2010 was a big year for Excel Homes. With a housing market that had a long way to go, Excel stayed strong and is all smiles as this year comes to an end.

The year started out with three launches that showcased Excel’s ability to recognize trends in the housing industry. The launch of the sprinkler system for residential units is an option Excel made available before many states mandated that they must be included. Excel paid close attention to trends home buyers were interested in and launched its Green Building Program to highlight all of the green features available for each home. The third launch, Starting Line Up home series, was appealing for the first time home buyer and provided a price tag recognized as an ultra-value. All three launches proved to be successful in starting out the year.

Throughout the year many modular manufacturers were still shutting doors because of the poor housing economy. In early June, Excel was happy to announce the re-opening of its Avis plant. This re-opening brought over 100 jobs back to the community and, in many cases, gave jobs back to employees who were laid off over the past year.

And who could forget Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This was a great opportunity for Excel to overcome challenges faced in previous years, aid in the transition of a new management team and change the public’s perception about modular construction. As the season premiere on September 26, the episode was seen by more than 14 million viewers and positioned Excel as a leader in the modular industry.

It’s hard to mention only a few things that happened throughout 2010 because it was a busy year for Excel Homes. We encourage you to look back through our archive of blog entries for the year to read many of the other happenings. As always, you can also visit the Recent News section of Excel’s website to see what is currently going on.

Cheers to a new year that will be successful for both you and Excel Homes.

By now the time-saving benefits of modular and prefab construction are well known. We’ve discussed those perks here on Modular Musings, but the time-lapse video below showing a 15-story hotel in China being built in just six days offers a terrific visual representation of the speed and efficiency that prefab construction allows. Said one website of the project:

The work crew erected the hotel – a soundproofed, thermal-insulated structure reportedly built to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake – with all prefabricated materials. In other words, a crew of off-site factory workers built the sections, and their on-site counterparts arranged them on the foundation for the Ark Hotel project. Despite the frenetic pace of construction, no workers were injured — and thanks to the prefab nature of the process, the builders wasted very few construction materials.

At Excel Homes, we appreciate when others acknowledge our builder partners’ excellence within the industry – like the case of New Jersey’s Zarrilli Homes.

The readers of south Jersey’s Asbury Park Press recently acknowledged the excellence of Zarrilli Homes by naming the modular home builder and Excel Homes partner as the “Best Modular Builder” of 2010 in the newspapers’ annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

The honor is well deserved, too. Zarrilli Homes not only exemplifies what it means to be a custom modular home builder, they’re also building more homes than ever before. Said Zarrilli Homes Founder and President Anthony Zarrilli in a recent Asbury Park Press article: “We refuse to participate in what many call a housing downturn. In fact, we’re about as busy as we’ve ever been.”

The third-generation company has more than 40 years of real estate and building experience. Along with his father and brothers, the Zarrilli family recently celebrated its 40th year of successful, premium custom home building at the New Jersey Shore. Current projects include homes in Pelican Island, Seaside Park, Point Pleasant Beach, Brick Township, Sea Girt and Red Bank, with many units in the 4,000 and 5000 square foot range.

In this recurring blog entry, Yana Peifer, Wells Fargo sales manager, Systems Built Division, will answer reader questions about buying a new home and the financing process. If you’d like to ask Yana a question, submit your inquiry using the “Ask the Experts” links on the right.

JANELLE K. OF ALLENTOWN, PA, ASKS: What’s the real difference between different lenders? I’ve heard that you should shop around for a mortgage lender, but if the interest rates are the same no matter whom you go to, does it really matter which bank you use?

Good question, Janelle. You’re right that there are a lot of similarities among lenders, but the real differences are in knowledge, integrity and reputation, and those factors can be just as important as interest rates.

The bottom line is, it’s not just about price anymore. You need a reliable person to navigate you through the transaction. You need to look past interest rates and more toward a lender’s programs.

Almost everywhere I go, someone asks “what are today’s interest rates?” My response is usually “how much money do you make, what is your FICO score, are you looking to build or buy a new home and how long do you want to live there?” This is typically followed by a blank stare.

In other words, the current rates are only one small part of the overall formula. When we at Wells Fargo qualify a consumer, we look for the best program or programs that fit their needs, giving them an option to choose the best rate based on their individual qualifications. One borrower doesn’t always fit into the same program as the next borrower. The difference among lenders is that some banks realize that and will take the time to find out more about you and your interests.

It’s been five months since the girls of Boys Hope Girls Hope Baltimore moved into their 11,000-square-foot home built by Excel Homes and ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team. That’s plenty of time for them to settle in and make it, well, more like home. Speaking of making it more like home, below is a photo of Charlene, a residential counselor at the Boys Hope house, in the kitchen during the girls’ Thanksgiving celebration.

We decided to check in with the girls to see how things are going and get an update on what life is like in their new modular mansion.

HOW HAS YOUR LIFE CHANGED SINCE YOU MOVED INTO YOUR NEW HOME?

