Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary
 [Register]
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary The Triangle Area
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 02-11-2007, 04:55 PM
 
Location: Up above the world so high!
45,218 posts, read 100,322,300 times
Reputation: 40194

Advertisements

Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish View Post
Assume the inspector will do a good job.
And hire an engineer to confirm the inspector did a good job.
That advice applies to purchasing a mod or a mansion.

Pick a cliche that "floats your boat":
"Trust in Allah, but tie up your camels at night."
"Belt and Suspenders."
"Redundancy reduces error."
Hey Mike, can you answer my question about what you think of the particular manufacturers I mentioned?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 02-11-2007, 05:00 PM
 
Location: Cary, NC
43,029 posts, read 76,539,610 times
Reputation: 45337
I'm going to pass on individual evaluations, naming names, etc. I'm personally fully exposed here, you know?
I have enough experience with one of them, a passing experience with another, and only recognize a third...
And I apologize for not getting back with this response.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-01-2008, 03:20 PM
 
24 posts, read 70,214 times
Reputation: 26
I really appreciate this forum but it's so frustrating trying to move ahead. I would love to have a stick built home - my father was a carpenter and built a great house. But the way it looks now - I'm not sure if I can even afford to move to a decent modular. I'm looking for at least a couple of acres of land near Pittsboro or along the Orange County/Alamance County line. I've lived in a old house - I'm too old to deal with frozen pipes and leaking roofs and no heat. I bought what was suppose to be a GOOD stick built house in Apex and the longer I live in it - the more I'm going to have to fix to sell it. Part of that was what the previous owners did that my "inspector" just didn't catch. Part of it was just the materials used to side it.

I have to move with my dogs and cats so I can fix this house to sell. I'm not going to be able to rent. I was hoping to try and take the little bit of money from my parent's estate and get a large lot somewhere out and put a decent modular on it - probably the last place I'll live and I have to be able to afford it as I'm only source of income. I am working in RTP. But I've started looking at modulars and some still look like trailers and some are very nice but above what I could pay for a stick built home so there is no savings and there no reason to shop above what is sensible.

My standards are lowering rapidly - I can not mortgage myself beyond logic and take a chance of losing everything if something goes wrong and I can't sell this house after I replace the siding and fix it up. Am I stuck looking for a cheap trailer on land I like and praying to win the lottery one day and upgrade? What do people do when they can't afford houses that start at $200,000? It's not that I don't understand good quality building and wish I could afford it - it's that I feel like I have limited options. I guess I'm asking for help on finding decent manufactured homes if that's all I can afford.

thank you for listening/reading -

Martha
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-16-2008, 02:25 AM
 
1 posts, read 3,252 times
Reputation: 10
En……………I still feel confusing about the main differences between modular and mobile houses, although I’ve seen some definitions above. Indeed, I would like to figure out the differences between them, their advantages and disadvantages.
For distinguishing them, I have also resorted to some relevant websites, but only to find some companies which sell modular, mobile and site houses. I looked through their galleries on the net, however still have no ideas.
Is anyone here kind enough to explain to me in detail, please?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-16-2008, 04:47 AM
 
9,680 posts, read 27,088,409 times
Reputation: 4163
Quote:
Originally Posted by MizSeeker View Post
I really appreciate this forum but it's so frustrating trying to move ahead. I would love to have a stick built home - my father was a carpenter and built a great house. But the way it looks now - I'm not sure if I can even afford to move to a decent modular. I'm looking for at least a couple of acres of land near Pittsboro or along the Orange County/Alamance County line. I've lived in a old house - I'm too old to deal with frozen pipes and leaking roofs and no heat. I bought what was suppose to be a GOOD stick built house in Apex and the longer I live in it - the more I'm going to have to fix to sell it. Part of that was what the previous owners did that my "inspector" just didn't catch. Part of it was just the materials used to side it.

I have to move with my dogs and cats so I can fix this house to sell. I'm not going to be able to rent. I was hoping to try and take the little bit of money from my parent's estate and get a large lot somewhere out and put a decent modular on it - probably the last place I'll live and I have to be able to afford it as I'm only source of income. I am working in RTP. But I've started looking at modulars and some still look like trailers and some are very nice but above what I could pay for a stick built home so there is no savings and there no reason to shop above what is sensible.

My standards are lowering rapidly - I can not mortgage myself beyond logic and take a chance of losing everything if something goes wrong and I can't sell this house after I replace the siding and fix it up. Am I stuck looking for a cheap trailer on land I like and praying to win the lottery one day and upgrade? What do people do when they can't afford houses that start at $200,000? It's not that I don't understand good quality building and wish I could afford it - it's that I feel like I have limited options. I guess I'm asking for help on finding decent manufactured homes if that's all I can afford.

thank you for listening/reading -

Martha
Martha,

Many folks in your situation choose to rent apartments. If qualified by age, there are senior communities with some lower rentals out there. We saw one in Wake Forest that was one level and really nice.

