Why Manufactured Homes?

Clayton Home Construction Video and Virtual Tours

2011-10-17T20:33:00.003-06:00

The embedded video below filmed in a Clayton Manufactured Home Factory gives a great sense of how a home is built in a manufacturing environment. Although each manufacturer has their own unique style of building, this video will give you a good primer for how the industry builds their homes.

If you would like to take a virtual video tour of Clayton's Model Homes, take a look at the videos in their tour playlist. You will be impressed by the interior designs of most of these models. Enjoy.

Squeezing Costs, Builders Take A New Look At Prefab

2011-06-16T08:23:00.001-06:00

By Rhonda Kaysen for The New York Times

PHILADELPHIA — A package arrived on a shabby north Philadelphia block in January 2010, wrapped in Tyvek and measuring 55 feet long and 16 feet wide. Inside was a kitchenette, a bathroom and two bedrooms. The only thing missing was the toilet bowl lid. Read More

Million-Dollar Mobile Homes - MSN Real Estate

2010-12-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

Want to rub elbows with stars and the superrich — for millions less than many of your neighbors? Have a look at life in a luxe mobile-home park.

By Leah L. Culler of MSN Real Estate

In the high-priced mecca of Malibu, Calif., you can buy limitless ocean views and unbeatable private beach access from an estate perched on the bluff, for $14.5 million. Read More

Green Building with Mobile and Modular Homes

2010-12-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Sun 12/12/10 04:10:31 pm
by Nat Criss

Do the words "mobile home" make you think of run down trailer parks and shoddy construction? After decades of earning a less-than-stellar reputation, the manufactured housing industry has upped its standards and is touting advancements in green building methods. Read More

NewsRegister.com - Manufactured housing gaining new traction

2010-09-27T10:15:00.004-06:00

Home sales are in a slump in Yamhill County, as they are virtually everywhere in the country. But sales are holding up better for lower-cost manufactured homes than for traditional site-built homes, manufacturing and sales outlets report.

Follow the link below to read the full story.
click here

Economic woes mean manufactured home sales spike

2010-09-18T08:23:00.001-06:00

While much of the housing industry continues to struggle, companies that make modular and manufactured homes say their sales are up. At Oakwood Homes in Greensboro sales are up 28 percent since last year.
http://charlotte.news14.com//Default.aspx?ArID=630090

Manufactured Home Sales Rise - KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, Sports

2010-08-07T12:58:00.001-06:00

Manufactured Home Sales Rise - KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, Sports

Benefits of Our Folding Technology | Custom Prefab Green Homes │ mkDesigns

2010-08-06T19:32:00.001-06:00

Benefits of Our Folding Technology | Custom Prefab Green Homes │ mkDesigns

Advantages of the Metal Chassis Frames

2010-05-11T11:15:00.000-06:00

Frames
By George Porter

This author gives a good argument for why the HUD required metal frame chassis has advantages other than making it possible to transport a manufactured home to its home site. Read More

Manufactured Home Financing Guidelines

2009-12-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

I have just found this informative post about financing manufactured homes: click here

I House in Tennessee News

2009-09-22T15:47:00.002-06:00

Counties & Communities
This New House
By Bill Lewis Sept/Oct 2009

Clayton Homes' new "green" product brings non-traditional buyers to the manufactured housing market

With its distinctive V-shaped roof, rainwater collection system, bamboo floors, tankless water heater, Energy Star appliances and available solar panels and energy saving windows, Clayton Homes' new i-house resembles an ordinary mobile home about as much as an iPhone does a rotary dial telephone. Read More

The Differences between Chattel Mortgages and Traditional Real Property Mobile Homes Loans

2009-08-26T07:20:00.000-06:00

Tue 08/18/09 07:59:16 pm
by Josh Ladick

The recent changes in the American banking system have made the distinction between a chattel mortgage and tradition real property financing more important than it used to be. When buying a mobile home or manufactured home, the first thing your broker will ask is if you will be buying with land or home-only. Read more

Beware of Quality Wholesale Homes

2009-07-14T13:35:00.005-06:00

This post is just a reminder of warning about QWH or Quality Wholesale Homes. I don't want to link to their site again as this might help in their rankings so that they can rip more people off. Their scam is locking you into sending them a $5,000.00 deposit and then adding many hidden charges on top of the list price shown on their websites. This is a complaint made by a poor consumer about getting his/her deposit back: click here to read the tread. Please do not do business with these people. If you want to verify their reputation, check out the Utah BBB rating of "F".

Tough HUD Dispute Resolution & FHA programs open spectacular Opportunities for both FHA and Modular sales!

