Appreciation, opportunities and growth — check out how owning a Clayton home has opened doors to a better life for the Woody family.
In 2017, Robert and Chasity Woody were in their early 30s and starting a family with their two beautiful daughters — Calie and Aria. Robert is a Navy combat veteran and Chasity is a stay-at-home mom who is passionate about raising their daughters and photography — capturing plenty of sweet moments in photographs and displaying them throughout their home.
The Woodys were originally renting a home, but as the girls grew they knew they needed somewhere permanent where they could put down roots; a place for the girls to grow and play, and a home they could truly call theirs so they could build equity and create other opportunities.
“All of the places that we lived were just not to the standard that we wanted to be living in,” said Robert. “We were just to the point where we were like, why are (we) spending all this money on rent when we can just buy a house.”
“You can’t drill holes in the wall in a house that you rent,” said Chasity. “You can’t customize it and make it your home.”
Turning a house to a home
Since the Woody family first purchased their home in 2017, a lot has changed in the household. Calie is now 12 and Aria is now 6, but they are still just as playful as ever. The girls enjoy playing games on the couch, riding their bikes on the community greenway and drinking hot cocoa with Chasity at their kitchen table. Robert and Chasity have worked hard over the years to customize the home for their hobbies as well as for the girls. They painted a chalk wall in Calie’s room because she loves to draw, and Robert built a swing set outside for the girls to play on as well as other fun features.
In addition, Robert started his own woodworking business and has used his own home to show off his handiwork. He built beautiful custom barn doors, a shiplap fireplace and entertainment center, and a custom board and batten wall in the laundry room to hang coats and bags on.
“I didn’t get into woodworking until COVID hit. I was doing everything out of the living room. There was sawdust everywhere. All the places that we rented there was no place that we could do anything with that,” said Robert.
Appreciation over time
There is a common misconception that prefabricated or off-site built homes cannot appreciate over time* the way a traditional site-built home can. However, the Woody family’s home is a testament to the value a Clayton home can provide homeowners.
“When we first purchased our home, it was around $179,000. (After) an appraisal just a couple weeks back (in July 2022), it ended up appraising for around $320,000,” said Robert.**
And homeownership hasn’t just built financial equity for the Woody family, it’s also opened up many other doors for them. Their daughters have been able to put down roots in their community so they can make friends, Chasity has been able to stay home and spend more time with the girls and Robert was able to attend college because of the investment they made.
“If a family member wanted to know if a Clayton home was the way to go, I would say go for it,” said Robert.
*The home purchased was a modular home, which is built to state and local building codes. Appreciation of Clayton homes are not guaranteed and are dependent on several factors, such as location, market conditions, if the home is placed on a permanent foundation, home options, and how the home is maintained. Recent studies have shown that off-site built construction, which includes both modular and manufactured housing, has the potential to appreciate in line with the overall residential real estate market.
** Total package price was $179,500 and includes both the home and land. Appraisal referenced had a final opinion amount of $315,000. The home purchased was a modular home, which is built to state and local building codes. Appreciation of Clayton homes are not guaranteed and are dependent on several factors, such as location, market conditions, if the home is placed on a permanent foundation, home options, and how the home is maintained. Recent studies have shown that off-site built construction, which includes both modular and manufactured housing, has the potential to appreciate in line with the overall residential real estate market.
