Anyone here own a manufactured home?

[disneysteve]

We were in Florida recently and spent some time scoping out developments and neighborhoods where we might like to buy a place. One evening, we went to visit a friend who moved down there several years ago. They rented a condo the first year or two and then bought a place in a manufactured home community.


She said she was shocked. She thought she would never be interested in that but once they checked it out, she totally changed her mind, and we can see why. The houses are quite nice. It's a wonderful community of about 900 homes. There's a nice clubhouse and facilities for residents. The HOA seems to be quite reasonable in their rules and regulations. And the prices are tremendously lower than stick-built housing in the area. They've been there for 3 years now and love it.



I'd love to hear from anyone here who owns such a home. How has your experience been? Pros and cons? Any tips for someone who might be considering buying one?

 

[pb4uski]

I don't, but there are at least 3 homes here on the lake that were manufactured homes and 2 of the 3 are high end homes... 1 is well over $1m. We looked into it for a while for another property that we had and were impressed with the process and the construction quality.

Today, they can take just about any plan you have an chunk it up into modules as long s you're ok with the common walls being wider than normal.

 

[Brat]

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.

 

[skyking1]

We bought one new in 1995 and put it on an acre and a quarter. it's been relatively worry-free. I've updated over the years, but nothing that I wouldn't have done to a similar stick built house.
I think the community that you're describing is more important than the structure. Finding a place where you fit in is priceless.

 

[Souschef]

We live in a +55 Mobile Home Park in South Central Coast California. When DW's husband died, she could not afford to live in her home. She visited every senior MHP in the area, and found the one we are in.
She found a unit she liked, with a view of the mountains from the porch. She put a deposit on it, waiting for her house to sell.
Long story short, we met, married, and moved here in 2007.
Our home is 1400 sq ft, 2BR,2 BA, living room, dining area, and den/office.
The home is well constructed, and has needed minimal maintenance. Over the years we have upgraded things, only because we wanted to.
Plantation shutters
Refaced kitchen cabinets and new drawers
Hardwood floors
Upgraded appliances
Replaced wooden decking with manufactured planks
Attached is a copy of the floor plan. What we like is there are 2 entrances to the kitchen, and it is what we call a 2 a$$ kitchen, where both of us can work at the same time.

 

[razztazz]

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.

I will provisionally beg to differ. I have been living in a "manufactured home" i.e. "mobile home" since 2005. What you have referred to above as "manufactured home" is a "modular home." Modulars are built to normal site-built specs and building codes but built in a factory and the chunks are assembled at the site. My GF had a modular home on Moose Lake in MN. Looked and felt like a regular house. MY house is a manufactured home in a "manufactured home community." AKA a mobile home in a trailer park.

 

[razztazz]

I'd love to hear from anyone here who owns such a home. How has your experience been? Pros and cons? Any tips for someone who might be considering buying one?

I do not live in any kind of a Senor Citizen's community. It's just a trailer park but not what people usually think of when they think "trailer park."

My biggest complaint is if you need maintenance many contractors don't like to work on them. This is usually plumbers and electricians. Some things, like skirting, are very unique to manufactured houses so there has to me a contractor who does that stuff. Also, doors, windows are sized differently than a regular house so "finding parts" might not be as easy.

I understand Florida has loads communities so there might be loads of mobile home contractors in the area. So no problem there.

 

[SnowballCamper]

I grew up in one, and my brother lives in it (we're mid 40s). My dad got another one after my mom died and lives in it with my stepmother. There were manufactured, brought in on a trailer, and put on a permanent foundation.

Having done some maintenance and upgrade work on one when I was a teenager, I would not buy one. But I spared little expense in the quality of the house I live in, triple pane windows, metal roof, slab on grade with in floor radiant heat (but of modest size ~1400sf).

I'd say there are a very reasonable alternative to the stick built, and being built in a climate controlled factory is a definite plus for quality control. But not a home that would have much value to subsequent generations IMHO.

 

[disneysteve]

I do not live in any kind of a Senor Citizen's community. It's just a trailer park but not what people usually think of when they think "trailer park."

The development our friends are in definitely isn't what most would think of as a trailer park. It looks and feels like any other housing development. The homes are spaced out on the streets. They all have concrete driveways and there are sidewalks. The homes all have covered car ports and screened in lanais. It all looks very permanent, definitely not like something anyone would hitch a truck to and pull it away.