2009-05-17T16:43:00.003-06:00

Citrus Heights, CA - The new dispute resolution of HUD and FHA programs some of which went into effect January 1st, could turn out to be the best highway to increase sales both of HUD-code and modular homes across the US. Click here to read the entire article.

Basically, FHA and HUD has made buying a manufactured home or modular home more secure. Problems with manufactured homes in the past have been more with installation and set up and not with faulty construction in the factory. Fairly or unfairly, the government has said that the manufactured home builders are ultimately responsible for problems with the set up of the home regardless of who did the work. This burden was up until now placed on the customer to get his or her problem solved with either the retailer/dealer or contractors. Site built homes have always been the responsibility of the builder/general contractor from the ground up to the roof and this was not the case with manufactured homes. Great news.

New Federal Tax Credit Keeps Manufactured Housing in the Affordable Housing Forefront

2009-04-28T14:02:00.002-06:00

PHOENIX, AZ (April 24, 2009) – With President Obama’s extension of the Housing
and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which was signed into law on February 17 and
established the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit, today’s Manufactured Home has
never been more affordable for first-time home buyers. This credit is available for firsttime home buyers, with the maximum credit amount of $8,000 available for homes
purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. To finish reading this article: click here

Safeway Homes was on Discovery's Science Channel

2009-04-18T11:02:00.003-06:00

On Friday's episode of "Build Them Bigger", Safeway Homes was featured as the post-Katrina rebuilding solution for the Mississippi Gulf Coast cities such as Christian Pass. It was featured as a premier modular home builder whose factory built homes can withstand category 5 hurricanes when set up on specially designed pier foundations. It detailed their building processes and how their homes were superior to site built homes. Here is a link to their website: http://www.safewayhomes.com.

Is This The Green Future Of Clayton Manufactured Homes?

2009-04-14T08:33:00.004-06:00

Clayton unveiled their latest green home model "i-house", although from first looks, it's more shiny and silver than green in color. Great modern look. Clayton wants to sell this small home for around $100K and it is so efficient that it runs on "a dollar a day" and includes features such as Low-E windows, solar augmentation, high-efficiency appliances and superior insulation. They have a wonderful online tour that exhibits the exterior and interior as virtual tours. The music is great too. Click here to read another posting talking about this latest Clayton innovation.

UPDATE 05/07/09: Yet another article about the i-house on USAToday.com.

Sure Safe Foundation Systems Video

2009-03-29T18:05:00.004-06:00

This video from Sure Safe Foundations shows an innovative engineered foundation that can be retrofitted to existing homes already sited. The representative on the video says that his foundation exceeds the new HUD code permanent foundation requirement.

Fast-Tracked (Modular) by Rich Binsacca

2009-03-19T16:55:00.001-06:00

The only way we could build a show home on the IBS '09 exhibit floor was to go modular. Here's how we did it and why it proves factory-built housing is the way of housing's future.

Fast-Tracked
by Rich Binsacca

After a decade of building off-site show homes in the host city of the annual convention, we wanted to put one smack dab in front of the industry's face - on the exhibit floor of the 2009 International Builders' Show (IBS) - and make it easy for builders to clearly see housing's future. One that addresses resource efficiency, starting with a responsible footprint and factory precision. One that leverages the best of new and old building methods to create a superior-quality house. And one that, in an extremely tight and unyielding schedule, can be ready for occupancy in about four days. Read More

Mobile Homes Gain New Standing In Delaware

2009-03-19T16:49:00.001-06:00

DOVER -- Residents of Delaware's manufactured-home communities, who have waged hard-fought battles for legislation to protect their rights, could have an easier time of it in Legislative Hall this session. Read more

Start to Finish Installation Video

2009-02-22T16:12:00.002-07:00

Here is a great timelapse video of a three section (triple wide) home being installed on a foundation and finished with a garage and landscaping.

Solitaire Photo Gallery

2009-02-15T08:47:00.003-07:00

Here is a slideshow of various models at the Deming, NM Sales Center. Thanks to Carol Bland for allowing me to photograph the models and add them to my blog.

Some Great Photo Galleries

2009-01-19T14:38:00.003-07:00

Here is a compilation of different builder's and retailer's web sites that display outstanding home model tours:

Palm Harbor Homes

Arizona Champion Factory Expo

Oak Creek Homes

Laurel Creek Homes

Jacobsen Homes

Homark Homes

Fairmont Homes (note: virtual tours not working)

Homes Of Merit Lake City Florida (also has a good web movie)

The Grissim Ratings Guide to Manufactured Homes is a complete listing of all manufactured home builders in the US at the time of printing. I used it while shopping and as a reference for doing research such as this.

