# Manufactured vs "Traditional" Homes



## FaeLeaf (4 mo ago)

I'm hoping to purchase a home with land at some point in the next year. I have a handful of states and areas that I'm considering, but what I'm stumped on is manufactured homes. I see a lot of them that are more affordable, and they actually usually look very nice. When I try to look up information on whether or not a manufactured home is as good as a "normal" or "traditionally-built" home, I get tons of conflicting information. And then sometimes they're called mobile homes, while other times it seems like mobile isn't the same as manufactured. Some sources say that manufactured homes are terrible, have no insulation, leak easily, and generally just depreciate over time. Others say they're no different and are a very good investment if you want to save money. 

I'm just wondering if I can and should consider the nice manufactured homes as an option? This would be a permanent residence where I'd be homesteading and raising a family. I imagine this home will stay in the family and never be resold (unless it happens after I'm long gone and dead), so I'm not terribly concerned about resale value, though depreciation is definitely not a selling point. Just wondering if it's worth it to consider it and what I may want to look out for if I do pursue one.

Any enlightenment and guidance would be awesome. Thanks!


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## Adirondackian (Sep 26, 2021)

Im not a building expert but Ive owned 4 homes in my life [ all traditional ] and consider myself a handy guy. IMO if you are looking for multi-generational longevity in a home you should be looking at traditional homes. Currently I own a 100 year old farmhouse. Constant upkeep but the bones are built really well. Beams made from hewn logs, foundation from local stone. I doubt youd get this kind of longevity out of a manufactured house.


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## The Paw (May 19, 2006)

There is a lot of ambiguity in the use of the term "manufactured home", so you will get mixed messages. My take is:

1. If it has an undercarriage with axles that you can affix wheels to for purpose of relocating it, it is most accurately called a mobile home, sometimes "trailer" (not to be confused with a recreational travel trailer).

2. Mobile homes are now built to a much higher standard than back in the old days. Many use 2x6 wall construction and have good workmanship. But that will vary from maker to maker, so you need to research specs.

3. Mobile homes are generally considered personal property or chattel, and are treated differently as an asset. This affects both their depreciation and their use as collateral.

4. What I would call a "manufactured home" is normally a home that is build off-site using conventional design and then trucked onto the site. They achieve some efficiencies by manufacturing close to their stock of materials, and can build in giant warehouses, away from weather. Sometimes they are modular in nature, where the different components are bolted together on-site, sometimes they are trucked as one entire structure. They are usually dropped onto a conventional foundation on-site. 

5. Manufactured homes of the type I describe in #4 generally qualify for conventional mortgages and are viewed as an asset in the same way as a conventional stick-built home. 

Either can be the right approach, depending on your situation and strategy, but in both cases you need to do due diligence on the manufacturer and consider warranties, customer reviews, etc. Good luck.


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## robin416 (Dec 29, 2019)

And cost. I've noticed that the better ones cost as much as I paid for my house and developed land several years ago. Yes, we fell into a good deal at the right time but they are a chunk of change. That's if you buy and put one on your land. 

If you buy with one in place #3 of @The Paw's list would be an issue for obtaining a mortgage. Mortgage companies want mobiles/trailers/manufactured homes on foundations. And they have age cutoffs for what they will write a mortgage on.


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## 67drake (May 6, 2020)

I use the term “modular” home for stick built houses, built off site, trucked in , then assembled on the building site.
Manufactured home has a metal frame and wheels/axles, and is towed or flatbeded to the homesite.
A modular home is built to standards comparable to traditional stick built houses, a manufactured home, not.
Problem is reading on the web, many people interchange the terms, so you have to be carful when interpreting what you read.
The term mobile home is still used a lot, but when HUD came up with building standards in the early 1970’s, anything built after 1976 was supposed to be termed “manufactured”, not Mobil or trailer.


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## 67drake (May 6, 2020)

Here,more articulate than me-








What Are Modular Vs. Manufactured Homes?


