Anyone here own a manufactured home?

[CRLLS]

We don't want to convince you......name me something that hasn't changed in the last 40 years.

My name.

I get your point. I'm sure doublewides have gotten better. My experience
was based on only 1 close association of a mobile home (plus a few other less close associations. I guess my point was that over a long ownership period, the construction methods and materials used back then were not made to last like other home constructions. They used to be more like construction of an RV of the same period with paper-thin paneling and pressed wood floor sheathing. I don't know what today's construction is like. Looks can be deceiving. I'm more of a structural bones type and would want to see what is behind the looks.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

^^^^^^^ Still a depreciating asset at the end of the day.

 

[DaveInMi]

Here is the company that built our house.
Check out some of the videos of the process.
Main advantage of modular homes is that the labor cost in building them is much less.
https://www.unibiltcustomhomes.com/

 

[skyking1]

^^^^^^^ Still a depreciating asset at the end of the day.

go reread my post above. we did a title elimination which means that it's not separate from the land. it is appreciated just like a stick build house with the exception of the fact that it was quite a bit cheaper to begin with. The percentage of appreciation has been effectively greater!

 

[Scrapr]

Saw this Shipping Container home this weekend in a home tour this weekend. Thinking about a getaway home. I was pretty impressed. Nice finishes. Price is for the home fitted out in the yard. It's on you to prepare a lot & transport

https://www.relevantbuildings.com/gallery/#prettyPhoto

 

[LakeRat1]

We retired 8 years ago, 7 years ago we decided to go South to Ft Myers, FL and rent for 4 months. We found a community called Palmetto Palms 55+ RV Park. This community has very few old RV Trailers left, a few open lots rent to people with RVs. 685 Lots are owned by the people, there are two pools, shuffle board, tennis courts, volley ball, pickle ball, and horse shoes, library and community hall with all kinds of activities...... The Park Model we have today is 730 sqft, sits on cinder blocks was built in 2005...... Best investment we made..... We did do an extensive remodel, as well we go to Lake of the Ozarks during the summer months ....... Our HOA Dues are less than $140 per month...... We can only have one vehicle ........ But with all that, it still works great for us .....I highly recommend Park Model (PM), Modular, or whatever else these are called ..... Cheap Livin

The homes in our community are priced from 50K (Lots are worth that) to $200K ...... There has not been any problem with anyone selling their homes the past 7 years that we have been here...... We are on our 2nd Place

 

[NoEZmoney]

Manufactured/Mobile Home Park Rental -- BEWARE

Back in the 1980s my company got acquired by a huge conglomerate and laid off about 25% of staff including yours truly. It was a tough time as I had been working in the O&G industry and the biz was seeing a bust so I couldn't find a job in my field. I took an "in-between job" to fill the gap until I figured out my next career move. Long story short: I sold manufactured homes for almost a year.

So the industry has come a long way from those days as there were decent companies but a lot of subpar manufacturers. Quality names like Fleetwood, Schuldt, Palm Harbor, were a few that I found to have higher standards. Formaldehyde fumes was a big deal because of all the toxic bldg materials used in the process on top of the super energy-efficiency/high insulation values of the homes. 90% of what we sold were mostly wood paneling with tons of chemicals. They were pretty good at staying cool or warm depending on season.

We had folks buying better units, putting them on private land, ditching the wheels and adding skirting, landscaping, decks and they were pretty nice. Others on the low-end were typical trailer-park types and they were lucky to get financing.

The standards of construction today are really high for most and the key is roof & joist hurricane strapping, adequate anchoring/foundation securement but they are still going to suffer damage from tornadoes and hurricanes. (what home won't in the path of an F3 or 4). Another thing was particle board for flooring, some companies like Skyline (no longer built I think) had issues with PB getting damp, swelling and falling apart despite guarantees PB was "treated for moisture". I would encourage would-be customers to buy homes with plywood flooring and thicker wall studs (6" instead of 4"), better insulation with vapor barrier in walls & floors. (VB's became a requirement.)

Appreciation in value is a mixed bag. In general, MHs won't appreciate as well as a conventionally built home IN MOST CASES. A lot depends on the zip code. So there's that. Financing used to be limited to 15 years at higher interest than conventional homes but that may have changed. Back in the 80's, financing was rule of 78's and 15 yrs with higher interest than conventional home mortgage. That may have changed but I don't know as I've not looked at MH loans since the 1990's.

The other thing is where you plan to locate it. There have been plenty stories about park owners taking advantage of people on fixed incomes who have no other place to go and in some cases they lose their home. SEE STORY LINK.

