MODULAR MOVEMENT EDITION | BAM SOUTH

SPECIAL EDITION

APRIL-MAY 2026

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Built Faster. Built Smarter. Built Right. ELAVATE MODULAR Designing Smaller Spaces with a Greater Purpose SOL HAUS DESIGN Inside ABMA’s new housing strategy—and a candid conversation with Francis Palasieski Homes, Not Costs

MODULAR The MOVEMENT

Chief Executive Officer Tamara Bellamy-Breen

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Publisher Mara Mather

Built America Magazine connects your brand with over 278,000 elite executives, offering an unmatched platform to elevate your presence among key decision-makers in the construction and development sectors. Whether you're launching a high-end property, seeking investment for innovative ventures, or aiming to affirm your industry dominance, our dedicated team ensures your message resonates with those who matter most. We provide tailored content solutions—from feature articles to exclusive interviews—designed to showcase your brand's uniqueness and ambitions. Embrace this opportunity to highlight your latest achievements and upcoming projects in a publication revered by industry leaders. Join us in crafting a narrative that not only reaches, but profoundly impacts, an audience ready to engage with your vision. For a partnership that transforms exposure into influence, contact our Group Publisher. Elevate your brand with Built America Magazine, where success meets sophistication.

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DEAR READER FROM OUR EDITOR

This special edition of Built America Magazine, The Modular Movement, created in partnership with the Modular Building Institute and the Modular Home Builders Association, highlights the builders, manufacturers, and visionaries helping lead the evolution of modular and offsite construction across North America. Inside these pages, you’ll find an inspiring mix of stories centered around innovation, attainable housing, craftsmanship, and the future of construction itself. From the leadership of the American Building Materials Alliance , whose housing initiatives are helping shape important conversations around affordability and supply chains, to companies like Elavate Modular, Sol Haus Design , and Wind River Built , this edition showcases organizations redefining what modern building can look like. These are companies proving that speed, precision, sustainability, and thoughtful design can coexist without sacrificing quality or human connection. These pages are filled with leaders who understand that the future of construction is not only about building faster — it’s about building smarter, more responsibly, and with long-term impact in mind. From workforce housing and factory-built innovation to sustainability and scalable development, this edition brings together some of the most forward-thinking voices in the modular industry, each one contributing to a movement that continues to reshape the built environment.

“ We commit to fully inclusive journeying with our collaborators, ensuring their stories are shared with integrity and passion. ”

This is more than an issue .

It’s a tribute to the people, organizations, and innovators helping redefine how homes, communities, and opportunities are built across America — proving that the future of construction can be faster, smarter, more sustainable, and more accessible without losing the craftsmanship, integrity, and human purpose that have always been at the heart of great building.

Warm regards, The Editorial Team

INSIDE

FEATURE PARTNERSHIPS

MHBA-MBI

The Modular Movement: Inside the Organizations Driving a New Era of Construction ABMA Inside ABMA’s new housing strategy—and a candid conversation with Francis Palasieski

BUILT ON TRUST: ‘WHEELS OFF’ Brought to you by, Leah Fellows and Blue Gypsy, Inc.

ABMA

ELAVATE MODULAR

Built Faster. Built Smarter. Built Right.

SOL HAUS DESIGN

Designing Smaller Spaces with a Greater Purpose

WIND RIVER BUILT The Work Behind the Build

102 SADDLEBROOKE LIFE

Expanding Homeownership with Innovation and Family Values.

JT COLLECTIVE TINY HOMES 116 Built by Hand. Held by Purpose.

132

SEASAFE HOMES Resilience Engineered: Coastal Homes Built for What Comes Next

148

AFFORDABLE HOMES Where Affordability Meets Accountability, and the Process Becomes the Product.

MHBA-MBI

CLOSING LINES

160

WITH GRATITUDE

A Thank you to our partners

MOVEMENT MODULAR THE

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06 MOVEMENT MODULAR THE

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THE MODULAR MOVEMENT

In this special Modular Movement Edition of Built America Magazine, we turn the spotlight toward the leaders, innovators, and organizations reshaping the future of construction through modular and offsite building — not just through what they create, but through the vision driving the movement forward. Headlined by the ined by the Modular Building Institute, the Modular Home Builders Association , and the American Building Materials Alliance , this issue highlights a growing movement centered around smarter building, attainable housing, sustainability, and innovation. Inside these pages, you’ll meet an inspiring group of companies helping redefine what modular construction can look like across North America. From the scalable innovation of Elavate Modular and the thoughtful design philosophy of Sol Haus Design , to the craftsmanship-driven approach of Wind River Built and Saddlebrooke Life , these companies are proving that efficiency, quality, and human-centered design can coexist within the built environment. You’ll also discover forward-thinking builders and innovators like JT Collective Tiny Homes , and Affordable Homes. Each contributing to a larger shift in how homes are designed, built, and delivered. Together, they show us that modular construction is about far more than speed or factory-built efficiency. It’s about expanding access to housing, improving sustainability, and creating smarter systems capable of meeting the demands of a changing world.

