Writing this modular home blog has been both a pleasure and
a challenge. The pleasure part is telling prospective new home buyers about the
benefits of modular construction and how our industry is leading the way in ‘green’
and energy conservation.
The challenge is trying to defend our industry from the
rants of the un- and misinformed people saying things that are untrue. I am upfront when a factory closes its doors
with little or no notice that ends up hurting new home buyers that have paid houses
waiting for delivery. I’m also upfront when a modular home builder goes out of
business leaving dozens of people losing millions of dollars but these scenarios
happen in ALL industries, not just modular housing.
Now Superior Built Development Corp, a modular home builder
in Toms River, NJ has written a press release that makes you wonder if they ever read what they wrote.
The article says they are the leading modular home builder
in NJ. I’ve talked to several people in the industry and they never heard of them. Yes,
they have been in business for 30 years but most of that was as a custom site
builder. I really don’t have a major objection to that statement as everyone
likes to puff themselves up. But still, if you say you are the leading mod
builder in NJ, show the numbers.
Their website brags that they have a 103% Customer Rating. What the hell is that? And they say they can build a New Home in 90 Days! In New Jersey….fuggettaboutit!
Not one of the pictures of completed modular homes on their website shows a house on pilings and they also look suspiciously like factory pictures.
Now we come to some of my biggest problems with this company. They
announced a “Competition Price Guarantee” that no competitor will beat their
pricing or their delivery times…period. This is lowball selling at its best. No
builder can guarantee this and remain in business.
They imply that modular home carpetbaggers are taking
deposits and because of delays, the customers are heading to
One of the worst parts of the article is when the managing
director of the company, M Torrillo, states that they can build homes faster,
cheaper and will have you in your home before Spring ’14. If you are a homeowner and
were devastated by
these have to be the sweetest words you could possibly hear.
Assuming you were to walk into their offices tomorrow with a
house that needs razed and your deposit in hand; designing your new home,
having plans drawn and approved, demolishing your old house (permits required
for this), securing permits for the new home (can take months), getting on the
modular home factory’s production line, waiting for delivery, putting in your
pilings and finally all the finish work needed to secure an occupancy permit;
you will be lucky to be in your new home by next summer. And that time frame could even be
worse for a site built home.
Then to add insult to injury for the homeowner,
that his company is not loyal to any one factory and buys from the one that gives them the
cheapest price and fastest delivery time. OUCH! If the factories are all as
busy as he says they are, where is he finding factories that aren’t busy and
willing to sell cheap homes to the one area of the nation that they can get top
dollar?
Without builder loyalty to a modular factory, do they really think that
the factory service department will fast track them over builders that have
been loyal for years?
If you are a modular home builder, please be careful what
you put on the Internet. I am watching you.
