so if the insulation is shotty,should i try and get a better deal??basically im buying a close out home.the salesperson had knocked it down from $75,000 to $70,000,its a nice home,would it be too much trouble re-insulating the house??are durango(cavco) limited edition homes considered top of the line homes??can you name the top of the line homes that are sold in tucson(arizona)??anything else that i might look out for or make sure i get from the home dealership??
thanks so much for the replies,this is alot of money to spend and i want to make sure i am doing the right thing.
manufactured and value
-
LJ
Re: more questions :o)
Chad -- Upgrading the insulation is something that should be done at the factory. To be honest, $5000 off of a lot model doesn't seem to be that great a deal to me. You might try to get rmurray to answer the price issue since he is a very well experienced dealer/salesman. The Cavco Durango model is a well manufactured home. Regarding other manufacturers available in Tucson, Silvercrest and Karsten are generally considered better, but you will probably pay more for them. I suggested Palm Harbor also because their Tempe manufactured homes are equivalent to the Durangos both in quality and price.
My biggest peice of advice is not to get into too much of a hurry. Do your homework first, figure out your must have options, like 2x6 walls, 1/2 inch sheetrock, extra insulation, metal water line shutoffs, real wood cabinets, 12" overhangs (will definitely help during the monsoons), outlet boxes attached to studs (as opposed to clipped to sheetrock), plywood floor if possible, etc. The cosmetic stuff like floor coverings can be corrected later, but the construction will be forever. Then visit several of the dealers, get references, check with the better business bureau, etc. Ask the dealers what kind of setups (slabs, concrete blocks, etc), foundation, and skirting they recommend and will include in the price. When you get to pricing, after they go thru the options, then as Randy Eaton recommends, offer them about 10% less. Just take your time and you will be happier in the long run.
My biggest peice of advice is not to get into too much of a hurry. Do your homework first, figure out your must have options, like 2x6 walls, 1/2 inch sheetrock, extra insulation, metal water line shutoffs, real wood cabinets, 12" overhangs (will definitely help during the monsoons), outlet boxes attached to studs (as opposed to clipped to sheetrock), plywood floor if possible, etc. The cosmetic stuff like floor coverings can be corrected later, but the construction will be forever. Then visit several of the dealers, get references, check with the better business bureau, etc. Ask the dealers what kind of setups (slabs, concrete blocks, etc), foundation, and skirting they recommend and will include in the price. When you get to pricing, after they go thru the options, then as Randy Eaton recommends, offer them about 10% less. Just take your time and you will be happier in the long run.
-
Tanya
Re: more questions :o)
Hi Chad, I've mentioned this before, and I'll mention it again, if you're thinking of Palm Harbor homes in AZ, go to the Chino Valley dealership. They are an awesome bunch of people over there. I do not work for them, just a happy customer. (I will get a referral discount if you tell them Tanya sent you...have to be honest 
)
)-
Annaz
Re: more questions :o)
I agree w/LJ again. Spend your money on the construction of the home. The rest can be fixed later. 2x6 walls, good insulation, good ground set or brick perimeter walls, 200 amp service...you can even go to 2x8 floors which we found to be much quieter and more solid. Some think it's overkill. We liked the difference. All the upgrades LJ talked about as well. The overhangs are another.
Wayne Housely did a wonderful job on the site-prep/pad/brick perimeter wall. A tad pricey, but competely worth it. In fact, in our last experience the only person who knew what they were doing! I'm sure there are more out there, but he's a good reference.
We had a Marlette model, but it was $10,000 off the regular price. That was our first purchase. Happy w/the Marlette, we bought another, but since Oakwood bought out the Schult/Marlette dealer, we are very, very dissapointed in many things. Our water lines are in the middle of the cabinets under the sinks rendering the entire area underneath, useless in every wet area. They should be installed towards the back. We installed an outdoor heat-pump and they screwed up the area where the furnace was in the home...long story and many other things.
Currently, I found that Cavco Durango is nicer than the Schult...Schult got sloppy since they were bought out by Oakwood. I think Palm Harbor has nice homes as well, but I also found, dollar for dollar, they were a tad higher for what I was looking for, although they made be better priced in their smaller homes (we go large!). But it depends what you're looking for, including square footage. I also found Hallmark to be an excellent home, although I don't know where you can find those anymore and I wasn't real impressed w/the cosmetics on the Karsten or the salesperson on Ina Rd. I think it's all a give and take and what's really important...plus the knowledge of the salesman.