Keep reading to meet the companies and leaders shaping The Modular Movement — and redefining how homes, communities, and opportunities are built across America.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

For decades, the Modular Building Institute and the Modular Home Builders Association have stood at the forefront of advancing modular and offsite construction across North America. Together, these organizations have helped shape industry standards, expand education, advocate for innovation, and elevate public understanding of a building method transforming the future of construction. Representing manufacturers, builders, developers, suppliers, and industry professionals, the MBI and MHBA continue to push the industry toward smarter, faster, and more sustainable building practices through advocacy, collaboration, workforce education, and industry leadership. At a time when housing shortages, labor challenges, affordability concerns, and sustainability demands continue to reshape construction, both organizations have become leading voices in demonstrating how modular construction can help address some of the industry’s most urgent challenges — proving that offsite building is not simply an alternative method, but an evolving movement rooted in precision, quality, and innovation. Their commitment to advancing the industry and expanding opportunities within modular construction is exactly why the MBI and MHBA stand at the forefront of our Modular Movement Edition. Keep reading to meet the builders, manufacturers, and innovators helping shape the future of modular construction — one module, one home, and one breakthrough at a time.

Page 14-25

The Modular Movement

Inside the Organizations Driving a New Era of Construction Inside the Organizations Driving a of New Era

Written by: T amara Bellamy Executive Publisher Built America Magazine

EFFICIENT

SUSTAINABLE

PREDICTABLE

MHBA | MBI

Across North America, something is shifting in the way we build. Not abruptly and not all at once either. Steadily, under pressure.

Demand is rising. Labor is tightening. Timelines are stretching. And across the industry, builders are being asked to deliver more, faster, and with fewer resources than ever before. And it’s not because they are falling behind, but because the system they’ve been operating within was never designed for this moment. That reality is beginning to force a deeper question across construction: Is it time to rethink not just what we build, but how we build it? At the center of that conversation are two organizations working to bring clarity, structure, and advocacy to a space that has long been misunderstood: the Modular Home Builders Association (MHBA) and the Modular Building Institute (MBI). Together, they represent a growing movement within the industry.

And for Tom Hardiman, Executive Director of both organizations, that evolution has been decades in the making. An Industry That Didn’t Disappear—It Rebuilt Itself

TOM HARDIMAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MODULAR BUILDING INSTITUTE MODULAR HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

As an evolution to traditional construction, not as a replacement.

When Hardiman stepped into the Modular Home Builders Association in 2012, the organization was on the edge of disappearing.

“They were just kind of on life support,” he says.

Formed in the early 1980s, MHBA had originally served as a regional voice for modular home builders. But like much of the industry, it was hit hard by the 2008–2009 housing crisis. Membership dwindled. Momentum stalled. At one point, only three companies remained. “The president of the board said, ‘I guess I’m still the president… we only have three members.’” At that moment, the industry wasn’t just losing an organization. It was losing its voice. As partner of association management company Hardiman-Williams, LLC, Hardiman, already serving as executive director of MBI—the international association focused on commercial modular construction—made a decision that would ultimately reshape the trajectory of the sector. "I asked my business partner, 'Why don't we manage MHBA?’ No expectations of fees or payment. Just let us keep it alive.”

WHAT SETS MODULAR APART

Same performance, different process Built to the same standards as traditional construction. Controlled environment No weather delays, consistent inspections, higher precision. Efficiency without compromise Faster timelines without sacrificing quality. A system built for today’s demand Designed to handle pressure, scale, and complexity.

“We just wanted to make sure it didn’t disappear. There was still a need for it.”

—TOM HARDIMAN

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MHBA | MBI

The Most Misunderstood Word in Construction If modular construction has faced one consistent challenge, it hasn’t been capability. It’s been perception.

There was no immediate payoff. No guarantee it would recover.

“We just wanted to make sure it didn’t disappear,” he says. “There was still a need for it.” That need became the foundation for rebuilding. The organization was redefined. Its purpose clarified. Past members were brought back into the conversation. And slowly, what had nearly been lost began to take shape again. Today, MHBA represents roughly 170 members and serves as the primary advocacy voice for modular home building across the United States. “It’s always been about bringing competitors together,” Hardiman explains.

“Most people, when they hear modular… they think, ‘Oh, you mean trailers, manufactured housing, HUD code.’ And that is not who we are.”

