Is there a "best" MH builder?

[christy]

My husband and I just started looking into buying a MH in Central California and have so many questions! We're a little overwhelmed by the number of MH builders and the extraordinary variety of models/floorplans. It seems that every dealer we've spoken with says they carry the "top of the line" in MHs. Is there truly a "best"? I'm sure everyone's got there opinions and I'd love to hear them. We're looking for a triple wide with 3 or 4 bedrooms, two baths and an open floorplan w/great room. So, which builders would you recommend?
Thanks!

[rmurray]

I am afraid every single home is the "BEST VALUE" to the person who buys it..Every home has its good points and some not so good..All depends on your needs and desires..

The highest quality will be the highest price...features vary a lot..upgrades can run tens of thousands..

Set up and delivery is the cause of most problems with homes...so the dealer might be more important than which home you buy..be sure to check them out the best you can..ask for references...look for others that have bought from them..ask around..

Probably the best source of good info are some of the books available in the bookstore here...The info can save you tens of thousands...and most important save you lots of heartache...Informed buyers are always the happiest buyers..

Most important remember..the industry in national...but most builder build quite different homes in each of their many plants...For instance..a Fleetwood in Florida..would have no relation (except the stockholders) to a Fleetwood in CA..You will have to shop the models in your area...

Buy the book...Good luck

[John Grissim]

Christy ,

Murray's right, choosing the right dealer is as important, perhaps moreso, than the home itself. At the risk of blowing my own horn, please visit this web site's store and read about my book, The Complete Buyer's Guide to Manufactured Homes & Land. It's now the #1 selling book on anything to do with manufactured homes.

As a recent refugee from northern California (Marin County/ Point Reyes), I can suggest three builders who put out a quality high end triple-wide product: Silvercrest, Karsten Homes, and Fuqua. FWIW, my wife and I purchased a Silvercrest which has a great open floor plan. We also added lots of skylights, upgraded carpets, and a number of other options. We love the home.

In a few days, the Grissim 2005 Report on the Top 25 Home Builders will be posted on this site, at no cost. Hopefully that will help you as well.

John

[John Day]

You may ant to try MasterBuilders Canada or MasterBuilders USA

MasterBuilders Canada can be found at www.masterbuilders.ca

MasterBuilders USA can be found at www.masterbuildersusa.com

[rmurray]

You might want to contact the web master here for opportunities to promote your product..but before you do..you will want to edit your web site so that the links work well..

Most of the links on the spec and option pages are dead...and even some of them refer to files on my computer...which of course I do not have..

The site looks good....but dead links like these can make all your other work on the site wasted...

[roy k]

I am thinking of buying a 2005 Karsten (built March 2004) Model 256A. Can you give me any info on it like does it have 2x6 exterior walls, plywood flooring, or anything else of interest.

Roy K

[rmurray]

Try the search function of these forums at the link above..be sure to search all forums for ALL dates. When I searched I got 511 posts here that in someway mentioned this manufacturer, including this thread;

http://mfdhousing.com/phorum5/read.php? ... #msg-78971

Good luck

[David Oxhandler]

If you want to do some serious research on any brand of manufactured home built see John Grissim's Ratings Guide to Manufactured Homes... The Rating's Guide evaluates each and every U.S. MH builder . More than 300 brands and series are described ...

You can preview the contents and read FREE excerpts Here

John's Special 2 Book Offer is the most economic tuition that you will find anyplace for a full understanding of how to make the best possible purchase of a manufactured home, find a reputable dealer, calculating your buying power, Handling high-pressure sales techniques, determining the fair price of a home and Smart negotiating tactics.