“Since I’ve moved into our wonderful home, I study more and have lots of fun with my new sisters!” (Destine, age 12)

“So far, life has been good. I like it a lot and it has been a great experience that I appreciate more and more each day.” (Milan, age 12)

“My life has changed because I am studying more and doing all of my homework now.” (Lasha, age 17)

“I love the house overall and study time, because I get my work done.” (Shaolin, age 14)

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE NEW HOUSE?

“My favorite things about the new house are the upstairs bathroom and huge kitchen.” (Destine, age 12)

“My favorite thing about the house is my room because it is so awesome.” (Milan, age 12)

“I really appreciate the study time because I get my work done, which makes me happy.” (Lasha, age 17)

“My room is my favorite part of the house because it is everything that I am inside and out.” (Shaolin, age 14)

IF YOU COULD ADD ONE THING TO YOUR NEW HOME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

“I would like to see an elevator added.” (Destine, age 12)

“One day I hope that I can add a TV in my room.” (Milan, age 12)

“I would like to add more lounging space for our friends to come over.” (Lasha, age 17)

“I would like to have a computer in my room with Internet connection.” (Shaolin, age 14)

HOW ARE YOU DECORATING THE HOUSE FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

“We are decorating the house with lots of Christmas decorations on every floor.” (Destine, age 12)

“There are all types of Christmas decorations throughout the house!” (Milan, age 12)

“We have placed lights all over the house.” (Lasha, age 17)

“We have two Christmas trees!!! We have lights and gift bags all over, and we hung stockings over the fireplace!” (Shaolin, age 14)

Recently, ABC-TV affiliate WCPO in Cincinnati featured the story of a couple who were “shocked, absolutely shocked” to learn that the home they purchased was, in fact, modular. The homeowners were under the impression that their dream home was stick-built and wouldn’t have bought the house if they had known it was modular.

The couple’s lawyer (they’re bringing a suit against the developer who sold them the home) claims the home will now be worth less because of its modular history and that prospective home buyers will “attach a stigma, right or wrong, to a modular home that would not be attached to a stick-built home.”

Thankfully, the article does a good job of presenting the counterargument (that modular homes are every bit as good – if not better – than their stick-built counterparts), but the homeowners’ shock and dismay is proof that the modular construction industry still has work to do in the fight against negative perceptions like these.

The developer at the heart of the matter addresses concerns about the home’s structural strength by pointing out that “modular homes actually hold up better because they are glued and bolted for transport, not simply nailed.” There are other reasons modular homes are stronger, a fact that has been proven by FEMA studies mentioned here on Modular Musings.

As for the fear that their modular abode will be “worth less” than the Joneses’ stick-built dwelling next door, that’s simply not true. Modular homes appreciate and gain value the same as any other house. At least as far as the bank is concerned. We’ll admit that prospective buyers might be wary of the home’s modular origins, which can affect the value of the home in their minds, but that’s the image battle we mentioned earlier, and one we’re working hard to win.

Modular Musings was launched “way back” in 2008 (which, in blogging years, really is a long time) and it’s evolved quite a bit since our first “Welcome to the Excel Homes blog!” entry. That’s why it’s nice when our blogging efforts are recognized by our peers, as they were very recently on the Modular Home Builder blog by Mod Coach, a man who knows a thing or two about modular blogging and has been doing it long before just about anyone else has.

In a December 1 entry, Mod Coach rated the blogs of dozens of modular home builders and Excel Homes’ own Modular Musings was among the few that received a coveted Gold Star. A big thanks from the entire Excel Homes blogging team goes out to Mod Coach for his acknowledgment of our hard work.

We’d like to return the favor by praising Mod Coach for his blogging efforts. Although many modular blogs have popped up over the past few years (most of which, like ours, are designed to promote a particular builder or company), Modular Home Builder is one of the rare few that serve the entire modular construction industry.

Mod Coach’s blog was (and still is) a regularly-read resource by the Excel Homes team and was the inspiration behind the start of our own foray into blogging.

At every Excel Homes manufacturing facility, we build every home with attention to detail. That includes keeping each module as clean as possible, inside and out.

Cleanliness is actually one of the many benefits of the modular construction process. Building homes indoors prevents wind, rain and other natural elements (like tiny things with lots of legs) from getting into the home while it’s being built. That can happen in a stick-built home, but it can’t happen to a modular home. In fact, even when the modules are completed and are being transported to their final destination, they’re tightly sealed in a waterproof plastic wrapper.

While each module is being built, our workers are careful not to track in dirt or allow dust to settle in areas where it shouldn’t. And at the end of the line, a finishing team goes through each modular to clean and touch up any areas that might need it.

Below is a photo of the base of a module at the beginning of the construction process. A plastic cover is used on the floor to keep dust and dirt off of it, even though this surface will later be covered with carpet or tile. That’s right – even in places where you’d never see the dirt, we take measures to make sure it stays clean!