Any one live in modulars/double-wides???

[Brute 23]

I lived the first 18 years of my life in a single wide Palm Harbor mobile home. The house is still there and livable 28 years later.

Yes there are some that are junk and yes there are are some quality built.

It's still a bad place to to put your money. No one ever plans on needing that money but if you do, it's gone with a mobile or even a modular home in some cases. I'm not saying it's right, but the banks and market make the rules.

If you have never burned a mobile home you should. Several people in our family have had them over the years. Since they aren't worth hauling off when you finish they end up going to a property and getting burned. Then they cut the frames up and sell it for scrap. It is flat out scary how fast they go. 5 min later there is nothing but a frame and some smoke left.

My parents built a metal home with cement floors, metal studs, etc. There is nothing but cabinets and beds to burn in that house.

 

[Dave]

Last year I built a new 1,700 square foot stick house. It cost me a hair over $90 a square foot to build. I didn't have to put in a well or septic because it was built right where a double had sat. I bought that double wide in 1991. I couldn't even get anyone to haul off the double wide so it left by way of an excavator with a thumb and several extra big dumpsters. I would never advise someone to buy a double wide. That is based on my experiences and opinion.

 

[presmudjo]

We bought our Redman double wide in 2001. We had relatively few issues with it after move in. We replaced all the shut off valves with brass fittings instead of the plastic type they had. One failed and we changed them all. The clips holding up the closet shelves were cheap and broke easily. I changed them out. The hot water heater was crap and we bought a new brand name one within 2 years. I don't find these issues too bad. This place has been through hurricanes Charlie, Frances, and Jean and only now do we need the new roof. It is only a 20 year roof to begin with. It is not leaking, but you can tell it is time. Part of roof cap was all we lost during Charlie along with siding on one end. We have no regrets we bought this home instead of going through a built house. We didn't upgrade the lights, etc because they only upgrade from cheap to a pretty looking cheap. We bought new light fixtures as we found ones we liked. We did upgrade the carpets amd padding and had the exterier doors a solid metal door instead if their cheap flimsy things. I am glad we only had one skylight, which I wish now we would have never done. It has been replaced. Champion homes bought out Redman shortly after we bought. Our home was bulit in Lakeland, Fl. I have heard that different building sites can give you different quality. The floors on this thing are not the cheap partical board either. Not easy to drill through for the tv antenna cord. We never went for a plant tour when we bought this, but we were encouraged to do so. If you can, I would go on the tour of your local company. We have our insurance through Florida Farm Bureau. I would check with local insurance companies to make sure you can get coverage. I have heard it is difficult in Florida now. If you are buying a new one, it was suggested we have lights in all the closets. We did have that done and it has been a real asset, especially the kitchen pantry. Our home is the 80 x 32, 4 bedroom, 2 bath.

 

[greybeard]

I haven't lived in a semi-mobile home in about 15 years now. Perhaps they have increased the quality since that one was built and I suppose they have, as I have seen 2 modulars put up on 14' tall pilings at Bolivar peninsula and they had to meet post-Hurricane Ike code requirements.
One of them is for sale--$275K-$285K range. 1/3 ac lot, 1330 sq ft home. :shock:

 

[NECowboy]

Cost of building house here is insane. Even modest priced builders generally $150/square foot by time you add basement and your 2 car garage in. Part of problem is most of them have to travel each way at least 35 miles to our site. Sounds similar to Craig's situation in NW Alabama where it is just too darn expensive.

We've been looking at modulars, log homes, and stick built. Modulars we have some good companies where they are essentially a stick built house but built indoors. One we like best is NOT cost competitive (think closer to $200/square foot and this is not luxury full granite, cherry cabinets etc). Others I'm worried about them coming out too trailer house looking.

I would look for modular companies that are essentially off site custom homes. If they can really custom design a plan for you, use any material you would like, and don't use cheap materials, then it's what you're looking for. But I wouldn't expect much more than 15, 20% tops off of stick built and that's only because of minimized transportation aside from final ship out (usually its up to about 300 miles radius), economies of labor/minimal use of subs, and volume purchasing.

 

[NECowboy]

I'd take the bad end of a single wide on 2 sections. Over the a 5000 square foot mansion on 10 acres any day.

Heck yeah, ur awesome fence! I think the bad part though is that I love the 2 sections and my wife loves the 5000 square foot mansion!

 

[NECowboy]

Last year I built a new 1,700 square foot stick house. It cost me a hair over $90 a square foot to build. I didn't have to put in a well or septic because it was built right where a double had sat. I bought that double wide in 1991. I couldn't even get anyone to haul off the double wide so it left by way of an excavator with a thumb and several extra big dumpsters. I would never advise someone to buy a double wide. That is based on my experiences and opinion.

Wow how did you get it so cheap? Did you do any of the labor yourself or hire it done? Did you do siding, log, brick, etc? Garage or basement?

