hey all : anyone know much about modular homes ? housing out here is rediculous. anyway, i see modular that are quite reasonable comparing to regular houses.would like to know if anyone lives in one and what to watch out for. i know they are not trailer houses.supposed to be constructed well.how do they compare to regular homes and what to watch out for.people tend to shy away from them.maybe it,s the old thought of being a trailer.open to peoples opinions.thanks....joezee

 

I think that the term "modular home" has broad and varied meanings. A friend of mine has a beautiful modular home. It looks like a classic 2 story center hall colonial and has quality construction throughout. Excellent finish work in the interior of the home. Crown mouldings, chair rail, hardwood floors, tile, quality kitchen appliances, counters and cabinets. Others I've been in that are billed as a "modular home" are simply a doublewide or triple wide set on a brick/block foundation with typical trailer construction; moulding covering the wall panel seams, low end windows with storm windows on the outside, low end kitchen cabinets, etc. In my town there is one for sale right now, for the outrageous price of $138,000. I'm sorry, it's a doublewide - it looks like a doublewide and has the quality of a lower end doublewide.

 

Modular homes aren't created equal. If you were familiar with construction, it would be fairly easy to determine if the house is built to traditional building codes. Ask to see the construction details or even better visit the plant where it is made. It is a small inconvenience for such a large investment. If you don't know your stuff, find someone to review the information or go with you to a construction site.

Everything is called 'modular' these days, check with your local tax office. Give them the information, they can tell you if it will depreciate or appreciate in value. That alone should answer your question.

 

Manufactured homes, modular homes and trailers are loosely defined terms.

If you buy a manufactured home, you can take the wheels and axles off it and place it on cinder blocks or a permanent foundation. At that point it can be a manufactured home or a modular home. Many insurance companies (State Farm in SC) have some added rules to apply. (Steps and porches must be permanent, etc.) The taxes are cheaper on a manufactured home, but the insurance is higher. The modular home has cheaper insurance and is covered from water damage if the roof rips off and rain comes in from above. Water rising from the ground up would require flood insurance at higher prices. Manufactured homes (trailers with or without wheels) have flood insurance in the policy.

Many states have their own terms and laws and yours might not be similar in how they work. All of them vary in fit and finish quality, big time.

 

I put up a modular home in 1985- 1500 sq. ft. ranch. I then added a breezeway and 3-car garage. Here in New York, "modular" means it's built to all the same state and local building codes as a conventionally-built house. Although I'm sure some eyebrows were raised when it was first delivered ("trailer!"), no one can tell the difference anymore. In fact, I have to take people down into the basement and show them the seam to prove to them it's a modular. I saved approx. 20% going this way vs. custom-built, and I think I have better quality. There have been virtually no problems (a few cracks in the drywall when it arrived after its 240-mile trip, and the builder corrected them immediately); try to find someone that can say that about any of your local builders! My house is worth the same as any other comparably-sized home around me- the fact that it was made in a plant has no bearing on its value. In addition to the hardwood floors, triple-glazed windows and 16" o.c. construction throughout, its incredibly well-insulated and has finished drywall ceilings. Local builders I talked to wanted a fortune for that last feature, and just try to install crown mouldings up against a "popcorn" or "stucco" ceiling. Overall, no regrets- it's been a great house. Most important: the builder or dealer that you're working with. Get references, get a list of their customers, check with local Better Business Bureau. The construction of the house is held to a strict standard; unfortunately, the builder is not.

 

Manufactured homes are any housing that is delivered to the site. Frame built houses are site built. Both of these must meet/exceed basic Dept of Housing and Urban Development codes. IE 2x4 studs at a minimum of 2' exterior, copper wiring, etc etc etc, roof load for the area, wall wind force load(not sure proper terminology). This is all in order to get VA/FHA loan approval. All sorts of forms have to be submitted. Any builder has to do the same.