Of course, too many pets or the absolute requirement for a private yard can take this choice away.

Perhaps renting may make more sense than having the upkeep of a home over your head.

Good luck.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-16-2008, 10:41 AM
 
Location: Blacksburg, VA
823 posts, read 3,910,859 times
Reputation: 244
Are there any legal standards for homes sold as "modular" to distinquish them from "manufactured" homes?

Thanks,
Alice
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-16-2008, 07:57 PM
 
347 posts, read 931,728 times
Reputation: 236
you know how to get a modular/manufactured home saleperson upset? Ask to see some trailers

I made that mistake once and was quickly corrected.

That is the stigma and will continue to be. Calling it a manufactured home doesnt mean its not a trailer....
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-16-2008, 07:59 PM
 
9,680 posts, read 27,088,409 times
Reputation: 4163
Hmmm, If it looks like a duck, smells like a duck, and quacks like a duck ........
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-22-2009, 05:47 PM
 
Location: Sector 001
15,932 posts, read 12,183,778 times
Reputation: 16097
I'm a believer in taking advantage of the stigma manufactured homes get and purchasing one used on it's own land for real cheap as an inexpensive place to live as opposed to buying something in the hopes of cashing in on a real estate appreciation that is all but gone now for years. I wouldn't buy one new, they simply depreciate too much from what the cost of one new is, to what they sell for later on.

Some manufactured homes are built pretty close to typical site specs, some are not. Does the home have real drywall? 2x6 exterior framing? Minimum 7/16 inch OSB for the exterior walls and roof? PEX plumbing is also a plus. These are the specs that your typical stick built house is built too these days, and my manufactured home is also built to these specs. It also has a layer of luan plywood behind the 1/2 inch thick drywall for strength purposes IE to prevent cracking of the drywall during shipping. Stick built homes in general though, although built more energy efficient, are not built nearly as strong as older homes. Such is the way of life.. insure it and be done with it. Do what you can to prevent water from getting in, that's the most important thing.

If I were building from scratch though, knowing what I know, a place in the country I planned to spend the rest of my life in, I'd have the components upgraded myself.. 16 inch OD instead of 24 inch... 5/8 inch OSB instead of 7/16 which is the typical size, plywood for the roof instead of OSB... but most people who just go and buy a new home don't build one from scratch and have these options.

The more home you buy, the more it costs to insure, pay taxes on, heat, etc. Small homes and inexpensive homes will produce less of a loss then expensive homes over the next 3 years. Something to think about. I'll be able to sell my manufactured home for break even for sure. That's all that matters to me, given the huge losses some people are taking on these huge mcmansions that have been built.

This whole attitude about home ownership and appreciation still lingers after the fall in prices the past year, and prices are only going to fall more. Buy a home as an affordable place to LIVE. In a few years you'll be able to get a pretty nice one for a great price, I plan to upgrade at that time and just rent this cheap place here out.

Last edited by sholomar; 06-22-2009 at 06:02 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-23-2009, 06:33 AM
 
Location: Central North Carolina
1,335 posts, read 3,139,582 times
Reputation: 2145
Quote:
Originally Posted by raccemup View Post
A true modular home is built using the same construction standards as a stick/site built home.
This my be true by some definition, but it is not entirely true.

I'm speaking as someone who has lived in a two story modular, with a full length front porch since 1996. FWIW, it is a Crestline home, which I believe is build down near Laurenburg.

Certain standards may be shared, but many or not. For example, here are some of the major issues I have run into:

-Wife wanted to replace the sink in the kitchen, but modular counter tops are not the same as standard counters, so we had to replace all the cabinetry in the kitchen. New sink => $10k

-Replaced A/C unit this year (got 13 years out of it, not bad). Wanted to go to split level system, but could not do so because the duct work in a modular is not the same as it is i a house, we would have had to spend over 3x the cost of the unit to rip out the ducts, and install differently.

-wanted to replace the air handler in the crawl space, but due to huge i-beam (the one the house is transported in on) being in the way, it was not possible to get the unit under the house, hence it required serious reconstruction of our air handler closet. (on a good note, the HVAC company we used was very reputable and did this at no extra cost, so they could honor their quote.


While I am mostly happy with my house, and it does feel more like a "home" than a glorified doublewide, the issue with a modular is that every time you turn around, standard construction supplies are not compatible with our house. I forgot to mention it above, but plumbing is another major one. We can scarcely find someone even willing to work on the plumbing!!!



If I had it to do over again, I would go with a pre-existing stick-built house. If I were going to buy a modular, I would get one used. I never considered the resale value, as we are not going to move (family land), but based on the comments above, it makes sense that if you do buy one, just buy a new/used one, and let someone else take the hit on the depreciation.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:




Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > North Carolina > Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top