mobile homes (Memphis, Knoxville, Loudon: crawl space, to buy, tornado)

[phyll]

I know I asked about mobile homes before, I saw some BEAUTIFUL ONES in Dandrige, but the thing is , there seems to be mostlly mobiles.My mom keeps telling me NOT to buy one cause of TORNADOES , I know someone answered me, but, PLEASE, bear with me and answer me again about the weather thing.Also there doesnt seem to be homes with basements ,is there a reason for that or just the way things are ?I wouldnt mind a moble or manufactured, some are lovely, and as far as the value of them in the future, doesnt bother us, if we would buy one, this would be our last home. God willing. How do YOU feel about them?Thank you so much for your patience and understanding!!!! phyllis

[daniellefort]

Well a tornado can destroy a stick built home just as bad as a mobile so if it's just tornados your questioning, you can always consider getting one of those underground bunkers to hide in should one be coming. problem with a trailer is the wind can get up underneath it and lift it up but you can always put concrete blocks instead of the flimsy skirting they use to surround the bottom of it. We were moving a trailer once that we bought and it had block all around it and we had to hammer it all out to move the trailer. It was quite a job.

[Tinman313]

Manufactured Homes and they all have too meet a state code. But the reason you don't see too many basements any more is they add about 10 grand too the cost of a home.And from what I was told just about any where on the Cumberland Plateau it's solid rock about 2-5 feet done.If I have this wrong information please correct me.Most of the better manufactured homes are put on permanent crawl space,block wall that the home sits on.And if your doing that and worry about Tornado's look at the Tornado map for each state.You can build a above ground bunker out of poured concret,but you could be in town at that time so what good is it......Also the new NOAA weather radios are the best,set it for your area and it has a audiobile alarm and strobe too warn you of a tornado for just your area[/color]

[ashleyw]

I think your best bet would be to just put a permanent foundation on because down in these parts we don't get many storms of the such anyway. I agree with daniellefort up there. That block that is laid when you put a house on the foundation is quiet a job when you go to tearing it down. I say if you are ok with them then get one. I think you will be just fine.

[phyll]

Originally Posted by ashleyw

I think your best bet would be to just put a permanent foundation on because down in these parts we don't get many storms of the such anyway. I agree with daniellefort up there. That block that is laid when you put a house on the foundation is quiet a job when you go to tearing it down. I say if you are ok with them then get one. I think you will be just fine.

I am sorry if I sound terribly stupid, do you mean if I did buy a mobile home you put cinderblock around and or under it? I am sorry for the dumb questions,I really dont know too much about them, as it shows . Thank you. Have a great weekend!

[daniellefort]

Originally Posted by phyll

I am sorry if I sound terribly stupid, do you mean if I did buy a mobile home you put cinderblock around and or under it? I am sorry for the dumb questions,I really dont know too much about them, as it shows . Thank you. Have a great weekend!

Yes not the huge big cinder blocks but the smaller blocks. you know the ones you see some homes have usually they are red. Lay them one by one about 7 or 8 rows high or however high until it meets the bottom of your mobile home.

[lindseyelaine]

You can also put some mobile homes on a basement foundation now. My dad did this, its beautiful. Tornados are rare in east tn too I wouldn't worry about it.

[GrannyLois]

lindseyelaine is right - very, very few tornadoes in east tennessee. I've been here since 1983 and have never gone down into my basement due to tornado warnings.

[bbkaren]

I just did some research for my worry-wart mother who is a snowbird in North Palm Beach, FL.

Here's the link:
http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/ww...wwEvent~Storms

It should lay your fears to rest about tornadoes. As you can see, you have to head west to see any real tornado action. Remember these are the tornadoes in the last 57 YEARS!!

(I added Palm Beach county just to shut my mom up lol!)

Tornadoes Since 1950 (per county)
Roane County, TN ------------------- 2
Jefferson County (Dandridge), TN ---- 3
Loudon County, TN ------------------ 4
Knox County (Knoxville), TN ---------- 8
Davidson County (Nashville), TN ----- 25
Shelby County (Memphis), TN ------- 47
Palm Beach County, FL ------------- 141

[sliverbox]

The problem with mobile homes is that they're built more like a camper. They deteriorate with age, and unlike a normal home, it isn't easy to simply "knock down a wall" in a trailer since the walls are fiberboard and aluminum. They of course lose their value from day one. I wouldn't worry about tornadoes.

But.... the things are dirt-cheap, especially if they are used. Just be aware of what/whom lived in it before...