The Manufactured Housing Forums

I am currently in the market for a new home and have done a bit of research on the various types of homes ie. modular; stick built and manufactured. I realize the difference in the three, but my primary question I have been unable to find the answer to. If I would choose one lot of land and put either a modular or a stick built home of the same base specs. Would the stick built appreciate more? I know it will vary, but I am curious to know the general response to this. I realize that the lender does not differenciate between modular and stick, but it is obvious that the general market does. Thank you, any response is appreciated.

In one word to the answer to your question. YES, go with a stick built. Ive been in this business a long time and people will tell you that modulars appreceiate like stick built but trust me they do NOT. And the quality, again go with the stick built.
I know my answer will make alot of people in the business mad but I can only answer truthfully. Also, ask people in the manufactured housing business if the live in a mobile home and the answer is almost always NO.

Denny:
I have over 35 years of experience in the manufactured and modular home business. Among the services we provide, my company also has a section that performs appraisals.
In my view, the response to your question provided by S. Stalt was not completely reliable. While the value for any given style of house will certainly differ from one region of the country to another, and while in his part of the country some sort of isolated and distorted bias against modulars may exist, from an overall perspective his sweeping condemnation of modular home values certainly impress me as being misleading and essentially incorrect---even though he may be right in so far as there still exist a few ever-decreasing areas of the country that carry antiquated notions of what a modular home is. (Keep in mind, in various portions of the country there are unjustified biases towards various forms of housing styles. For example, an unwarranted dislike of Cape Cod homes.) Moreover, his use of the terms "manufactured homes" and "modular homes" suggests they are interchangable descriptions for the same building-type, and although they are not, he may be confusing appreciation rates for manufactured homes (usually without land) with those of modular homes (usually with land).
Nonetheless, it would be wise to determine if such an unjustified bias exists in your area. You should discuss this issue with a qualified local appraiser who is objective and carries no such bias him/herself.
As to the inherent value of the modular: There are many factors that affect the value of a home (see "Selling A Good Older Modular Home?", April 3, 2001, in this forum). Assuming all of those factors are the same for both the stick-built and the modular home, except for the single fact one is stick-built and the other is modular, there should be no significant difference in appreciation. This is the case in many regions of the country and it's the case in this area as well. It stands to reason this be so because both the stick-built and modular homes are constructed to the exact same building codes. Side-by-side, and as long as the two homes are built to the same plans and specifications, they will be identical.
Also, consider the fact that more and more "stick builders" are beginning to utilize modular home or other "systems-built" construction in ever increasing numbers. They use the modular for: (1) A portion of the construction project; (2) the core portion of the project (stick-building the remaining portions); or (3) they are totally switching to modular construction.
Obviously, a full discussion of this issue could consume an entire book. But in view of the research you've already completed, I hope the foregoing is helpful. In the end you must make a decision with which you are comfortable. Whatever you decide, good luck!

I could not disagree with S. Stalt more. Well built modular homes are really the same as stick built homes except for being built in a factory. The value of any home depends more on location than any other factor.
Modular homes contain the same materials that stick homes do, if they are ordered that way.
Modular homes are not "Mobile Homes", and by the way I have been in the Manufactured Housing, what some people still call "Mobile Homes", industry for over 15 years, I live in one so I guess I was never asked..
Good luck

The manufactured homes that I have seen, and I have been in this business for over 10 years are ALL inferior to a stick built homes and everyone in this industry knows it. Everything that is in a manufactured home cheap quality. I know that you live in one Dan but most people associated with the industry do NOT. I have a good friend who is a plant manager with a very Large manufacture. He was telling me how great the home is and all the great features. I then ask him if he would live in one and his response was HELL NO!. Case closed.