My biggest complaint is if you need maintenance many contractors don't like to work on them. This is usually plumbers and electricians. Some things, like skirting, are very unique to manufactured houses so there has to me a contractor who does that stuff. Also, doors, windows are sized differently than a regular house so "finding parts" might not be as easy.

I understand Florida has loads communities so there might be loads of mobile home contractors in the area. So no problem there.

I was wondering about maintenance, but as you said, it's an area with many such homes so there is probably more access to contractors than there might be in other areas. This development alone has over 900 homes. That's probably enough to keep a plumber or electrician or two busy enough. This is definitely something I need to ask our friends about though.

 

[Souschef]

I would like to make a distinction. The old single wide "tin can" mobile homes are being phased out in favor of manufactured homes. These are stick built at a factory and joined together on site.
I have attached a photo of ours.

 

[Car-Guy]

~15 years ago, we bought a new 2000 sq ft manufacture/mobile home for our country retreat... We used one of the builders standard floorplans but we got to pick all the colors, flooring, appliances, etc... We did some upgrades and for extra strength, we had them install hurricane straps in framing build-out process... (That option was dirt cheap) I think the DW and I liked it better than any regular house we've own before or since then.... Easy to maintain and never had any problems.



I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.....

 

[disneysteve]

I love this site. I didn't expect so many replies from folks who own these. Thanks for all of the input so far. Makes me a lot more interested in considering one.

 

[skyking1]

A typical manufactured home construction involves digging a foundation, pouring runners at a minimum, removing the axles and tongues and blocking them up. Then skirting is installed and backfilled.
A true modular set involves removing the home from the frame that brought it there, setting it on a traditional foundation.
I did this work when I first moved to the Puget Sound area 40 years ago.
We did some crane sets on full basements. Those are hairy for the crew!
With the typical set, the floor joists are lagged to the steel transport frame. It is very strong, and was designed to go down the road at 60 MPH. You can't say that about a stick built home
We went through the Nisqually earthquake without a crack or problem.

 

[youbet]

. My GF had a modular home on Moose Lake in MN.

Which Moose Lake? There are several of them in Minnesota. I'm familiar with the Moose Lake near Northome and don't think there is a modular home there. But I have noted their popularity since getting a contractor and crew to sign up to build a stick built home up there is tough.

 

[Ramen]

I used to own one. Permanent slab foundation on my own rural land. It was rock solid and beautiful -- metal roof, log siding, upgraded interior. Excellent home and value. I'd seriously consider doing it again if only I could find a place to put it legally in a place I'd want to live -- i.e., a walkable neighborhood in town. Seems location is the biggest challenge. Around here, park communities are generally not in walkable parts of town, and I no longer want to live in the country. For some general info, I highly recommend this book:

The Grissim Buyer's Guide to Manufactured Homes & Land
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0972543627

 

[skyking1]

We may do our small subdivision and allow them in our CC&R's. The city itself does not care one way or the other.

 

[pb4uski]

I will provisionally beg to differ. I have been living in a "manufactured home" i.e. "mobile home" since 2005. What you have referred to above as "manufactured home" is a "modular home." Modulars are built to normal site-built specs and building codes but built in a factory and the chunks are assembled at the site. My GF had a modular home on Moose Lake in MN. Looked and felt like a regular house. MY house is a manufactured home in a "manufactured home community." AKA a mobile home in a trailer park.

In our neck of the woods, manufactured and modular are the same and are stick built in a factory in modules and then transported to site and the modules are assembled together.

A mobile home is on wheels and much less stoutly constructed.

And I guess that a double-wide is somewhat in between but more towards the mobile home than modular.

 

[razztazz]

In our neck of the woods, manufactured and modular are the same and are stick built in a factory in modules and then transported to site and the modules are assembled together.

A mobile home is on wheels and much less stoutly constructed.

And I guess that a double-wide is somewhat in between but more towards the mobile home than modular.

A double wide is a mobile home not a modular home despite the fact that it comes in "modules." Different laws govern the definitions of these types of construction: Modular vs mobile/manufactured home. Mobile homes are not on wheels any more. I am talking about legal definitions.

 

[Going camping]

This is a very informative thread. Thank you for asking the question disneySteve!

I've been researching a Boxabl home. They now have competitors so I'm hoping by the time we are ready to downsize that these will be readily available.

Here is a link to Boxabl FAQs.
https://www.boxabl.com/faq

 

[bearkeley]

We were first inspired to retire early by Billy and Akeisha from the retireearlylifestyle.com blog who lived in a mobile home community in the US when they weren’t traveling or living abroad.

