The Manufactured Housing Forums

We purchased a New Era Building Systems Home in 1994. At the time that we purchased this home we were told it was a modular. At the point when we were ready to move the home onto our lot in Clinton County, NY, we were told there was a mix up with the building permit and we would need to purchase a HUD seal for an extra $150 to bring our home into code with the building permit? Of course, since we needed to move our home on the property, we purchased it.

Since that time, we have been informed that our home is actually listed as a double wide and not a modular. When we had the home appraised a few years ago to refinance, he told us that a way to tell that our home is a modular and not a double wide is the fact that it has a wooden undercarriage and copper water pipes. We were also told by the appraiser that he thought that the reason we were asked to the HUD seal was because the dealer had poured a concrete slab without footers--which is appropriate for a double wide and the HUD seal would take care of the problem. Our home should have been intially placed on a slab with footers and the dealer was trying to save money.

We now have the home on the market to sell and we are running into this same problem. How can we determine that this is in fact a modular home and where do we go to have this home certified as a modular? HELP!

If it has a frame..and the red HUD seals..some lenders and appraisers will treat it as a manufactured home...Does the home have a state modular seal on the wall somewhere..usually by the electric box..This would be your proof it IS a true modular home..It would be a rare home with both HUD and modular certification...

Did it have the two red metal tags on each outside section of the house when you bought it?This are permenant and signify it was built to HUD regulations and is a manufactured home.I have never heard of certifying a modular to HUD when it wasn't built to that code.More then likely what you purchased is a state required seal certifying it is a MH.Some stated require that.You will need to get it reappraised and work with your county building and title dept yo get it reclassfied if it is a true modular.By the way copper pipe has nothing to do with it.

Contact New Era with the serial number of the home and they should be able to provide you with the necessary documentation as to which code your home was built.
At the time your house was built, New Era built both hud and modular homes with the unified truss floor. This confuses many people because it allows both hud and modular houses to be built over a slab or piers or a stem wall foundation.
The dealer may have removed the state seals in order to obtain the less expensive permit for a hud home.

We had an appraisal done a year ago which states that it is a modular home and our realtor has a copy in her possession. We are still having problems proving that it is a modular, and our realtor is also working diligently to help out. New Era has been contacted by first me, and then our realtor. They told her that "because it is on a metal frame," it is "the cadillac of double wides." She also contacted the dealer in town where we purchased it, who stated that it was "both a modular and double wide." So with these three conflicting identifications, we are at a loss as to where to go from here.

We did our own plumbing hookup and finishing work, so we were underneath the home. Although we did not break through the whole insulation barrier, the frame was all wood that we encountered. My son-in-law (who owns a double wide), who is an electrician, has also been underneath to do some electric and sound system wiring for extras that we have added and he also feels that this is not on a metal frame.

Where else do we turn to get it certified as a modular? Home inspector? Can they certify that it is a modular? At this point in time, I need to know who to turn to so that they can definitely tell me whether or not it is a double wide. My daughter owns a double wide from the same dealer and the way her home is built does not look anything like mine.

Sound like you have a nice manufacured home..If the dealer is still in business..The next stop might be a good attorney...If you have this lable..

http://www.ibts.org/certification_label.htm it is a manufactured home...Your real estate person must be very careful to represent the hom properly...
mortgage companies relie on appraisors to certify this designation...A good appraisor will see the required modular data plate...

If you have this on the wall somewhere.... http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/mhs/dataplate.pdf It is a manufactured home..That wooden floor assembly sounds like something unique to New Era....

There is a small amount of steel in this floor system. ( 2 beams on each half)
You have a wood truss floor, each truss has 2 notches that accomodate the steel beams, you wouldn't be able to find the steel without cutting the paper.
Try calling New ERa again and ask to speak with someone in engineering, it sounds like you spoke to someone in sales.. With the serial number they can find the reords for your home.
Look up at your roof so you can see the plumbing vents, if they are 3" across it is a mod, if they are 1 1/2" across it is hud.
New era can be confusing because the floor is not built like most huds or most mods either and cosmetically they look more site built than manufactured.

When the last appraisal was done, the appraiser was shown the data plate, along with the copy of the home plans. He appraised it as a modular.

Our realtor is trying to find legitimate proof that it is a modular, or not. Right now that is the most important thing to both of us. In our research, we have discovered that this dealer is well known in the area for similar stuff. When we discovered this problem while trying to refinance to a fixed rate, we did contact a good attorney. The retainer alone is $5,000, which we could not afford. When this whole mess is all over with, I do plan on contacting the Attorney General's Office in New York State regarding this dealer, who is still in business. Between the extra interest (which had climbed to almost 11% at one point) and the amount that we will probably lose on selling this house, I am so angry right now that I think that this dealer at least needs to stop doing this to unsuspecting home buyers!

Recently there have been articles about Elliot Spitzer's investigation of this sort of business in your area..Be sure to report this violation..The plant should be able to give you all info on your home.....Good luck with the sale....

Can you direct me toward any on-line literature or information on this investigation? I visited the AG website, albeit quickly, and did not see anything there. Thanks.