“So, we can go to government with one voice instead of everyone trying to do it on their own.”

—HARDIMAN

That misunderstanding has followed the industry for decades—and it’s more than just semantics.

And yet, to the average consumer—and even to some within the industry—the line between them remains blurred. “That’s something we’re constantly working to correct,” Hardiman says. “Because it changes how people view the product before they even understand it.” That confusion isn’t just theoretical. It has real implications.

At its core, the distinction is technical, but its impact is significant.

Modular homes are built to the same local building codes as traditional site- built homes. They are engineered for the same environmental conditions—wind, snow, seismic—and designed to perform, appreciate, and endure in the same way. Manufactured housing, by contrast, follows a federal HUD standard originally developed with affordability as the primary objective. Both serve important roles. But they are not the same product.

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MHBA | MBI

“There’s moving through Congress that says, let’s let the HUD code guys take that steel chassis off,” he explains. “And that is going to confuse the heck out of the public.” legislation For years, that chassis has been one of the simplest ways to distinguish between the two. Removing it risks creating a market where visual differences disappear, but structural and regulatory ones remain. “There’s a real concern that customers may buy something thinking it’s modular… and later discover it was built to a different standard.” “That’s not a position we want consumers to be in.” For an industry built on trust, clarity matters. A Process Built on Predictability

Construction has never been simple

Weather changes. Schedules shift. Costs move. Delays happen. It’s part of the reality builders have learned to work within. Hardiman doesn’t dispute that. But he does challenge the idea that it has to stay that way. 19

“That’s just been accepted as part of the process. But it doesn’t have to be.”

Modular introduces something the industry has historically struggled to control: predictability. “It’s a predictable process,” he says. “Once you say, ‘this is what I want, go build it,’ the timeline, the budget, the design—it’s all locked in.” construction By shifting a portion of the build into a controlled environment, many of the variables that slow projects down begin to fall away. Materials are protected. Inspections are consistent. Waste is reduced. Timelines become more reliable. “You’re not dealing with weather delays or materials sitting out in the rain,” he says. “It’s a much more controlled environment.”

“The cost is comparable to site-built. The difference is that we're building higher quality, resilient homes that are efficient to build and faster to deliver.” —HARDIMAN

But it’s important to note that predictability doesn’t mean compromise.

“You notice I didn’t say cheaper,” Hardiman adds. “The cost is comparable to site-built. The difference is that we're building higher quality, resilient homes that are efficient to build and faster to deliver.”

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MHBA | MBI

Where the System Starts to Break Down

As modular construction continues to gain traction, one of the biggest barriers isn’t capability, it’s alignment.

“We are regulated at the state level, which means there’s 50 different ways we’re regulated in this country,” Hardiman explains.

For companies operating across multiple states, that creates a patchwork of requirements that complicates an otherwise streamlined process. “If you’re building in multiple states, you’re dealing with multiple systems,” he says. “And that adds friction.” Efforts are underway to introduce more consistency through standardized inspection and quality control processes. Some states have adopted them. Many have not. “We’d love to have one standard way to do it.” At the federal level, the disconnect becomes even more apparent—particularly in disaster recovery.

ABOUT MBI

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP

MBI represents the full spectrum of modular construction—bringing together manufacturers, developers, architects, and suppliers to advance the industry at scale.

ADVOCACY & STANDARDIZATION

MBI works across state and federal levels to improve regulatory consistency, reduce barriers, and create a more predictable path for modular adoption. Through research, education, and global collaboration, MBI drives innovation and expands opportunities for modular construction across commercial, and institutional sectors. MARKET GROWTH & INNOVATION

The Segment No One Is Talking About Beyond disaster recovery, another challenge is quietly growing. “There’s very little talk about the missing middle,” Hardiman says. “Teachers, nurses, police officers… they can’t afford housing either.” “These are the people who keep communities running. And they’re the ones getting squeezed.”

“That’s one of the things that drives me nuts. We can do permanent housing in some places, like Hawaii or Alaska, but not others. It just doesn’t make sense.” That limitation shapes how communities rebuild, and how long solutions actually last. “Right now, in most cases, FEMA can only offer temporary housing—HUD-code structures that cost taxpayers a tremendous amount of money to store, transport, and repair. It's a huge waste.” When Speed Becomes Critical In moments of crisis, time becomes the most valuable resource. After the Maui wildfires, thousands of homes were lost almost overnight. The need for housing wasn’t theoretical, it was immediate.

This isn’t a niche issue.

It’s the largest segment of the housing market.

