Any live in a modular home? - Page 2

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

Does it really matter where a home is built? If it is built to the same standards (and they are) it can be built anywhere and set up just like a regular 'site built' home. If you look on the net, the number of modular or mobile homes in the USA is very high. They cost less, can be put in less restricted areas and are very comfortable living. The only difference in a mobile and modular is they leave the axles on a mobile so the wheels can be put on it to move it. They are both usually set up permanently. The mobile/modular communities today are nothing like the trailer parks of old. They are no different than a site built community.

In Florida, if you put a home on your own land and set it up permanently, it is just like any home. You can get homeowner's ins and homestead exemption on it.

If you own the unit but someone else owns the land, the unit is treated just like a vehicle. You buy a decal and "tag" every year just like your car. You can insure them like a home. Many states have over 200,000 home that are modular/mobile.

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

@Zhills wrote:
Does it really matter where a home is built? If it is built to the same standards (and they are) it can be built anywhere and set up just like a regular 'site built' home. If you look on the net, the number of modular or mobile homes in the USA is very high. They cost less, can be put in less restricted areas and are very comfortable living. The only difference in a mobile and modular is they leave the axles on a mobile so the wheels can be put on it to move it. They are both usually set up permanently. The mobile/modular communities today are nothing like the trailer parks of old. They are no different than a site built community.

In Florida, if you put a home on your own land and set it up permanently, it is just like any home. You can get homeowner's ins and homestead exemption on it.

If you own the unit but someone else owns the land, the unit is treated just like a vehicle. You buy a decal and "tag" every year just like your car. You can insure them like a home. Many states have over 200,000 home that are modular/mobile.

@Zhills As far as i can see, there is no in ground foundation, that is a big difference.

DiAnne · ‎09-22-2010

I have a friend in Southern California who bought one in a popular beach town. She has been trying to sell it for three years without success. She said people equate it with a trailer. There may be different attitudes about this in different parts of the country.

Georgiagrama · ‎03-19-2010

@Zhills

I believe you are correct. In our area, at least, our friend kept the wheels under his modular (which is beautiful) so that he would be taxed on a mobile home and his taxes are much less than if he had placed his unit on a foundation and removed the wheels.

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

If they are set up properly, they are on, usually concrete blocks, as a foundation and tied down with a steel band every so many feet to make them secure. The electric and sewer must be to county code just like a site built house.

Yea, you can pull one with your truck and just park it. But is you do, you should know the risks!

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

If you look at the number of people living in modular/mobile housing across the US, it should not be any less attractive as a home.

Many site built homes are shoddy construction. They put a house up as quickly as possible. Time is money.

kitty60 · ‎03-13-2010

Many people have different interpretations of modular homes. Many years ago my father and his wife did a modular home. They went to the factory where it was to be built and picked everything out just as you would with a builder. They have to conform to the codes where you live. He had a footing and basement and placed the home on top of that. Later he added on both a garage and an in-law suite. You would never know that this house was anything other than stick built. It is stick built, just not on the lot.

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

@Lapdog wrote:
My family has lived in a "manufactured" home for 20+years. They are unable to get a bank to refinance to lower the interest rate.

I was just going to mention this. My niece and her fiance found a home they loved and had been planning to buy. They were in the process of buying it and the mortgage company they were working with held things up for a LONG time. At issue was the county website said this was a manufactured home but the home inspector said it was a trailer. It was on 6 acres in the country so it wasn't one of those deals where you own the trailer and not the land and pay lot rent. In any case, they lost the place bc when it was reclassified as a trailer, mortgage companies wouldn't lend money on that - it has to be financed by a different type company. When they changed into how they would need to finance this they lost the house bc someone came in with a full cash offer .