Some of the standard construction options on the Durango are better than others. 32 wides have a standard 2 x 8 floor and 2x6 walls. Triples have a standard 2 x 6 walls, but the floors are 2x6 because the sections are smaller. Some come w/a good insulation package you don't have to upgrade. So find out the construction standards on each home you're interested in and make a spreadsheet. I'm not real familiar w/Palm Harbor, since I've never found a floor plan that works, so I can't really price it out. In my opinion, you get what you pay for.
I love Silvercrest homes, but I haven't found anybody who can give me a decent price, because they're only made in CA. Shipping is $6-8,000 alone! That's a lot of upgrades for that price! They wanted between $65-$78 a sq foot! Yikes...w/low insulation and 2x4 walls, low R insulation values! But nice homes!
You'll be busy. Remember, cosmetics are only that. In a manuf home, you want good construction. ...start that spreadsheet! You'll be glad you did!
Wayne Housely did a wonderful job on the site-prep/pad/brick perimeter wall. A tad pricey, but competely worth it. In fact, in our last experience the only person who knew what they were doing! I'm sure there are more out there, but he's a good reference.
We had a Marlette model, but it was $10,000 off the regular price. That was our first purchase. Happy w/the Marlette, we bought another, but since Oakwood bought out the Schult/Marlette dealer, we are very, very dissapointed in many things. Our water lines are in the middle of the cabinets under the sinks rendering the entire area underneath, useless in every wet area. They should be installed towards the back. We installed an outdoor heat-pump and they screwed up the area where the furnace was in the home...long story and many other things.
Currently, I found that Cavco Durango is nicer than the Schult...Schult got sloppy since they were bought out by Oakwood. I think Palm Harbor has nice homes as well, but I also found, dollar for dollar, they were a tad higher for what I was looking for, although they made be better priced in their smaller homes (we go large!). But it depends what you're looking for, including square footage. I also found Hallmark to be an excellent home, although I don't know where you can find those anymore and I wasn't real impressed w/the cosmetics on the Karsten or the salesperson on Ina Rd. I think it's all a give and take and what's really important...plus the knowledge of the salesman.
Some of the standard construction options on the Durango are better than others. 32 wides have a standard 2 x 8 floor and 2x6 walls. Triples have a standard 2 x 6 walls, but the floors are 2x6 because the sections are smaller. Some come w/a good insulation package you don't have to upgrade. So find out the construction standards on each home you're interested in and make a spreadsheet. I'm not real familiar w/Palm Harbor, since I've never found a floor plan that works, so I can't really price it out. In my opinion, you get what you pay for.
I love Silvercrest homes, but I haven't found anybody who can give me a decent price, because they're only made in CA. Shipping is $6-8,000 alone! That's a lot of upgrades for that price! They wanted between $65-$78 a sq foot! Yikes...w/low insulation and 2x4 walls, low R insulation values! But nice homes!
You'll be busy. Remember, cosmetics are only that. In a manuf home, you want good construction. ...start that spreadsheet! You'll be glad you did!
-
chad
Rmurray and others
i was told to go to you for further info.if you have the time would you tell me what is the estimated lowest price a dealer would go with a Cavaco Limited Edition 6628, 1760 sq ft,3 BR 3 BA,stainless steel appliances,2002 model. the salesperson said she went down from $75,000 or so to 69,900,plus $1800-3800 for foundation,$3500 for utilities and $3800 for tax.so we are talking about almost $80,000 or so for everything.i think most of the insulation is mininum.
she was also going to give me a CLE 7032, 2001 model,2200sq ft,4 BR,3 Bath,for the same price, i think she knocked down $6000 for that.
so if it was at $75000,then she knocked it down to $69,900,and of course they said thats the lowest they can go,should i take that and run off like a laughing hyena or make them go lower??
thanks for any response
she was also going to give me a CLE 7032, 2001 model,2200sq ft,4 BR,3 Bath,for the same price, i think she knocked down $6000 for that.
so if it was at $75000,then she knocked it down to $69,900,and of course they said thats the lowest they can go,should i take that and run off like a laughing hyena or make them go lower??
thanks for any response
-
Annaz
Re: Rmurray and others
Some models have a lot of upgrades. Do you know what either contains as far as construction/insulation/etc??? Personally, I'd rather take the newer, but it definitely depends on the construction of both. I still have some pricing, but I need to know how it's constructed, plus I'm not sure of what a "Limited Edition" Cavco is. THen I can give you more info.
