Mr. Saulnier said, "If there was more effort put into the design, they could be more widely marketed. They're doing a lot of it all over the country, and they meet or exceed code in most cases."

Mr. Saulnier said several homes on Bald Head Island are system constructed. Transporting components, versus loose building materials, to the Island is more economical and practical.

The architect said there is more advance planning required with the modular construction. For example, if you bring in a home and it doesn't perfectly match the foundation, it's a major "uh-oh." Also, the home is complete whereas in an on-site built home modifications can be made during the construction process.

"There's no difference in technique except that you build from the inside out versus outside in. And you can seal it up," he said.

He explained, "It's a stick built home built in a factory. You need to design the house with