modular homes: What if Ben Franklin Invented Modular Construction?
- 03/16/23 05:21 AM
Ben Franklin was the oldest of the founding fathers. Most people don’t realize that he was more than twice the age of Thomas Jefferson when they signed the Declaration of Independence (33 vs. 70)! Ben had already had a rather full life. He was a tinkerer, an inventor, an observer, a writer, and a philosopher. Along with many other things, he invented swim fins (1717), the Franklin Stove (1741), the lightning rod (1750), and bifocals (1784). All of these things we use today are still in mass production. Where would modular construction be if Ben had invented it in the 1700s!?
WE … (4 comments)
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modular homes: The Only Way You Can Predict the Future is to Build It!
- 02/15/23 04:48 AM
“The only way you can predict the future is to build it.”, is a quote by Alan Kay, best known for his pioneering work on object-oriented programming and windowing graphical user interface (GUI) design. To extend his thought, the only way to build the future is by investing in the present. That’s where we find ourselves today with offsite construction. Offsite modular construction is the modern method of construction that is the way homes will be built going forward. The only thing that the typical American consumer buys today that isn’t built in a factory is their home. You have to … (8 comments)
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modular homes: I'm Pretty Sure I Can Afford It. Can't I?
- 01/31/23 07:23 AM
Today’s interest rates have many wondering, “What can I actually afford to pay for my new home?” The good news is, if you could qualify for a home loan before the interest rates increased, then you can probably still qualify today. However, you just may not qualify for as much of a home. Most homebuyers only build one to three new homes in their entire life. Lending requirements for building a home are different than for buying an existing home. It is all based on risk. A lender takes more risk with a loan used to build a home than to … (9 comments)
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modular homes: Modules and Panels and Components, Oh My!
- 01/23/23 05:17 AM
Building technology is changing, but it is only changing incrementally. In the U.S., builders have used what is called light-frame wood construction as the primary method of building homes since the 1830s. Light-frame wood construction is a method of construction using many small and closely spaced members that can be assembled by nailing. These members are typically dimensional lumber that is bundled in stacks. These stacks are then dropped off outdoors at the homesite and each 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, or 2×10 is then pulled from the stack and individually cut outside and nailed together with other boards… in the mud, sun, … (2 comments)
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modular homes: Think Again, The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
- 01/16/23 03:58 AM
Many homebuyers don’t even ask how their home will be built. Or, when they discuss it with a builder, they hear things like, “I have to,” or, “That’s the way we build; there isn’t a choice.” But that’s simply not true. It’s a victim mentality that says I HAVE to do something. Reality says that we CHOOSE what we do. Don’t be a victim by letting your builder choose to use outdated building techniques to build your new home.
You can choose to have your home built a better way. With modular construction, your home is built indoors and away from the sun’s … (5 comments)
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modular homes: Modular Myth Busters
- 08/16/21 05:45 AM
Modular homes have become the target of some pretty tall tales over the years. Much of this has been derived from a general lack of understanding, or a general misunderstanding, about what they are and how they are built. In its infancy, 40-50 years ago, modular construction had humble beginnings. However, with building technology today and the engineered products available when constructing today’s homes, modular homes are superior in almost every way. Traditional site-built homes are still using construction methods that have existed since the 18th century and before. Let’s bust the top seven modular myths.
MYTH #1: A MODULAR HOME IS A … (2 comments)
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modular homes: Gazing into the Home Buyer's Crystal Ball
- 06/14/21 03:00 AM
Prices, timeframes, and material selections, etc. So many things are clouding the crystal ball of today’s home buyer. What do you do? Do you wait and watch home prices go up along with today’s record-low interest rates? What if they never come back down? Do you jump in now and build a home? Never before have home buyers been so confused by the new home market. But you’re not alone. Realtors, builders, appraisers, lenders, etc., are in the same boat. This market is tricky for everyone involved in it. Let’s interpret some of the signs that are appearing in the home … (5 comments)
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modular homes: How Do You Appraise a Home That Isn't Built Yet?
- 04/26/21 03:38 AM
If you will have a mortgage on a home that you are about to build, or if you need a construction loan, the bank will require you to have an appraisal done. The lender wants to make sure that the value of the home equals or exceeds the amount of the loan they are about to provide. Even though it’s your home, should anything happen and the lender has to sell it, they need to make sure that they can get their money back.
The appraisal process can be a confusing and stressful process for the homebuyer building a home. They have many … (4 comments)
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modular homes: Sometimes the Grass IS Greener on the Other Side
- 04/19/21 04:21 AM
Today, many are discovering the process of offsite modular construction. While they study and research it, they haven’t made the leap to it… yet. It’s hard for many homebuyers and homebuilders to believe that a different way is a better way. They are still stuck on traditional construction methods as a tried-and-true way.
It's much like the early 1900s when Henry Ford is attributed with the quote, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses”. While he probably never actually said it, the point is still made. Humans find it hard to change or think differently. … (4 comments)
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modular homes: Low Home Inventories Turn Many to Home Construction
- 03/15/21 04:15 AM
Existing home inventories are at an all-time low. There are very few good houses on the market for sale. If a good home finds its way to the market, then there is a bidding war for it driving the price upward for the eventual winner. And this story is repeated everywhere across the country. This is driving many people to look at new construction. But even new home construction can’t keep up with demand. Homebuilders and developers are burning their candles at both ends just to try and keep up.
Now let’s add in record-breaking lumber prices, and the ever-increasing prices, and … (2 comments)
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modular homes: Building to a Label
- 03/01/21 04:05 AM
Labels are just another way to say a standard. There is information overload for homebuyers in today’s marketplace – smart homes, construction standards, appliances, color selections, building materials, etc. When you build a home, there is a lot coming at you and many decisions to be made. How do you make sense of it? Most people care about how their home will look, how comfortable it will be to live in, is the home safe, and how much it will cost to live in. And then there is its location.
