modular vs manufactured

[Mary Jane]

I'm confused - what is the difference between a modular home & a manufactured home?

[rmurray]

A "manufactured home" is a complete home built in a factory and transported to your site...It is built to a national building code administered by HUD (Housing and Urban Development).....HUD has a detailed system for enforcement by the various states...

Manufactured home is the legal defined name for this product...in some areas of the country some folks still call these homes mobile homes...or even God forbid.."trailors"..These homes are offered in a full range of of sizes, quality and price ranges..These home outsell modular home by 8 to 1..Mostly because of the price ranges avaiable..Prices will range from about $20,000 to as high as $140,000..

You might want to search these boards for info...and/or check out this site for info...

http://www.manufacturedhousing.org/consumer_center/

Your federal government offers a free publication on how to buy a manufactured home..at..

http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/hous ... nuhome.htm

Modular homes are homes that are built substantially off site in a construction facility, transported to the site and finished by local contractors....These homes are built to the local building code..which is administered by the various states...Each state has its own building code..they are NOT the same from state to state..Every state has a different set of rules for code enforcement..some better than others..Just like manufactured homes...and site built for that matter..these homes come in all sorts of quality ranges and price ranges...Usually the will be available from about $60,000 and I have seen some priced OVER 1 MILLION DOLLARS...Modular homes are starting to increase in the overall mix of available homes...but they still are a very small amount of all homes built..With these homes..you want to be very careful who you buy it from..builders run the whole gamut from very good to very bad...Because these homes have much more on-site work than manufactured homes...the manufactures warranty can be very limited...unless you buy from a source for which the manufacturer does the building on site as well as off site..

Check out the book store here for some good sources of info that is much too detailed for these boards..But..be sure to come back and ask..ask..ask..

[Mary Jane]

Thanks for your explanation. I recently purchased a manufactured home (signed an Agreement of Sale) & people have approached me using the terms, "modular" &"trailer" (ugh).
I am now armed with the appropriate & correct information to respond to them.

[rmurray]

Good Luck with your new home..