Secondly, I will argue about the depreciation thing. All houses depreciate, and the land appreciates. Now, the manufactured housing may depreciate faster, but I doubt it. We have bought and sold many mobile homes on lots and have never lost money. We always sold it for quite a but more than we paid. That is here, your housing market may be different.

 

Correct definitions:

Mobile home: Built to a Federal construction code, not nearly as strict as most states. The FHA code, enacted in 1976, provides minimum safety standards. The metal frame is an integral part of the structure and must remain under the home as it rests on concrete piers or blocks.

Sectional: A mobile home built in 2 or more sections. Designed primarily to be set on a concrete pad or concrete blocks, they can be modified to rest on a conventional perimeter foundation. Built to the same code as a mobile home.

Modular: A factory-built home designed and constructed to meet local housing codes. They may arrive on a flatbed or frame, but this is for initial transportation only. The home must be placed on a perimeter foundation.

 

 

My friend Dan has what I guess you could call a modular home - his whole neighborhood is made up of houses that are built of modular parts (I want Kitchen "A", Living room "B", with master bedroom "D") All the pieces are brought in on a flatbed truck and stuck together.

Not a bad way to go, IMO - it's fine for a first house (he's 24) and relatively cheap.

XXL

 

We are in the process of installing modular office units at the landfill where I work. Having been closely involved in developing the specifications for the units, I got a good education on modular. I looked at lots of photos of modulars and the high end models were undistinguishable from on site construction. Here in CA, the units are approved under the authority of the state Housing and Community Developement Dept. The only thing the local Building and Safety Dept had to approve was the foundation. Were were able to spec the roofing type (stone coated steel- looks like tile), the siding (fiber cement siding- looks like ship lap wood), interior finish, etc. We expect the buildings to easily last the remaining 50 years of site life and post closure maintenance. Although the building costs are comparable to on site construction, the savings are in the design and time factors.

 

1997RangerXLT-

I grew up in a mobile home park, worked all my summers at the dealership that was a part of it, and sold mobile and modular homes for 10 years after that. We sold Vindale, Holly Park, Marlette and Schult mobile homes: the best in the business. (Fleetwood and Champion were always trying to get us to sell their crap; we'd always tell them to hit the road.) Show me a "trailer" with 16" o.c construction and finished drywall ceilings, and I'll vote for Rush Limbaugh if he ever runs for office. "Most all quality trailers have these"? Give me a break. I'm afraid this is one argument you can't possibly win.

 

I had a Sierra 14x70 mobile home years ago while I was in college. It had 2x4 @ 16"O.C. construction but it did not have a drywall ceiling. The ceiling was made up of panels kind of like drop ceiling panels but stronger.

When a tornado ripped thru the trailer park where it was several years later it was the ONLY home left standing. It had been knocked off of the foundation and required new siding, roof, and windows. It had been beaten to death by flying debris but it was intact. All the homes on every side were gone as well as all the carports and cars. Just one standing home in a sea of debris.

 

I sold the sheetrock ceiling panels (4'x12') already textured. Many are now ceiltex blown in from the factory. My Horton is 13 Years old and is all 2x4 wall studs on 16 inch centers (including interior walls) and a full eight inches thick where interior walls join and are doubled. The roofs are FHA 235 three tab shingles just like your house. My floors have 3/4 inch structure wood (OSB) where many houses Are 3/4 chipwood (floor underlayment) over 1/2 plywood. Sorry but you loose, please don't vote for Rush, he's not running anyway.



Anyone out there have or have seen sheetrock ceilings in a mobile home?

 

One thing msot mobile home dealers don't tell you is although the walls are 16" O.C. and 2X4 construction, the top and bottom plates are usually 1X4 and there is no double top plate like that found on typical site built home construction. The second 2X4 on top is actually used in home constuction to tie the inner and outter walls together for added strenght.

 

I worked at a mobile home lot a few summers back. I mostly set them up, and when we did, we done it right the first time. The quality of most of the homes was acceptable, not spectacular, but OK. I would have bought one if I were in the position. I can reccomend not to buy a jaguar, as most of the call backs were for those.