Manufactured Home Factory Tours

2009-01-19T11:04:00.005-07:00

I have assembled a nice collection of web site factory tours by various manufactured home builders. The Silvercrest video is exceptional with great detailing and narration.

Silvercrest Factory Tour is the best video tour that I have found so far online. Longer, but worth the time.

Claysburg PA Champion Factory Tour is a good slideshow detailing the manufacturing process.

Homes Direct Of Albuquerque has a photo tour of the Karsten Home factory located next door to their sales center.

The Hart Manufactured Home Builder offers this promotional video slideshow.

Manufactured Home Installation Web Site

2009-01-04T11:51:00.003-07:00

Manufactured Housing Resource, Inc. was founded by George Porter. His web site is dedicated to the installation process of manufactured homes. His organization trains and consults the manufactured housing industry on proper installations. He had written numerous articles on the subject and they can be found here.

Triad Anticipates More Demand For Manufactured Home Loans

2009-01-02T14:49:00.002-07:00

Read this article that is posted on Credit Union Times. Triad Financial Services is a manufactured home loan company and they are anticipating a growing market for manufactured homes in the current economy.

Katrina Cottages Get an Unfair Shake

2009-01-02T06:56:00.005-07:00

When Katrina came barrelling into the gulf coast destroying countless homes, most of us looked on in horror at the human drama unfolding in New Orleans and the Mississippi coast. I personally got involved locally by preparing a friend's unused home for a Katrina family to stay temporarily.

As the horrible event fades in the space of time, I am discouraged at the lack of compassion that residents in Mississippi exhibit in this latest story about rebuilding the hurricane ravaged area. Let's face it. We live in a society of hypocrites. We say that we care about those with modest means, as long as they are not in our neighborhoods.

It seems that the post Katrina rebuilding will only be for the ones who can afford it and the rest be damned. The community folks decided that a great low cost stylized cottage called the Katrina Cottage is not good enough to be a permanent housing solution. These little manufactured homes are cute as all out and very stylish as well as durable. The most important thing that these little gems possess: extreme affordability. Residents in coastal Mississippi worry that their neighborhoods will go down the drain if there are these little houses instead of bloated site built homes. Those concerned home owners hide behind the claim that the cottages will lower their house values. I believe that recent home depreciation may have more to do with the national real estate bubble busting and in the case of the Mississippi coast particularly, concerns over another Katrina-like storm in the future.

Would the people who object to the cottages rather be looking at weed infested empty lots for years to come? Would this really help their newly rebuilt homes appreciate? I believe this is the continued problem of "snob" zoning that has plagued this country for decades. Much ado about nothing is my opinion about their gripes.

Read the article here.

Manufactured Homes and Current Challenges

2008-12-25T10:53:00.012-07:00

Less is more. This is a 19th century proverbial phrase, of unknown origin. It takes on a whole new significance this year. As we plunge into what some experts believe is the most tumultuous times in generations, we are forced to look at how we fit in the scheme of global things as individuals and as a human race. Global warming is almost a forgone conclusion and we must face this challenge with "out of the box" thinking about how to change our ways to become harmonious with the world that supports us. The current global credit crisis and economic downturn is also giving us an even greater urgency to think about how we can change our lives to adjust to the new realities of living with more expensive credit for years to come.

I think that manufactured homes play a critical role in offering a more affordable and less wasteful housing option for future generations. The younger generations may well take the lead in deciding that they want a lifestyle that reflects frugality, simplicity, and less materialism than their predecessors. Less is more.

Manufactured homes are more modest than many of the site built mini mansions that we see dotting the landscape today. Manufactured home builders have always made "more with less" key when designing and building homes. They know that their customers want value for their money but also a comfortable home that lasts. The savings can be significant with up to 25% or more depending on where the home is to located.

The factory building process is more efficient and less wasteful than the site building process. The average home is actually built in only 3 to 5 days in the factory and can be built with 30% less materials and waste than a typical site built home. Also, the home is built without weather related damage, delays, or thefts.

The homes must be built to the standards set forth in the Manufactured Homes Construction and Safety Standards or "HUD Code". This code became law in 1976 and has been updated numerous times since with enhanced requirements for wind strength, energy efficiency, ventilation, and installation on the home site. Comparisons of the HUD code versus the IRC (International Residential Code) have been made by various educational and governmental institutions. A book I read about using manufactured homes in developments gives a great perspective from an experienced home builder: Developing with Manufactured Homes by Steven Hullibarger. Both the HUD and IRC codes offer protection to the home buyer and ensure a well built and safe home.

