There are many reasons why the best built homes are not built entirely "on-site" OR entirely in a factory. The Lakes of Southern Crossing would like to tell you about some of the more important reasons.

The distinction between prefabricated homes and "stick built" homes is not as clear-cut today as is sometimes believed. Fewer than 12% of all new homes being built today technically qualify as "stick built" homes. It is just too expensive to stick build the old-fashioned way, and construction usually takes too long. Almost every house today uses mass-produced, factory built components. For example, nearly all homes--stick built as well as Manufactured--use pre-hung windows and doors, roof trusses, floor joists, baseboard trim, sheetrock, and kitchen and bath cabinets made in factories. More and more aspects of home construction are being completed in factories because the factory environment helps to organize the construction process. By using automatic assembly equipment and repetitive assembly-line techniques, factories assemble component parts more quickly and with greater consistency in product quality. This is true whether the components are assembled to make a window or an entire house.

Stick building homes from the ground up on site is very inefficient compared to factory construction. On the other hand, much of the finish work in a home should not be done in a factory and then shipped down the highway. This is the Southern Crossing Homes difference. At Southern Crossing Homes we have the factory build the shell of the home to residential specs to increase quality and lower costs, THEN we do a custom finish out of your home once it is on your lot. This construction process gives unsurpassed quality at a fraction of the cost of any comparably built home.

This unique approach is not taken by other builders, either stick built or manufactured, for a variety of reasons. However the advantages are clear. Having the shell built in a factory ensures that only grade 2 lumber or better is used and the risk of black mold, scabbed joints and bent lumber is eliminated. When your Southern Crossing home arrives at your lot the shell is joined together and rain and other elements of weather cannot reach any part of your home that they should not. The tape, float, trim, texture, flooring and all other custom work is done once the home is on site.

Southern Crossing Homes offer better quality for less money. The structural integrity of a Southern Crossing Home is its main claim to superior quality. Here are some of the factors that produce superior quality:

" Residential Specs: By design, a Southern Crossing Home is built to meet or exceed the quality and specifications used by stick builders.

" Construction Time and Cost: Building a Southern Crossing Home can be completed in as little as 4 to 6 weeks with a known, preset price tag. Many builders take months and often have significant price overages that cost the home buyer big money.

" Materials: Hardie lap siding with stone exteriors, 1/2" residential sheet rock, 3/4" tongue and groove OSB or plywood flooring, 2"x4" - 16" on center walls with 2" x 8" - 16" on center floor joists and excellent insulation values make up the guts of our homes. Only the highest quality, kiln dried lumber can be used, because warped, badly knotted or splintered pieces would jam the finely tuned assembly line jigs. This means that better materials, applied with tighter specifications, go into Southern Crossing Homes.

" Better Construction: Because the shells of our homes have to be shipped over the road, they are built stronger than more conventionally built homes. Major components, such as walls, floors, and ceilings, are not only nailed together, as in stick built homes, they are also bonded with a special adhesive. This double fastening enables Southern Crossing Homes to be sturdy enough to withstand miles of travel, something no stick built house could survive without serious structural damage. Another advantage of using adhesive to secure walls and ceilings is that they are less likely to be plagued by annoying nail pops.

" Customized Options: From floor plan design options to finish work including ceramic tile or wood flooring, Southern Crossing Homes can create the layout and style of home that meets any buyer's needs. By waiting to do all finish work until the home is on site our homes are built stronger with all the features that you need without trying to "force" certain work to be done at the factory.

" Quality Control and Service: Superior quality in Southern Crossing construction starts at the factory and is rigidly followed through the completion of the project and afterwards. The Southern Crossing Homes construction crews have unmatched customer satisfaction. We take care of all of our customers' needs.

Southern Crossing Homes can customize a home's interiors as well as exteriors, according to the Customer's needs. Open floor plans, steeply pitched roofs, bay and bow windows, curved stairways, vaulted and cathedral ceilings, skylites, reversed gables, angle bay towers, whirlpool tubs, and stone or brick siding are just a few of the many, many options that Customers routinely add to the standard floor plans. Southern Crossing Homes can also take the Customer's own plans and build him or her an entirely new design.

The purchase price of a Southern Crossing Homes is less than that of a conventionally built home or other factory built homes because of the unique combination of custom built and factory built construction styles. The savings come from volume purchases of materials directly from the manufacturer (eliminating middleman markups), lower assembly line wages, and a reduction in lost and damaged materials caused by on-site weather conditions, pilferage, and vandalism. Imagine what an automobile would cost if it were built from scratch in a mechanic's garage. The only way a stick builder can match the cost of a Southern Crossing Home is by building with less expensive, inferior materials, by employing unskilled labor, or by paying for fewer man-hours. This of course results in poorer construction, craftsmanship, and service. The only way manufactured home builders can match the quality of a Southern Crossing Home is through much added repair costs once the home arrives on site which drives the cost of the home up significantly. This is why the best buy in terms of both quality and price is a Southern Crossing Home.

Southern Crossing Homes construction has become the construction method of choice for the quality conscious and cost conscious house buyer. Southern Crossing Homes are not just as good as the vast majority of stick built homes, they are better built. The advantages are many, from better materials, to state-of-the-art construction technology, to superior finished quality, to saved time and money. And the Customer gains all of these things without sacrificing amenities.

The Lakes of Southern Crossing will be happy to discuss these points with you at your convenience. While stick built and factory built homes have many virtues, we believe our homes are significantly better than any construction method to date. And Southern Crossing's service is second to none. Make an appointment to speak with us, stop by one of our models, or give us a call. We will be happy to explore with you the many advantages of a Southern Crossing Home.