Manufactured / Modular / Moblle Homes on the Big Island? (Hilo, Keaau: for sale, insurance)

[manoagirl]

I have never seen any mobile home parks on Oahu. Why would they allow mobile homes when the land is so valuable and space is limited? That just doesn't make good business sense!! It is better to build up (as in High rises or condos) than flood the Island with mobile homes. If a person can't afford to live on the Islands then the general attitude of islanders is to LEAVE THE ISLAND OR STAY ON THE MAINLAND!! If the Islands allowed mobile home parks everyone and their grandmother would move to Hawaii. Oahu is over crowded as it is,. I don't foresee mobile home parks coming to the Islands. I have seen some very nice mobile home parks on the mainland but once the land become more valuable they are demolished. Mobile home parks would only encourage more people to live on the Island and the people who have money on the Island have the attitude "Not in my back yard".

[hotzcatz]

Last time I looked mobile homes were illegal in the state, although that was several years ago that I looked. Even if they were legal, they probably wouldn't survive that long. Press board and particle board melts in our humidity. Metal promptly rusts in the salt air. Houses in Hawaii generally have at least three foot roof overhangs to keep the sun off the sides of the house to keep it cool inside. Big windows to let in breezes since running an air conditioner is terribly expensive with our electric rates.

By the time you shipped over a mobile home and did all the ground work (plumbing, septic, electric) you don't really save all that much money so a stick built small house is what folks generally build instead of a mobile home.

[LEDESMAS]

Originally Posted by Adel

Hello ! There are three companies in Kona and/or Hilo, on the Big Island that have home kits I remember only 2 of them one is called Trojan lumber the other Multi Faccetted Homes Search the yellow pages for Hilo Hi under prefab homes or similars and you will get addresses and phone numbers. I have another company and more info in my lap top that needs repairs and I will gladly send it to you when possible. I wish you the best ! Adel

Dear Adel-Sorry it's taken me so long to respond, but I just got the quote this morning! Thank you for the info. regarding the home kits. We are hoping to visit our property in Hawaiian Paradise Park this November, when we celebrate our 30th anniversary on the Big Island. But, alot depends on the airline flight deals!
We would certainly appreciate any information you would be willing to share with us- it would help us so much! God bless- Al and Linda Ledesma

[manoagirl]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Last time I looked mobile homes were illegal in the state, although that was several years ago that I looked. Even if they were legal, they probably wouldn't survive that long. Press board and particle board melts in our humidity. Metal promptly rusts in the salt air. Houses in Hawaii generally have at least three foot roof overhangs to keep the sun off the sides of the house to keep it cool inside. Big windows to let in breezes since running an air conditioner is terribly expensive with our electric rates.

By the time you shipped over a mobile home and did all the ground work (plumbing, septic, electric) you don't really save all that much money so a stick built small house is what folks generally build instead of a mobile home.

The humidity in Hawaii is all year unlike FL, where it gets cooler during the winter months. Once particle board become wet, it loses much of its tensile strength. Also don't forget about termites!!! I recall when my family on the Islands had a termite problem and being able to see the sun shine through the paper thin door. Finally when my parents decided to do something about the termite problem, they were told it was pretty much too late because the termites had destroyed the home and the only thing holding up the house was the TERMITES.

[Sorcerer68]

The tropical style construction mentioned earlier in this thread is pretty, I've seen it in person. By mainland standards you might not consider it tough but it's fine for the islands if it suits you. Lots of people look to Yurts for cheap housing alternatives. Yes, it's a glorified tent but some people absolutely love them and they are cheap. Some live in a yurt while they build their home. Soemthing about Hawaii makes many want to build their own homes.

Regarding the Trojan and Multi-Facetted homes...and this is just my opinion...they are dated and ugly. Drive around and you'll see the same 5 homes over and over and over. Yes, they are cheaper. If you just want basic, no frills housing, this may be the way to go for you but consider buying one that's built to avoid the construction experience. Things on the island take a lot longer. The last home we had built took 13 months and this was from a "reputable" contractor and just about living on the jobsite. Last I looked (at least on the East side of Hawaii), there were plenty of these available for cheap. One last option is to pick a house design, buy all the lumber on the mainland and ship it over. I've spoken to a few people who went this route and saved some money.

