Which builder to choose?

[Randy]

We have a patriot home it has been a big mistake it has many things wrong with it

[Dulcie]

We looked high and low, we saw the good bad and the UGLY! We ended up with a fabulous Karsten home. We have been so thrilled with our purchase and I would recommend it wholeheartedly. I loved it so much that I told a good freind and she has ordered a Karsten too. Being in Texas is handy, because they have the new factory in Breckenridge, TX. You can go see how they build the homes and you will be impressed. I hope you find the right house for you!

[Penny]

Dulcie, How much would I expect to pay for a Karsten? I am also in Texas. I viewed one that was 1650 sf, going for $90k. It was nice but I thought that was way too much so I didn't look into it any further. What did you pay for your home, and what size is it? Thanks!

[J. Nelson]

Which Patriot did you buy? We are interested in the Heritage out of Missouri. Do you know anything about them?

[Dulcie]

How much you spend depends largely on how many of the upgrades you chose. Our home is model 272a, it is 2160 sqf and I feel like we got a good deal. Ours is pretty basic with out lots of the upgrades, but it is still great. We had all of our appliances so we opted out of all the appliances and the carpet since we were going to lay a wood floor. We got a good deal on ours because they had built it on spec and they needed to sell it. My suggestion is that you look at a couple of different dealers and tell them what you want and how much you are looking to spend. The thing that you have to remember is that Karsten is more like a custom site built home than a traditional mf home. It has standard stuff that are way better than most other builders out there. Make a list of the things that you need, things you want and things that you can live without and then compare the different brands. We found that Karsten just built a better, more solidly built home, dollar for dollar. I was concerned about durability and logevity of the house after seeing so many mf homes that looked really ratty after just a few years. It has helad up to high winds and heavy winds. Look at at the details that Karsten provides and you will see that Karsten is a great house.

[Kerstin]

I purchased a Patriot in February that was manufactured at the Waco plant. It is the Longhorn Series, Bowie model. Everyone in my tiny neighborhood of many teachers and other professional people has Patriot Homes; we weren't offered any other manufacturers' models. All the homes have upgraded R30 attic insulation, R19 wall insulation, the standard R11 floor insulation and low e windows which met the City of Austin, TX. guidelines for energy efficient housing (see the City of Austin's website for SMART housing). Many of my neighbors have been in their homes for months to nearly 2 years and I have heard few complaints about Patriot or the homes. I have heard complaints about the set up of the homes as the first units weren't screwed together in the attics and the marriage lines at the ceilings weren't cosmetically appealing and numerous complaints about the folks who represent the neighborhood. So when buying your home think of it like buying a car, different dealerships offer varying quality of service after the sale and sometimes you just have to write letters to the manufacturer to get things done. It is important to make sure you find out who will set your unit up and what their experince is. If you are adding a garage to your house check to make sure the trough between the house and the garage won't cause water to leak into the house. Before I purchased this house I hired a private inspector for $300 to inspect my home and it was money well spent for peace of mind. There is also a State Manufactured Housing Inspector in Texas who will come out and check out manufactured homes and many of my neighbors have used his service. When he came out a representative or two from Patriot and the seller accompanied him on the inspections. Your state may also have a similiar service.

I did have one electrical problem in the first week when the GFCI plug blew all the plugs above my kitchen counter tops, but the Patriot repair guy changed it out and it has been fine ever since.

I do have some cosmetic issues with my house---unlevel Hardiplank at the front and other small but nagging issues--- so Patriot is sending someone to check them out within the next couple of weeks.

I found out today the subflooring is something called Novadeck (Nova Deck??) and after reading other postings it is causing me some concerns even though I have not yet had any problems with it. If had known ahead of time or had ordered my home to be built---it was on the lot and I wanted this particular lot so I this is the house I have---I would have asked for plywood subflooring before I closed on this house. If I had ordered this house I would have upgraded my kitchen sink because it is smaller than I like and not had any carpet anywhere.

You can drive yourself crazy shopping and reading. My niece thoroughly researched the builder, contractor, etc of her first site built home and because of a hidden plumbing problem dealt with mold for two + years while she leased the house across the street. Using my car example again, there are cars with good engines and ugly bodies and pretty cars that don't run worth a hoot and then there are always lemons.

Good luck with your purchase.

[Terry]

Check out WICK in Marshfield Wisconsin. I have been looking for some time and you can tell the difference when you go into different dealer's homes. They have the longest warranty in the business. There is also a link to check out the top 25 manufacturers on this site. They have comments on some of the places you are talking about. God's best to you!

[Joseph]

Just purchased and have been living in a Patriot Bluebonnet series Mockingbird Modular home for past 3 months. This house knocks the socks off of our guests and it had many standard features that I was looking for. I did opt for a few upgrades like R40 roof insulation, a 12 seer a/c and tile in the kitchen. I would recommend the house to anyone. I did see one Karsten but wasn't impressed and they did not have a floor plan. The PH discovery series were ok but pricey and I feel they didn't seem like they used better structural materials since much of it had to be upgraded to get close to a Patriot. Close any door in this Patriot modular and you don't hear walls rattle. here are some of the features of my house: plywood floor, R40/R19/R11, hardi plank siding, tile in kitchen, 12seer a/c, roof ridge vent, architectural shingles, in wall oven/microwave, 9ft ceilings, rock fireplace. The house is an off frame modular home sitting on a perimeter concrete wall.

Do your homework/research and ask a lot of questions of your prospective dealer. If you don't feel comfortable with their answers, go somewhere else. I can tell you the high pressure tactics by PH did not help them earn my business. This happened at 3 dealers. Either way the Patriot home won me over.

[Still looking!]

We also have spent time looking and touring manufactured home plants, and by far, upper end Karsten and Patriot are our picks due to standard quality things that a site built home has. We believe It's whats between the ears that counts, especially since we plan for this purchase to be our retirement home the rest of our years. Randy Eatons' book, "How To Buy A Manufactured Home" has been very enlightening.

[rmurray]

Sounds like you are doing things right...NOW GOFOR IT before prises go up any more..