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Can anyone tell me anything about modular homes? We looked at one that was built in 2001 and would not have known it was a modular if the real estate agent had not told us. I don't know too much (anything) about them. How do they stack up against regular (is that the right word?) homes? The manufacturer of the home is Crestline.
Any info would be appreciated.
Hi Kellex,
If this the one on 3.6 acres in Reidsville, ( I looked it up) it looks nice from the outside, but IMO, it's pricey for Rockingham county. The same hesitations that you're having are the same hesitations that someone else will have if you ever need to sell it.
The re-sale value is my main problem with many modulars. I did some basic research on this a couple of years ago. Unfortunately the best comments about them come from the manufacturers. Not exactly an unbiased source.
We've talked about one for when we retire ( some years from now) have overcome some prejudices about them - some of them are so much nicer than they used to be, and will hopefully get even better, but for now we can't get past the poor resale potential.
Thanks for the post, Cassie. We were supposed to close last weekend on the house in Reidsville, but the underwriters want to review the appraisal! Apparently, the appraiser used comparables that were too far away. In any case, we should find out in a few days. Maybe we'll need to loook for another house? I do like that area, though.
Thanks for the post, Cassie. We were supposed to close last weekend on the house in Reidsville, but the underwriters want to review the appraisal! Apparently, the appraiser used comparables that were too far away. In any case, we should find out in a few days. Maybe we'll need to loook for another house? I do like that area, though.
IMHO, knowing Rockingham county, you'd be better off moving closer in to Greensboro. I looked and saw a couple of properties listed in Stokesdale. Both still in Rockingham county. One is a little ambitious being called a horse property ( it's only on 2 acres) but the virtual tour of the house is nice. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths I think. Another is on 5+ acres with a barn. 3 bedrooms 2 1/2 baths. Dunno if they would work with your mother living with you. Both are considerably less expensive than the modular. They are both in rural but beautiful areas, IMO. Close to amenities.
My boyfriend's sister has been living in her modular for 6 years now and is purchasing a new one a little over 2,500 sq. feet. From what she has told me modulars can be $20,000 less than a stick built home. The modular home companies buy their materials in bulk for mass production.. thus the lower price. Also the labor is done indoors as oppossed to builders who are outside building your home in all sorts of weather. They can also be put up much quicker and suppossedly are better able to withstand hurricanes than conventional homes. I would plan on pruchasing one as well if I had the land. If you are interest PM me and I will send you a link to the company that my boyfriend's sister just purchases her new home from. They are quite nice!!!
Let me start by saying that I'd rather have a well built modular than a thrown together poorly built stick built house. With that being said, there is a stigma attached to modular homes that usually lead to them being cheaper than a comperable stick built house.
I'll reiterate that modular homes are built in sections, brought to the homesite where the foundation has been prepared, and then lifted or slid onto the foundation. As each section is put in place, they are attached to each other.
There are also two basic types of modular constructions. I would call one "on-frame modular" construction and the other just regular "modular." The basic difference is that on frame modulars have a metal frame underneath that appears similar to a "manufactured home" (i.e. trailer). It just doesn't have wheels and axels, nor a tongue in the front to pull it down the road.
The regular modular doesn't have the metal trailer frame. Instead it is framed very much like a stick built house and placed on the foundation by the use of a crane.
You can sometimes, but not always, tell that a house is a modular home by the thickness of some interior walls. Oftentimes two 2x4's will match-up between different sections, which are then nailed together. That will sometimes make an interior wall that is close to 8" wide. You won't find that in a stick built house.
Modular construction is also a quality of the home that needs to be disclosed to future buyers. With the attendant stigma attached to them from the early years of their construction, or perhaps from some of the poorer companies, the disclosure usually leads to a cheaper square foot price than other stick built houses in the same or similar neighborhoods. It may not be justified by the individual house. Instead, it's just something dictated by the market.
This is what I've learned in my search for a NC home. It has also led me to decide that modular construction is not for me, no matter how nice the house looks. I simply don't want to deal with the disclosure at a later sale of the property and having qualified buyers reject my property just because of a stigma attached to the construction.
My boyfriend's sister has been living in her modular for 6 years now and is purchasing a new one a little over 2,500 sq. feet. From what she has told me modulars can be $20,000 less than a stick built home. The modular home companies buy their materials in bulk for mass production.. thus the lower price. Also the labor is done indoors as oppossed to builders who are outside building your home in all sorts of weather. They can also be put up much quicker and suppossedly are better able to withstand hurricanes than conventional homes. I would plan on pruchasing one as well if I had the land. If you are interest PM me and I will send you a link to the company that my boyfriend's sister just purchases her new home from. They are quite nice!!!
