Modular homes gain favor with builders

With tall trees and a narrow lot, the building site on a quiet street near downtown Orlando would pose challenges for many builders. But partners Ron Dieux and Bill Corio managed to slip in a two-story duplex that looks like an expensive single-family home. The two-story house did not take months to build, and there was no need for lots of laborers to crowd into the neighborhood. A crane lifted parts of the factory-built home into place, then carpenters and other specialists came in for the finishing work during the following days and weeks in late summer. "It eliminates 90 percent of the site work," Dieux said, and leaves little in the way of construction debris to haul away. "There are lots of advantages to this." Stephanie King, who bought the 1,400-square-foot, three-bedroom, 2.5-bath home for $338,000, said she was pleased with the outcome of her half of the duplex. "It's beyond what I imagined," King said, with granite countertops, crown molding, 9-foot-high trey ceilings, wood and tile floors, and other touches of a custom home. Read More