On May 19, 2013 a mile wide, solid black menacing tornado (the Moore, Oklahoma tornado) swept through the small farming community of Shawnee, Oklahoma.  With the short notice they received from their local news the Smith* family moved quickly to ensure their grandmother and dog were safe. As they left their Solitaire manufactured home they weren’t sure what they would see when they returned.

At Solitaire Homes our first priority is the families we serve. We ensure our families are happy and confident in their purchase by building homes second to none. When our team member Tom received a call on Memorial Day weekend from the Smith family detailing the heartwarming story of how their Solitaire manufactured home was the only home left standing after the EF-5 leveled most of the homes in their community, we wanted to share the story with you.

After surviving the loud whir of the raging funnel cloud and hearing the smashing of materials outside the family left their grandmother’s home to return to their home. Amongst the debris – fallen trees, demolished homes, and battered cars – stood the family’s home as a beacon of hope and normalcy. They were the only family whose home was left standing. The tornado had managed to pick up their Solitaire manufactured home and removed the shims from below. Because of the high quality of Solitaire homes and the fact that they weigh twice as much as any other manufactured home the Smith’s home suffered only a few broken windows and tiny cracks in the walls. The family describes the inside as “nearly perfect” even after it has been lived in for five years and been picked-up and dropped by an EF-5. They attribute it to the fact that Solitaire Homes is committed to using old fashioned hammer and nails in lieu of low quality material like staples to ensure each component of our manufactured homes has been built to stand the test of time.

While we’ve always remained confident in the quality of our manufactured homes, our team at Solitaire Homes was honored to hear this family’s story and be able to share it with you. While we’re proud of the homes we build, we’re even more proud of the unique families who call a Solitaire Home their own.

Discover more about the Solitaire Homes difference by viewing our construction page. You’ll be able to view videos that detail how our homes are built and can even look at floorplans.

* Name changed to protect family’s identity