“We really want to zoom in on that segment… because that’s the biggest segment.” And solving it won’t come from a single method of building. It will come from expanding how the industry approaches the problem. “There’s very little talk about the missing middle. Teachers, nurses, police officers… they can’t afford housing either. These are the people who keep communities running. We really want to zoom in on that.” —HARDIMAN

Modular construction became part of the solution.

“Our member companies were able to deliver a couple hundred permanent residential units,” Hardiman says. “In situations like that, speed really matters. And having the ability to deliver housing quickly makes a real difference.”

But those moments also highlight something deeper:

the importance of coordination between industry, government, and policy.

Because when those pieces align, the industry moves faster.

It’s when they don’t, that progress slows.

MOVEMENT MODULAR THE 22

MHBA | MBI

An Industry on the Edge of Change After more than two decades in modular construction, Hardiman has seen the industry evolve—slowly at first, and now with increasing momentum. “You don’t often get to lead an organization in an industry that is evolving like this every day,” he says. Construction, long rooted in tradition, is beginning to shift in ways that mirror the evolution seen in other industries. “I get to be on the tip of that spear,” he says. “Helping to lead the construction industry toward a different way of building.”

“Do your homework, because it is different. And that difference is where the opportunity is. There’s a better way to build, MHBA and MBI can help you get there.” —HARDIMAN

ABOUT MHBA

The Modular Home Builders Association represents modular home builders, manufacturers, and suppliers—serving as a unified voice for the residential modular sector. REGIONAL INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION

ADVOCACY & CODE NAVIGATION

MHBA works to address state-by-state regulatory challenges, supporting members with guidance on approvals, inspections, and code compliance across fragmented jurisdictions. Through industry connections, shared resources, and advocacy efforts, MHBA helps builders navigate complexity, strengthen operations, and grow within an evolving housing market. BUILDER SUPPORT & COLLABORATION

24 MOVEMENT MODULAR THE

MHBA | MBI

A Practical Path Forward For builders and developers evaluating modular construction, Hardiman’s message isn’t complicated. “There is a better way to build, more efficient, more sustainable, more resilient, more productive for your company.”

But it requires understanding.

“Do your homework. Because it is different.” “And that difference is where the opportunity is.”

That’s where MHBA and MBI continue to play their role—connecting builders, manufacturers, suppliers, and policymakers, and helping the industry navigate what comes next. “There’s a better way to build,” he says. “MHBA and MBI can help you get there.” The industry isn’t being asked to abandon what it knows.

It’s being asked to evolve.

Not all at once and not in opposition. But in response to a reality that is already changing around it.

And for those willing to understand it, modular construction isn’t a departure from how we build.

It’s a step toward how we’ll need to build next .

For builders and developers looking to better understand how modular can fit into their business, MHBA and MBI offer resources, connections, and industry guidance at every level .

You can explore more through their official websites: www.modular.org and www.modularhome.org.

Building Not Costs Homes

Written by: Tamara Bellamy Executive Publisher Built America Magazine

Inside ABMA’s new housing strategy—and a candid conversation with FRANCIS PALASIESKI DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AMERICAN BUILDING MATERIALS ALLIANCE

Housing affordability has become one of the defining challenges of our time. A lived reality for families who are working hard, doing everything right, and still watching homeownership slip further out of reach. It’s discussed in policy circles and debated at dinner tables across the country, but it’s felt most deeply by first-time buyers who enter the market and quickly realize how limited their options have become. For the American Building Materials Alliance (ABMA) , this reality demanded more than conversation.

Everyone knows housing is a problem. What’s been missing is a clear path to fixing it

— Francis Palasieski

THE INDUSTRY CHALLENGE

4.3 Million homes needed nationally

Regulatory delays increase housing costs

Demand continues to outpace supply across major markets

With its newly unveiled federal housing proposal, Building Homes, Not Costs , ABMA is stepping forward with a clear, practical framework designed to help builders do what they want to do most: build homes that American families can actually afford.

This plan was developed because affordability is at the center of the conversation right now.

Focusing on Where the Problem Actually Lives

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Where Affordability Breaks Down At the heart of ABMA’s proposal is a clear insight grounded in market data: America’s housing shortage is not evenly spread across the market.

When ABMA examined supply-and- demand data, a clear pattern emerged. At higher price points, supply and demand are relatively balanced. But at $300,000 and under, demand dramatically outpaces supply — leaving millions of families with few, if any, viable options. “That’s where affordability really breaks down ,” Palasieski explains. “There are tens of millions of American families who can afford a home in that range, and simply not enough homes available to meet that need.”

THE HOUSING MARKET AT A GLANCE SUPPLY VS. DEMAND BY PRICE POINT

LOW BALANCED HIGH

RELATIVELY BALANCED

Market conditions are more balanced at higher price points

$700k +

Supply & demand are in balance.

