Home Made Perfect: an eBuilt Homeowner Shares Her Story

A gifted crafter makes a new start—and experiences some big savings—after moving into her Clayton eBuilt^® home. 

Crafting has always been something of a lifeline for Catherine Karr. Whether it’s embroidery, sewing, quilting, or diamond painting, the 68-year-old Kentuckian is happiest when she can keep her hands and mind busy. Through the years, when she wasn’t busy raising her sons or working jobs at a Catholic school uniform company and the cardiology unit at the local Baptist Hospital, she’s created masterpieces for loved ones, including a beautiful quilt for her husband. But two years ago, she put the unfinished pieces of that one away when his cancer returned. After he lost his battle with the disease, she realized moving items out of her sightline wasn’t going to be enough. She needed to move into to a brand-new place that afforded her plenty of space for a fresh start, as well as all of her craft supplies, sewing machines and bolts of fabrics. 

Luckily, she already had a great place to go. Her son Michael offered her land on his London, Kentucky property, just 11 miles away from the home she and her husband had shared. While Karr jumped at the chance to live a little closer to his family—especially her 12-year-old granddaughter— she had to figure out what to put on the land, and she had to do it fast. She simply wasn't sure what the options were. “I wanted a nice home,” explains Karr. Her son came up with the solution: Visit Jason Gambrell, owner of Red Rock Home Center, and see what he had available. 

Gambrell was more than happy to help. “Catherine was in one of those situations where she was selling her house, so she had to have something in the wings waiting. It was a terrifically short timeline,” he explains. Although in most cases, retail partners prefer to order from the manufacturer rather than sell model homes, Gambrell felt like he had to make an exception for Karr. “She was so stressed that I just sold her the display model. I couldn’t tell her no!” he says.

Karr has never been happier to hear a “yes.” Ever since her Richmond model arrived, she’s been living her best life. She lists her craft room, walk-in closet and the house's layout as some of its biggest pluses. “If I'm watching a movie, I can still go in the kitchen and prep on the island, cook and watch the movie,” she says. “What I really like about this place is that it gives me all the room I need, but it’s not huge. I can maintain it. I always wanted an extra bedroom and an extra bathroom for when my son visits from Texas. He doesn't have to go get a hotel room anymore.” 

On top of other amenities such as the large shower, vinyl floors and a porch her sons built for her, the energy-efficient Clayton eBuilt home came with an unexpected bonus: much lower utility bills. “I was really tickled, you know, because I'm the one that has to pay those, so it gives me extra Amazon money,” says Karr. She decided to share the news of her windfall with the man who sold her the home. 

“I was sitting in a meeting, and Catherine sent me a text that said, ‘I just want you to know that last February, my energy bill was $230 at my old house,” says Gambrell. She also attached a photo of her current bill, which was dramatically less. He forwarded the feedback to Donie Wood, Clayton's chief customer officer, and it quickly made its way through the ranks. 

Everyone at Clayton was so excited by the news that the company volunteered to cover Karr’s energy bills for the next year. That means Karr will have even more pocket money that can go toward crafting supplies and building her nest egg. Even better, she couldn’t be more delighted by the whole experience of buying her Clayton home from start to finish. “I'm just so happy. I feel so blessed. I thank God every day for this place. I do. I’m so happy,” she says. “I miss my husband, of course, but this place keeps me from missing him as much.”