New trends are emerging in the manufactured home industry that offer the "green" conscious home buyer more choices than ever before. More manufacturers are building energy star qualifying homes with enhanced insulation (higher R-values), energy efficient windows, thermal/vapor barriers, energy efficient appliances, and programmable thermostats. Others still are offering alternative materials for better air quality such as less gas-emitting carpet, paint, etc.

Along with the real estate bust, 2008 has shown us unwelcome price volatility in food, utilities and most of all in gasoline. This year may have been a window into what may be in our future economically. The wisdom to live within our financial means and save is more appropriate now than at any time since the great depression. Mortgage payments should take up less of our monthly income so that we can better navigate whatever the future holds. Many economic experts now urge people to buy homes as shelters and not as the investment vehicles that so many people did during the recent housing bubble.

I believe that the manufactured housing industry will be well positioned when the current credit crisis subsides because they offer more affordability than site built homes.

Why Solitaire Homes?

2008-12-24T16:28:00.018-07:00

After visiting and researching manufacturers and retailers all over the southwest, we chose Solitaire Homes. The main reason for choosing Solitaire over the other builders is the heavier construction and wonderful no haggle pricing.

Solitaire uses real plywood floor decking on top of a 2x3 grid system for added strength. They construct their own heavy duty roof trusses with 2x3s. Door jambs are heavier duty than other manufacturers. All counters in the kitchen and most baths have tiled splash guards. All bath sinks are porcelain. Solitaire builds their own cabinetry and fiberglass tubs/showers. Most of the materials used in their homes are the same as other site builders. All their sheetrock walls are taped, textured and painted, not one piece of VOG board (vinyl on gypsum) around!

Solitaire uses a sprayed vapor barrier on all exterior walls and a "tech shield" radiant barrier coating on the underside of the roof decking. These barriers add additional energy efficiency.

Attics are well ventilated with either large end vents on double wides or under eave and roof top vents on single wides.

Double wides have one and a half inch laminated beams installed on the entire length of each section for added strength at the marriage line.

Solitaire also offers Energy Star Qualified status on their Imperial Series homes standard, not as an upgrade.

Solitaire's one year warranty is covered by their own team of factory home technicians, not third party techs.

The only drawback that I found with Solitaire is that they don't offer customization of their floor plans and not all models are available at all times of the year. They build each model in production runs and you may have to wait several weeks depending on the factory schedule.

Comparing prices to other manufacturers and retailers around the region, Solitaire was about 10-15% on average less than their competition with more standard features in early 2007.

If you live in their sales region of Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, Arizona or New Mexico (or close to these states' borders), you will not regret making a stop at one of Solitaire's sales centers. Their web site is here.

Artist rendering exteriors and floor plans of popular models: slideshow
Note: The preceding slideshow was scanned by me in early 2009 and may not represent current offerings and specifications by Solitaire Homes. You need to go directly to their website for current floorplans.

Solitaire's newly redesigned website shows a great interactive construction detail "tear away" image with numbered features (click here). Click one the number to bring up useful details and pictures.

How to Buy a Manufactured Home Brochure

2008-12-24T14:06:00.003-07:00

Click here to view and download a useful publication (also in PDF form) from the Manufactured Housing Institute. This group is the industry's trade organization and they provide consumer information too.

Habitaflex has a unique and truly mobile home!

2008-12-23T08:11:00.004-07:00

Habitaflex of Canada has an incredible new folding and transportable home! The video will blow you away. This may be the future of the industry in a world of uncertainty. Go to www.habitaflex.com

See the amazing video: click here

Behind The Scenes Video

2008-12-18T10:29:00.002-07:00

This video is a 26 minute informercial that gives a good idea of the advantages of the manufactured home process and the choices that available. Good footage of factory building processes. Enjoy :o)

Click Here

Manufactured Homes and Wind Video

2008-12-16T16:55:00.005-07:00

This is a great video explaining that manufactured homes are built to withhold most weather conditions similar to site built homes. It gives some detailed information about how they are built to last. Enjoy :o)

Click Here

My Manufactured Home Story

2008-12-15T15:41:00.022-07:00

We sold our house (June, 2007) in the middle of town and wanted to live next to our building where we worked. We looked into having a local builder construct a modest home on this site but their long timeline and expensive price tag proved prohibitive for us to do it the conventional site building way.

This is when we thought about possibly a manufactured home. Just to let you know, the part of the county that we reside has more manufactured homes than site built and we have no zoning restrictions on our property.

