Land purchased- now what? Also- modular homes in NE US recs.

Hi Lily,

Congratulations on your new land purchase!

As far as modular home manufacturers in NEPA, there are several. Three of which that are right in the Scranton area are Simplex, Signature, and Sun Building Systems. I don't believe that any of these manufacturers sell directly to the public, which means you would need to find a builder who does the modular finishing. Any of the three can refer you to a local builder with whom you can discuss options, pricing, etc. I'm pretty sure that all of these companies DO offer customized plans as each has an in-house engineering department. Another company that I'm aware of is Shorten Homes. They are actually the builder and they do all the finishing work themselves. They have an extensive model lot on Route 6 in Dickson City.

My best advice is research both the builder and the manufacturer before you make any decisions. And ALWAYS read the contract, ask lots of questions and be aware of all options.

By the size of your lot, I'd imagine you may want a house that would fit on a narrow property. A reputable company should be able to customize floorplans, etc.

Good luck!

Yes, we were actually looking into them as well. Please tell me about the others you researched! We are debating between:
Penn-Lyon
Simplex
Ritz-Craft
Chelsea Modular Homes

Some include foundation, if I am not mistaken. We have decided to get a turn-key package, and we don't want to exceed $160,000. Which style are you going with? Our problem is the 90' wide lot. According to the zoning rules, we can fit a 40' wide home comfortably. The land goes back quite a ways, it is a full acre. Any info you'd like to share? Thanks!

GREAT! Thanks for your advice. We have been meeting with builders as well as looking at various modular companies. Some builders provide a turn-key package, which includes foundation, electric, heating, etc. The only thing some don't include are septic and well because they are so variable. Right now we are leaning toward Premier Builders, because we found a house we like that happens to be very affordable. I am meeting with the builder today. It is just very overwhelming, because there are so many companies and it is hard to tell which is the best. Right now, our biggest decision is- should we go with a more expensive turn-key package so we don't have to deal with hiring contractors ourselves? Or should we do the other package, which is hire the builder, pay for the house and interior/exterior finishing, then end up having to hire contractors ourselves? ALSO, what about excavating the land ourselves with rented machinery? Is is possible?

Lily - We had a Ritzcraft modular home built last summer. It's not only the plant and quality of home you need to consider. Will your home be cranned or rolled on to the foundation? We weren't given the option and ours was cranned. Now that we speak with people we are told that does more damage than rolling. Also, another major consideration are the crews working on the home. Ours had a set crew and 2 different finish crews. I wasn't at all impressed with our set crew. The finish crew that our general contractor hired was terrible. The joints of drywall and carpeting are very visible and look terrible. In fact we are hiring a professional to fix the job so we can try to enjoy our home. For the most part the Ritzcraft crew that has come to work on our home has been decent and they do what they can to help, but they are only responsible for things that were built in the factory. So anything done on site you have to go through the general contractor for which for us has been a very unpleasant experience. Hope this helps

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I wanted to now that its been a few years are you still happy with your Ritz-Craft homes. Which plant did you buy out of? Any suggestions about how to avoid problems if one were just about to go to contract with a modular manufacture/builder?