For builders, the challenge isn’t desire. It’s feasibility.

LOW

BALANCED

HIGH

TIGHTENING

Inventory is tightening in mid-price range.

$500k +

Demand is beginning to outpace supply.

Builders want to build where demand exists. But right now, policy-driven costs make it extremely difficult to build homes in the price

HIGH

LOW

BALANCED

SEVERE SUPPLY SHORTAGE

$300k +

The greatest affordability gap exists at $300,000 and under

Demand significantly outpaces available supply.

Editorial illustration based on ABMA analysis and industry data

range American families actually need.

— Francis Palasieski

Recognizing the Cost Drivers Builders Can’t Control Rather than pointing fingers, ABMA’s proposal takes a constructive, solutions-oriented approach — identifying where policy can remove friction instead of adding it.

One of the most significant findings behind Building Homes, Not Costs is how much of a home’s final price is determined before construction even begins. Permitting delays, approval timelines, and inspection backlogs silently add time — and cost — to every project, long before a shovel hits the ground. National data shows that nearly a quarter of the cost of a new home can be attributed to permitting approvals and delays alone. Equally important is ABMA’s focus on restoring clarity and predictability to the building code process. Across the country, builders are navigating an increasingly complex patchwork of state and local mandates layered on top of nationally developed codes — often changing year over year.

“If we can reduce those delays, even modestly, we can make a meaningful impact on affordability, that’s a lever policymakers actually have the ability to pull.” — Francis Palasieski

25% Nearly

of the cost of a new home can be attributed to permitting approvals and delays

Source: ABMA Analysis of U.S Census, NAHB and propriety data

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“This plan isn’t about lowering standards,” Palasieski emphasizes. “It’s about making sure building codes are developed by experts through a consistent, transparent process — not added piecemeal through legislation that drives up costs without clear benefit.” Balancing Safety, Choice, and Affordability ABMA’s proposal recognizes something often missing from the national conversation: affordability and quality are not opposing goals. Examples from across the country illustrate the challenge. Additional mandates — from fire suppression requirements to all-electric construction rules — can add thousands, and sometimes tens of thousands, of dollars to a home’s base price. “When those costs are layered together, homes quickly move out of reach,” Palasieski says. “The result is fewer options for families, even when demand is strong.” ABMA’s approach preserves consumer choice . Families who want additional features can still choose them — but those features should not be mandatory barriers that prevent entry-level homes from being built at all.

well-built, safe, efficient homes that remain attainable for the families who need them most. The goal, Palasieski explains, is balance :

KEY TAKEAWAY

Layered mandates and delays can limit housing supply, reduce consumer choice, and increase costs beyond what many families can reasonably afford.

“These systems have been used successfully for decades.”

— Palasieski

32 MOVEMENT MODULAR THE

Momentum that crosses party lines

ABMA has shared the proposal with senior White House staff and policymakers on both sides of the aisle, and the reception has been encouraging. “No matter who you talk to, everyone agrees on one thing,” Palasieski says. “We need more homes that the average American can afford.” While the proposal is expected to move through Congress, ABMA is also advocating for faster action — recognizing the urgency of the housing shortage and the opportunity for executive leadership to make an immediate impact.

What has resonated most with industry leaders is the plan’s practicality. Practical Solutions With Proven Precedent Rather than proposing untested ideas, ABMA highlights solutions already working in major markets — including third-party inspections and self-certification models for plans and permitting. “These systems have been used successfully for decades,” Palasieski notes. “If they work in complex construction environments, they can work nationally for residential housing as well.” The response has been swift. In just two months, more than 250 businesses, associations, and labor organizations have signed on in support — a rare show of unity across the building materials and construction industry.

250+ Businesses, associations, and labor organizations have signed on in support.

INDUSTRY RESPONSE

The path forward may not be simple, but it is increasingly clear .

“That kind of appreciation benefits existing homeowners, but it also explains why so many families today feel locked out.”

— Palasieski

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A Perspective Shaped by Experience

Rebuilding Affordability Starts With Building Smarter

Palasieski approaches housing policy with an understanding shaped by experience, not abstraction. When he bought his first home less than a decade ago, affordability still felt within reach for a young family. The fact that the same home has since more than doubled in value underscores just how quickly the market has changed — and how narrow the path to homeownership has become. “That kind of appreciation benefits existing homeowners,” he says. “But it also explains why so many families today feel locked out.” It’s a reality that reinforces ABMA’s focus on practical reform: reducing unnecessary barriers so more families have a fair opportunity to enter the housing market and build a future of their own.

America doesn’t lack demand for housing.

It lacks homes that can realistically be built at prices people can afford.

