View Full Version : manufactured houses that really appeal to me
Check out these manufactured houses that I think are so cool. I wish I could build one of these on a nice piece of land:
https://www.mapleleafhomes.ca/home/countryview
https://www.mapleleafhomes.ca/home/homestead
I really like the wrap around porch on the second one.
I love both of these, with a slight preference for the Countryview. I find with smaller houses, its often difficult to find ones with entry spaces/mud rooms or only have 1 bath.
Those are amazing! I can't believe they're manufactured--I wonder how much they are.
The rooms appear so big in these photos. I like an entryway with a closet rather than a shelf with hooks but probably the hooks are more efficient in use.
I am going to try to find out how much they are--they are from Canada, and I saw them on a Maine website for modular/manufactured homes. So not sure how far they will ship.
Those are both great. The big one would be a bit large for us and we’d have to get them to trade the bath tub for a nice modern tiled shower. The smaller one would work for us but I generally prefer the front door a bit more removed from the living room. Perhaps even putting a pony wall there would be enough to satisfy me.
SteveinMN
4-28-21, 10:08pm
Nice! I like the bigger one (plus the fact that it can be built on a basement). Just a little more space between the -- umm -- spaces. Might allow for a little more flexibility a few years down the line.
Nice! I like the bigger one (plus the fact that it can be built on a basement). Just a little more space between the -- umm -- spaces. Might allow for a little more flexibility a few years down the line.
I agree about the basement!
rosarugosa
4-29-21, 7:51am
Very nice! I especially like the Countryview.
I like the Countryview--just the right size for me. I also like the idea of reasonably priced mobile homes on one's own lot, as I've mentioned before.
catherine
4-29-21, 10:14am
I do like Countryview, but I also find Homestead appealing. Mostly I like the picture in Homestead that shows a wine refrigerator in the office area! That's the way to work from home! :)
happystuff
4-29-21, 10:15am
I like them both, actually, but they are still a bit bigger than I would like. Love the openness and the porches.
iris lilies
4-29-21, 11:24am
I regularly look at new houses in my hometown in Iowa because it is a classic middle-class ro low-middle class suburb and I like to see what schlock is being built.
They are building 1200, 1300, and 1400 ft.² houses so these are smallish. These houses are super expensive though in my view, they’re like $350,000+ and for that you get typical grey finishes of engineered wood and white/grey everything. Oh and also, you get giant garages, a 2 car and a 1 car both sitting in front of the house.
I have nothing against paying $350,000 for an architect designed smallish house with quality finishes, but these are not that.
I suppose this high price is reflecting the cost of building materials going up in today’s environment?
I like both of them, would prefer one-story at this time of life, though.
I always get eye-rolls from DH (and others) on the subject of manufactured homes. Like they're low-class, upscaled trailer homes. What is your take on that perspective?
To me, they're on foundations, simply manufactured off-site. What else is the difference?
My take on that perspective is that it's common, but not particularly well-thought out. I shared it once upon a time--until a relative bought one in a park geared to old folks. She has complete privacy, no lawn/property to speak of, and low, low property taxes--all of which appeal to me. Add in minuscule cost, and you've got my vote.
I would hope that as housing prices continue to skyrocket, more and more attractive alternatives to single-family and condo living will become available. Houses like the ones pictured give me hope.
iris lilies
4-29-21, 1:06pm
My take on that perspective is that it's common, but not particularly well-thought out. I shared it once upon a time--until a relative bought one in a park geared to old folks. She has complete privacy, no lawn/property to speak of, and low, low property taxes--all of which appeal to me. Add in minuscule cost, and you've got my vote.
I would hope that as housing prices continue to skyrocket, more and more attractive alternatives to single-family and condo living will become available. Houses like the ones pictured give me hope.
OK I’m curious as to what you see here as an alternative to single-family housing. This *IS* single Family housing. It does not address low low property taxes which is a function of your municipality or county.
There are plenty of attached condo homes with tiny lots and shared green spaces. My momlived in one And we sold that to my cousin when she died. For me as a single person in retirement, I wouldn’t want that much space. She had two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a basement.
There are several reasons for high cost:
1. land pure and simple. Lots downtown here have gone from less than 10,000 to 50,000 or more and there are several for 200,000-400,000.
2. water and sewer connections and perhaps gas (infrastructure of property.
3. government charges. Some places have building impact fees that are thousands.
4. cost of materials and labor. Material costs for everyone have in some places doubled or are unavailable.
lastly profit for developer and builder.
Not much of anything new around here for less than $250,000.
