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.

IBS 2010 Opening Day

Las Vegas – IBS Show – Professional Builder Show Village – Opening Day

Final touches were added everywhere on Tuesday in preparation for opening the gates.  Traffic through the homes and at the show in general seems to be up from last year and, fortunately, the rain is holding off!

The La Linda is the perfect combination of Traditional meets Contemporary.  The clean design elements and finish out emphasizes the openness of the floor plan and the great use of space throughout this beautiful home.

The Highlander is designed to be flexible enough to work for many different needs and applications. For the show, our Highlander model has been finished out to meet the need for a vacation home on the lake or in the mountains.  From the flooring to the slate to the mirrors, no detail was overlooked in conveying that luxury get-away feel throughout this charming cape.

Here are our first pictures as the Design Team puts the final polish on for the guests.  Check back soon for more photos and show details as they happen.

USA Today Covers the New IBS Show Homes

Read the full article on USAToday.com (Jan. 5, 2010) about the upcoming International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas where one Nationwide Custom home and two Palm Harbor homes will be showcased.

Builders’ Partnership Advantages With The National Home Building Leader

Working with Palm Harbor Homes as your home construction partner gives you access to all of the advantages we provide our builders to help them achieve their business goals. For over 30 years, we have earned our reputation for delivering customization, quality, value and customer satisfaction with our beautiful modular and manufactured homes. As part of our family of builders, Palm Harbor and Discovery Homes, Nationwide Custom Homes and PHN Commercial Structures combine to make us the only systems built housing company building to HUD, modular, commercial and local building codes from coast to coast. Our history and experience allow us to offer important market advantages for your business.

The Sales Advantage

• Sell MORE with FEWER models.
• Broad product offering targeted to the specific needs and price points of your customers.
• We personalize or customize homes as needed.
• Our ongoing aggressive training equips your team for success.
• Our simplified selling story means your sales team spends more time successfully selling homes and less time specing out homes and writing up orders.
• Palm Harbor delivers the number #1 selling brand name in the United States.

The Marketing Advantage

• Our company web site attracts 175,000+ visitors per month and generates in excess of 3,500 leads per month.
• Palm Harbor and its family of companies routinely market nationally using television, trade publications, regional and national home shows, our own model centers and display models and spec homes that sizzle.
• We can provide you with product brochures, posters and point of sale materials that support the highest levels of professionalism.

The Architecture and Design Advantage

• Displaying our beautiful, eye-catching designs not only increases traffic, but also increases the quality of traffic with higher credit score buyers.
• Our design flexibility allows us to meet the needs of any customer, any code, on any lot with the architectural details and square footage to meet your customer’s desires.
• A home that does not get the consumer emotionally excited will not sell. Our homes deliver the WOW factor. Curb appeal and interior eye appeal abound.
• Architectural, engineering and design services to support your specific needs.
• We build GREEN and can help you with certification for various green building programs – LEEDS, NAHB, Earth Advantage and others.

The SmartPlus Construction Advantage

• We provide the only standard 5-year Protection Plan on all homes – Not an add-on insurance policy.
• Our homes consistently weather the extreme forces of nature.
• We help you create a construction story unique to your market.
• We build our own custom DuraBuilt cabinets for strength and beauty.
• Our years of experience building ENERGMISER® and ENERGY STAR® awarded homes guarantee your customers savings long after the mortgage is paid.

The Gold Key Care Advantage

• We build it. We finish it. We give the keys to the customer.
• Our technicians complete a personal customer walk through and orientation.
• Customers receive our 5-year Protection Plan.
• We provide an 800 number for the Customer to call us for service needs.

The Customer Satisfaction Advantage

• We really want to know the customers’ experience, so we ask!.
• 61% of our internal consumer sales result from referrals.
• Happy, satisfied customers equal MORE sales.

The Financial and Insurance Services Advantage

• Forbes.com Top 10 list in 2007 for our Financial Integrity.
• Publicly traded with strong financials/investment opportunity.
• CountryPlace Mortgage financing services.
• Standard Casualty Insurance services.

Please contact Steve Reyenga, VP of Sales, at sreyenga@palmharbor.com or 800-456-8744 for more information on Palm Harbor builder or retailer opportunities in your area.

Own Your Own Show Village 2009 Show Home – Masco Show Home Available at Huge Discount!

The 2-story, 3,432 sq. foot home built for Masco for the 2009 Professional Builder’s Show Village at the NAHB International Builder’s Show is available now at a huge discount. This 4 bedroom, three bath plus 2 bonus room home is 44’ x 68’ and features every top of the line green building feature and finish out currently available. Here are just a few of the many amazing bonuses and upgrades!