 

[greybeard]

Stick house.
Dave lives in NW Washington--Pacific Northwest.
You live in Nebraska.
Which is most likely to have cheaper building materials?

(Rock is expensive in East Texas where I live--almost free in West Texas where I used to live)

 

[True Grit Farms]

Well I like my trailer trash, it's an 80x32, it was built by a bunch of Mexicans at the Fleetwood factory in Douglas Georgia in 05. It's very cheaply built, but I'm cheap so what's the difference? I have no one to impress besides my wife, and after 31 years she's easy. We've had an electrical problem, the Ac went out, one plumbing leak, and the tile falls off the counters. We had a lot more problems out of our custom built house and it was 3 times the cost of the mobile home almost 30 years ago. We're working on building a new small off grid home and bunker since the kids are gone off on their own. But I would buy another mobile home in a second and never look back.

 

[Cross-7]

I lived the first 18 years of my life in a single wide Palm Harbor mobile home. The house is still there and livable 28 years later.

Yes there are some that are junk and yes there are are some quality built.

It's still a bad place to to put your money. No one ever plans on needing that money but if you do, it's gone with a mobile or even a modular home in some cases. I'm not saying it's right, but the banks and market make the rules.

If you have never burned a mobile home you should. Several people in our family have had them over the years. Since they aren't worth hauling off when you finish they end up going to a property and getting burned. Then they cut the frames up and sell it for scrap. It is flat out scary how fast they go. 5 min later there is nothing but a frame and some smoke left.

My parents built a metal home with cement floors, metal studs, etc. There is nothing but cabinets and beds to burn in that house.

I bought a cheap one years ago
I tried to sell it but no lender would touch it
So I owner financed it.
They divorced and tore it up pretty bad and abandoned it about a year later.
I patched it up and owner financed it again for about 15k less than the first time.
They are always late with the payment and don't have insurance like stated in the contract
I'll be glad when I get away from it

 

[NECowboy]

Stick house.
Dave lives in NW Washington--Pacific Northwest.
You live in Nebraska.
Which is most likely to have cheaper building materials?

(Rock is expensive in East Texas where I live--almost free in West Texas where I used to live)

Stick built can use any type of materials - it ain't sticks. That's why I was wondering if he did cheap vinyl siding or what he did on it.

Of course materials gonna be more in Nebraska but you can't tell me that it's THAT much more expensive in middle of country. Wash State I would think labor would be expensive as all get out but maybe not once you get outside of Seattle Area.

 

[Cross-7]

Well I like my trailer trash, it's an 80x32, it was built by a bunch of Mexicans at the Fleetwood factory in Douglas Georgia in 05. It's very cheaply built, but I'm cheap so what's the difference? I have no one to impress besides my wife, and after 31 years she's easy. We've had an electrical problem, the Ac went out, one plumbing leak, and the tile falls off the counters. We had a lot more problems out of our custom built house and it was 3 times the cost of the mobile home almost 30 years ago. We're working on building a new small off grid home and bunker since the kids are gone off on their own. But I would buy another mobile home in a second and never look back.

My off grid home away from home although I'm thinking of biting the bullet and having power ran
I started it just for a place to stay a few nights a week and wanted small and cheap
22x26 is too small
I wish I'd of gone bigger

 

[Caustic Burno]

I disagree. I have lived in them in the past and have family that lives in them now. Some are good and some are bad. New site built homes have the same problems.it's all in who you by from. I can't speak for champion. Never heard of them. Go with a reputable brand.

True there are nightmare stories everywhere, Sometimes i wonder if it would be cheaper to buy a home elsewhere and live there, and work here on the farm only-seems u can buy a home already there on land with 30 acres cheaper than you can build one anymore-But issues with that too

Average cost to build a modest home in my are is 120$ a Sq ft. I can buy a home already built for 60$ a sq. It's true you could build one less if you do all the work yourself. Good luck finding a bank to loan you the money to build it yourself if your not a licensed contractor. I would recommend looking at clayton homes.

I couldn't even get a construction loan with a 830 credit score and putting down half because they wouldn't touch it because it was on acreage. Had it been a city lot they would have jumped on it. Also said I was building too expensive of a house for the area in 2004 ended up just paying cash.Today I have the smallest house on the county road at 2200 sq feet.
I would hate to build it today as it was right at 75 dollars a sq ft 12 years ago.
I think the real reason they didn't want to finance the construction loan was because it was a steel home no one had built one here before now they are pretty common.

 

[Brute 23]

True there are nightmare stories everywhere, Sometimes i wonder if it would be cheaper to buy a home elsewhere and live there, and work here on the farm only-seems u can buy a home already there on land with 30 acres cheaper than you can build one anymore-But issues with that too

Average cost to build a modest home in my are is 120$ a Sq ft. I can buy a home already built for 60$ a sq. It's true you could build one less if you do all the work yourself. Good luck finding a bank to loan you the money to build it yourself if your not a licensed contractor. I would recommend looking at clayton homes.