We had looked at some manufactured homes in Palm Springs a couple years ago. They were relatively small (800-1300 sq feet) and quite nice. The builder (manufacturer?) had gone to great lengths to build a product that was every bit as good quality as a site built home. They would all meet the definition of a double wide but the layouts were crafty enough that if you weren’t aware that they were manufactured you would never figure it out.
iris lilies
4-29-21, 2:10pm
Is the basic idea with manufactured homes that they haul them in on a truck? Doesn’t that limit how wide they can be due to highway restrictions?
If they truck them in one side at a time, does that mean these houses have a giant seam down the middle?
I don’t see how they would be substantially cheaper or even marginally cheaper than stick built homes in place unless they are just using cheap materials.
Here in my neighborhood a recent thing with new houses is basement built with cement forms that are trucked in. Rather than pouring forms in place, they are brought in to the site.
I always get eye-rolls from DH (and others) on the subject of manufactured homes. Like they're low-class, upscaled trailer homes. What is your take on that perspective?
To me, they're on foundations, simply manufactured off-site. What else is the difference?
Two things:
For many years, pretty much all manufactured homes were travel trailers or their close relatives, mobile homes. These were not built to even residential construction code standards: wall insulation was minimal, electrical wiring was not low-capacity, and so on. After all, if you're not planning to live in it for extended periods in all seasons and you need to move it from place to place, why tow any more than you need to? But the metal panels fairly quickly started corroding, the cheap windows that never did a great job with temperature extremes anyway started failing and letting in water and wind (which caused further damage), and the whole unit just started sliding toward being beyond economic repair. Local zoning codes that prohibited manufactured homes eliminated these problems.
These same zoning codes had the additional benefit of excluding poor people who could not afford to buy even a used stick-built home in a given area. And it solved the issue of transients living in an area without having the social/financial stake that property owners had.
So manufactured homes even like these have been grandfathered in under the codes created long ago to control recreational vehicles and mobile homes. Not every bank will write a 15- or 30-year mortgage for one of these if they classify them as manufactured homes. We even see this code come up when people discuss ADUs, which often skirt local rules against outbuildings by having wheels so they can be considered legally as recreational vehicles even though that's not ever the intention with an ADU.
So, yeah, long history of being treated as substandard housing associated with poor people. It's been a hard stereotype for most manufactured home builders to get past.
I think there is a big difference between manufactured/modular homes and "trailer homes." First is on a permanent foundation and second is usually not. Materials on both are often cheap or cheap looking. The two that Tybee show are definitely better looking than most. The perception remains that non-stick built homes are for low income people. There are a lot of senior resident trailer parks but usually one owns the unit but leases the land and still pays some property tax. We have considered some where we are trying to move but it is hard to find any where the land is owned too and if so, they are located out in the sticks. I would fear some REIT buying up the trailer park and raising prices if not on one's own land.
The ones that we looked at appeared to be built to site built home quality in terms of materials, design, finishes, insulation, etc. traditional double wide mobile homes look like they are two trailers slapped together when you are on the inside. These homes weren’t that way. For instance the master bedroom was the entire width of both ‘halves’. When finished on site they seamed the drywall between the two halves so that it looked unified. They were also bolted onto the foundation as CA code requires for earthquakes so moving one would be an expensive process and is not intended to ever be done. The wheels had been removed and the outside finish extended to the ground as it would be for a site built house. Supposedly they can build them cheaper since things like weather don’t have an impact and materials needed can all be amassed at one site etc. how much that actually affects cost I don’t know.
iris lilies
4-29-21, 2:36pm
Thanks jp, so they smooth over the “seam” so to speak. Interesting.
The devil is in the details. Even defining a "foundation" can be problematic. I think most of us would agree that a poured concrete basement is a permanent foundation. But would wood pilings in a flood-prone area be considered permanent? What if the house has no basement (it has a crawlspace or no basement at all)? If we're okay with a stick-built house being built across a wood or metal girder frame because of how we classify a "permanent" foundation, how different is a mobile home once you take off the wheels? Our daughter has a friend whose family moves houses from lot to lot. Does a house cease to be a house if it can be moved? It just gets to be an ugly mess, particularly when the people making the rules are not engineering-aware and/or may be quietly promoting a different agenda.
I agree with you totally that the homes Tybee linked to are better looking than most, at least in looking more like houses; a person can take or leave Foursquare or Victorian or Modern or any other style). By that token, though, we can argue that McMansions, with their masonry facades and large amounts of windows visible from the street, are better looking than many houses (at least until you turn past the corner of the house and see the acres of vinyl siding). It's also a truism that most houses built over time don't last all that long (it's not true that all the old houses were better built or better kept). Separating structures like these from rusty 60-year-old mobile homes would be a legal nightmare. Not that we shouldn't try; it just isn't a simple matter.
Most of the nice prefab housing DW and I have looked at comes up at a higher construction price per square foot than stick-built. Maybe it's a better-built home when all is said and done, but, unfortunately, much of the rest of the U.S. does not treat them that way.