With support from hundreds of businesses, associations, and labor partners, ABMA’s Building Homes, Not Costs proposal is gaining momentum nationwide. With Building Homes, Not Costs , ABMA isn’t just adding another voice to the conversation — it’s offering leadership rooted in data, experience, and a deep understanding of how housing actually gets built. The path forward may not be simple, but it is increasingly clear: when policy removes friction instead of adding it, builders can do what they’ve always done best — build communities, create opportunity, and make homeownership possible again. And when that happens, affordability doesn’t just follow. It becomes achievable.

Learn more at abmalliance.org

Welcome To Built on Trust

AT THE HEART OF EVERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT , partnership, and community is the experience of the people involved. Built on Trust, written by Leah Fellows, is a recurring column for Built America Magazine exploring how customer experience, service, lead engagement, loyalty, and the thoughtful use of modern sales tools shape growth in the built environment. Written for executive and business leaders, the column reflects a simple truth: while beautiful projects matter, it is often the experience surrounding them that determines who earns trust and who wins the market. Through the lens of customer journey strategy, Leah examines responsiveness, collaboration between marketing, sales, and onsite teams, service culture, communication, trust-building moments, process clarity, and the role of technology as a human enabler rather than a replacement. Grounded in real-world experience, the column also draws from the wins, misses, and lessons that reveal what customers actually remember long after the first impression.

Leah Fellows FOUNDER, CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & STRATEGIST ADVISOR BLUE GYPSY INC.

BUILT ON TRUST | A COLUMN BY LEAH FELLOWS

A COLUMN EXPLORING EXPERIENCE, TRUST AND GROWTH IN THE BUILT

ENVIRONMENT Leah Fellows CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & STRATEGIST ADVISOR Wheels Off Debunking Buyer Beliefs About Manufactured Homes

At the heart of every decision is trust. At the heart of every home is a story.

By: Leah Fellows | Blue Gypsy Inc. 01. The Belief Problem Comes First One of the biggest challenges in manufactured housing is that buyers often walk into the conversation with a fully formed opinion before anyone has said a word.

BUILT ON TRUST.

consider unless they had run out of options… and their vision usually has wheels. Once that belief is in place, it shapes the way they hear everything else. That is why this is such an important topic from a customer journey standpoint. When a prospect comes in carrying old assumptions, you are not simply introducing a product. You are stepping into a conversation that is already emotionally loaded. The buyer is not starting from neutral. In some cases they are showing up already skeptical, carrying a belief system that may be outdated but is still very real in how it affects their trust. Preconceived notions are not limited to manufactured homes.

There are many lived experiences that create misconceptions across the board in new home sales. This is where building trust comes in. In my experience, that is where the industry still misses it. We assume the product will do the heavy lifting, when in reality, the perception often gets there first. We cannot act as though better product alone will fix a perception issue. It will not. Product matters, of course, but if someone never gets beyond the stigma, they may never stay in the conversation long enough to understand the value. And sometimes our salespeople never stay in the conversation long enough to understand the true concerns that formed the belief in the first place.

That opinion is usually not based on what the product is today: a well-built home created in a controlled environment that can offer comfort, value, and a real path to homeownership. It is based on an image, a label, or a story that has been hanging around for years. For many people, “manufactured home” still translates to something temporary, something inferior, something they would never seriously

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Buyers Bring More Than Questions 02. When people shop for homes, they bring more than budget and timing. They bring personal history, family influence, social assumptions, and whatever they have heard over the years from people they trust. That is especially true in manufactured housing. Some buyers are reacting to outdated language or labels that no longer reflect the quality, design, or role of today’s manufactured homes. Some are reacting to old product categories such as mobile, modular, or pre-fab - that no longer reflect what is being offered today. Some are carrying around fear about quality, permanence, financing, or resale. Others are not even sure what they believe. But they know the category makes them uneasy. What looks like a product objection is often something much more personal underneath. When we treat these moments like opportunities to display our expertise, we may miss the larger opportunity. To be curious. This is the time to gain greater understanding into the why behind the why that causes them hesitation or creates their misperceptions. If a perspective home buyer says something inaccurate and our first instinct is to correct them, we may just think we are being helpful

There is a big difference between answering a question and earning the right to influence how someone sees the answer.

prospect who is already unsure cannot be met with vague messaging, delayed follow- up, generic automation, or team members who sound disconnected from one another. Buyers notice all of it. And they do not separate the product from the process nearly as much as our industry sometimes assumes. If the process feels clunky, cold, or unclear, the product starts to feel questionable too. That is why customer journey matters so much here. You can pick up hesitation on that first phone call, a pause before someone books an appointment, a brush off phrase like, “I’m just looking.” These phrases can immediately stop the discovery process when handled incorrectly. That’s why we need to be consultative in our approach at the early stages of our interactions, no matter what we are selling. In categories where misconceptions are strong, trust must be designed into the process on purpose. It cannot be left to chance or personality. It is baked into how:

