Manufactured Housing vs. Modular Housing

[Elizabeth]

My husband and I are considering purchasing a Modular Home. The particular house that we are looking at is a Cape Cod style house. It's about 1600 sq. ft on the first floor and about 800 on the second floor. I would like to know if any one has or knows of anyone who might have a modular home. Also, I would like to know how they compare to Manufactured Housing and if the re-sale value on Modular homes are better than Manufactured housing or the same. We would be putting this home on land and also on a basement foundation. Any help, advise, etc..that anyone can give me would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Liz
Eastpointe, MI

[Jon]

Liz:
With other things being equal, go with the modular home. They tend to cost a bit more per square foot than their manufactured home cousins but they offer far more flexibility and a greater range of architectural features. Although many of the construction techniques are similar, the modular home is built to your state building code whereas the manufactured home is built to federal codes.
Moreover, the mod is designed for placement on a perimeter foundation. Of course it is possible to place a manufactured home atop a foundation too, however it requires specific foundation adjustments as well as frame and utility drop modifications. This one factor could be important to you since you are evidently planning to have a basement.
Good luck. Jon.

[Joe]

Liz:
I agree with Jon, go with a modular home you will be much happier with the construction of a modular than that of a manufactured home. The HUD code which is used for manufactured homes is a performance code not a perscriptive code and that is the big difference. Under the HUD code the home has to "perform" no matter what is used to make that happen, whereas a modular home is either built to BOCA or UBC code which is what stick built homes are built to.