New Modular/Manufactured Home Prices (Brunswick, Augusta: home builder, contractors, camp)

[Submariner]

I have seen monolithic homes. Straw bale homes, rammed-earth homes, cord-wood homes, and underground homes.

When I was attending college, I worked for one year in an underground citrus orchard. One of my co-workers was the engineer who popularized rammed earth homes.

There are many good ideas for how to build an alternative home. Unfortunately few code enforcement officers are willing to step outside of the box, to consider any of them.

You can drop a trailer next to the road with a mailbox, power, phone line, etc; just for looks. And then go back in the woods and build your dream home in the style of a wigwam if you want to. But it will never have a building permit filed, never be inspected, and should you ever decide to sell your home, the system will never recognize that it exists.

We once looked at a very nice home that was for sale. They wanted a reasonable price, but as we found out, it was home-built without permits. So the town and the banks insisted that the land was being marketed as bare land, with no structures on it. Therefore we could not get a mortgage on that home. They owners were hoping for a buyer who had cash, since no bank would loan money on it.

After looking at all of the options available to us, we decided to build a steel building. Basically a steel warehouse, and in customize the insides into a comfortable home. Steel buildings are very cheap in terms of per square footage. Much cheaper to build than a woodstick building. We have insulated it to R-40 and still we have paid far less than we would have if I had built a woodstick home.

[Aimsely1]

Thank you everyone! I found alot of the homes in the area I looked at were older and I am done with fixing up houses! The newer larger homes were too expensive for me, so I decided to look into modular or manufactured. I really just need a small home with a large lot for my dogs to run. They cant run far on a Jersey 50x100 lot!
Look forward to coming to Maine!

[Submariner]

Aimsely -

"The newer larger homes were too expensive for me, so I decided to look into modular or manufactured."

My pension equals about a minimum wage job fulltime.

If we lost our home tomorrow, we would begin once again, building a new home.

We have found that we are earning enough to afford to do this.

... I really just need a small home with a large lot for my dogs to run. They cant run far on a Jersey 50x100 lot!
Look forward to coming to Maine!

Fortunately here we have been able to purchase a larger piece of property.

Dogs run, livestock run around.

Welcome to Maine.

[bignhfamily]

Originally Posted by budgey

Has anyone here ever looked at Monolithic.com (dome homes)? Take a look and see what ya think. I plan on building one in Maine within the next 2 years.

6 or 7 years ago, I was sub-contracted to perform many repairs on a geodesic dome house in Francistown, NH. It was a very cool place. The contractor I was working for had his roofing crew walk out on him as they were intimidated by its height (around 65') but mostly because they couldn't figure out how to shingle a dome. I had shingled (slate, cedar shake, asphalt shingles) many ornate roofs with unusual curves, eyebrows, etc, so my partner and I took the challenge. We were very pleased with the results as were the owners. It was a great opportunity to try something new. We later that winter plastered part of the ceiling. It was open from top to bottom on about a third of the dome- 4 stories!

[Aimsely1]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Fortunately here we have been able to purchase a larger piece of property.

Dogs run, livestock run around.

Welcome to Maine.

Thank you! I am looking forward to letting my dogs just RUN!

I am looking to find a job myself where I can afford the house but not be overworked, like here in NJ. I would rather cut my pay in half and move to Maine then stay here with higher pay needing even HIGHER pay!

Take care!

[Zymer]

Modular home prices...

Fom an ad in Uncle Henry's

Camelot Homes:

Cape: $66,995
Ranch (950 sq. ft.) $49,995
Ranch (1456 sq. ft.) $78,995
2 story, 4 Bed, 1880 sq. ft. $89,995

[Aimsely1]

Originally Posted by Zymer

Modular home prices...

Fom an ad in Uncle Henry's

Camelot Homes:

Cape: $66,995
Ranch (950 sq. ft.) $49,995
Ranch (1456 sq. ft.) $78,995
2 story, 4 Bed, 1880 sq. ft. $89,995

WOW I almost fainted. THAT IS CHEAP.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by Aimsely1

WOW I almost fainted. THAT IS CHEAP.

Don't forget though, that's just for the building. Then you have to add your site work (foundation, septic, well, etc.), transportation, setup and whatever else *isn't* included in the price. Then you have to furnish it, yada yada yada...

[Aimsely1]

Yes, I know, but its just going to overall be a LOT cheaper than I imagined! I have actually will be getting rid of furniture, I am downsizing. So that helps too. I just want a simpler life.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by Aimsely1

Yes, I know, but its just going to overall be a LOT cheaper than I imagined! I have actually will be getting rid of furniture, I am downsizing. So that helps too. I just want a simpler life.

they've come a longggg ways with modular homes in the past 10 yrs, be sure to check out many different modular home businesses/manufacturers, the devil is in the details, (base prices, package deals, site work, septic, well, etc,
do your homework!

good luck!