-
rmurray
Re: Rmurray and others
You and Annaz and I will have to agree to disagree...
You and annaz have a few anecdotal examples of a few resales that were not good...Consumers Union studied resale prices of thousands of sales in more than 1 area..the conclusion over time was the same no matter what...manufactured homes..overall...appreciate the same as stick built when affixed to land and sold with the land...
I like you know of some who have had bad luck...but I also know many who have had the same luck with stick builts....all of this is anodotal..a few examples does not make a national report...
Keep up the good advice...
You and annaz have a few anecdotal examples of a few resales that were not good...Consumers Union studied resale prices of thousands of sales in more than 1 area..the conclusion over time was the same no matter what...manufactured homes..overall...appreciate the same as stick built when affixed to land and sold with the land...
I like you know of some who have had bad luck...but I also know many who have had the same luck with stick builts....all of this is anodotal..a few examples does not make a national report...
Keep up the good advice...
-
jgn
Re: Rmurray and others
One of the problems with appreciation on MH is you deminish the market potential because there are a number of people who will not look at a MH, like having a pool in the back yard you don't get back what you put in and there are a number of people who will not look at a house with a pool.
MH has a large market segmet that cannot afford anything else so they are in rural and less desirable areas. When you look at the housing market as a whole they bring down the overall market. Someone also looks at a new MH for $75k and can put it on a lot why spend 150k for one already lived in and they don't look at the overall value. A stick built home is ready for renovation or remodel where a MH presents different challanges to remodle.
If you can afford it and are getting a house for appreciation a site built home is the best choice but if you are looking for value for you housing dollar, you can't beat MH. I have both a site built and a MH at a lake. The site built has appreciated 25% where I would be lucky to come out of the MH flush even though it is in a desireable area. Part of the problem is they are both about the same age but the MH is very outdated and it would be more cost effective to replace it with a new one, this does not hold true for my primary home.
MH has a large market segmet that cannot afford anything else so they are in rural and less desirable areas. When you look at the housing market as a whole they bring down the overall market. Someone also looks at a new MH for $75k and can put it on a lot why spend 150k for one already lived in and they don't look at the overall value. A stick built home is ready for renovation or remodel where a MH presents different challanges to remodle.
If you can afford it and are getting a house for appreciation a site built home is the best choice but if you are looking for value for you housing dollar, you can't beat MH. I have both a site built and a MH at a lake. The site built has appreciated 25% where I would be lucky to come out of the MH flush even though it is in a desireable area. Part of the problem is they are both about the same age but the MH is very outdated and it would be more cost effective to replace it with a new one, this does not hold true for my primary home.
-
LJ
Re: Rmurray and others
Chad, truthfully, Cavco makes so many different series and then floorplans within the series, plus the upgrade options, is that you really can't go by the series name to tell which one is best. I would not get impressed by the words "Limited Edition". The most important thing about Cavco homes, as I have been told by several different Cavco salesmen, is where the home is made. Models made at the Durango plant are always higher quality "out the door" than those made at the Litchfield plant. My own observations looking at them both and seeing the defects confirm this; accordingly the Durango produced homes will price 5-10% higher than the Litchfields. Next most important item are the upgrades as cited in the previous posts. The construction upgrades will certainly prolong the life of your home, make for easier maintenance, and contribute to higher resale value.
I looked up your "CLE" models on the Cavco website, and they look pretty well made, but my sense is that not many construction upgrades are being included in the floorplans being offered to you. The units appear to be 4/12 roofs which is good, but the 2x4 walls and insulation are minimum, and the standard 2x6 floor joists and non plywood floors could cause problems later on. On the other hand, also of consideration is that 2004 models are 10%+ higher than the 2 and 3 year old models because of the rapidly rising wood prices. So the same 2004 models produced today would likely cost considerably more. We have recently been looking at some 2004 models, with construction upgrades that price out at about $50 sq foot plus pad, utilities, etc. The prices quoted to you for these 2001 and 2002 models are considerably less at about $40 sq foot , and on the surface, sound reasonable.
Personally, I could not be satisfied with anything other than the higher insulation and 2x6 wall options. And I would be suspicious of why these two units have been sitting around so long. I would also do a lot of research to get smart on mobile homes before I made a decision. But if you are really want to buy one of these two, then you might try to offer the dealer $5000 less or get him to include some of the setup costs. It seems to me that as old as these units are, that the dealer might agree because he wants to get rid of them before the 2005 models come out. The dealer can only say no. Good Luck!!
