Is 55,000 Too Much For A Singlewide?

[steelerfan1]

Hello,

I was ready to buy my home yesterday, but it was going to be a custom, so the dealer had to call the company for a price.

He just left a message with a price of 55,000.

This home is a Norris and the price included the following:

Total setup
Electrical setup
Footers (Inside and out)
Bricked around house
Heat pump and A/C
Steps
Sales tax and title
Drywall through out
I hate to pay full price for anything, so I'm wondering what the experts think and would really appreciate your advice.

This is in Western NC also.

There was also a Horton that I was quoted around a couple grand cheaper, but they couldn't show me a model as they didn't have any.

Thanks again.

[John Grissim]

$55,000 sounds too high. You're definitely paying full retail. That's about the average U.S. price of a new double-wide, delievered and set-up, incl. AC. I suggest you take a deep breath and hold off on your final decision until you have thoroughly checked out some comparable homes with the same specs you want. I'm not familiar with the Norris brand , but Horton has a good rep as a solidly built but unimaginative home (see the Grissim 2005 Report on the Top 25 elsewhere on this site).

Dealers often try to get a minimum 35% profit on their homes. In my view that's at least 10% too much. Recommendation: invest in one of the buying guides for sale on this site. A few hours of reading will help put you in the driver's seat.

John Grissim
check out my Buyer's Guide

[steelerfan1]

hello john,

thanks a lot for your response.

the norris is a home from clayton. supposedly it's their top of the line, like a lexus is to toyota.

to get the drywall throughout the house in a doublewide was quite a bit more money than the 55000 i was quoted for the singlewide.

again that 55 price is complete setup, brick, dormers, drywall, etc.

the horton dealer i went to had told me around 52000 for their comparable singlewide home. the only problem with horton is that they did not have any homes on their lot, so i would be buying it site unseen which made me feel a little uncomfortable.

i'm really needing to do this this week as i have to be down there in april.

thanks again for your help.

i'll try throwing 50,000 for a price at them and see what happens.

[Tanya]

I have to say I agree with your instinct not to buy a home without seeing the model. Some people don't mind doing this, but our experience was that being inside the model and looking at a floor plan are two very different experiences. The floorplans that looked great to us on paper often looked and felt "all wrong" when we got inside them.

[steelerfan1]

yeah tanya,

i am probably gonna go with the norris, as i have a feeling that that would be the case.

[Terry]

Steeler-are you going in a park or on private land? 2 suggestions-go for at least a double and go on private land. You will be happier without the park restrictions and have an appreciable asset. From personal experience, kiddo. I have a single in a park and have been through a nightmare trying to refinance. And my experience with Conseco and Greentree have been even worse. So judge accordingly and God's grace to you!

[jtart51]

Steeler, I live in a 97 Horton singlewide. Very well built home! Check out my pics...new ones look similar. Watch for the cosmetic trim inside...they used a paper based product in mine...fine in dry areas..but around doors it swelled up and turned to cardboard. Also check for tub panel access...mine is outside only. My floors in the cabinets are some sort of particle board and when I had water line leaks it swelled up. I would insist on real wood or better..vinyl covered wood on the cabinet floors. The cabinet base and doors are real wood...they cheaped out on my floors for the cabinets...the very place you don't want it to be cheap! I also have "flipper" light switches..not good and electrical outlets GLUED to the walls..get them screw on like a site built house. My wallboards are torn where I had to have a few replaced...and you can't get matching outlets...mine mismatch now...arghhh! All that said..still a beautiful well built home.

[David Oxhandler]