Why This Is a Customer Journey Issue There is a big difference between answering a question and earning the right to influence how someone sees the answer. 03. Manufactured housing is often discussed as a perception problem, and that is true, but I would go one step further. It is a customer journey problem. in giving them the right information. But more often we miss the larger opportunity to find out where that incorrect idea came from and actually connect with our prospect. Most buyers do not want to be educated in a way that makes them feel small. They want to open a dialogue, not be sold-to or feel smacked-down for their beliefs. If a buyer enters the process with hesitation, then every part of the journey either reduces that hesitation or reinforces it. The website, the first call, the speed of response, the tone of the email all makes a difference. The handoff from one team member to another definitely does. This is where businesses lose ground without always realizing it. A

People are welcomed Information is delivered Teams communicate Consistent the experience is from beginning to end

BUILT ON TRUST | A COLUMN BY LEAH FELLOWS

Understand 04. I have never loved the phrase “overcoming objections.” It makes the customer sound like the problem to defeat. In reality, many objections are just places where trust has not been built yet. When buyers have concerns about manufactured homes, they are often revealing where the gap is between what they believe and what they are being shown. That gap deserves more curiosity than defensiveness. If the first instinct is to launch into a polished explanation about why they are wrong, the conversation usually tightens instead of opening up. A better approach is to understand the belief before trying to change it. What are they picturing? What have they heard? What specifically feels risky to them? Those questions matter because they help uncover whether the issue is social stigma, product misunderstanding, financial concern, or simple unfamiliarity. Once you know that, you can actually respond in a meaningful way. That kind of listening does more than improve sales conversations. It changes the entire tone of the experience. The customer no longer feels like they are being managed. They feel like they are being understood. That is an entirely different starting point. 05. The Trust Gap Is Where Good Teams Win This is where strong builders, developers, and sales leaders have an opportunity. The companies that win in this space will not necessarily be the ones with the loudest messaging. They will be the ones that understand how to bridge the 40

Stop Trying to “Overcome” and Start Trying to

trust gap. An adept salesperson will understand how to guide prospects through uncertainty without turning the interaction into a lecture or a fastball sales pitch, helping them feel informed without feeling pressured, and giving them room to rethink the home without feeling judged for their first impression. That matters because many of the people who could benefit most from manufactured housing may be the very people most hesitant to consider it. Some are trying to enter homeownership for the first time. Others are trying to stay within reach of a monthly payment that still works for their family. Home seekers may be downsizing, or looking for practical, efficient housing solutions in markets where traditional paths have become increasingly difficult. These buyers are not fringe buyers. They are real people making serious decisions in a tough environment. If we position manufactured housing as the thing they settle for, they will feel that immediately. If we present it as a viable, valuable option with honesty and confidence, the conversation changes. When I first worked in online sales, I worked for a builder whose homes were panelized. We talked about efficiency, speed, and quality control. Buyers understood that their home would get under roof faster, that templated construction helped create consistency, that there was less waste, and that those efficiencies could help control cost. In manufactured housing, the conversation often has to start one step earlier because you are not just explaining the value. You are also working through the limiting beliefs buyers may already have. Still, both categories share many of the same strengths around efficiency, consistency, quality control, and adherence to standards and codes. That is an important distinction, because buyers are not only responding to the value of the home itself. They are also responding to whether the conversation helps them see that value with confidence or keeps them stuck in old assumptions.

Most objections are not really about the product.

They’re about trust.

Leah Fellows CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE & STRATEGIST ADVISOR

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Marketing, Sales, and Onsite Have to Work Together 06. Another issue that comes up often in customer journey work is disconnect between teams. Marketing says one thing. Sales says another. Onsite picks up the lead with no context. The buyer repeats themselves multiple times and starts to feel like no one is really listening. That hurts any sales process. In manufactured housing, where trust may already be fragile, it hurts even more. A buyer who has finally worked up the courage to ask questions does not want to feel shuffled around. They do not want to explain their concerns over and over. They do not want to get one tone in an email, another by phone, and a third in person. That lack of alignment makes the experience feel transactional, and transactional experiences do not do much to calm uncertainty.

TRUST BREAKS DOWN WHEN THE CUSTOMER HAS TO REPEAT THEIR STORY.

The strongest customer journeys feel seamless from first contact to final walk through.

This is why the strongest customer journeys are built across teams, not within silos.