Modular and manufactured homes are both factory-built, but there are important differences between them. Learn all about modular and manufactured homes here.



www.rocketmortgage.com


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## BadOregon (12 mo ago)

Here, no matter which term you use the home does not hold its value like a "traditional" home. They are considered separate from the real estate they sit on and you get two separate tax bills. Tax statements here are public and I have seen many instances where the land value goes up and up and up, while the home value goes down every year.

I have yet to see a 50 year old manufactured/mobile home that has held up as well as some 100 year old traditional homes. Whether or not they are built to the same standards as new houses makes no difference to me. The quality of materials for any newer housing is not what it was back when a 2 x 4 was actually 2 x 4 and not 1 1/2 x 3 1/2. I live in an old farmhouse, approaching 85 years old and I would not trade it for any of the manufactured/mobile homes I have been in. And that includes brand new ones. 

However, sometimes you can get property with a non-traditional home for less. (Some places) The brand new ones cost more than my house and property combined and that is without real estate to put it on. It all depends on what you are wanting. As mentioned, it is sometimes harder to get a mortgage on an older one. 

Do your research, ask people who live in one how they feel about it. As mentioned, check manufacturers (some are cheaper made than others). At the end of the day, you are
the one who has to live with/in it.


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## Big_Al (Dec 21, 2011)

We bought a brand new double wide in 1999.
It was built to meet the Florida Wind Code, it was designed to withstand 110 mph wind.
We have been thru a number of hurricanes, Irma in 2017 took some of our shingles off but everything else was OK.
I guess mobile homes in other states may noy be built to the same standards, I dont know.
Ours is 24X40 and cost $32,000 brand new.

We have been happy with it, your mileage may vary.


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## BadOregon (12 mo ago)

Last time I checked (a few days ago actually) a new one is $149,000. Ouch.


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## doc- (Jun 26, 2015)

Consider building an earthberm house-- basically a walk-out basement with just a roof and not a house on top...Superior energy efficiency. Cheap to build-- Use ICF forms -- easy DIY-- like building with 3 ft long Legos. No need to strip forms and add insulation-- it's all self contained....Then just throw a manufactured truss/plywood/metal roof on it. Internal walls will be non-load bearing, so you can put them anywhere you like.

You can build yourself a small mansion for less than the cost of a mobile/manufactured house. Labor is your biggest expense and do as much as you can yourself to save....Also, contract it yourself-- Why give a general contractor $40,000 profit just or making a couple phone calls to plumbers, electricians and concrete guys?


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## Texas23 (6 mo ago)

Back in the 80’s my parents had what @thepaw described as a “manufactured” (#4) home built. No wheels and didn’t sit on a metal chassis.
The house sat on a full basement and was a ranch style. As I recall the house was trucked in as two pieces then set on the foundation with a crane. The attached garage was built on site.
Once completed it looked and “felt” like a “traditionally“ stick built house. Both inside and from the curb.


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Manufactured home depreciate due to cheap construction. Keeping the plumbing from freezing is a nightmare. There is no way you can build a home, haul it down the highway and not shake something loose. Yeah they look nice but so does lipstick on a pig. Add the prices have gone up a lot too. You can build a decent house for the same money.


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## Max Overhead (Feb 22, 2021)

I think that if you find land with a preexisting factory home on it, use it for all its worth to get started, then you can build your real home once established, and use the factory home for storage. There is no honest argument which will put those ahead of a home built on site. And these old homes are something special, especially if you have a love of history, and especially if you're handy. I recommend landwatch dot com for finding what you need. The house is just shelter from weather while you take care of business. But ultimately you would never regret having a real, one of a kind home to live in and pass on to your heirs.


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## Henrykjr (4 mo ago)

There are varying definitions of type of homes........ the biggest issue will be when you go to insure them. Here are the terms you might wanna be familiar with:

1. Stick built homes: these are the ones built one site fromthe ground up with either wood or concrete framing: These are the easiest to insure
2. Mobile/Manufactured Homes: These are the single and double "trailers" as people call them....they are build on an assembly line and dragged onto a property and in th case fo a double wide are joined on location. They have no traditional foundation and are normally set on piers/blocks and then have tie down straps holding them down. These carry a different insurance classification than a stick build home.
3. Modular homes has a wide an varying definition....but usually indicates from portion of the home was built in a factory and transported to the site.....they are most often "trailers" but not always as things like modern prefab homes can actually sit on foundations. Insurance can go either way here.

