Prefab Rehab

Unlike older prefabs, even the smallest of the new designer models are often highly customizable. Steven Quinones-Colon of Crockett, Calif., added a darkroom and a printmaking studio for himself and a Jacuzzi for his 11-year-old daughter to his Glidehouse. "It's small, but it's designed for the way we live," he says. Graves' two Lindal models offer buyers the choice of several exterior trims and room additions. "Our kit-of-parts approach allows people to make lifestyle choices as well as choices of colors, materials and details," says Graves.

And as these designer prefabs become more popular, the increase in volume could help drive down prices. Kaufmann and her husband Kevin Cullen, a builder, say that day has already arrived, at least on their block. Before Kaufmann began mass-producing her Glidehouse, she and Cullen constructed a custom-designed prototype for use as their residence. The price: well above $500,000, not including land. Recently a neighbor purchased a kit version of the house and built the identical home just across the street — for close to half the price. Says Kaufmann: "Every day we look out the window and think about what a great deal they got. We're still trying to get over it."