LP SmartSide Trim & Siding Integrated Garage Rock Accents 84″ Shower with Seat Orepac Wood Molding and Trim Package Milgard Windows Shaw Hardwood Flooring Master Closet System Traba International Interior Doors Butler’s Pantry

Oil Rubbed Bronze Package IceStone Solid Surface Counters GE Profile Series Appliances Home Office Center Deceuninck Decking and Railing Merillat Cabinets throughout CA Modular Approval HVAC System Sprinkler System Click here for complete list.

The Capistrano - For Sale!

The Capistrano – Green Building Home by Masco for Profession Builder’s Home Show
Approximately 3,432 Square Feet
2 Story, 4 Bedrooms with two bonus rooms upstairs and 3.5 Baths
Featured as the “Green” home in the Professional Builders’ Show Village, this home focuses on reducing energy consumption waste and it’s resulting carbon foot print like never before. It features the latest in green design and products available. 

Slideshow of Capistrano’s beautiful interiors and exterior pictures.

This beautiful home valued at over $700,000 must be moved now! Appraisal will give you instant equity!   

Steve Reyenga

Please contact Steve Reyenga, VP of Sales, at sreyenga@palmharbor.com or 800-456-8744 for more information or to make an offer.  This amazing, once-in-a-lifetime value won’t last long!

Counting Down to IBS 2009

The NAHB’s 2009 International Builders’ Show is right around the corner (January 20-23). Yesterday, January 15, we kicked off the 5 set days for our three show homes and a school house (click to see details with floor plans and artist’s renderings). This is a mamoth project – 4 homes in 5 days! Here is an up-to-date slideshow of what’s going on at the Show Village right now:

Palm Harbor’s Motivation to Take Modular “Green”

Ron Powell, President of Manufacturing, Palm Harbor Homes, Inc., talks about Palm Harbor’s commitment to strong, efficient, green modulars

 

• Why has Palm Harbor become a leader in building strong, energy efficient modular homes?

Palm Harbor’s motivation to exceed commonly accepted standards of strength and energy efficiency comes from its foundational belief that that our homeowners deserve homes that exceed their expectations. Most people consider their mortgage, property taxes, and homeowner’s insurance to be part of the cost of home-ownership, while neglecting the very real costs of maintenance and utilities. Palm Harbor has always chosen to focus on minimizing both of these, allowing our customers to own more home than they would have been able to own otherwise. This is our value proposition to our homeowners. Palm Harbor will provide a strong, tightly built home that will save you money on energy costs and repairs so you can use that savings on what homeowners really want – more square footage or customization.

Besides being the right thing to do for our customers, a focus on strong, efficient homes is the right thing to do for the environment. Building to high levels of energy efficiency helps conserve natural resources, while building more durable homes reduces the impact of scrapped building materials on landfills.

• Why did Palm Harbor choose to partner with ENERGY STAR^® in the mid 80’s?

Because Palm Harbor was already building homes to standards beyond code requirements, partnering with ENERGY STAR almost 20 years ago was a natural step. Florida’s hot, humid conditions made our Plant City, Florida, manufacturing operation the perfect location to establish how far we could go with energy efficiency and green construction. Our Division President, Mike Draper, worked with our Vice President of Engineering, Bert Kessler, to make ENERGY STAR a reality for Palm Harbor Homes. Once the process was established, it was rolled out to Palm Harbor manufacturing facilities nationwide.

Given our long-established focus on energy efficiency, Palm Harbor did not have to make major modifications to assembly lines. However, we did make some minor changes to our construction techniques to better accommodate our duct-leak test procedure, but the adjustments were minor and did not necessitate an extensive investment.

• Did Palm Harbor’s ability to customize homes for the modular market make the shift to energy efficient construction easier than for a non-custom manufactured builder?

Because Palm Harbor has always allowed customers to customize their homes, our associates were used to dealing with differences from one home to the next. For Palm Harbor, having a higher energy efficiency as a standard meant that we did not have to sell numerous upgrades. For an assembly line, this makes things easier and more efficient. Additionally, Palm Harbor’s construction as it relates to energy efficiency is standardized. Consequently, no matter what customers choose, the basic process is the same.

Recently, one of our homes received the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) first Energy Smart label. This home, the Bimini out of our Plant City, Florida, building center, is rated at 57 HERS based on the Home Energy Rating System index developed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). This 57 rating means that the home is 43% more energy efficient than the typical new home built today and, at 3,644 square feet, the home has an expected average bill of less than $150 per month for electricity and gas. In contrast, an ENERGY STAR rated home has to only be 15% more efficient The home itself qualifies for National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Award at the Gold Level and is expected to receive its gold certificate once the home is secured on its permanent foundation and the lot is inspected.