When you buy a piece of land with a trailer on it.......you need to make 100% sure that the person selling it to you has either the registration with the DMV and title to the home or has proof the "trailer" titel has been retired and tied onto the property........ many people that buy property like this later discover that someone esle owned the trailer.....and thius getting a title and insurance for it in a nitemare.

HK


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## 67drake (May 6, 2020)

A manufactured home will have a HUD tag on it. ALL of them. A modular home will not.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

SIPS homes. Slightly more expensive to build. Wind proof, fire resistant if Hardee siding is used, reduced energy bills forever.


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

We live in a double wide on our own property, on a permanent foundation that we bought new 23 almost 24 years ago. We did upgrades and have drywalled 2X6 walls, I can't remember the R factor we got on the insulation but it's for colder than what is typical in our area, and we were also able to make changes to the layout and decor when we ordered it. Our only issues have been getting some of the windows reglazed due to cloudiness between the panes (paid for by us) and a new roof and some of the vinyl siding replaced due to hail damage (paid for by our homeowners ins.) and of course we've kept up on the maintenance. Nothing my sister, who had their custom stick house built about the same time, hasn't had to do as well, except the siding. Have the same furnace & ac that came with the house. On our 3rd water heater but that is due to very hard water. We've also replaced some appliances in the last 3 years but none of those have anything to do with the quality of the house. The place is still in excellent shape, our pipes do not freeze and we have no fear of it falling down around our ears. LOL

Do your homework, they are not all created equal. Ours is a Champion which was top of the line back then, I don't know about now. Plus hubby kept an eagle eye on them while they were setting it and made sure they did everything to code. He did catch them trying to take some shortcuts and made them redo it. This was on the dealer not the manufacturer and when the dealer tried to argue with him Champion got involved and sent an engineer out who backed up hubby made them fix what they had messed up. They lost their contract with Champion over the whole deal.


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## HomeCreek (Dec 30, 2021)

I own my own company and I do work with 6 different plants every day. There is a lot of good and bad info in this thread. 

Its not 1970 and most stick built homes today and thrown together with prefab rafters made of stapled together flimsy parts. Most mobile homes and modulars are built to higher than the standards of the average thrown together in 2 weeks McMansion in the local new subdivision. 

And no the singles doubles and modulars do not depreciate like they used to. I have a 36k single wide I own that when new sitting on 4 acres appraised at 50k and change.The same single and land 5 yrs later is appraising at 74500. My son and his family live in it. I also own a 2100 square foot modular. It has 2x6 walls and is insulated better than any home I have ever been in. It has engineered floor joists that far outperform normal construction. I put a 1800 lb pool table in a den and it didnt need any additional bracing and 5 years later it has not needed anything as it is still as level as when new. My sister has a 300k home and her pool table dropped the floor so much they had to put bracing to keep it level. 

When new my modular cost 159k. On 1 acre it appraised at 180k and change. I had it appraised last summer and it appraised at 211k and change. It looks like a traditional stick home and unless I take someone and show them the stickers on the inside of the under sink cabinet they dont believe me. I ordered mine with a nice metal roof instad of shingles so I will have no worries. 

Singles doubles and modulars are just like vehicles. There are several brands styles and level of construction. You can order it with any level of trim insulation floor plans etc. My modular was ordered with insulation that is much more than normally used in my area. Even in the full heat of Alabama summer my air condtioner set on 70 and the ac unit doesnt even kick on until around 12 to 1 pm. And unless its damned near tornado weather you wont even know its raining etc unless you look outside. 

The single is the same way. It has real cherry wood cabinets. 2x6 walls etc. With pics taken of the inside nobody knows its a single wide. 

There are some junk cheap homes out there. There are some great quality ones as well. You get what you pay for and what you pick out. You go cheap you get cheap. 

