Manufactured Houses (Tampa, Palm Harbor, Ocala: modular home, purchasing, construction)

[gb77777777]

Hey guys,
Been considering purchasing a manufactured home in Tampa...Does anybody know where the nice ones are and does anyone know how the process work from A to Z?
Thanks!

[Vinny536]

Originally Posted by gb77777777

Hey guys,
Been considering purchasing a manufactured home in Tampa...Does anybody know where the nice ones are and does anyone know how the process work from A to Z?
Thanks!

Let's first clarify what version of manufactured housing you are seeking. The terms are used interchangeably too often, I don't want you to get bad advice.

Looking for a:

Park Model? under 400 square feet, RVIA code like an RV
Mobile home? AKA: trailer, single/double/triple wide, HUD code home.
Modular home? Built in a factory to the same codes as a site built home.

If you are early in your consideration and looking at a mobile home, I would urge you to price compare a modular home. Mobile homes come with a title and depreciate, modular comes with a deed and can appreciate.

There are a lot of manufacturers around here. Palm Harbor has a place on I-4, if you went through there you could walk the house in production to see how it's put together and demand changes. Champion has a plant in Lake City, a little more of a drive, but I urge you to visit while your home is in production. There are a few in Ocala as well.

To me the most important part of manufactured construction is to be sure everything is square and plumb. Pay close attention to this as you walk through the models. If the walls aren't set straight, plumb and square they are more interested in speed then quality. Look down the side of the unit from the outside, is it straight or "wavy"? Are the exterior walls straight and plumb? are the windows flush and straight or can you see a slight bend in the glass?

Next on my importance list is cabinetry. Standard cabinet sizes are 24" deep, 35" tall for kitchens, and width in increments of 3. Most manufacturers build their own cabinets, some build to these standards, some choose their own sizes. Look carefully at teh cabinets, many manufacturers build cabinets that look outdated. If they don't build to the standard sizes you may run into some difficulty if you ever remodel to the same layout in the future.

After square and plumb and cabinets, look at the fixtures. To me this is less important since you can upgrade them later, but it's still a marker of quality. Cheap plastic faucets or metal? How are the light fixtures? Switches? Doors?

That will help you find the nice ones, but remember that all manufacturers generally have a low, mid and high line. Be sure you are comparing apples to apples with product lines.