• Is the market for energy efficient modular homes on the rise?

Currently, it is difficult to name any market that has expanded in raw numbers. However, green building is well established as a concern for a growing segment of today’s buyers. Consumers are feeling the impact of higher energy prices as well as becoming more aware of important issues such as sustainability and conservation. Educated consumers are focusing on the fact that they can minimize the long-term cost of home ownership with a small investment in energy efficiency when they buy their home and help the environment. Recent efforts by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are aimed at increasing homebuyers’ confidence in the energy efficiency and durability of the home they are investing in by providing a national standard that homebuilders can adopt and use.

• Will we see more modular builders adopt energyefficiency and green construction as part of their building practices?

In the past, green building has been more popular in areas of the country that offered significant utility rebates to homebuyers who opted for more efficient homes, even when energy costs were lower. However, with energy prices now rising substantially, green building is being demanded across the country. As potential homebuyers continue to inquire about green building, more builders will adapt their homes to qualify for green construction, modular or otherwise.

Modular companies have a great opportunity to lead this effort. The efficiencies offered by a production line and the natural ability to minimize waste by building in a controlled environment give modular a head start toward achieving high levels of green building and energy efficiency.

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.

Palm Harbor Homes First to Receive Department of Energy’s Energy Smart Label

At the 2008 International Builders Show (IBS) in Orlando, Florida, Palm Harbor Homes received the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) first Energy Smart label. The label was placed on the electrical panel box of the Bimini on February 14. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Secretary Samuel W. Bodman placed the Energy Smart label on the box while attending the IBS show to launch the Department’s Builders Challenge. This challenge calls for builders to construct 220,000 high-performance, energy efficient homes by 2012.

The Bimini is rated at 57 HERS based on the Home Energy Rating System index developed by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). This 57 rating means that the home is 43% more energy efficient than the typical new home built today and, at 3,644 square feet, the home has an expected average bill of less than $150 per month for electricity and gas of less than $150 per month. In contrast an ENERGY STAR rated home has to only be 15% more efficient The home itself qualifies for National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Award at the Gold Level and is expected to receive its gold certificate once the home is secured on its permanent foundation and the lot is inspected.

The Bimini was built in the company’s Plant City, Florida, building center. It was one of three homes displayed in the 2008 IBS show by Palm Harbor Homes and Nationwide Custom Homes, a division of Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. Featured as the Green Home, the Bimini is a 3,644 square foot single-family home with three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms demonstrating the latest in green design and products.

“As an ENERGY STAR partner since 1997 and a 2007 Partner of the Year, Palm Harbor Homes was honored to provide the Green Home for the Professional Builder’s Show Village. As a participant in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Builders Challenge, it meant a great deal to have U.S. Department of Energy’s Secretary Samuel W. Bodman tour our Nationwide home before launching the Builders Challenge and apply its first ever E-Scale sticker to the Bimini,” said Ron Powell, President of Manufacturing for Palm Harbor Homes, Inc. “Energy efficiency has always been an important part of the value proposition we provide to our Palm Harbor customers and our efforts to protect the environment.”

For information on the Department of Energy’s Builders Challenge for homeowners, homebuilders and prospective partners, visit: http://www.energy.gov

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.

The Advantages of Modular Construction – #2

Building Better – Faster For Less Money

For centuries, traditional stick-built construction has followed the same timeline. First, the site preparation must take place. Then the foundation must be finished. And finally, the actual structural construction can begin. Materials must be ordered and delivered in stages because safe storage space is non-existent. And if the assembly is delayed by weather or lack of labor, then the schedules can be delayed even further. There are no shortcuts. One phase must be completed before another can begin. This typical step-by-step construction formula stretches out both the completion timeline as well as the loan draw process.

Modular construction, however, provides a new chapter in the history of construction and development. Because the modules are built off site in environmentally controlled building centers, the site construction and homebuilding take place simultaneously, reducing the completion time line by up to 30 percent. Areas such as Florida and the post-Katrina reconstruction zone, which are experiencing the high cost and short supply of labor and materials for on-site rebuilding, find that modular construction provides even more cost savings for them.

Modular housing’s rising popularity has increased the number of mainstream lenders looking to partner with modular builders. Banks and lending institutions recognize the value and benefits of modular construction, offering identical rates, terms and loan approval criteria for modular construction that they provide for stick-built. With traditional construction, the loan disbursements take place as each major phase of construction is finished. In contrast, the process has been refined for the speed of modular construction, significantly reducing the number of draws required from start to completion. Because of the shorter construction cycle and reduced inspections and draws, the total costs of modular construction loans are typically less.

Click Here to send us a question about modular construction or tell us about your next project.

Read more articles in the same series.

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.