Marketing should be helping set expectations clearly. Sales should be equipped to continue the conversation, not restart it. Onsite teams should understand what the customer has already asked, what matters to them, and what concerns may still be in play. None of that is glamorous work, but it is exactly where trust is either reinforced or lost.

BUILT ON TRUST | A COLUMN BY LEAH FELLOWS

07. I also think this conversation matters right now because the industry is leaning hard into tools, automation, and systems. Some of that is absolutely necessary. We need better visibility, follow-up, lead handling, and process management. But technology does not build trust on its own.

Technology Should Support the Human Experience

Technology should help teams become more responsive, organized, and consistent. But It should never become a substitute for thoughtful communication. They need to feel that there is someone on the other side who understands both the product and the hesitation. That is where modern sales tools have real value: not in replacing the human touch, but in making it easier to deliver.

People do .

Technology should help teams become more responsive, organized, and consistent… but It should never become a substitute for thoughtful communication. If automation makes the buyer feel like they are being processed instead of helped, then it is working against the kind of relationship the business is trying to build. That is especially important when perception is involved. Buyers navigating uncertainty do not just need information. They need confidence in the people guiding them.

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08.

What We Need to Take the Wheels Off

If the manufactured housing industry wants to change buyer perception, it has to do more than defend the product. It has to become more intentional about the journey surrounding the product.

That means clearer messaging. Better listening. Faster and more personal follow-up. More aligned handoffs. More respect for the emotional side of the buying decision. It means recognizing that old beliefs are not erased by facts alone. They are changed through experience, and experience is shaped by every touchpoint along the way.

The real opportunity is not just to debunk myths.

It is to create experiences strong enough to replace them with trust.

That is the work.

And for those of us who care deeply about customer journey, this is where the conversation gets interesting. Because once you understand that buyers are not just evaluating homes but interpreting meaning, the role of the business becomes much bigger. It is not simply to present inventory. It is to guide perception with honesty, consistency, and care. That is how people begin to see something differently. That is how skepticism softens. And that is how a category that has too often been boxed in by old assumptions can start to be understood for the value it really offers.

Leah Fellows A COLUMN BY LEAH FELLOWS

Built on trust explores the intersection of customer experience, perception and modern manufactured housing.

LIVING, REDEFINED

ARCHITECTURALLY DESIGNED. PRECISION BUILT. BEAUTIFULLY DELIVERED.

THE ELAVATE ADVANTAGE

Built Faster. Built Smarter. Built Right .

Written by: Skyler Grey Editor-in-Chief Built America Magazine

Our mission is to provide an exceptional experience for everybody involved in the project —RANDY ROTHWEILER

There’s a disconnect in how modular construction is understood.

It’s not about capability or quality. It’s about awareness. “We need a more in-depth, educated delivery of what modular is and can be,” says Randy Rothweiler, General Manager of Elavate Modular. It’s something he’s seen play out repeatedly. Clients often walk in expecting something basic. Temporary. Boxed in. Then they step into a finished home and realize very quickly that assumption doesn’t hold.

INTELLIGENT CONSTRUCTION

INTENTIONAL DESIGN

LASTING IMPACT

Full-scale builds, custom detailing, and completed interiors. Structural precision that leaves little to chance. “The longer I do this, the more I’m dumbfounded at how many people just have no clue what you can do if you build a modular home,” he says. That gap between perception and reality is exactly where Elavate operates. Not by trying to redefine modular through messaging, but by showing what it actually looks like when it’s executed at a high level. A Different Kind of Modular Builder

Elavate Modular isn’t structured around volume.

It’s structured around control. From the outside, it would be easy to assume they follow the same trajectory as others in the space—scale up, increase output, standardize process. That’s not the direction they’ve taken. “We’ve always been intentional about controlled growth,” Randy explains. “For us, protecting quality and maintaining strong relationships matters more than scaling for the sake of scaling. Rather than pushing for expansion, the company has built its model around consistency, experience, and craftsmanship. That shows up not just in the finished product, but in how projects are handled from start to finish.

It’s not really all about Elavate. It’s about protecting the modular industry as a whole. —ROTHWEILER

Built Around the Experience, Not Just the Outcome

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Ask what drives the company, and the answer isn’t framed around production targets.

It comes back to people.

“From the moment of first contact… all the way through two to four years after they’ve been living in their home… our mission is to provide an exceptional experience for everybody involved in the project,” Randy says. That includes clients, architects, general contractors, and trade partners. The expectation is that the process works just as well as the final result. In practice, that often means solving problems that extend beyond their direct scope. “It’s not really just all about Elavate… it’s protecting the modular industry as a whole.” That perspective changes the role of the builder. It’s less about executing a scope and more about carrying responsibility for how the entire experience unfolds.

THE ELAVATE ADVANTAGE

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