Wells and Repos

[Sheila]

I'm talking to a developer about buying a lot in his subdivision but two things scare me. Number one- this place requires a well and I'm wondering how often wells go dry. I also don't like the idea because if the electricity goes off then the pump doesn't work and there you are with no water. A mobile home dealer told me last summer to stay away from places that don't have public water - is he right?

The second thing is - this developer said he sometimes puts in repos (all homes are put on permanent foundations, by the way) that have been completely renovated and are no older than 2 years. Assuming that I looked at the place first and found that it passed muster, how can I verify the things that Randy talks about in his book like: the size of the studs, whether they are 16" o.c., the type of flooring, headers over the doors, the R-factors, the plumbing fixtures, etc.

thanks for your help

[rmurray]

The wells question is very local in nature...Seldom do wells go dry in most areas....but it is possible...

You are right...no power...no water...but...many folks like wells because they are pure natural water...with out the chemicals added by government owned water systems...such as Clorrine and Floride...

BUT...sometimes well water needs to be filtered...Check with local water authority for info..or local health department...

As far as telling the features of a repo...Most are evident to the site...if you have a hardtime telling yourself...hire a professional home inspector as you should when you buy any used home...Good Luck

By the way...repos are hardly ever the very top of the line homes...They are mostly the bottom of the barrell homes..

[Sheila]

Thanks for the info. I DO like the idea of water that has not been monkeyed with and if it's unusual for a well to go dry, it might be worth looking into. If a filter is needed, how involved is this? And how expensive?

On the subject of repos, this developer said he was going to look at some Hortons. Would you consider the lower-end Hortons "bottom of the barrel"? I was under the impression that even Horton's el-cheapos were built to an acceptable standard. Is this correct?

As for being able to see the defects in a repo - how? How can I check the insulation factors, the flooring, the studs in the wall?

Aother thing- one of the houses in this development was very nice but I didn't like the small window on the back wall. How easy/cheap would it be for him to cut an opening and put in french doors? (I don't even know if he would do this or not.)

Thanks

[Toby Hise]

Sheila,

The idea of buying a repo is to save money. Every brand of homes built has been repossessed. Palm Harbors, Hortons, Fleetwoods, Champions, Homestead, Redmans, Homes of Merit, Jacobsen, Commodore, and all the rest. Repossessions occur for the most part because the owner could not make the payments for many different reasons. Loss of job, illness, divorce are the most common causes.

If you are looking at a particular repossession, and are concerned about the construction, go to a dealer that carries the product and find out. If you are want to make changes to a repossession because you want it a certain way, this will be a little difficult. Your best bet to satisfy your desires is to buy a new home and move it to the subdivision. This way you can have your french doors instead of the cheesy window.

[Threnody]

Wells can go either way:

My parents have well water at their 60 year old home, and have had to have the well re-dug twice in the 30 years they've owned it. It is the best water on the face of the earth, imoho.

We have well water at the house we currently rent, which is often cloudy and smells like rotten eggs The landlord's idea of fixing it was to drop some chlorine tablets in it, which made it clear up for a week.

We will have city water at our new home. Now I'll get to drink my bottled water rather than have to cook with it.

[Sheila]

Thanks for the advice, but this 'builder" doesn't sell lots outright like a lot of other m-h subdivisions - he puts houses on individuals lots and sells them one-by-one as a package deal. I'm sure he makes more money that way and more power to him, but I want to know what I'm getting. People like me are sort of stuck because after several months of looking for an unrestricted lot, I had decided that I was going to be forced to buy a site built home. If you DO find a lot in these parts, you have to jump on it immediately - I mean within 24 hours - or it's gone! This has already been said on this site, but it bears repeating - - - if the m-h industry doesn't get more aggressive with these petty bureaucrats who wield such power over our lives in dictating the type of home we can live in - the industry is going to go down the tubes. That would be a real shame, because manufactured housing is a fantastic deal. When comparing what I can get for $100,000 in a site built with what I can get for the price (or even a lower price) in a manufactured house - there's no comparison. A site built home at that price (in these parts) is in a very poor state of repair or only has one bathroom. I've looked at DUMPS that were priced well above $100,000.

What to do, what to do!

[r murray]

If you see a Horton repo...it does have decent basic construction...The only problem with them is that pressboard floors are standard....We sell Horton...but never the pressboard floors...

You can see the floor material and tell what kind it is..You might also get the seriel number and call the plant about the specs...They might think your call as unusual...but they might very well help you...

Often the original documents are left in repos...that might help...

I would consider a home inspector to review any used home you buy..Also instead of negotiating price you might want to negotiate warranty..There are warranties available on used manufactured homes....

If the location is good.....Go for it...Financing should be easy in that area and very cheap right now..about 6.75% with decent credit and small down..Good Luck

[Threnody]

Thanks for the advice, but this 'builder" doesn't sell lots outright like a lot of other m-h subdivisions - he puts houses on individuals lots and sells them one-by-one as a package deal.

There's a realtor in the first phase of our community who's doing this as well - I personally wouldn't have gone for that. I found my house, then the land.

Is there the possibilty that you could tell him what kind of home you're looking for and he could find a comparable unit like it? Or is it "you can choose from these homes here".

[Sheila]

This is very helpful - thanks for your input. I DID mention to this man that my top picks would be Horton, Palm Harbor, and Southern Energy. He said he was going to South Carolina to look at 5 Hortons in the near future, so maybe that will work out. At what point did Horton stop using pressboard for their flooring? I think these Hortons this man was going to look at were no more than 2 years old. Structural integrity aside, I've got this thing for white kitchens - I absolutely will not have those awful brown cabinets you see in so many houses and I have to have an open floor plan and lots of windows - hope I'm not being too picky considering we're talking about repos, but if I'm going to finance this place for 30 years, it's got to be something I like. I also want light carpeting, but I assume that's something that can easily be changed if necessary for relatively little money.

I've been approved for 6.62% financing so you're right - Now is the time to buy. And I'll definitely have a home inspector look at the place for me.

Thanks for your help.

[Sheila]

I think these messages are getting put in the wrong sequence - so this is in reply to Threnody's latest post.

The developer does have 2 houses for sale right now, which, look great on the outside and the lots are beautiful, but one is a Fleetwood which I don't want after reading all the negative posts, and the other one didn't have enough windows (don't know who the manutacturer was). But I DID ask the guy if he could be on the lookout for an m-h with my specifications and he said he would, but for some reason didn't seem too enthusiastic, which I can't understand - here I am - already sold on the place, the prices are right, the location is right, my credit is excellent, I'm pre-approved, and yet he didn't seem too eager to deal with me. Maybe it's because he's pushing the two houses already set up and landscaped which he wants to unload first. Who knows?