Modular Homes - Does anyone have any opinions (Lancaster: appliances, home builders)

[lovesMountains]

Just to add to the conversation, in case anyone is interested...we attended the Log Home Expo this past weekend at the Charlotte Convention Center. We were very excited to find a modular log home manufacturer there. Their homes are really beautiful, inside and out. We are loving that we can get modular strength with log cabin looks. These are not modular homes with log siding either. This is a true log cabin.

[bluemaddy]

Originally Posted by sheilaramos

....My husband and I have been looking into purchasing a MODULAR / PRE-FABRICATED HOME.... from a dealer in rock hill south carolina (clayton homes).

Has anyone had any experiences with the purchasing of a modular home and/or experiences with the dealers good or bad that they could share or things we should watch for.

What about quality of the homes? Do they stand up to normal wear and tear?

I have heard some horror stories with regard to them being set up and put together and was wondering about anyone else's experiences.

I built one on an island in Ocean City, NJ. A bunch of snobs live in this town and everyone is rich...so I had some convincing with the zoning board before I could do it. It is the best decision ever!!! I have a large 6 bedroom home with 3 1/2 bathrooms. I finished building in April of 2005 so I have gotten through two winter, two summers...it's been great. The quality is fantastic. I did not buy a cheap one. Do your homework. I bought an Apex home from PA. Very good reputation.

Make sure you get the wind package. My windows with stand 130mph wind. If you want more information I would be happy to let you know. There are a few things I wish I knew before...it just would have made things easier. In terms of quality...a prefab is competely different than mobile. It's really top quality. Good luck.

[lovesMountains]

Originally Posted by Karin

Please understand that there is a significant difference between Mobile Home, Manufactured Home and Modular Home. They are completely different "animals" and people continually lump them together as one. According to the Manufactured Housing Institute, www.manufacturedhousing.org located in Artlington, VA, following are the differences: A Mobile Home has not been built since 1976 when they were registered by the DMV - aka a "trailer." Mobile Homes will can incinerate in (3) minutes if caught on fire and are almost impossible to find financing for.

A Manufactured Home is built to the HUD (Housing and Urban Development) codes, and is registered through the Department of Housing & Community Development. Manufactured and Mobile Homes are typically found in Mobile Home and Manufactured Home Communities (Parks) where you generally don't own the land and pay a monthly space rent. Park living is fine for some, but I don't like have "no control" over the home I own which is placed on leased land. Manufactured Homes are growing increasingly difficult to finance and will appraise with like kind (i.e., you have to use another manufactured home to use as a comp), and you have to be practically "gold plated" to qualify not only for the loan, but for the park.

Modular Homes are conventional stick-built (on-site) homes which are built the UBC standards - the same standards on-site stick-built home builders follow. Modular Homes can be single stories or multiples stories (including attics and basements - just like conventional housing). Modular homes will qualify for all conventional lending and will appraise as a conventional home. 60% of the homes East of the Mississippi are Modular Homes due to a number of reasons (i.e., weather constraints, set up of home is quicker, etc.). Modular homes are generally placed on a concrete foundation (just like a conventional home) and will generally tolerate the same kind of weather conditions (i.e., tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.) about as well as any other conventional home. In fact, many of the mansions on the East Coast are Modular Homes - although you'd never know they weren't on-site built. One of the benefits of owning a Modular Home, however, is the fact that kiln-dried wood is generally used and not exposed to the elements, and most of the factories use lasers in the building process. What this means for the consumer is that you get very "true" walls, doors, etc.

The first home I purchased was a conventional stick-built home. I watched through the winter as my new home was left open to the rain, wind and rodents. It took approximately 4 months for the builder to complete my new home and another month for the builder to fix all the defects; walls weren't straight, doors wouldn't close properly, etc. Give me a modular home any day.

I am bumping this informative post for folks asking about modular homes.

[lovethecarolinas]

Originally Posted by lovesMountains

I love that wind rating! That's one reason to have a modular in an area that is hurricane prone for sure.

Now I have a new wrinkle to add to the conversation...I only recently discovered another type of modular home - the LOG CABIN modular home! Anyone know anything about these homes?

There was a couple last night (Sunday) on HGTV that had a modular log cabin. They have been so pleased with their modular log cabin..that they have since bought more (placed them on their property in the NC mtns. for vacation rentals). They looked fantastic and the company happens to be located in South Carolina (here is the link: http://www.blueridgelogcabins.com/index.php)

[cptronier]

Hi so who did you go with. Beccause we are looking at Rainbow Homes Right Now.

[cptronier]

Everyone wants me to buy a stick built home. But more I hear I think I will stay with a modular home.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by sheilaramos

....My husband and I have been looking into purchasing a MODULAR / PRE-FABRICATED HOME.... from a dealer in rock hill south carolina (clayton homes).

Has anyone had any experiences with the purchasing of a modular home and/or experiences with the dealers good or bad that they could share or things we should watch for.

What about quality of the homes? Do they stand up to normal wear and tear?

I have heard some horror stories with regard to them being set up and put together and was wondering about anyone else's experiences.

IN my opinion, you are better off with a stick-built home. They are much more certain to appreciate and they seem to hold up better. A modular home may hold its value better than a mobile home, but it won't appreciate nearly as quickly as a well-built site built home.

[jenn02674]

I just skimmed through the posts but one question I didn't see answered was appreciation. Some modular homes are probably better built and stronger than some stick built homes but the best modular is not going to be stronger than the best stick built.

All that being said though, it wouldn't make one iota to me about all that stuff. If the house is not going to appreciate or worse yet depreciate, then you may as well rent. Much less hassle and probably cheaper in the long run. The biggest reason people buy houses is for investment value.

I personally wouldn't buy one.

Just my opinion.

[Dee Ueckert]

befor you start, check out the resale...................
they drop in value, hard time to resale,
i will never do this again....................................good luck

[Baja Boomer]

Originally Posted by Dee Ueckert

befor you start, check out the resale...................
they drop in value, hard time to resale,
i will never do this again....................................good luck

My sister got a modular home in the 80s in Southern California, but you can't tell it's modular. Looks just like an ordinary tract house, and all the others in that small neighborhood are the same. I don't know what she originally paid for it, but she refinanced it in the mid 90s for $80,000. She added her own touches over the years (stuccoed the outside, built a nice block wall around the back yard, etc.) and sold it last year for $400,000.

So perhaps appreciation depends on the house and the location?