Today's Factory Built Housing Projects

Pierre,

Thank's for your feed back and your open mind. It's OK to be a skeptic. That's what got me to go from a general contractor building site built homes to a Manuffactured Home Contractor, Dealer and Developer specializing in MH development.

Kathy,

You're spot on as well. The first thing I tell any client is that if you're looking at MH as a way to save money sotp right here. Due to the HUD and International Building Standards that factory built housing must comply wiith today there is no fundamental difference in the way a MH is built vs. a site built. What you are saving is turn around time by a huge margin, Safety of building materials on the site, and construction consistancy. You won't find many construction defect law suits in the MH Industry. In fact you've inspired some fodder for a future post. Keep your eyes open for a more elaborate essay on this subject. I will add you to my associate list and forward MH related posts on to you as I write them.

Thank's Myrtle,

I to always take my clients on the perverbial "Factory Tour" just so they cansee the first hand the materials that are used and the quality and care that goes into assembling them.

Thanks Bill I will ad you to my associate list and forward you forthcoming posts.

Hi Marshall,

These homes are built to go down the road at 75 MPH and as such have to be road worthy to endure the trek. So you're right in the sense that they can tend to look a little boxy. However, today's "Factory Built" home offers myriad "personality options" i.e. curvalinear pop outs, extensions and details i.e. dormers, alcoves, octagonal features, etc. You can also transport them with bare exterior walls and sheathed roofs and stucco them on site and finish them off with tile roofs. There's literally nothing you can't do with MH that you couldn't do with site built.

I will add you as an associated and keep you posted.

Roger, you friends analogy is spot on. We in the industry always use it. Yes, they are built more consistantly better than site built homes for many reason. One main reason being everything is rigged and jigged so that every piece comes down the assembly line exactly the same way. Another good reason is that all manufacturers must have an on site HUD inspector at all times of operation or face big fines. Believe me these inspectors take their jobs seriously and don't let much slip by.

Mark,

Unfortunately, there's no value in assembling and transporting a garage. It's tantamount to shipping water across the country. It's big, bulky and full of air and cost a lot to ship. Garages are always built on site. We do provide that service if there's enough space.

Thanks Gene, I'll make you an associate if you don't mind and will keep you posted on all new and reslative posts.

Thanks for your feedback Matt. Glad to meet another AR member in our industry. I will make you an associate and keep you posted on our end. If you run across anyone wanting to remove a PRE-HUD (June 15, 1976 or earlier) and replace it for a new HUD compliant MH let me know. We now provide a bridge loan program for interim financing during the removal and replacement process.

Thanks for your feedback Bill. I actually lived in North Fort Meyers off of 41 on the end of Evelena right on a canal on the end of a penninsula that emptied into the Caloosahachee River. I was working back there after Hurricane Charlie paid you folks an unforgettable visit. Wow! What a mess. I thougt earthquakes were bad until my crews started removing awnings, carports, sheds, roofs and household furnishing from tree tops. I even saw a 350hp Evenrude outboard motor still mounted to the stearn of a 28 foot fishing boat that was planted between two big branch's of a tree about 50 feet in the air. I'll make you an associate and we can swap some good stories about your neck of the woods sometime.

Thanks for your feedback Margaret (My Moms name as well). You're right about the varying levels of quality in MH's, however, that is primarily driven by the buyer (homeowner) and what they can afford to put into their home. It can get pretty cheesy when they order paneling instead of drywall or aluminun siding instead of Hardy Board, cheap carpeting or vinyl sheet goods instead of a high end carpet or wood or tile flooring, a three tab shingle roofing material instead of tile, low end cabnetry, appliances, counter tops, etc. Every factory must maintain a fulltime HUD inspector and maintain some pretty stringent quality control standards. You will have a better chance of finding construction short cuts and flaws in the field on a site built home than in a factory.

Thanks Gary. I'll make you an associate and keep you posted on our industry.

You're spot on Jackie. With a good architect you can literally do anything you want in a factory nowadays. In fact you've inspired fodder for a future post. Thanks.

With reference to Calif EQ's. Manufactured Homes are the safest place to be because the roofs are truss systems and rarely fail and they can only fall so far to the ground. You don't have worry about being crushed to death. I'd take a MH anytime over a site built home having done disaster response work after several EQ's over the years.

Hurricanes? You could end up in a tree about 60 to 80 feet in the air, have your roof blown off and the entire home destroyed. Believe me after spending a year in Florida after Hurricane Charley and his buddies visited Florida in 2004 I might have my reservations about Mfg Homes myself.