A manufactured or a modular home is a great way to have a solid home built, ready in less time than a stick built home. But, did you know there is a difference between manufactured and modular?
A modular home is similar to a stick built home. It is built off site, and then brought to site already completed, but may have to be pieced together.
A manufactured home on the other hand, is also built off site, and is built to be moved. It will usually have a trailer tongue for moving. They are also known as trailers, mobile homes, and doublewides.
It is important to know the difference. Every county has certain rules and regulations, especially with manufactured homes. For example, here in Rockingham County, you cannot put a manufactured home on less than 5 acres of land. This is a relatively recent rule, so some are already grandfathered in.
There is a negative stigma around manufactured homes, as they are “cheap” or cheaply made. However, nowadays you can get a very nice manufactured home built just how you want it.
My personal favorite fun fact about manufactured, and modular homes, is that because they are built off-site, they know exactly how much product they need. When I toured homes at Clayton Manufactured homes, the sales representative said that all of the leftover trash and scraps fit into one trash can. Can you imagine how awesome such little waste is, and how much money that saves?
Modular homes have a lot less restrictions because they are more similar to stick built homes, so it is mostly the manufactured homes you have to worry about.
If you are considering purchasing a manufactured home, make sure to check into your locality regulations and restrictions. Also, make sure that the land you are purchasing does not have any restrictions or covenants that would not allow you to have a manufactured home on the lot.
If you are looking into buying a manufactured home that is for sale, you first need to make sure your lender will lend on the property. It can be a little trickier to get financing for manufactured homes. You are able to get a conventional and FHA loan. But, it still needs a permanent foundation, has to be built after 1976, and it cannot be a single-wide, only a double-wide will be eligible. If you are getting an FHA loan, you will need to have a structural engineer report on the stability of the property as well.
There are a few other pieces of the puzzle for financing on manufactured homes, so if you are interested in purchasing a manufactured home, be ready to take some extra steps. But I promise it will all be worth it!
I am always here to help, so if you are thinking about manufactured or mobile homes, reach out today and let’s chat about how we can make your dream a reality!
–As someone who chose to plant roots in the Valley, Amber loves to welcome people to the area and share all of her favorite hidden gems. Because, ultimately, she believes you should love where you live!