Denny:
Unfortunately, S. Stalt seems to have an axe to grind. Yet, I don't doubt he has seen a few poorly built manufactured homes ... as I have definately witnessed some very shabby stick-built homes. However, quality isn't determined by house-type. S.Stalt seemingly fails to take into account the quality of any home is not determined by or inherent to its house-type, but rather is fixed by the entity constructing it. (I won't go into the fact a stick-built home is often four to six times the cost of a similar manufactured home.)
But the question posed by Denny concerned modular homes. Contrary to the comments of S.Stalt, manufactured homes are not modular homes. Being built to two different sets of codes, they simply are not the same. Manufactured homes are built to federal construction standards (commonly referred to as the "HUD code"). The HUD code is a performance code, and while it may be possible for a few lesser-quality manufacturered home producers to "cut a corner" here or there in materials and/or workermanship, these days most of them produce a quality product for a relatively inexpensive cost.
On the other hand, modulars are built to the same codes as are stick-built homes. Dan is right about this fact. Moreover, modulars use the same construction materials as do stick-built homes. Again, Dan is correct.
If the sweeping and condemning commentary of S.Stalt is to have some sense of validity, one must accept the false premise that all stick-built homes have the same high level of quality built into them. They do not, nor do modular homes. Modulars and stick homes are constructed by mechanics each of whom have different levels of ability and expertise. Consequently a modular home produced by meticulous craftspeople will be better than a modular that is not. Obviously, this also applies to the stick-built home industry--where one carpenter produces a quality home, while another may differ in some way.
Clearly, all builders differ in their selection of their building materials and construction techniques, which is why folks are always encouraged to thoroughly investigate before they buy ANY home. Only an informed buyer can determine an acceptable level of material and work quality relative to the cost of the home ... whether it be stick or modular.
With all things being the same, I have found the "average" modular is at least the equal of and sometimes better than an "average" stick home. If this was not the case, why are many stick-builders using modular construction? Check the latest issue of Professional Builder for an article about stick-builers and modulars.
Another point: The modular can be erected on-site in about one-third the time.
I hope the foregoing has helped and not further confused the issue.
Again, good luck.

Thank you very much for your posts they have been quite helpful. They all show the uncertainty that seems to be out there about this issue. All of the research that I have done leads me to agree with everything you have said Jon. One suggestion that I have been lead to though was leaving certain components out of the modular home and purchasing these items yourself. These include carpeting, trim and perhaps doors. Minor final finish areas, but areas that I do believe give the modular homes the "lesser quality" stigma. Once agian thank you very much.

Why do you think the modular home is cheaper than the stick built home?

Yes part of the savings is by assembly line production of the house. (Labor savings).

The rest of the savings come by lowering the cost of matieral. Yes buying in quanitity does lower the cost, but big corporations look at the bottom line everywhere they can.

A independent builder that builds 20-100 houses a year is not going to care about saving a few bucks buying cheaper nails, but a these large corporations (not just housing, this is all manufacturing companies), will save a dime everywhere, and any where.

Plus when a builder and his subcontracters build a house, they have a personal contact witht he customer and community and usually (yes there are some bad builders), show pride in their work and community. If you work in a factroy all day, and your only job is to nail install "Wall B" to "Studs 10-40" on 10 different houses, your quality, workmanship, and care may suffer.

Or perhaps you become the best dammed nailer around.

MRM......I am desperately seeking information here and am looking for the negative as well as positive but your sweeping generalities are not providing any real information to us. For instance if a builder is building 100 houses a year, you can bet your bottom dollar that he is stretched way too thin and cutting lots of corners if in no other area than is time allocations to projects.

I am finding that way too many people are voicing uninformed opinions as absolute truths. If you have any information that you are willing to share, please do so as I want to make a very very informed decision but again your "trailer" statments are misleading.

RuthieG,

I lived in a manufactured home in a commnity for 8 years. I purcahsed the home new in 1993, with 10 percent down. At the time I bought it I was tired of apartment life, and really couldn't afford a house a house to my likeing.

(I will comment about home quality down below this story)

After about three years in the home, I was at a point where I could afford a house, and was ready to sell my manfucatured home and move on. I spent a year and a half trying to sell the home with no luck. (At this time I was driving about 65 miles to work each way every day).

After the year and a half trying to sell the house, I gave up and spent a large chunk of money to move the home to a park closer to work, with addional hopes of a better market to possibly sell the home.

Finally after another 2 1/2 years, I had somone make an offer on the house. (The house was in nice shape inside and out, I only got about 4 people that was actually interested in looking at the place on the inside). The offer I recieved was extermely low, and I took it based upon the lenght of time it took me to get an offer at all. At closing I had to write a check for $4500.00 dollars.

Now for home quality.....

My blown plaster textued ceiling cracked in several spots multiple times. The first two times the manufacutred came out and patched it. (kind of like filling a fault line from a earth quake with dirt).

My furnace had multiple repairs for various problems.

The hot water tank was fixed mulitple times.

My cheap plastic fauctes broke and had to be replaced.

After my front storm door went through it's short lifetime, I attempted to replace my door with a quality door from a normal home improvement store, but because of the the "rapid construction" processed used by home manufacutres, a normal door will not work. (Unless I wanted to stip and rebuild the entire door jam).

I was replacing the lock on my front door with a standard lock from the home store, and then I fnd out, the hole size is different than 99% of the locks installed in this country today, there is no reason for this whatsoever"

I was forced to purchase another low quality door from the "manufacutred housing supply store". (This store sellls everything from the odd sized doors they use in manufacutred housing to replacement bath tubs).

When I bought my home it was considered the Cadillac of manufactured housing.


I hope this little bit of insite helps.