New Modular/Manufactured Home Prices (Portland, Bangor: home builders, buying, construction)

[Aimsely1]

Hey all,

I am looking to move to Maine this year and while I was looking at stick built and/or already completed homes, someone suggested I look at getting land and getting a modular or manufactured home as they are priced well.

Anyone have one or know if this is the case? I am looking for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch on a 1 acre lot (that I will buy of course soon). Any companies stand out for service and price?




Thanks everyone...

[amyd83]

I recently sold a modular home here in NJ and it was beautiful. The builder said it is better built than stick built and he made his own home modular as well. I will DM you the name of the modular home company (they do deliver to Maine) Good luck

[Zymer]

I think there are several modular home companies in ME- delivery would be a little less expensive.

[Acadianlion]

Originally Posted by Aimsely1

Hey all,

I am looking to move to Maine this year and while I was looking at stick built and/or already completed homes, someone suggested I look at getting land and getting a modular or manufactured home as they are priced well.

Anyone have one or know if this is the case? I am looking for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch on a 1 acre lot (that I will buy of course soon). Any companies stand out for service and price?




Thanks everyone...

Try Maine Made Modular Home Builders, Coastline Homes, serving Bangor, Ellsworth, Hancock, Downeast and Acadia, Maine. We have been to their display on Route One in Hancock and were favorably impressed by their workmanship. I have considerable recent experience with stick building and renovations, and will probably not do a stick built project again for three reasons. The first reason is that the quality of basic building materials is not very high. The "big box" dimension lumber is of uniformly mediocre quality, and although the quality of EBS's lumber is higher, it is more expensive. Secondly, the quality of labor is poor, and if it isn't, it is VERY expensive. Finally, any new home that we build will be built around the concept of energy efficiency, and that requires a much more precise approach than most builders are equipped to handle in the rural areas of the state. The trade schools here are still teaching same-old, same-old, so it would seem.

In the case of the modular homes that we looked at, the issue with them all was that while the overall quality of construction appeared to be very high....it should be, having been built in a factory under controlled environmental conditions....the houses were all still OLD, in terms of technology. Anyone building or installing a "new" home here now, should be buying something that will be inexpensive to operate in this age of global warming, and America declining: we must end our dependence on fuel oil for most applications, and a house that burns fuel oil will be very expensive to live in in the near future. That means that the new home will need to be more than just well executed 1960's building design and theory: it will have to be reflective of the living environment of this century, and that is hard to do in a conventional design using conventional building technology and materials.

[AlisonL]

There are several manufactured/modular home companies in Oxford, Maine. I am sure if you google, they will show up.

[Boomerang]

Originally Posted by AlisonL

There are several manufactured/modular home companies in Oxford, Maine. I am sure if you google, they will show up.

Yes, along route 26 in Oxford there's a whole slew of manufactured home builders. I went to their yearly 'home show' last summer and toured a couple facilities. Keiser really stood out for quality for me. There was another that also looked good: can't recall the name off the top of my head. It was the farthest away at the other end of town from Keiser. Some of the places in between I wouldn't recommend.

Now is a good time to talk to them about building, I think. One company had to lay off some workers so they could use the work and might be able to cut you a good deal, although their own costs aren't going down, of course. The manufacturers can give you a list of their general contractors. One place in Topsham can offer financing of the entire deal from modular package through the land buy and site work. One in Portland offers the ability to do a cross between modular and stick built if the site requires it.

I'd rather buy an existing house in terms of not adding to the growing sprawl in my part of the state, getting more house for less money, and not have to worry about subcontractors' work, but the modulars are tempting, for sure.

[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.

[Zymer]

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.

That is interesting. I can't say that I find them entirely pleasing to my eyes but they *do* have some advantages.

[budgey]

yeah, they are not the nicest looking homes, but i think the advantages would
overcome the looks. JMO

[kellysmith]

Kent Homes in New Brunswick brings several houses a day into the state. The exchange rate used to make it a no-brainer, but now it's more of an even keel, but they are still bringing lots in which means they still must be a good deal. (at least the folks who are buying them must think so)