The first thing I did once we made the decision to go the manufactured home route was buy a couple of books from Amazon named Grissim Buyers Guide to Manufactured Homes and read up on the industry. I read this book with the companion book too. It has given me a great start about builders, the history of the industry, the HUD code that governs construction, and how dealers and financing work. I felt that the author was a little harsh describing the shady side of financing a home, but hey, after the most recent real estate mortgage fiasco gripping the country today, maybe he was being appropriately cautious about the subject. He does give a detailed description of the buying process and what to do for site preparation, getting pre-qualified for financing, etc. The companion book gives a summary of each of the 79 or so current home builders and rates them on a scale of 1-10 for quality of construction. These references are highly recommended for anyone in the market for a manufactured home.

Once we were ready to shop around, we took a tour of most of the dealers and manufacturers in the New Mexico/Arizona area. We saw models from Champion, Clayton, Oakwood, Palm Harbor, Cavco, Karsten, Schult, Fleetwood, Patriot and Solitaire. What impressed me the most initially was the wide variety of styles and options that I would have been able to choose from for a home. From small modest single wide models to large 2,500+ sq ft triple wide McMansions with designer kitchens, almost anyone would be able to choose a model that would make them happy.

Our experience with the sales staffs of different dealers was mostly positive if we had much interaction at all. We usually introduced ourselves as buyers who were wanting to get acquainted with what was available and that we were cash customers. We were given a lot of leeway by most to browse around without any pressure except for general questions about what we may be interested in viewing.

I did have one very negative experience online with an online retailer out of St. George, UT which advertised themselves as "wholesalers" to the public (www.qwhomes.com) and when I contacted them about what we wanted, the salesman sent back a draft of a sales contract with over $7,000 in extra fees not revealed on their web site. Luckily we did not waste time and gas driving to their lot in Utah prior to this incident.

We did meet so many courteous people and dealers that we felt that it was too bad that we would only be able to give our business to one of them. In the end, we chose Solitaire Homes in Deming, NM. This manufacturer is a smaller regional builder which has about 5 factories including the one in Deming. They sell in a five state region and offer what I believe is the best home for by far the best price. We ended up with the smallest home they offered but it still came with many standard features that other manufacturers did not have or had as an upgrade. Ours was a 1,050 sq ft 3 bedroom 2 bath single section home with tape and textured walls (most other dealers offered this as an expensive upgrade only), 2x4 construction, dishwasher, ceiling fans, refrigerated air, fiberglass tubs, ceramic sinks, nicer light fixtures and vaulted ceilings. The construction was sturdier and heavier than any other manufacturer we shopped. Real plywood flooring, sturdier trusses and walls, higher quality door jambs and cabinets plus a great big kitchen island with sink and dishwasher. Our model is the most modest one that Solitaire offers, but we have the advantage of many heavy construction techniques that Solitaire utilizes. We lived in a site built custom home in town that had more draftiness than our current Solitaire home. And the house in town was much more protected from the elements than our current site. Solitaire's high end models offer even more in the way of features and building quality: 2x6 exterior wall, Energy Star qualifications, bull-nosed corners, double paned windows on window sills, 8 1/2 ft coffered ceilings and all brick fireplaces in some models. The only negative that I found with Solitaire was that the customization of the models is very limited and the wait time can be longer depending on when they schedule each model to be built in the factory. Their recently redesigned web site is www.solitairehomes.com. Solitaire's website shows a great interactive construction detail "tear away" image with numbered features (click here). Click one the number to bring up useful details and pictures.

Below this posting is a slide show that exhibits the progression of our Solitaire model being installed and finished. I deliberately included a pictures of the home at the lot to contrast it with our home finished and furnished afterwards. I believe that when you look for your new home, you have to use your imagination and vision of the finished home to realize the real value of manufactured homes as a viable building option. From purchase to final installation, we paid about $50,000 for the home, permanent rock foundation, and utility hook-ups. The covered patio was an additional $9,000.

I am aware that our home is a little too modest for most people, but the cost savings were incredible for us when you consider that local builders were asking for upwards of $200 per sq ft to build a modest home on our site. We did not want to spend more money and pay a mortgage for the new home and this was the best option for us.

Slideshow of modern manufactured homes

2008-12-11T13:33:00.008-07:00

The following slideshow is a collection of photographs that I took during a tour of Homes Direct of Albuquerque. These models are built by Karsten Homes in the Albuquerque plant next door. The slideshow will give a great example of what modern manufactured homes can offer at an excellent price compared to traditional site built homes. Not what you imagined, is it?

I was one of those people that could not see myself living in what I thought was a "mobile home". I toured this home center a few years ago and it changed my impression of this housing option forever. I challenge anyone who has reservations to tour a home center like this one in Albuquerque and still retain your outdated impression.