Summer, thanks for your post also...I think what has me stuck is the resale value. Although I plan on staying put, I think it makes a bigger difference to my husband. To be quite honest, I think that if my husband knew from the outset that it was a modular (I did find out it was off-frame), he would not have even considered it. I think we will have to wait and see what the underwriters say.
Cassie, could you let me know where you got the info on the two houses you mentioned? I searched a bit, but couldn't find them. Thanks!
I can't post them to the forum because they are from an MLS listing website,
but I did send you an e-mail to your member name. When you log on look in the upper right under where it says "Welcome Kellex" and you'll see that you have a private message waiting.
Let me start by saying that I'd rather have a well built modular than a thrown together poorly built stick built house. With that being said, there is a stigma attached to modular homes that usually lead to them being cheaper than a comperable stick built house.
I'll reiterate that modular homes are built in sections, brought to the homesite where the foundation has been prepared, and then lifted or slid onto the foundation. As each section is put in place, they are attached to each other.
There are also two basic types of modular constructions. I would call one "on-frame modular" construction and the other just regular "modular." The basic difference is that on frame modulars have a metal frame underneath that appears similar to a "manufactured home" (i.e. trailer). It just doesn't have wheels and axels, nor a tongue in the front to pull it down the road.
The regular modular doesn't have the metal trailer frame. Instead it is framed very much like a stick built house and placed on the foundation by the use of a crane.
You can sometimes, but not always, tell that a house is a modular home by the thickness of some interior walls. Oftentimes two 2x4's will match-up between different sections, which are then nailed together. That will sometimes make an interior wall that is close to 8" wide. You won't find that in a stick built house.
Modular construction is also a quality of the home that needs to be disclosed to future buyers. With the attendant stigma attached to them from the early years of their construction, or perhaps from some of the poorer companies, the disclosure usually leads to a cheaper square foot price than other stick built houses in the same or similar neighborhoods. It may not be justified by the individual house. Instead, it's just something dictated by the market.
This is what I've learned in my search for a NC home. It has also led me to decide that modular construction is not for me, no matter how nice the house looks. I simply don't want to deal with the disclosure at a later sale of the property and having qualified buyers reject my property just because of a stigma attached to the construction.
Hi Garth,
This is one of the best explanations I've ever read about modular homes. I agree that there is a stigma attached to them that makes it much more difficult for re-sale than a stick built home. When we first started looking to buy in the spring of 2005 I saw modular homes that had been sitting on the market for a very long time and continued to long after we bought in 2006.
We would consider a well built modular as a retirement home but wouldn't at this point in our lives.
Regards,
Cassie
Quote:
Originally Posted by garth
Let me start by saying that I'd rather have a well built modular than a thrown together poorly built stick built house. With that being said, there is a stigma attached to modular homes that usually lead to them being cheaper than a comperable stick built house.
I'll reiterate that modular homes are built in sections, brought to the homesite where the foundation has been prepared, and then lifted or slid onto the foundation. As each section is put in place, they are attached to each other.
There are also two basic types of modular constructions. I would call one "on-frame modular" construction and the other just regular "modular." The basic difference is that on frame modulars have a metal frame underneath that appears similar to a "manufactured home" (i.e. trailer). It just doesn't have wheels and axels, nor a tongue in the front to pull it down the road.
The regular modular doesn't have the metal trailer frame. Instead it is framed very much like a stick built house and placed on the foundation by the use of a crane.
You can sometimes, but not always, tell that a house is a modular home by the thickness of some interior walls. Oftentimes two 2x4's will match-up between different sections, which are then nailed together. That will sometimes make an interior wall that is close to 8" wide. You won't find that in a stick built house.
Modular construction is also a quality of the home that needs to be disclosed to future buyers. With the attendant stigma attached to them from the early years of their construction, or perhaps from some of the poorer companies, the disclosure usually leads to a cheaper square foot price than other stick built houses in the same or similar neighborhoods. It may not be justified by the individual house. Instead, it's just something dictated by the market.
This is what I've learned in my search for a NC home. It has also led me to decide that modular construction is not for me, no matter how nice the house looks. I simply don't want to deal with the disclosure at a later sale of the property and having qualified buyers reject my property just because of a stigma attached to the construction.
The thing you want to know with modulars is if they are off-frame or on frame. Off-frames tend to retain their value closer to stick-built homes because they cost more to build and appraisers can value them against similar stick-built homes, unlike on-frame.
They are getting more and more popular but teh problem nowadays is finding a lot to build them on - that's probably as big of a reason why you don't see as many of them around.
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Kellex