Also with financing if you put a single wide or any mobile home on a regular "house style" old school foundation with tie downs too you can get FHA financing. The single we got for my son is financed as such. We also have a traditional mortgage with the same interest as any other home we have owned and the lowest interest rate we have had on any of the 9 homes we owned and I still own 4 of them. The house we are in now being a modular is financed and our note with insurance taxes etc included is under 500 a month. Ours isnt a double or a single. But made the same way just a different style and was put in place with a crane when hauled in on 3 trucks.


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## Henrykjr (4 mo ago)

Agreed on the newer manufactured homes.....some of them so well built when you stand on the inside of them....you dont know the difference between that and a stick built.

Catching up in this category are the "modern prefab" homes......these are huge in Canada and all over Europe.....no so much in the USA because of zoning laws but that is changing with ADU (accessory dwelling unit) legislation.

There is a pretty wide spectrum of home in this category.....everything from kits to self erecting homes like the Boxable home : BOXABL CASITA – Accesory Dwelling Unit

Also shed manufacturers are starting to catch on an are building "shells" with 16" studs and quality roof and subflooring. I looked at a modern "Austin" 24x16 last night for $21K with a base electrical panel. These are the more zoning friendly ones that building inspectors can actually understand and approve.

Not all of the younger generation have their heads up their butts.......there are about 6-8% of them that still value home ownership but also prefer to live mortgage free.....many of them are living "the van life" and then transition onto rural and remote properties to start their homesteads,

It's very cool to watch

HK


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

No one will believe this probably but when I was a HERS rater, mobile homes came in as tighter and needed less work to make energy efficient. Even those built in the 70's. They were so tight that in the humid winters of Texas the glass would sweat like a Coke bottle. 

They are built different now though. Even better with outside make up air to keep them from sweating. There are not as many dealers so the price has gone up. Warren Buffett has cornered that market since 2008. As a dealer, (I'm not one but know several) I can buy a 3/2 single wide for 40-60k.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

A friend built a modular on her place up in WI about 20 years ago. She had trouble getting insurance for the structure. 

Things may, of course, be different 2 decades later, but you may want to look into that.


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## doozie (May 21, 2005)

We bought property with an old 60s singlewide New Moon mobile home on it. They were still able to roll it away instead of demo on-site. 
IF anyone bothered to keep it up throughout the years it could have been as good as the day it was built. It’s main downfall was probably the flat roof and a leak in the past.
New mobiles have peaked shingled roofs. 

Some here have flipped older mobiles, completely gutting, and an outdoor facelift. 
We have new neighbors doing a lot of sawing and banging on their old mobile. The seller didn’t loose a dime on his 70s mobile home, it appreciated in value despite its appearance and condition, but real estate prices are crazy here right now. 

We put a new double wide with upgrades, sturdier built, drywall, our floor plan, and then a few years later decided to live in it full time instead of a getaway. We don’t worry about frozen pipes anymore than we did in a regular home. Tornado warnings get me a little shaky.
Fully insured with a big name insurer, the old place was insured with a company I don’t remember the name of.

If I could have a talk with my past self, I think I’d push for a stick built for full time living over the mobile if only for severe storm protection, but otherwise we look at the mobile simply as our shelter and it meets all of our needs. 
My kids don’t want to live in our State so they will sell it when we are gone, so the pass it down or keep it in the family doesn’t matter.


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## 67drake (May 6, 2020)

The project house I’ve been working on the last few years started life as a single wide. It was on a foundation with basement when I bought it. I paid cash, so I have no idea about financing, but it is no problem to get insurance on. Not really much “trailer” left. I raised the walls to 8’, and put all new trusses in to get rid of that original 3/12 pitch trailer roof.


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## Henrykjr (4 mo ago)

Great job on that project for sure!
HK


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

akers said:


> I like this house! I was thinking of something similar, but then I contacted the construction company and they made us a perfect house plan. It's more traditional, but I love it. Now we are waiting for furniture from Ashley Furniture I found here and we'll be moving to our new home.


I was hoping to find pics of furniture, but instead, there was a page of low ratings.... 

Am I missing something? Or is there a better link?

I'm really curious to see the furniture now.


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