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Homeowner Forum / Construction / August 2005Manufactured Housing Questions
[ I'm not sure if this is the best group to post this in. If you know of a better group let me know. ] Hello, I am considering a manufactured home because they offer a very attractive price point. However, based on what I've read on various message boards I am having serious doubts as to the viability of these homes. To make matters more difficult there are no less than three key players in the process each of which seem to have a history of probelms: 1) Manufacture 2) Dealer 3) Setup and Installer It seems that any or all of these player can ruin your home buying experience. My question is basically this. Based on the horror stories I've seen here and elsewhere is there any real point in considering a manufactured home? Are there people out there who have had good luck with their manufactured home? How can one make sure they get a good deal and their home is delivered and installed properly? Also, are the rates of dissatisfaction of manufactured home owners significantly higer than "traditional" home owners? They also have their fair share of problems. I really like the cost savings of a manufactured home but I don't even want to get involved if it's something that I'll regret the rest of my life. (I'm going to put down a sizeable amount of cash for the down payment -- at least it's sizeable to me :). I look forward to your comments. Kent I have a modular/manufactured home and it is solid...for the last 5 years at least. I'm satisfied with it. Compare your statistic with the problems encountered with developers/general contractors and you might find manufactured housing a better/manageable solution. Check references and only do business with people you feel comfortable with...and discuss ahead of time how you will deal with potential problems. > I have a modular/manufactured home and it is solid...for the last 5 > years at least. If you are in the U.S., it is either a modular or a manufactured house, not both. Here is another consideration - looked at these things several years ago - hard to sell in my neck of the woods - might want to ask - if u can find one - a knowledgeable real estate person. When sellilng you might have to take quite a beating. Some outfits will allow you to view their construction assembly. This helps for comparisons, if you know what to look for. Some provide a list of buyers who may allow you to personally ask questions that you generally list. A manufactured home does not come with land and utilities. Some will contract the utitliy install for you. Others, you're own your own. Otherwise, you can lease a lot for that purpose. If you live in a potentail high wind area, a poorly built manufactured home can be a major problem. And may even be a survivability concern for both you and the home. > [ I'm not sure if this is the best group > to post this in. If you know of a better [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > > Kent Kent: I not only sold 'mobile homes' I lived in two of them I was a customer. Analyze the hell out of this situation and you still come up with a mobile home built to lesser standards that a stick built home. My sister went through your situation and for the same reasons. She bought a Palm Harbor double wide. I was impressed and even went to the factory with them. However the result was still poor plumbing, weird wired switches, no eves - water runs down walls with vertical seams in the siding, no attic for air to circulate, vynal wall board that curls at the joints, ...... I just built a home which has already gone up in (tax) value $20K. Your mobile home would have gone down in value. BTW - I went with a builder who builds 'track' houses on your property and paid $54 sq. ft. fully completed with appliances, flooring, an attic with ridge vents, and 100% brick. I think this was 10-15% higher than a 'quality' mobile home. I would suggest looking for a non-custom builder or subscribe to one of the services that give you a list of reposessions and tax sales of homes. Good Luck, Gus >[ I'm not sure if this is the best group > to post this in. If you know of a better [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > >Kent Manufactured Housing doesn't necessarily mean mobile home. We live in a 2600sqft Cape Cod that is a manufactured home. It has 2X6 exterior walls and 2X10 floor joists. I had a friend that is a builder look it over and he said that while there are a few things he would have done differently, he couldn't fault the construction. Plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and building are all code-compliant. It is on a 9-foot basement. It has increased in value the same as a comparable stick built home. Other than being built in 2 pieces that were put together on-site, the construction is the same as a stick built. No metal underframe, tongue, or car-type title. Standard switches and wiring. Standard plumbing fixtures. Ken > Kent: > [quoted text clipped - 79 lines] >> >>Kent > Manufactured Housing doesn't necessarily mean mobile home. We live > in a 2600sqft Cape Cod that is a manufactured home. It has 2X6 > exterior walls and 2X10 floor joists. Yes, it does, at least in the U.S. By your description, it sounds as if you live in a modular house. There are legal descriptions that apply to each, and are recognized by everyone involved in building, financing, etc. >> Manufactured Housing doesn't necessarily mean mobile home. We live >> in a 2600sqft Cape Cod that is a manufactured home. It has 2X6 [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > There are legal descriptions that apply to each, and are recognized by > everyone involved in building, financing, etc. I concede your point, but I guess the question now is did the OP know that when they posted. > [ I'm not sure if this is the best group > to post this in. If you know of a better [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > > Kent Mobile homes are much better than they once were though as someone pointed out they still have some problems. One good thing, at least here in Texas is that they are tax as real property, not real estate which is a considerable savings. One of the major drawbacks is how they are financed, since a regular bank won;t touch them. Generally the dealers get their profit out of the front end of the note - high closing costs. You might also check with your secretary of state's office to find out who owns the dealer, the installer, the finance company and any one else making money on your deal - surprise! often they are one and the same. The good news is that if you can arrange cash or independent finance you can get the home for 30% and less of what they are asking. Thanks for the replies.... I guess I failed to mention that it would be on private land and a permanent foundation. One of those "little" facts that might make a difference! :) Manufactured = Mobile Modular = stickbuilt just not on site In most areas of the country Modular is no different than site built for any purpose including resale. In fact there is no difference I would take a standard modular over site built 90% of the time from a reputable builder. Construction techniques are almost identicle and once its up you cant tell the difference from stickbuilt.if its done right. In North Carolina for some weird reason a modular home has a data plate just like a mobile home and you take a BIG hit on resale. >I guess I failed to mention that it would be on private > land and a permanent foundation. One of those "little" > facts that might make a difference! :) > Manufactured = Mobile > Modular = stickbuilt just not on site To take it a step further: All manufactured homes (U.S) have to meet the building standards set forth by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). Modular houses have to meet the same building code that a stick-built house has to meet in whatever location it is going to be placed. Buying a trailer house (manufactured house) is the equivalent to buying a car. The day they roll it off the lot, you've lost money. The homes themselves don't appreciate (although the land they are parked on might). SO. >[ I'm not sure if this is the best group > to post this in. If you know of a better [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > > Kent |
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