There are many labels out there that try to bring sense to … (3 comments)
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modular homes: HIGHER is the 2021 Word for Housing
- 02/22/21 03:32 AM
Housing is BOOMING in the U.S. HIGHER home prices, LONGER delivery timeframes, and GROWING interest rates are coming for 2021! While the economy still has a question mark on it, the home buyer’s confidence is doing well and growing. But, according to the National Association of Realtors, there is a housing shortage. Every year, as a country, we still aren’t building enough homes to cover the need of our growing population. Demand exceeds supply. Skyrocketing material costs, COVID-related supply chain disruptions, labor rates, and gas/oil prices are in the news, and all are impacting the affordability of your new home. Modular construction is the … (3 comments)
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modular homes: When Good News Can Mean Bad News: 2021 and Increasing Interest Rates
- 01/25/21 04:02 AM
It was a tough 2020 for most people across the country. Jobs were lost or changed. Budgets were stretched. Kids are being taught at home, changing our lives and the way we live in our home. The good news is we have a vaccine. 2021 is showing lots of promise that we may get COVID-19 under control. That’s the good news! But the bad news is that when the pandemic subsides, the economy is expected to take off again. That can mean inflation. When that happens, interest rates will rise to keep the economy in check. That means bad news for … (2 comments)
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modular homes: 10 Pointers to Boost Your Credit - Qualifying for a Construction Loan
- 11/02/20 04:19 AM
The decision to build a new home typically doesn’t happen overnight. Neither will the process of obtaining a construction loan – it will start long before the actual loan closing. While picking a house plan, reviewing home elevations, and selecting colors are the exciting part of building a new home, one of the first things you should do is understand your current credit standing. Establishing your current financial picture early on is a critical first step when it comes to building a new custom home.
A good credit score is the key to success when financing the construction of your new … (1 comments)
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modular homes: Modular Brain: Rewiring the Brain for a Better Way to Build
- 09/28/20 04:27 AM
When a home buyer first discovers modular construction as an option to build their new home, they get excited. They begin to Google more about the construction method and learn more about it and its advantages. However, as an industry, many contractors don’t know anything about it. It’s different. They have been building for 10, 20, or even 30 years or more and doing it the exact same way. In fact, the construction industry overall lags every other industry in productivity growth. In a report by McKinsey & Company, the construction industry has only seen a 1% increase in productivity in … (2 comments)
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modular homes: Now is a Great Time to Build a Home - Despite Lumber Price Increases
- 09/08/20 04:54 AM
In the last six months, lumber prices have drastically increased. By drastically, we are talking by more the double the price they were at in March. This has driven the price of a house up sharply as we approach the end of the year. But we have also seen, historically, the lowest interest rates for a home mortgage. We are talking near record lows for a home mortgage. Most home buyers take out a 30-year loan to finance their home. So now we have what is called a quandary (i.e., a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in … (3 comments)
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modular homes: Harnessing the Power of Off-Site Construction
- 08/31/20 04:43 AM
Residential off-site construction is the term used to describe the manufacturing, planning, design, fabrication, and assembly of a home’s elements at a location other than its final installed location. Building off-site allows for a home to be built more efficiently and faster. In some cases, the parts or elements of a home could be built at several locations and then transported to the job site for final assembly. Off-site construction is meant to optimize the planning and materials supply-chain for building a home that is better constructed and more cost effective than one that is built on site in the field. … (1 comments)
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modular homes: Modular Isn't Just for Houses Anymore
- 05/18/20 05:07 AM
Hotels, colleges, franchises, and many others are facing the same issue as every custom home builder in the U.S. today, a shortage of skilled construction workers. Just like custom home builders, they require quality construction for their commercial construction efforts. Not only do they need quality, but they also need their projects to be built quickly and on budget. Those three items have been proving to be more elusive to the construction industry over the last several years. That means they have been moving more and more towards modular construction.
MARRIOTT JOINS THE MODULAR CONSTRUCTION REVOLUTIONMarriott, one of the best-known hospitality brands … (1 comments)
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modular homes: Which Credit Score Will Your Lender Use?
- 05/11/20 04:14 AM
If you are going to borrow money to build your new custom home, that means you will typically have a construction loan and a conventional mortgage. Because a construction loan has more risk for a lender (and no lender wants to foreclose on a half-built home!), the lender will usually charge a higher interest rate or more fees to compensate for the higher risk. They will typically also require a higher credit score for construction loans. This is their way to ensure the borrower is more likely to repay the loan. But how does a credit score work? Which credit score will … (1 comments)
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modular homes: Aim Small... Miss Small...
- 04/27/20 04:24 AM
“Aim Small… Miss Small...” While some might think that was just a line from the Mel Gibson movie The Patriot, it was actually the advice given to both Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger by the film’s technical advisor when teaching them how you aim a muzzle-loading rifle. If you aim at the man and miss, you miss the man, while if you aim for a button on the man’s uniform, you still hit the man. This trick works well for all forms of target practice. It’s also great advice when designing and planning to build a home using modular construction.
Building … (1 comments)
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Ben Franklin was the oldest of the founding fathers. Most people don’t realize that he was more than twice the age of Thomas Jefferson when they signed the Declaration of Independence (33 vs. 70)! Ben had already had a rather full life. He was a tinkerer, an inventor, an observer, a writer, and a philosopher. Along with many other things, he invented swim fins (1717), the Franklin Stove (1741), the lightning rod (1750), and bifocals (1784). All of these things we use today are still in mass production. Where would modular construction be if Ben had invented it in the 1700s!?
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