Big Island: Any Manufactured Home Dealers? (Hilo: fit in, for sale, mobile home)

[Paddywagons]

Does anybody know of any on-island manufactured home dealers, especially with an on-island inventory of samples? My previous inquiry was negative, and on my trip this summer, I didn't locate any.

Also, does anybody know anyone who may have had a manufactured home shipped to the Big Island, and what it may have cost?

If I can't find a supplier in the islands, I'm looking into the feasability and cost of shipping one from the mainland if possible. I have seen beautiful manufactured homes in Oregon and Washington that would be a whole lot cheaper and nicer than some of the inventory of homes for sale on the Big Island. By the way, some of these new manufactured homes are designed with hurricane-resistant & earthquake code standards in mind; and yet they are still considerably less expensive than other traditionally constructed homes typical on the islands.

Maybe there is a conscious effort to keep these off the island by some local builders. I don't know if they can find ways to legally block the import of these into the islands by influencing the politicians and their government building departments some way, but I wouldn't put ANYTHING past anybody when it comes to maintaining the status-quo when they have an monopoly on something that's making them a lot of $$$$.

Any input on this subject is appreciated.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Paddy, before you go off on a tirade about there being a conscious effort to block the import of manufactured homes, you should consider that maybe manufactured homes aren't shipped to Hawaii because of the huge cost to do so. There are lots of [b]package[b] homes on the Big Island, where they have different styles of homes and provide the materials to build them, but those materials can be shipped over in containers. Shipping a half of a house has got to involve complicated logistics and I can imagine that the cost to do so far out weighs any of the benefits of purchasing a manufactured home.

[HankDfrmSD]

Also, I think the wood in most manufactured homes is not "treated" for termites. I know someone who built a "log home" on Kauai which was reduced to sawdust in a very few years.

Be careful, Paddy

Hank

[KD Hawaii]

ha ha ha ha...Manufactured homes in hawaii? Ha ha ha...The bugs could eat 'em. Froget it.

[kani-lehua]

big island package homes:

aloha package homes
multi-facetted homes
hpm
big island package homes
castleblock
honsador
teak bali
trojan lumber
argus construction

for links to these package home dealers: southpointhawaii.com

[leilaniguy]

Mobiles are allowed here, but don't hold up at all. When I was looking to buy a home here I saw a mobile home in HPP that was only 4 years old. I could smell the mold from outside the building. I pushed against the exterior siding and my finger went right through the wall. I wouldn't have one on a bet.

[kani-lehua]

Originally Posted by leilaniguy

Mobiles are allowed here, but don't hold up at all. When I was looking to buy a home here I saw a mobile home in HPP that was only 4 years old. I could smell the mold from outside the building. I pushed against the exterior siding and my finger went right through the wall. I wouldn't have one on a bet.

know what you're talking about, sort of. when we went to purchase our lot up at MLE (mauna loa estates), the seller had erected a fence surrounding the property. well, upon the final ispection, we wanted to open the gates that were padlocked. the locks were frozen/rusted. going to have to take a cutter the next time we're up there. oh, wait a minute! i don't think they'll allow that on the plane. going to have to make friends with the neighbors.

[kani-lehua]

Originally Posted by HankDfrmSD

Also, I think the wood in most manufactured homes is not "treated" for termites. I know someone who built a "log home" on Kauai which was reduced to sawdust in a very few years.

Be careful, Paddy

Hank

i was checking out some of the websites that i mentioned. they use pressure treated lumber. castleblock uses there own types of materials.

[Paddywagons]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

Paddy, before you go off on a tirade about there being a conscious effort to block the import of manufactured homes, you should consider that maybe manufactured homes aren't shipped to Hawaii because of the huge cost to do so. There are lots of [b]package[b] homes on the Big Island, where they have different styles of homes and provide the materials to build them, but those materials can be shipped over in containers. Shipping a half of a house has got to involve complicated logistics and I can imagine that the cost to do so far out weighs any of the benefits of purchasing a manufactured home.

OK .... that's definitely a lively response!! I appreciate your input. There's nothing worse than blah, blah, blah; at least someone's alive and got something valuable to say to make me exam this prospect a lot closer.

Sorry if it seemed like a tirade. Sometimes I get so suspicious about motivations, especially when it comes to money. I handle so many fraud cases from every direction at work that I can't help but ask if anybody knows about any underhandedness whenever there's money and profit involved. I LOVE when I'm wrong about being suspicious; it's no fun knowing somebody's trying to cheat you or somebody else!

Moving on ... I checked out Castleblock and was impressed. I also checked out a cople of the packaged home dealers and was surprised at the high final cost estimates; maybe I shouldn't be because of the higher costs in general in Hawaii. I also checked out a constructed Bamboo Living home near Hilo, and another beautiful design in the Bali Teak style; I can't remember that manufacturers name just this minute, but I think it was Multi-Faceted living ... it was gorgeous!

Let me explain my situation; it may reflect that of some others looking to build, and seeking the best they can get for their money. If I could get a completed modest size 3/2 finished for $150,000 maximum, not including the price of the unprepared lots which I already own, I could move tommorow without any problems. $50 t0 $100,000 more than that would put pressure on me right now that I don't know if I could handle if my back injury gets any worse and I can't keep working. By the way, I'm a workaholic and I can't imagine how unhappy I would be without having a productive purpose. I have found 3/2 manufactured homes in OR/WA for $63,000! I know about pressure-treated woods and mildew from many years in South Florida. I know about mildew and rot etc. We have far more humidity here than most places. I always had CB (cement block) homes here so only the roof structures and interior walls were wood and subject to rot. I don't know enough about manufactured home construction right this minute to state that they have improved enough to compare to CB construction or traditional wood-frame, but I will look into it. I was TOLD by at least two dealers in WA that they are as good now as any stick-built (wood-frame house) on the market these days. I don't automatically believe them, but it may be true. I will look into it. I do know that the first four homes I owned in South Florida were old construction - pre Hurricane Andrew, and all of them lacked sufficient hurricane tie straps and hurricane resistant windows and doors. I retrofit two of them myself after suffering considerable damage from hurricanes. Construction has advanced considerably since Andrew and subsequent hurricanes taught us an important lesson. I know that the old mobiles/ modulars / and manufactured homes were inferior and rotted and fell apart, but I think (and I hope my research proves it so) that the new models incorporating new technology may be a pleasant surprise. I will keep you advised.

Please continue to question everything; just like me, we all need to be sure before we invest in something as costly as this. I am tempted to consturct a CB block home with a poured concrete roof.

I just contacted a dealer and an independent shipper to see about the feasability of shipping a home to the Big Island. I'll let you know the response when I get it.

[HankDfrmSD]

Have a look at this, Paddy, about a company builing manufactured homes on Oahu that are resistant to termites:

http://cyberknife.com/media/technews/technews_v3n2_h.pdf (broken link)