So in all cases, get educated if you plan on buying a MH, and as equally important, know the terms of the park you plan to live in because the fine print is really, really, important. I cannot stress that enough.

https://www.npr.org/2016/12/26/5025...owners-can-spoil-an-affordable-american-dream

 

[Cerys]

We bought our old house 33 years ago, and soon after that the lot across the street from us was subdivided and two modular homes were put on it. Around the same time a developer down the way bought up a large lot of land and put several modular homes on it. The houses across the street have run the gamut of use and abuse. Including a 14 car lineup of FBI, local PD and ICE using one of those big log things to knock in a door to break up a drug ring.

I live in a really good neighborhood.

Anyhow, we’re talking some 25 years later, the guy across the street replaced his roof. The building has not been repainted, has not needed it. And they look not unlike what they looked like when they were put up.

Now, down the way, is another story. There were about eight houses put up, each one was different. They were all two levels, though I don’t know if that makes a difference. Within 10 years all of them had faded, a lot had siding issues where the siding blew off or sagged, one caught fire from wiring, and they all looked like garbage. They were much more expensive than the ones put up across the street from me.

Because I frequently go down the road past those other homes, I see them frequently. They have all been repainted at least once, if not twice, there have been multiple remodeling‘s, and frankly they still look like crap. The paint fades quickly, there always seems to be something going on around the foundations that looks funny.

So, I am going to go with the builder/manufacturer really matters. Like everything, there are good ones, and there are bad ones. Do your research. The places across the street for me are going to last. There’s no doubt about it. The places that are a way away, at what point do you stop throwing good money after bad?

By the way, I am not anti-trailer. My grandparents bought a brand new trailer in like 1965. My grandfather died in 1971 and my grandmother made the decision to sell the trailer and move in with her daughter, my aunt. In 2013 or 14, my sisters and I were charged with keeping my aunt busy on her birthday so they could set up a surprise party. And what we did was go see some old haunts one of which was the trailer park where my grandparents lived. And I was stunned to see that the trailer was still there, and in really good condition. It has been freshly painted because the colors were different and it looked really nice. So if a single wide on wheels trailer can last 50 years….so can a well made modular.

 

[ychuck46]

Agreed!

Be sure to place a manufactured home on land you own.

We almost fell in love with a manufactured home community near North Myrtle Beach. No issues with the HOA fees (although I tend to dislike any HOAs I realize they are needed for all the amenities in that development) but I had a big issue with not owning, but rather leasing the land. Would never allow ourselves to be caught in such a situation. The contract stated that the highest increase in land rent on a yearly basis would be 4%. That is only good until they decide they need more and pull something like selling to another shell company which dictates new contract terms. Don't get caught in a leased land situation.

 

[Camas Lilly]

There is a big difference between the construction of a manufactured home and a mobile home. A manufactured home is built in compliance with stick-built homes building code. Mobile homes IMHO are like trailers on a block foundation.

Be sure to place a manufactured home on land you own.

The term Mobile Home ceased to exist in 1975 or thereabouts. Acutally, we do own a 1974 Mobile Home as a vacation residence. Back then, yes there were more like trailers. Not so any more.

There are now Manufactured Homes and Modular Homes. They are built just as well, if not better, than stick built homes now. Yes, they are beautiful and less expensive than stick building. There are some lower end manufacturers, but look around and you will find the good ones such as Champion Homes, Kit West LLC and so forth. It varies in different parts of the country. We currently have an order in for a Manufactured home with Kit West LLC. We live in a Modular home and now moving out of state so buying a Manufactured home. For the price difference of $50,000, there wasn't enough difference between the two. Both are just as energy efficient.

And please stop using the term "trailer". They haven't been trailers for over 40 years now.

 

[kingkarmann]

Dad and his wife live in a manufactured home (triple wide) on the Gulf coast of Florida.
It was probably built in the mid 70’s
It looks exactly like our 1500 square ft ranch home in Ohio.
It’s a typical 55+ gated retirement community.
Now days the older units are being razed and replaced with modern “modular” homes.
I think the only difference is now they haul away the axles.

 

[Ebendana]

We live in one...our second

We moved into a 55 plus community in Central FL where you own the home and rent the lot...great place to live...broke even on the house after living there 5 years, lot rent right about 500 per month, which was half the "market rent"...in 2015 purchased a lot in a Residential Owned Cooperative walking distance to the Ocean in N. Fl, about 30 min south of St. Augustine...we LOVE it...put in a new custom 1,200 sq ft 2/2 manufactured home. It is considered real property and the values have continued to rise...as the old adage says "location, location, location"...Our home has great insulation and very comfortable.

