More than 40 percent of local Quadrant sales go to military families.

While the housing market isn’t in great shape, people still need roofs over their heads.

“Even in these tough times, a new sold sign goes up in our neighborhood every week,” said Kathy Dorr.

Kathy and her husband, Dickson, moved into The Ridge at McCormick Woods in Port Orchard in October 2008. Dickson will retire from the Navy after 26 years of service this fall and Kathy said they are happy to be in their retirement home.

“It feels really good, let me tell you,” she said.

Since January, more than 40 percent of all Quadrant Homes sold statewide were to military families, according to the company. Quadrant communities, like The Ridge at McCormick Woods and Stendahl Ridge in Poulsbo, may be located close to military bases, but that’s not the only reason military families like the homes.

“These families are looking for value, stability and quality,” said Quadrant Homes President Peter Orser. “It’s more house for less money.”

The Dorrs have moved 13 times throughout Dickson’s military career, purchasing several houses along the way. Kathy said Dickson researched Quadrant Homes, they checked out a neighborhood, then decided to build a home in the Port Orchard neighborhood.

“We knew what we wanted in a house because we’ve built, we’ve remodeled,” she said.

The Dorrs went to the Quadrant Homes showroom in Lacey and designed their home with the help of the Quadrant sales staff.

“It was a lot of fun,” Kathy said.

“We really envelop the customer in the process,” Orser added. “It takes a lot of the risk and anxiousness out of the process.”

The average cost of a Quadrant home is $277,000 and Kathy said the Quadrant base model alone is great.

“They’re getting a lot of house for their money,” she said. “It’s a good deal.”

Quadrant Homes are constructed in 54 days, which allows military families to better plan move-in dates and Kathy said the construction crew definitely had their home completed in the short timeframe.

“They stay right on schedule and the guys are so clean,” she said. “Everything is kept so nice and clean.”

“We have a very structured process. It’s very predictable and sometimes their own lives aren’t so structured,” Orser added.

He said he recently toured Northwest Landing in DuPont and came across an empty house. The husband and wife, both in the military, were deployed to Iraq on Day 49 of the 54-day construction process, but still wanted the house.

“They felt comfortable enough to still close on the home,” Orser said. “They were very excited to know that they had a Quadrant Home waiting for them when they got back.”

Military personnel serving overseas can electronically sign a purchase and sale agreement for a Quadrant Home and receive Web updates throughout the construction process, according to the company.

Eighty-five percent of Quadrant Homes are sold to first-time buyers, but even seasoned homebuyers can appreciate the streamlined Quadrant Homes process.

“I would build another Quadrant home in a second,” Kathy said.