me how the heavy duty 10" center I beams placed every 5' apart between the two outer 12" I beams reduces the flexing of the home when transported and reduces the cracks in the homes. You check it out for yourself. I am ordering their estate series with their steel floor which is placed in the perimeter of the home. Their new option design if you want a modular coded home. They are doing just fine and I have to wait because they have so many back orders of homes that I have to be patient. They told me they don't rush their homes thru the factory because they want to do the job right the first time. Their homes go thru a very strict inspection at every station by the Karsten family member, before it goes on to the next stage. Good luck and check it out for yourself.
Troy

[Travis]

Thanks, for the info on the perimeter frame. We checked it out when we visited the local sales center. I really like this feature since we are going to be placing the home on a basement. The perimeter frame eliminates all the cross I beams under the home and only requires a bearing wall to run down the middle of the basement to support the center sections. We really like the features of the estate series but like the Karsten series floor plans better. I wish I could choose any floor plan then choose the feature package that I want to go with that floor plan.
Well, good luck with you new home.