 

[rksparks]

Manufactured homes

I owned one for a couple years in Tacoma, WA in a small park run by the owner, who lived on-site. We had a good experience and, after living (in a stick built home) in Texas, where I taught for 10 years, we bought another manufactured home when we retired back to Washington state, out on the Olympic Peninsula.


We actually bought a condo in a golf course community (mostly having stick built homes, however) about 7 years before that, but never lived there and only rented it out. We'd intended to live there but decided it was a little dark inside.


Looked at some manufactured homes and finally bought in a small park (52 homes) right next to our small downtown—walking distance to everything (that was another reason, the condo was about 3 miles outside of town).



About 1400 sq. feet, two beds/two baths, with cathedral ceilings through the central part of the house, meaning out living room is tall and full of light, as is our bedroom (which is very spacious). There's also a nice utility room.



We did some remodeling (new floors, counters in the kitchen, re-done master bath), just re-painted the outside of the house, and my wife has done lots of work in the garden (small yard, but it's quite beautiful now).


Values don NOT hold as well in these homes, partly because you don't own the land (well, in a park you don't! There are plenty built on the owner's land).


For us, "space rent" is $430/month, and also includes water, sewer, and garbage. Pretty reasonable cost. Property taxes are also lower (duh, you don't own the land!).


For us, at this point in our lives, it's a good choice. Not for everyone, I'm quite sure, but it's working for us.

 

[Camas Lilly]

My name.

I get your point. I'm sure doublewides have gotten better. My experience
was based on only 1 close association of a mobile home (plus a few other less close associations. I guess my point was that over a long ownership period, the construction methods and materials used back then were not made to last like other home constructions. They used to be more like construction of an RV of the same period with paper-thin paneling and pressed wood floor sheathing. I don't know what today's construction is like. Looks can be deceiving. I'm more of a structural bones type and would want to see what is behind the looks.

There is a whole range of quality on Manufactured homes out there, still, but if you look at the more reputable builders, you will find the same construction as stick built. Fleetwood would be one of the lower quality. We are using Kit West Homes, LLC. We are going on our third custom Manufactured/Modular and I've learned a thing or two in the last 20 years. These are good options if you want to build a home on a piece of property. The modulars are built to different codes designed to be allowed in a subdivision. Really with an added insulation package, the only difference between Manufactured and Modular, with a reputable builder, of course, is the framing underneath the home. There are some awesome homes out there. I wouldn't buy anything else.

 

[skyking1]

I owned one for a couple years in Tacoma, WA in a small park run by the owner, who lived on-site. We had a good experience and, after living (in a stick built home) in Texas, where I taught for 10 years, we bought another manufactured home when we retired back to Washington state, out on the Olympic Peninsula.


We actually bought a condo in a golf course community (mostly having stick built homes, however) about 7 years before that, but never lived there and only rented it out. We'd intended to live there but decided it was a little dark inside.


Looked at some manufactured homes and finally bought in a small park (52 homes) right next to our small downtown—walking distance to everything (that was another reason, the condo was about 3 miles outside of town).



About 1400 sq. feet, two beds/two baths, with cathedral ceilings through the central part of the house, meaning out living room is tall and full of light, as is our bedroom (which is very spacious). There's also a nice utility room.



We did some remodeling (new floors, counters in the kitchen, re-done master bath), just re-painted the outside of the house, and my wife has done lots of work in the garden (small yard, but it's quite beautiful now).


Values don NOT hold as well in these homes, partly because you don't own the land (well, in a park you don't! There are plenty built on the owner's land).


For us, "space rent" is $430/month, and also includes water, sewer, and garbage. Pretty reasonable cost. Property taxes are also lower (duh, you don't own the land!).


For us, at this point in our lives, it's a good choice. Not for everyone, I'm quite sure, but it's working for us.

Welcome to the forum, we just bought land in Sequim.

 

[BubbaChris]

In early 2015 we bought a newly-installed-in-the-park mobile home for my mother, sold it in the second quarter of 2018 and lost at least $40K. Purchase price was $155K, then roughly $30K in decorating and upgrades.

A chunk of that loss was in upgrades that we did and couldn't recover the value of (e.g. the walk-in tub). The biggest cause was the space rent in the very small park, approximately $1,400/month at the end.

Honestly it was a nice home and once the warranty items were taken care of, it was trouble free. The location was in Calabasas California, just inland from Malibu. I loved visiting as I could walk to a very nice state park for my morning exercise.

I have no doubt it has appreciated in today's market, but I didn't have much say in the timing. It was bought after my father passed so she would be close to my sister, then sold after I needed to move her to assisted living close to me.

Best regards,
Chris