I looked up your "CLE" models on the Cavco website, and they look pretty well made, but my sense is that not many construction upgrades are being included in the floorplans being offered to you. The units appear to be 4/12 roofs which is good, but the 2x4 walls and insulation are minimum, and the standard 2x6 floor joists and non plywood floors could cause problems later on. On the other hand, also of consideration is that 2004 models are 10%+ higher than the 2 and 3 year old models because of the rapidly rising wood prices. So the same 2004 models produced today would likely cost considerably more. We have recently been looking at some 2004 models, with construction upgrades that price out at about $50 sq foot plus pad, utilities, etc. The prices quoted to you for these 2001 and 2002 models are considerably less at about $40 sq foot , and on the surface, sound reasonable.
Personally, I could not be satisfied with anything other than the higher insulation and 2x6 wall options. And I would be suspicious of why these two units have been sitting around so long. I would also do a lot of research to get smart on mobile homes before I made a decision. But if you are really want to buy one of these two, then you might try to offer the dealer $5000 less or get him to include some of the setup costs. It seems to me that as old as these units are, that the dealer might agree because he wants to get rid of them before the 2005 models come out. The dealer can only say no. Good Luck!!
-
LJ
Re: Rmurray and others
Chad, truthfully, Cavco makes so many different series and then floorplans within the series, plus the upgrade options, is that you really can't go by the series name to tell which one is best. I would not get impressed by the words "Limited Edition". The most important thing about Cavco homes, as I have been told by several different Cavco salesmen, is where the home is made. Models made at the Durango plant are always higher quality "out the door" than those made at the Litchfield plant. My own observations looking at them both and seeing the defects confirm this; accordingly the Durango produced homes will price 5-10% higher than the Litchfields. Next most important item are the upgrades as cited in the previous posts. The construction upgrades will certainly prolong the life of your home, make for easier maintenance, and contribute to higher resale value.
I looked up your "CLE" models on the Cavco website, and they look pretty well made, but my sense is that not many construction upgrades are being included in the floorplans being offered to you. The units appear to be 4/12 roofs which is good, but the 2x4 walls and insulation are minimum, and the standard 2x6 floor joists and non plywood floors could cause problems later on. On the other hand, also of consideration is that 2004 models are 10%+ higher than the 2 and 3 year old models because of the rapidly rising wood prices. So the same 2004 models produced today would likely cost considerably more. We have recently been looking at some 2004 models, with construction upgrades that price out at about $50 sq foot plus pad, utilities, etc. The prices quoted to you for these 2001 and 2002 models are considerably less at about $40 sq foot , and on the surface, sound reasonable.
Personally, I could not be satisfied with anything other than the higher insulation and 2x6 wall options. And I would be suspicious of why these two units have been sitting around so long. I would also do a lot of research to get smart on mobile homes before I made a decision. But if you are really want to buy one of these two, then you might try to offer the dealer $5000 less or get him to include some of the setup costs. It seems to me that as old as these units are, that the dealer might agree because he wants to get rid of them before the 2005 models come out. The dealer can only say no. Good Luck!!
I looked up your "CLE" models on the Cavco website, and they look pretty well made, but my sense is that not many construction upgrades are being included in the floorplans being offered to you. The units appear to be 4/12 roofs which is good, but the 2x4 walls and insulation are minimum, and the standard 2x6 floor joists and non plywood floors could cause problems later on. On the other hand, also of consideration is that 2004 models are 10%+ higher than the 2 and 3 year old models because of the rapidly rising wood prices. So the same 2004 models produced today would likely cost considerably more. We have recently been looking at some 2004 models, with construction upgrades that price out at about $50 sq foot plus pad, utilities, etc. The prices quoted to you for these 2001 and 2002 models are considerably less at about $40 sq foot , and on the surface, sound reasonable.
Personally, I could not be satisfied with anything other than the higher insulation and 2x6 wall options. And I would be suspicious of why these two units have been sitting around so long. I would also do a lot of research to get smart on mobile homes before I made a decision. But if you are really want to buy one of these two, then you might try to offer the dealer $5000 less or get him to include some of the setup costs. It seems to me that as old as these units are, that the dealer might agree because he wants to get rid of them before the 2005 models come out. The dealer can only say no. Good Luck!!
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests