We are so discouraged by the existing houses we have been looking at that we're going this weekend to look at a manufactured home open house about an hour away. Has anyone bought a manufactured home that can give me some insight as to what to expect, i.e. do we just go and pick out a model we like and "they" do the rest -- finding a lot, putting in the slab foundation, hooking up the utilities, etc?
Any advice would be really appreciated. Anything to look out for, anything you would do differently?
Thanks. 1|1|We have a prefab modular|mo6g02|crazylady47952@yahoo.com|08:44:24|06/02/2011|
We had to have our own lot, hire someone to dig it out & put the slab in, hire someone to do the electricity & dig the water lines. It was 24 yr. ago in may that we put ours in & if I remember correctly it cost me abut $2500 extra to have all this done. We've been very happy with ours & it held up good, we just in the last 3 yr. replaced a couple floors, sided & put a new metal roof on.
Donna
http://www.freewebs.com/mo6g02/
2|1|Are you looking at Manufactered homes or Modular homes?|pussecat|pu55ecat@aol.com|08:58:52|06/02/2011|
Manufactered homes are Trailers................ they do not need a foundation (slab) however Modular homes do. I bought one with my 1st "Ex" back in the 90's and I can tell you from experience, they degrade FAST. Now, I know that they can be kept up and last a very long time however, unlike homes built on a true foundation, they DEPRECIATE in value rather than APPRECIATE in value over time. A trailer or modular home will NEVER be what it was worth on the lot again. It's much like a car, once it leaves the lot, it's value DECREASES. While Patrick and I were looking for a home we got discouraged as well and looked into trailers and modular homes. Yes, the appeal of something BRAND NEW that could be designed with the paint, wall paper, and ammenities we wanted sounded VERY INTRIGUING, however, in the long run, after purchasing land (which was very hard to find in Jax) we would have spent the same amount of $ on a trailer or modular home as we did on the home we purchased. Another thing to take into consideration is the weather you have in your area. Here it is extremely humid in the summer (thus causing damage to the home) and we are prone to hurricanes............ so that means even if a cat 1 was headed our way our "safest" bet would have been to leave. In the home we bought we can stay for up to a cat 3 comfortably and safely.
I would say look at them, get an idea of what it is you REALLY WANT in a home, but I wouldn't buy one. It took Patrick and I almost 3 years to find our home, however, 3 years after purchasing it, WE STILL LOVE IT! We have a 4 bedroom, 2 full bath, 1500 sqft home complete with a Florida room (add on) and we're sitting on 1/2 an acre in the heart of Jacksonville (and that much land where we are is nearly unheard of). After we looked at the trailers and modular homes we found OUR home roughly 5 months later......... Looked at it, loved it, looked at 4 more, came back to it and put in an offer that day! It was ours 3 weeks later.
Don't give up hope, your house is waiting for you............. it just may not be ready yet. Ours was a flip and it was just starting to undergo renovations when we were looking into trailers and modular homes. We literally WATCHED our home transform and didn't even realize it when we'd drive by every other weekend to look at other homes. When we went to meet our new real estate agents (long story) we drove right past this house ............ I said to Patrick "I know it isn't that one, we've been watching it being renovated for 5 months!" so we drove past it. We weren't very far down the street when we realized we had to turn around and low and behold,it WAS the house we were supposed to be at. It was OUR HOUSE! Keep up the search, I know you'll find what you want and what you need. Good Luck!
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4|2|Manuf homes in PA are required to be on concrete piers or a foundation........|cldt67|cindy123@zoominternet.net|22:34:05|06/02/2011|
Single wides are required to be on concrete piers. Double wides can be on either concrete piers or foundations. And its now a state law (as of Jan 2010) that if you have a foundation, you must have a sprinkler system put in. The home buuilders association are trying to get that over turned. Cindy 3|1|i live in a manfuactured home ( trailer) that was built in 1974|ppe1952|matwell3@rochester.rr.com|16:44:06|06/02/2011|
they are like any other house- you have to do the maintaince. the new ones have nicer windows and doors. peaked roofs instead of the old flat ones. some of the newer ones are absolutely great. i have been in a few here and the are totally awesome. the have everything a person could want, from 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths, and new appliances,( many include dishwasher). like any home buying experience be sure it is what you want. i live in a "community" and you will have to pay lot rent so be very sure this is the palce you want to live for a long time.
DO NOT meddle in the affairs of dragons for YOU ARE CRUNCHY AND GOOD WITH KETCHUP! 5|1|My cousin put up a modular home years ago It was a split level one with a two car garage underneath. She loved it so much they|teener|teenerzacsneenee@yahoo.com|22:59:22|06/02/2011|
added on to it a few years back You would never no it by looking at it that it was a mod 6|2|Our house is a modular....built in 1952....it has a full size basement, and we have added on to it about 7 yrs ago....we had no idea it was a modular until we went to add on, and DH saw the bolts....it is a VERY solid house. :)|saint6811|waylan@comcast.net|08:52:20|06/03/2011|
" You'll get what's coming to you ... Unless it was mailed."
7|1|One thing you should ask about (from our experience in adding on to our home), is how thick the walls are.....there may be new codes in place since ours was made in 1952, but our walls werent made with 2x4s on edge, they were 2x2's, so when we gutted rooms, we restudded the walls with 2x4s and redid the insulation....|saint6811|waylan@comcast.net|08:54:01|06/03/2011|
" You'll get what's coming to you ... Unless it was mailed."
8|2|Something to consider: your mortgage company may charge a higher rate of interest|Sara_s_Mom|IClipCoupons@gmail.com|09:13:51|06/03/2011|
I know from way back when I did real estate closings for an attorney that people who bought modulars without a straightforward foundation paid a higher amount. A friend who did buy a modular couldn't refi her high rate without putting a foundation underneath. The reasoning is that a home that's affixed to a foundation isn't going to be taken away in the dark of the night... banks want to see a permanent foundation under what they're lending money to buy.
Also, if you live in a tornado/hurricane prone area, Jackie does have a huge point. 9|1|Mine is a modular.....|maraj|maraj64@hotmail.com|09:47:58|06/03/2011|
I didn't know it was a "put-together" house til I had it inspected right before the closing.
It was build in 1978 & put together over a poured concrete basement. Because it was 30 yrs. old when I bought it & had only 2 previous owners who were elderly couples, I didn't expect perfection but I've only had some minor issues & normal updating to do on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modular_building
If you check out Wikipedia (above) on modular homes, take note of the part under "Building Strength" where it says that FEMA found modular homes to be more durable than the on-site stick-built homes, standing up better during the wrath of hurricane Andrew, likely due to the added lumber, etc. required to support the sections when transported from where they were built to their permanent location.
I sure hope it's true about the durability, especially my roof w/the crazy weather we're having this year. :( My shingles are curling & have gotten pretty brittle so I'll be pinching pennies for awhile to save up for either new shingles or putting tin/steel over the existing shingles. Not a cheap update. Yikes!
Smile... it makes people wonder what you're up to!
Please identify yourself in 1st email w/name/username. Due to recent problem trades, if I haven't traded w/you before, I will probably require you send your end 1st or I'll need LEGIT trade references/feedback. I will be happy to provide the same. IF you plan to hold your end til you've received mine, I will need to know that IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE trade is finalized.
10|1|Question?|Arizona|vbj48@cox.net|19:50:12|06/04/2011|
Do the modular or manufactured homes have basements or are they just put on a concrete slab?
11|2|It would be your choice.|maraj|maraj64@hotmail.com|20:15:45|06/04/2011|
It's really up to you & whatever type of home you choose.
If you already own a piece of land or have a parcel in mind that you plan to purchase, it would be up to you if you wanted to have a basement put in before moving the modular or manufactured home onto it. If moving into a mobile home park, there are no basements as there are just lots that the manufactured/mobile home is set up on & anchored down, & the mobil home park lots are owned by a someone else (the landlord) which you would pay lot rent to whether you, yourself, own the mobil home or not.