itart - The receptacles and plumbing parts you have been looking for are now available on line at the Mobile Home Parts Store Manufactured homes built in 1997 were built to a high standard for that time. Most of the problems you talk about were not covered by the code as they are cosmetic rather than structural. Considering that your home is about 14 years old the problems you are experiencing, while annoying do not compromise the viability of the structure or usefulness of the home. If you had purchased a site built home that long ago you would certainly have required some similar repairs by this time. Any home builder, site or in factory, will have upgrades for these features available when the home is ordered. The quality of the trim, cabinets and electrical finish products can usually be upgraded. Most dealers will not put their purchase money into features that dont sell homes. As opposed to real wood cabinets optioning in a bay window, fireplace or skylight will do a lot more to sell a home at a better profit. Home shoppers must be an informed to be empowered to make the decisions that are right for them on matters like how much and where they want to put that option money.
Here are some tips towards becoming an educated consumer.    1 - Ask questions and dont be afraid that you might offend anyone... you are the buyer and entitled to answers prior to putting your money down.   2 - The Manufactured Home Owners Network Offers Shoppers Free Resources.  Buying a home may be the most expensive purchase you will ever make...take advantage of these great free resources you can find at http://mobilehomeowners.net/free_form.php3 - Read every single thing you can Find or buy about the process of purchasing a home and more particularly a manufactured home...  check out  The Manufactured Housing Book Store.   A few of the best seller there are   The Grissim Buyer's Guide to Manufactured Homes and Land            The Grissim Ratings Guide to Manufactured Homes             The Modular Home   by Andy Gianino       The Secrets of Manufactured Home Financing      4 - In order to avoid surprise expenses you MUST understand what will happen the day your home is delivered to your home site.  The book store has some excellent resources.      Manufactured Housing Site Preparation & Installation DVD Video      Manufactured Housing Installation and Repair - E-Book Edition   5 -Find out exactly How Much Can Your Afford to Spend On Your Next Home  Get  Pre-Approval for your home loan BEFORE you stat to shop.  Do you know exactly how much mortgage money can you qualify for?   You need to know so you can enjoy the advantage of shopping like a cash buyer and have the ability to negotiate the best price for you next home.  You can get pre-qualified at no cost here 6 - Keep up with the latest new advances, product improvements, code modifications by subscribing to MH Update the free weekly newsletter written for MH Owners & Shoppers.

[jtart51]

I ordered the Grissim Special. I got my Horton used. It was what it was! Solid, very! Annoying..that too! I am selling my Horton in two weeks and buying a metal siding Cavalier/Brigadier built in 1999. It is what it is too. For $9500 set up, one owner, heat pump, in excellent condition I can accept some things...just as I did in the 97 Horton which I got for $12000 6 years old from the original owner. IF I ever do break down and buy new..which is highly unlikely due to the depreciation of singlewides set up on rental lots..even in nice parks such as mine...I will know what to look for even more than I do now. For me, vinyl/shingle is not on my list. Sadly, it is all that is available. I hate cleaning the shady side of the home. I hate having to worry about the fascia coming loose and the vinyl coming off in strong winds. I do not like to worry about losing shingles, or having to replace them every twelve to 20 years. Real wood cabinets, plywood or OSB floors...I think!, residential quality electrical outlets, plumbing and fixtures. Real wood trim around doors...including the door frames! Ceramic sinks. Pan under the water heater with drain under it in case of overflow/leaks. A shut off valve for the air conditioning water tray..also with a drain pipe for overflow. I hope to learn a lot more when the book arrives.

[jtart51]

I went out looking today as a back up to my plans to buy a used 99 Cavalier/Brigadier. It is set up, metal on metal, like new in and out, one owner, heatpump etc. It is $9500. I went to an independent dealer and saw a new Cavalier with sheetrock throughout. Nice home...workmanship seemed pretty good and materials did too. You'd think from my reading my two books that came in I could look with a prejudiced eye...well, not so much. I was so busy looking at the layout and space use I did not pay as close attention to structural stuff. I also saw a Horton I liked...great use of space for the most part. It had a closet in the kitchen and a huge linen closet or extra closet in the master bath. It had a garden tub and single sink vanity in the master. Closets are rare except for bedrooms in singlewides. It also had a huge "L" shaped kitchen and big dining area. It had no utility room, just washer and dryer behind folding doors. Typical Horton decor...plain, cold, and sterile. Workmanship was awful! The models had wallboard flaws...wrinkles, loose or too long panel strips, light and plug outlets that were obviously crooked, vinyl siding loose and crooked, shingles loose and missing, one drawer in the master bath had water damage! it was "bubbling up" particle board. I was told by an impartial dealer...if there is such a thing...that he stopped carrying Horton because of workmanship and service issues. He said they are very solidly built but had quality control issues. I saw several Clayton homes I liked and finally picked one. It had the "glamour bath" and nice thick particle board with vinyl covering it as crown and trim moldings. I saw ZERO cosmetic defects in every Clayton home. NONE! The cabinets and drawers looked like they were not particle board, even the floors of the shelves. Eight foot sidewalls are an option on them, none I saw had them. Sadly, they require an arbitration agreement be signed in order to release the home. The independent dealer who did not carry Horton anymore told me that here in NC Clayton is the home HE would buy because they are the largest and strongest financially and would not be going away. He also said they have high quality and service standards. He also said I might be able to get the home for $40000 to $45000 instead of the list price of $49000. The $49000 is turn key, heat pump, washer dryer etc. He also told me brutally honestly that in 13 years it will be worth in today's money $10000 to $15000, just like my current 97 Horton is. Makes the 99 Cavalier look better all the time! Any thoughts out there on this?