The Manufactured Housing Forums

Hi,

I am absolutely new at this....For a few months my husband and I were looking for a house in west LA for about $300K-350K.
We have looked at quite a few houses in this range in average neighborhoods. At the best we could be able to buy 1100 sq.ft.
old house with at least some TLC. So we started looking at some alternative possibilities. There is plenty of land, mainly with
slight uphill , in very nice neighborhoods for $100K-200K. I wonder if it would be a smart move to buy a land and to build a nice
manufactured house on it. So I have quite a few very naive questions: (1) Are there any restrictions on placing MH, like zoning? where can I find out what are these restrictions for a particular parcel ? (2) Can I get the consultation from the MH representative about some particular parcel of land that I am considering to buy? And finally, but most importantly, (3) what are the main DISADVANTAGEs of MHs in comparison with site build houses? Are they not so practicle, do not appreciate so fast, or what? Does it make any sense in the situation like ours to go for MH?
Thank you very much for your help!

Hello Gale,

Here is a section from my book, How To Buy A Manufactured Home And Save Thousands Of Dollars."

If you're placing a manufactured home on property you own or plan on purchasing, you will need to consider a few things first. In cities and suburban areas, and in some semi-rural areas, you may face zoning requirements that must be met. In Eastern Washington the zoning requirements for manufactured homes are somewhat lax. We live in a semi-rural area but larger cities and suburbs may have certain restrictions. In residential areas or planned communities there may be a prohibition against manufactured homes, or certain requirements regarding their size and exterior appearance.

In the city limits of Moses Lake for example, all manufactured homes must be new and have over 1,200 square feet. A garage or carport must be added to the home. To find out if restrictions apply, you can contact the local building department or land use department. Sometimes the restrictions are described in ways that are difficult to understand. If this happens contact an experienced real estate attorney to determine if there are any restrictive covenants that would keep you from placing your manufactured home on the property you’re considering. Hope this helps.

Randy Eaton