I couldn't even get a construction loan with a 830 credit score and putting down half because they wouldn't touch it because it was on acreage. Had it been a city lot they would have jumped on it. Also said I was building too expensive of a house for the area in 2004 ended up just paying cash.Today I have the smallest house on the county road at 2200 sq feet.
I would hate to build it today as it was right at 75 dollars a sq ft 12 years ago.
I think the real reason they didn't want to finance the construction loan was because it was a steel home no one had built one here before now they are pretty common.

Yup. You can't take a metal frame home to a standard bank because most of them sell the note to a bigger bank, to bigger bank, to a bigger bank. It's not considered a prime note because to them you are living in a barn.

Prosperity Bank is the place to do business. They can make loans in house. They actually evaluate what you have with common sense. All their loans are kept in house, forever. They jumped at the chance to have the loan on my parents metal home on acreage. They also have the note on my house and majority of bank accounts. They are a pleasure to do business with.

 

[Brute 23]

Well I like my trailer trash, it's an 80x32, it was built by a bunch of Mexicans at the Fleetwood factory in Douglas Georgia in 05. It's very cheaply built, but I'm cheap so what's the difference? I have no one to impress besides my wife, and after 31 years she's easy. We've had an electrical problem, the Ac went out, one plumbing leak, and the tile falls off the counters. We had a lot more problems out of our custom built house and it was 3 times the cost of the mobile home almost 30 years ago. We're working on building a new small off grid home and bunker since the kids are gone off on their own. But I would buy another mobile home in a second and never look back.

My off grid home away from home although I'm thinking of biting the bullet and having power ran
I started it just for a place to stay a few nights a week and wanted small and cheap
22x26 is too small
I wish I'd of gone bigger

Very nice Cross. Where is the porch and BBQ pit though?

 

[Ojp6]

My dad bought a modular the year before I was born so I guess it would be just shy of 25 years old. Never had many problems with it, sold it 7 or 8 years ago for a little more than we had in it. It's been sold again for about $25,000 more than what we sold it for within the last year with some improvements in the landscaping and stuff. Still hasn't been any major problems with it, and it withstood a tornado going through the backyard several years ago.

 

[Bigfoot]

A Mobil/modular home serves a purpose. I would analyze it as having almost zero salvage value. If that scenario will fit with what your trying to do, then I'd go for it. Wind scares me. I just couldn't ride out a storm in one. I ended up with $11 a square foot in this. I don't live in it, but I would consider it livable.

 

[greybeard]

Stick house.
Dave lives in NW Washington--Pacific Northwest.
You live in Nebraska.
Which is most likely to have cheaper building materials?

(Rock is expensive in East Texas where I live--almost free in West Texas where I used to live)

Stick built can use any type of materials - it ain't sticks. That's why I was wondering if he did cheap vinyl siding or what he did on it.

Of course materials gonna be more in Nebraska but you can't tell me that it's THAT much more expensive in middle of country. Wash State I would think labor would be expensive as all get out but maybe not once you get outside of Seattle Area.

Around here, stick built generally means lumber studs and built on site. Most current builds are stud walls, sheathed and with brick faced or hardy plank--some go with metal siding. I haven't seen any vinyl siding in a long time--hurricane country.
Mine was built in late 2008-finished May 2009. 1775 interior sq ft, 2x6" wall thickness. 2 bdrm. pine ceilings from end to end (they were not cheap) . Ready to move in, with all new major appliances kitchen/bath/laundry ran me $65/sq ft. Add another $5000 for the well + $5200 for waste water treatment plant bumped it up to $71/sq ft.
No garage.
There are no basements in this part of the world.

 

[Caustic Burno]

:cry2: Brute dangest barn I ever seen.


You are probably right on the banks.

 

[Cross-7]

Well I like my trailer trash, it's an 80x32, it was built by a bunch of Mexicans at the Fleetwood factory in Douglas Georgia in 05. It's very cheaply built, but I'm cheap so what's the difference? I have no one to impress besides my wife, and after 31 years she's easy. We've had an electrical problem, the Ac went out, one plumbing leak, and the tile falls off the counters. We had a lot more problems out of our custom built house and it was 3 times the cost of the mobile home almost 30 years ago. We're working on building a new small off grid home and bunker since the kids are gone off on their own. But I would buy another mobile home in a second and never look back.

My off grid home away from home although I'm thinking of biting the bullet and having power ran
I started it just for a place to stay a few nights a week and wanted small and cheap
22x26 is too small
I wish I'd of gone bigger

Very nice Cross. Where is the porch and BBQ pit though?

I'm still under construction but have plans for a porch