What is your EXPERIENCE with modular homes?

Question

I have done so much research on modular homes and would like to hear from someone who actually lives in one. I'd like to hear the good with the bad since we will probably buy one. My email is [e-mail]. Many of the homebuilders right off the bat are very negative about modular homes. I've learned modular homes are quite common in Europe and even some prison buildings are shipped over there. I know if modular homes catch on in the US it would hurt the homebuilders, so I don't really want to hear from homebuilders. There's seems to be too much resentment from site builders in the other responses I've seen on the topic of modular homes. The employees of modular home builders have health insurance & benefits, & vacation pay. Sitebuilt builders tire out their workers and they have no incentives. Material gets wet. They don't use expensive computerized jigs like the factories. Modular homes are built to the same code as stick built so why all the negativity?

Answer 1

Based on the answers you have received so far, there is a LOT of confusion about definitions of modular, manufactured, double-wides, etc. Your answerers are confusing double-wide mobile homes and modular stick-built, wood frame homes that are built in a factory. The only thing the two types have in common is that they are built in a factory. I believe that the asker is referring to factory-built, wood-frame, stick-built construction, not double-wide mobile homes. The latter are built to a different building code - called HUD code. The former is built to the standard of local building codes, which is a higher standard than HUD code homes. This may be one of the reasons that HUD code homes may be zoned out of neighborhoods and is one reason they are frequently located in less-than-desirable areas.
It is also possible to find subdivisions that attempt to keep ANY factory-built homes out, including the stick-built, wood frame type. Again, many developers are also contractors and they want the building business for themselves.
You may have already figured out that I live in a factory-built, wood-frame, stick-built home. We live in a mostly rural area with small acreages and rural subdivisions and the homes are quite popular. Ours happens to be in a golf course development in a suburban location. Our local modular builder markets factory-built, wood-frame, stick-built homes from 4 different manufacturers representing several price ranges. At the top price range are Stratford Homes, manufactured in Stratford, WI. These homes permit more customization and they can pretty much build whatever an architect can draw. They require more on-site finishing work as they are not shipped with installed carpet, cabinets, plumbing fixtures, etc. The tab on one local Stratford home with all the bells & whistles is around $600,000. Another manufacturer is All American Homes. This is a more moderately-priced line although our local dealer's current model is an over-the-top 5000+ sq. ft. Cape, All American with a $550,000 price tag. Then there are lower-priced, modest houses such as from Lancaster Homes in Lancaster, WI. These permit fewer layout changes from their standard plans and are generally smaller and more modestly priced. But they all have several things in common: they are stick-built, wood-frame houses built in a factory, shipped to the home site, and set on a foundation with a crane on a crawl space or a basement.
Please do not confuse these homes with those that are set on cement slabs and lined up in "parks" in South Texas or Florida.
Factory-built, wood-frame, stick-built houses appraise the same as a site-built home. There is no way you can tell that it is factory-built unless you either watched it the day it was set, or looked for the label that is fastened to the cabinet under the kitchen sink!
An advantage for lenders is that the client can go to the lender with an exact cost for the modules. There will be no overages or uncertainty on the modular portion.
Another advantage: there is more material (wood, basically) in a factory-built, wood-frame, stick-built home because it must withstand a trip down the highway from factory to building site.
Finally, I'll add that we love our home and will never build a house any other way. I wouldn't be surprised if these homes catch on in a big way in certain areas as they have where I live.

Answer 2

I do not live in a modular home, and frankly wouldn't really mind living in a quality modular. HOWEVER, the problem with modulars is getting financing for them, and then worse yet, trying to sell them when the time arrives to move on. Of late, conventional lenders are simply not providing mortgages for modulars as they are for conventional construction. This is based upon the beatings they took in the market when they had to foreclose on such properties. Lenders are no longer considering a modular as good a risk as they do a conventionally constructed home.

As far as your comment about modulars being built to the same CODE, you are correct. However, take a goodly look at the first level framing of a modular and compare it to a conventionally built house. If you don't see the quality difference, you need new eyeglasses.

Answer 3

i have a friend who bought one and an aunt. my friend bought one because of the cost. it is very inexpensive compared to a "regular" house and the design and floor plan are awesome! everything seems to make sense and there isn't alot of wasted space. the windows are great and it does not feel cheap or different from my own house. now my aunt bought hers less for cost than for maintenance. everything is brand new in her home and prewired for everything she will ever need. she had to have ramps put in for disabilities and it is a perfect home for her. she won't have to paint it in her lifetime and it's a cute little house on a large piece of property (what she saved on the house she spent on land). she was told by a real estate agent that it would gain less than a regular house in the future. so i suppose if you want an investment look elsewhere. if you want a home you can be happy with and spend less money on go for the modular.

btw...my grandparents lived in a mobile home for 30 plus years and were quite happy with it. a modular home is a step up from that and i am sure would be a great choice.

i hope this helps!

Answer 4

I actually work for a company that sells the Fleetwood Manufactured Homes. Are you looking at those? I know some people call the modualr homes and manufactured homes the same things. If this is what you are looking for, let me know and I will tell you all I can!

Answer 5

I am a real estate agent and personally I have nothing against Manufacture or Modular homes, but they are much harder to sell. So if your going to stay in it forever go for it, if you plan on selling it in a few years I'd go with a stick build. Potential buyers will hear the same things you are hearing.
http://www.uthomelist.com

Answer 6

Modular homes have a bad rap, it's because in most areas, if you buy one, they're not in great areas & they don't appreciate well.

They're also a much larger risk for fire (your hazard ins. is going to be higher than if you bought a home for the same price).