It is true that manufactured homes have a bad reputation. Most people perceive them as poorly built housing.

However, having lived in Delaware a few years back, we lived in a development that had both "stick built homes" and "manufactured" Nanticoke Homes.

We spent eight brutal months with a builder and subcontractors constructing our "stick built" home. We had problems from the day they started the house. We used to go every day and take a sledge hammer to crooked windows, doors that were hung wrong, fireplace brick that was the wrong color. You name it, the builder (subcontractors) had to do it over. We spent hours running all over to find carpeting, appliances, molding, tile etc.

There were many restrictions in the development. Houses had to have brick or stone face, basements, and no less than 2200 sq. ft. One afternoon, a builder began to dig a foundation on the lot next to ours. They poured footings for a basement, so we thought they would start to build in a few weeks.

But, in a few weeks, in came two large trucks, a crane and a gaggle of workmen. Within two days the house was assembled.

We were very upset, since we had no idea that all the houses in the development were not going to be "stick built". All we could think of was this house was going to be horrible.

Within the week we met the new owners. They were a young couple who had done lots of house shopping. They explained that they had looked at houses all over the county, and chose to go with the manufactured Nanticoke home because they found the process to be very simple and the quality excellent.

They had dozens of home designs to choose from. They chose the plans, the carpet, the paint, the stone facing, the fixtures, etc., all without going any farther than the factory.

The cost was similar to the "stick built" but they felt they would not have to contend with what we were experiencing... the pain of subcontractors. And they were right!

There were very few problems after they moved in because specs were checked at the factory. The house was a beautiful, colonial, stone-faced, two-story, with a wraparound porch and a lovely interior, rivalling any of the "stick built" homes in the community. And they set up housekeeping in less that two months!

Before we left the area, several more Nanticoke Homes were built in the development, and quite honestly, we couldn't tell the difference.

We have two suggestions: make sure there are suitable restrictions just as in any other Peachtree City neighborhood, and we as a community must keep an eye on Nanticoke's environmental practices. If they keep their factory site environmentally clean, we should have no problems with the homes or home designs in Peachtree City.