I just received this powerful email from a modular home builder in the Mid-Atlantic region where custom homes are the norm. Please help by answering his questions.
“Modcoach – I’m really pissed off. The economy is kicking ass, and I’m suffering!
I just got the “shock” of just how pandemic the backlog problem is for SFH builders is today. My main modular home factory put me on their 12 WEEK production backlog list. If my many year relationship and paying on time for every house, generates this kind of service, can you imagine what other Mod builders are getting?
I contacted other factories: 12 weeks or more.
My question is:
How on earth can any modular factory beg to attract stick builders when they can’t even deliver to existing Mod builders of many years, in less than 3 months?
The capacity problem in our industry is just as acute as the affordable housing problem. BUT, here it’s worse: existing production capacity is chasing modular MF and leaving small custom builders behind.
Attracting new stick builders right now would be akin to an invitation to Texas Hold’em with no one left standing. Like asking a stick builder to stick his/her head in the sand and just take it.
Coach, current capacity better improve and it better happen NOW. Otherwise, I’ll order a lumber package and stick build onsite (in a very dry year) a custom home in HALF THE TIME that I can get delivered a custom SFH modular home from most East Coast factories right now.
Hopefully VC vultures are circling and see my passion. They have a bird in hand if they can figure out which management team to invest in for INCREASED HOUSING PRODUCTION. Now.
I’ve been a loyalist for modular for 1-1/2 decades. But yeah – I’m pissed off. Can I hear feedback from my fellow custom modular home builders?”