But if you have it in mind to purchase a manufactured or modular home that's already set up on private property, not in a mobile home park, I guess it would then depend on whether or not the original owner had it put over a basement or a slab.
My modular home was put in over a basement by the 1st/original owner but my next door neighbors' modular home was put in over a concrete slab. The land that our houses sit on is owned individually by each of us as well, separate parcels of land, so it was up to each original owner at one time to put in a basement or slab.
HTH. :)
>Posted on Jun-04-11 at 07:50 PM (Eastern)
>by 68.98.101.58Do the modular or manufactured
>homes have basements or are they
>just put on a concrete slab?
>
Smile... it makes people wonder what you're up to!
Please identify yourself in 1st email w/name/username. Due to recent problem trades, if I haven't traded w/you before, I will probably require you send your end 1st or I'll need LEGIT trade references/feedback. I will be happy to provide the same. IF you plan to hold your end til you've received mine, I will need to know that IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE trade is finalized.
12|3|Thank you for your detailed answer. You explained this very well.|Arizona|vbj48@cox.net|20:34:13|06/04/2011|
You made it very understandable. Vicki :) 13|1|Whatever you decide the best advice I can give you is|tollman62|thebossatnight@yahoo.com|21:13:06|06/04/2011|
have more than 1 bathroom and lots of water shut off's that way you can fix a sink, toilet etc without losing total use. If you decide to build on say an enclosed porch you the same size lumber you are attaching to larger or smaller will cause pull away and you will have leaks. good luck with your house hunting
email me if interested
please send your board name in your email thanks
I am looking for offers in concealed cash ayor, no fee paypal, Stamps or BTFE or make an offer in????
I mail all my trades from the post office and get a receipt.
you always hear noises in the dark when you work at night 14|2|I have only one bathroom but.....|maraj|maraj64@hotmail.com|22:10:20|06/04/2011|
You're so right about the shut-off valves. There were no shut-off valves on any of the plumbing fixtures here so I had those put on right away, when I had the toilet & faucets replaced w/more up-to-date, energy efficient ones. And I bought one of those flow-control valves at Ace & was able to install that myself on the shower head stem.
Another tip, go w/Moen instead of Delta for faucets. Delta is becoming more common & Moen is a bit more expensive upfront but Moen is of much better quality & durability besides easier to find replacement parts such as the rubber faucet washers.
I also had an exhaust fan installed in my bathroom cuz despite having a window in there, it didn't draw the steam/humidity out like an exhaust fan does.
Always, ALWAYS have the plumbing & electrical inspected before purchasing, especially the circuit breaker/fuse box & the heat provider (furnace, boiler, etc.) & hot water heater. If no GFIC plugs by water sources (sinks, tubs, etc. or exterior outlets), make the seller install them & have any other risks fixed by legit/licensed person before purchase or have the costs deducted from purchase price if you'll have to hire someone yourself to do it after purchasing.
Alot of safety, elect., plumbing & building codes have been updated & changed over the yrs. so if purchasing any type of home that's over 10 yrs. old, I strongly suggest having at least the above inspected as a must & updated at some point.
For example, building codes around here no longer allow homes w/attached garages to have a window in the entry door going from the house to the garage. I'm guessing it is a safety precaution w/the glass. This applies to new homes being built & any licensed carpenter hired to replace such a door.
Another new building code is that all new homes must now have exhaust fans installed in the bathrooms, whether there's a window in the bathroom or not.
Smile... it makes people wonder what you're up to!
Please identify yourself in 1st email w/name/username. Due to recent problem trades, if I haven't traded w/you before, I will probably require you send your end 1st or I'll need LEGIT trade references/feedback. I will be happy to provide the same. IF you plan to hold your end til you've received mine, I will need to know that IMMEDIATELY, BEFORE trade is finalized.
15|3|thanks for all the responses.......|KellyJef|burke3536@yahoo.com|23:47:39|06/04/2011|
I've gotten exactly the kind of information I was looking for :)