Building Innovation for Homeownership
Award Winners: North Carolina

PROJECT: Canterbury Communities, North Carolina

SUBMITTER: Ed Suchora, Pulte Home Corp., Maitland, Florida

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Canterbury Communities in North Carolina is comprised of four separate developments, all using manufactured housing. Together, Pinecroft in Youngsville, Lexington in Apex, Bridgegate in Wendel, and Fairview in Fuquay-Varina, respond to the growing housing need in the Raleigh-Durham region. The four developments will comprise more than 350 homes when completed. These suburban developments mark a departure of traditional manufactured communities, and signals the growing impact that HUD-Code has on new housing construction. The Canterbury Community houses are delivered to the site, where additions such as porches and garages are added to make these units look stick-built. Canterbury also combines units perpendicularly to create wings. These HUD-Code houses are also built on permanent foundations, some faced with brick, which allows them to qualify as real estate, financed through conventional, lower-rate mortgages. Mortgage assistance includes a program to pay closing fees. With a suburban layout and durable, low- maintenance materials, the Canterbury Communities offer housing at between .64 and .77 of median price for new construction.

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS: Canterbury Communities, Inc., a subsidiary of Pulte Home Corp. (Mike Furlow, president, Ashton Young, vice president of operations, John Kunkel, chief financial officer, John Haynes, director of land, Patti Crane, general sales manager, Ed Suchora, marketing manager); R-Anell Custom Homes, Inc., (Dennis Jones, president, Darrel Mullinix, sales manager); Gold Medal, Inc. (Randy Hefner, sales manager).