Palm Harbor and Nationwide Homes Build First Modular Home for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. and its wholly-owned modular subsidiary, Nationwide Homes, Inc. are joining ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for an upcoming build. This will be the first time the popular television program has featured a home built with modular construction during its intense one-week build time.

On February 15, 2010, they joined ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Pine Mountain Valley, Georgia, to surprise Jeremy and Jennifer Williams, whose son Jacob was diagnosed with Spina Bifida before he was born.

The Williams Family

Then, several years after Jacob’s birth, Jeremy was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.  Now, the home Jeremy and Jennifer bought 13 years ago is falling apart around them. In addition to mounting home repairs, the home is too small to accommodate two disabled family members. In just seven days, team leader Ty Pennington, the design team, Palm Harbor and Nationwide Homes, and the entire community come together to build Jeremy, 38, Jennifer, 38, Josie, 8, and Jacob, 6, a brand new, energy efficient home.

As long-time national builders of systems-built homes, Nationwide and Palm Harbor Homes are perfectly aligned to assist Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with this important, time-sensitive task. Building and delivering a high quality home with extreme customization in one week is a routine part of the job for this homebuilder. Because these homes are built in environmentally-protected building centers with constant quality checks and then transported to the final home site, rain and other weather delays do not impact the build schedule. This inherently green construction method and the other green features built into the home are expected to give the home both an ENERGY STAR qualification and the National Association of Home Builders Green Certification. This means that this home will have lower utility costs when compared to a typical home built to accepted state and local building standards.

Over 1,700 volunteer help with the Extreme Dream Home.

This 9-section home is the first modular home built for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The Extreme Makeover site runs 24-hours a day.

Cranes and Nationwide's experienced set crews keep things running smoothly.

Putting together the pieces on the foundation

Jeremy has been the head football coach at Greenville High School for the past eight years and is currently the school’s athletic director as well. In 2005, Jeremy saw a doctor after having some trouble moving his hand. After three grueling years of testing, Jeremy was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease – a fatal, progressive disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord which interferes with the brain’s ability to control muscle movement. Jeremy has trouble walking and will soon be confined to a wheelchair, but he continues to coach his team, has only missed one practice to date, and led his team to an 11-0 season and into the playoffs last fall. His determination and motivation in the face of adversity has given hope and inspiration to the entire community.  But Jeremy and Jennifer are struggling to take care of each other and their family in their cramped and crumbling home. With two disabled family members, the small home prevents both Jeremy and Jacob from being able to move freely about the house.  Because Jeremy is too weak to help move Jacob from room to room, Jennifer must carry Jacob throughout the house and as Jacob gets bigger, that will become impossible. In addition, the foundation of the home is cracked and sinking, one of the lower retaining walls is broken, and their leaking air conditioner has infected their walls with mold. Now, it’s up to the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team and hundreds of local volunteers to build a new home where Jeremy can make the most of his time with his family and Jacob can grow up comfortably and independently. Learn more at www.extremephn.com.

Ron Powell, President of Manufacturing for Palm Harbor Homes, explained, “We love building homes for families, and having this opportunity to make a huge difference in the life of a deserving family is a special assignment for us. We are proud and excited to be the first modular company to work with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in their mission to improve the lives of families across our country. We are also grateful for the outpouring of generosity from our builders, sponsors, associates and many others who have already donated to this wonderful cause without even knowing the family.”

The Williams family will go on vacation to Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte, Colorado, while “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” team leader Ty Pennington, designers Michael Moloney, Paul DiMeo, and Tracy Hutson, local builders with Nationwide Homes and Palm Harbor Homes, and community volunteers rebuild their home. The show will be the season finale for the 7th season, anticipated to run in late May.

Islamorada, Florida – Workforce Town Homes

Florida Keys, Islamorada, Florida
The Middle Keys Land Trust and Bayview Builders – Jim Saunders

The Middle Keys Community Land Trust and Bayview Homes proudly introduce Woods Corner, Islamorada’s newest affordable/workforce housing community. The property consists of 16 two-story system-built homes, each with 3 bedrooms and 2 ½ baths.The homes have been reserved for purchase by the low and moderate income workforce of the Upper Keys. Homes are available for ownership and priced at $130,500 and $190,000.

The property was developed by the Middle Keys CLT, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the creation and preservation of affordable/workforce housing, and was constructed by Bayview Homes, a local builder with extensive local experience. Palm Harbor Homes was chosen as the system built manufacturer. Bayview’s comprehensive construction services handled all aspects of permitting and construction. Rick Casey, Administrator of the Middle Keys CLT reports, “I continue to be impressed with the knowledge, experience and professionalism which the Bayview Homes team has regularly demonstrated throughout the project.”

The Middle Keys CLT acquired the land, construction financing and is now currently marketing the homes to those working in our community. The project has been possible due to several community partners, including the Village of Islamorada, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation and the Monroe County SHIP Program. Jim Saunders, President of Bayview Homes comments, “This was truly a community based project. The Middle Keys Community Land Trust was impressive and perseverant as the lead on this project. Local sub-contractors were used when possible. The Village building and planning staff, and the Village Council of Islamorada were instrumental to the success of the project.”

Cal-Am Properties, Gold Canyon, Arizona – Land Lease Retirement Community

Gold Canyon, Arizona
Cal-Am Homes – Cory Sukert

Cal-Am has been servicing the housing and recreational needs of adults since 1988 as owner/operators of manufactured housing communities with homes like this from Palm Harbor Homes in Arizona.

Cincinnati, Ohio – Urban Revitalization

DeWitt Landing – Urban Revitalization
Potterhill Homes – Dan Rolfes and Carolynn Rolfes

Potterhill Homes partnered with Palm Harbor on this redevelopment project in the historic village of Greenhills near Cincinnati to provide residential homes ranging from 1,750 to 2,700 square feet.

New Orleans, Lousiana – Infill Redevelopment – Drew Developers

New Orleans, Louisiana
Drew Developers – Lawrence Ditoro and Winn Metoyer

Drew Developers works with local New Orleans residents to rebuild following Hurricane Katrina with beautiful, New Orleans styled neighborhoods.

New Orleans, Lousiana – Infill Redevelopment – New Era Homes

New Orleans, Louisiana
New Era Homes,

Committed to the redevelopment of New Orleans, New Era Homes opened very soon after Hurricane Katrina with a focus on providing New Orleans style homes for the people of the city.

Bay St. Louis – Coastal Reconstruction

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
De Novo Mississippi Homes – Mickey Renfroe

De Novo Mississippi Homes is active in the Bay St. Louis area assisting with the reconstruction of high end coastal homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Bayou La Batre – Hurricane Community Rebuilding

Bayou La Batre, Alabama
The Mitchell Company – Chris Sylvester and Ken Kvalheim

The Mitchell Company is working with the city of Bayou La Batre to assist flood victims to finally move out of their FEMA travel trailers. Following a failed attempt with site built construction, the city partnered with the Mitchell Company and Palm Harbor Homes to provide more attractive, better built and energy efficient homes that are elevated 8 to 10 feet to survive future storms and flooding.

Sarasota Signature – High End Coastal Infill

Sarasota Signature Properties, Sarasota, Florida

Using Palm Harbor modular homes, Sarasota Signature Properties develops luxury lifestyle homes on infill properties for the discerning Coastal buyer. Read more on Sarasota Signature’s developments.

Cove Gardens – Workforce Housing Subdivision

Cove Gardens, Pensacola, Florida
Land Services of Pensacola – Skip Butler

Cove Gardens is an urban subdivision providing workforce housing without sacrificing style using Palm Harbor homes.