Last but not least, do NOT attempt to have the house built while you are on the mainland or on another island. I repeat...do NOT attempt to have the house built....you get the idea. Be in a position to check on them a LOT in person.

I was told the reason there are no moblile homes was (and this could be a rumour) that the powers that be didn't want to see Hawaii literally plastered with trailers (and it would be).

Good luck!

[PacificFlights]

Originally Posted by Sorcerer68

I was told the reason there are no moblile homes was (and this could be a rumour) that the powers that be didn't want to see Hawaii literally plastered with trailers (and it would be).

Good luck!

[SIZE=2]Mobile homes built on Oahu must be built to local county building codes, but they are allowed by law. If they are built outside Oahu, they are allowed by law if they pass local building codes. If they have a HUD nomenclature plate for wind and earthquake protection they are allowed without inspection and are exempt from local building codes under federal law. Regardless what is said or written, they are absolutely allowed on Oahu.
[/SIZE]

[Manawai]

Many thanks for you reply and analysis of the situation in Hawaii.
Aloha!

[Paddywagons]

It took a while for this thread to get started. Now all of a sudden there are some great responses; I suspect it's because of the declining economy everywhere. I think many people are now interested out of necessity on finding ways to spend less badly needed money. Home costs are still too high for most people, even with the decling housing market, so the only way to still own your own home and avoid rent gouging is to find alternatives to conventional housing; therefore modular, etc. I think it's only a matter of time before we start seeing more of the less expensive alternative housing options on the islands, as well as everywhere else. I know a lot of areas may not want to see these alternative dwellings encroach into their areas, so they will probably try to pass policies restricting them. I don't know how legal it is everywhere to shut out the less affluent, but I know here in Florida it's very common. I have a rural lot in Puna, so I hope that I'm exempt and remain so, but I feel sorry for those of you that might not have the option of choosing a nice alternative, such as a less expensive modular, just because you don't have enough money to keep up with the Jones'.

[hotzcatz]

Why keep up with the Jones'? They aren't from around here and their house doesn't fit in around here.

Building your own small house can be a lot less expensive than buying a kit house and can be cheaper per square foot than yurts. No matter what type of house you choose, you will need to put in utilities of some sort since very few lots have public services and almost no lots have all the services. Just for basics you will need some sort of septic, cesspool or composting toilet of some sort. Power of some sort, photovoltaic (solar electric) is nice, wind works in some areas, other folks opt for Helco grid power. Water services in many parts of the island are by "catchment" meaning you catch the rainfall. Yurts are unfortunately very poor at this. After you get your utilities in place, then the difference in cost between building a yurt or putting up a small "stick built" house is pretty much the same.

A small custom construction will probably be much more liveable, too. You can specify what you want such as large lanais opening out onto the yard, big windows overlooking the view, a covered walkway to your shop area, the kitchen with a composting chute to the garden, etc. Then build it with locally purchased materials so there aren't big shipping fees, do an "owner-builder" building permit and your sweat equity will be all your own. This is what I do for a living, basically, is draw up house plans for folks. So far in the more than twenty years I've been drawing houses for Hawaii, they've all been different and they've all been less expensive than the kit homes and with better materials, but that's because I'm not making money from selling materials.

The current job I'm working on involves a milking parlor near the kitchen and the house is solar powered, on catchment and off pavement. It also has an extremely limited construction budget but it will be built by the folks so they won't be paying much more than materials. It will end up very suited to their needs, a lot less expensive than a kit home and much less expensive per square foot than a yurt or "manufactured" housing. A lot of folks opt for these sorts of houses which may be why there is not a lot of demand for manufactured houses around here.

[Paddywagons]

Thanks a lot for the pretty thorough reply. Please send me your number in a DM. When I get closer to my project, I would like to talk to you more about this. I'm not set on any particular style dwelling, it just won't be a yurt though. I have nothing against them, but with a family I couldn't make it work.