We didn’t quite go that route, but are in the process of investing in a 55+ manufactured housing community in Florida. It’s a syndicated investment where the trust (we will own a very small percent) purchased a community in a desirable location near Tampa Bay. An investment will be made to upgrade the amenities, upgrade infrastructure, build new homes on vacant lots and increase land rents and ultimately, the ROI to investors.

The neighborhood now is favorably rated by its residents and it looks like a cool place to live. The homes they plan to put in are beautiful (attached is a picture of one of the optional homes but probably not the best for a 55+…I just personally like it!).

Given the location, upgrades and lower cost of living, it should be a great place for retirees and snowbirds, like the others in the area. It’s really a lifestyle model.

There’s a lot of great places to live in Florida and a lot to do! Enjoy!

 

[street]

In my area that is all you see when it comes to new homes. The ones I have seen are beautiful and the plan is exactly what the home owner wants. I wouldn't hesitate one minute on buying one if I was in the market. They are a stick built home just not built on site and are great quality. IMO

 

[old medic]

We have owned two homes that fall in this category...
Our 1st was a true tin box trailer, 14X72, and know many around here that happily live in them. I personally am happier living in our 36Ft 5th wheel than setting up another "Trailer".
Our 2nd was "SOLD" as a Modular home. 2200 SqFt, just 2 half's, 2X6 framing, thermopane windows, finished 1/2 inch sheetrock, hardwood floors. Steel frame set on piers, block perimeter foundation, crane needed to set the roof. The issue we discovered was many of the items used were the same size as Moblehome construction. Doors, sinks, the way the wiring was done... Then the government, financial, insurance value surprises.... Taxed as a MODULAR... AKA higher... financial/Insurance, its a MOBLEHOME... a lower borrow value but higher insurance premium...
Our son bought a "Modular" nearly identical size and construction, except all standard house construction items. Crane lifted the the 2 halfs onto a prebuilt foundation, no steel frame. It was 3X the cost and tax value as ours.
Now last year the new neighbors installed a true Modular. They sat and spec out what they wanted, and the company came and installed a full basement of panels, poured the floor. Then a parade of sections trailered by and lifted into place by crane over the course of the next few days... over $500K ...

 

[prudent_one]

I don't understand the nuances of the terminology (modular/mobile/manufactured). I think this is what you're asking about.

My parents had a 3br/2b ranch home built when they retired and moved south. It was factory-built in two pieces and everything was just like a stickbuilt-on-site home. It was set on a concrete slab, no basement. Lived there for 18 years, only issue they had was a small ceiling crack where the two halves were joined that developed a couple years after they moved in. Patched it and painted, no more issues.

 

[Ramen]

The confusion about terminology is understandable. The book I linked to above explains it all. Admittedly, I read it many years ago and might be forgetting some details.

Basically, as I recall, a manufactured home is built on an I-beam frame and must be able to withstand being transported on highways to its destination while hitched by a removable tongue on its frame. The house might be in one, two, or three sections, but once any sections are joined, the house is complete.

A modular home, as I recall, does not involve an I-beam frame and requires more assembly on site. This allows for more variation and customization in design and architecture.

"Mobile home," according to the book, is an outmoded term that has no legal meaning. "RV park model" is yet another category and is as close to a "mobile home" as you can buy now, as it is designed to be moved at will with a pickup or an SUV. It's also quite small, I think around 400SF.

Bottom line is factory homes have some advantages and are highly regulated, so generally there is good consistency with quality of construction. There are parts of the country where I would not trust any local builder to build a house as solid as a factory home or even one I'd want to pay for.

YMMV, of course. If you don't like the factory offerings, then it's back to the traditional market anyway. I did a ton of research when I bought my manufactured home 15 years ago and was glad I went that direction. I'm not interested in owning any home now, but if I ever change my mind, I might look at this option again.

 

[ivinsfan]

In my area that is all you see when it comes to new homes. The ones I have seen are beautiful and the plan is exactly what the home owner wants. I wouldn't hesitate one minute on buying one if I was in the market. They are a stick built home just not built on site and are great quality. IMO

JMO but a stick built custom home is becoming more and more rare. If you aren't buying into a developer type new neighbor the cost of custom homes is getting prohibitive.



How many times have we had a poster come and say, I want to build a custom retirement home on my 5 acres and the cost per foot is mind blowing?