Sheri Koones is on a mission

"'It's not only my message, it's my mission,' she says in a telephone interview from her home in Greenwich, Conn. 'The benefits are enormous in every area from cost to the environment. My goal is to change the way people look at modular homes, and I think we're moving in that direction.'

Her view is supported by statistics supplied by the National Association of Home Builders, which notes that modular housing production increased 48 percent from 1992-2002 (the most recent statistics available), and that one of every 10 homes in the Northeast is modular....

She can quickly tick off a list of their assets: energy efficiency, durability, reduced construction costs, reduction of construction waste, and superior construction conditions that aren't subject to the ravages of Mother Nature....

For those who might question the wisdom of constructing a home off-site and dropping it into place atop a prepared foundation, Koones asks: 'Would anyone think it's a good idea for Ford to drop off parts to a car in your driveway and expect someone to put it together? That's the same principle.'"