I should have said "traditional single-family houses." My relative's house cost $40,000, in an area where the median price is $515K. Ones around here I've looked at, that come with their own small lot in a neighborhood with landscaping and some amenities can go for up to 400,000K in an area where the median price is between 800,000K and the low seven figures. Taxes are much less, because the building depreciates, traditionally. I've lived in a condo, and may again, but I'd prefer not to share walls, if possible. And the less committee rule the better, IMO.
I wish I could live in the trailer we had as our first home. It was a double wide with almost 40 feet of windows surrounding the front and side of the living room and dining room facing the mountains. Birds eye maple cabinets, wool carpeting, two bedrooms (the master the full width of the double ). Two huge bathrooms. Laundry room. It was both beautiful and comfortable. 10 foot built in buffet in the dining area. Bolted together double carport with storage and porch on the other side.
Only issue was the next few owners securing financing since a trailer over 10 years old was hard to finance. We moved from it to a tiny SFH and started our journey. We have manufactured housing down the street from us and no one would ever know. Modern and gorgeous. We saw them move in the prebuilt components.
We seriously considered buying one of the manufactured houses we looked at in Palm Springs. They really were nice, and well done. And significantly less expensive than a comparable used house in the area. Pricing was more in line with comparably sized used condos in the area. And the community seemed nice and had an attractive pool/community clubhouse area that had just been redone. But they were on a land lease situation, as is 50% of the city. There was still something like 66 years left on the lease, but over time the value of the houses will probably go down unless the development's owners negotiate a renewal of the lease many many years before it expires. Even though we're not likely to live to be 120 years old that was a deal breaker for me because I would want to be able to sell such a large investment if I needed to at some point in the future.
sweetana3
4-29-21, 11:33pm
JP1, that was another big issue to our lovely trailer. It was in a rental park in Anchorage, AK. The park deteriorated many years after we left and, in fact, is no longer in existence.
Sweetana, I have been looking at single wides and double wides and thinking, I could do that, as long as it was warm enough. And the floors strong enough to hold a piano.
At my age, if I bought a new one, it would last me the rest of my life.
I dont mind trailers but it is the parking that is a problem. We have a couple of carefully managed parks but most are older in flooding prone areas and are having big issues. And you cannot just plunk one down on any piece of property. This is the biggest issue with trailers and tiny houses.
happystuff
4-30-21, 10:39am
I used to live in a double-wide on a private lot just outside Wichita. It was fabulous. Three bedrooms, 1 bath - just the right size for 2 of us, with room for a guest or two.
frugal-one
4-30-21, 6:25pm
I dont mind trailers but it is the parking that is a problem. We have a couple of carefully managed parks but most are older in flooding prone areas and are having big issues. And you cannot just plunk one down on any piece of property. This is the biggest issue with trailers and tiny houses.
It depends where you go, as with any home. The one we plan on renting this year has a driveway that will hold a few cars, as well as, parking on the street.
I like the homestead one better. Don’t like the open floor plan though.
It depends where you go, as with any home. The one we plan on renting this year has a driveway that will hold a few cars, as well as, parking on the street.
I think sweetana was talking about parking a mobile home itself not parking cars near one. In many places in the US it’s illegal to live in a wheeled home for any length of time in one spot, the exception being mobile home parks.
ToomuchStuff
5-1-21, 10:21am
The first one is very close to my and most of the houses in my old neighborhood, before the addition. I do wish I had the insulation that it has though. (know what a couple neighbors went through to get insulated)
Can't build on the size lot that those are anymore, and so many people wouldn't want something that size. If one had property, as long as I could put a second toilet in a garage/shop (ever have a toilet break in a single bathroom after things are closed), I like that size/layout.
I found this nice one in Beaverton for a modest $172,000, with a $700 lot lease, which seems like too much to me, but I would definitely consider that option. It would save me about as much money in property taxes as I'd pay for the lease.3765
I was talking to some friends this morning when out walking my dog about housing and they said check out 'container homes'. They are kind of unique. This company knows the bylaws and such requirements that need to be met. A very different kind of manufactured home.
https://www.homedit.com/shipping-container-homes-for-sale/honomobo-shipping-container-home-bedroom/
I like container houses, especially the better-designed ones. There can't be enough housing alternatives, as far as I'm concerned.
There are a lot of successful alternative home ideas out there. However, there are fewer successful efforts to breakdown NIMBY attitudes and local government building rules. Our big issues are "not big enough", does not meet our building requirements, etc.
New Zealand and Australia seem to have done way more in this area.
I adore some of the custom tiny homes but keep running into where to put one(in my area)
.
I found this nice one in Beaverton for a modest $172,000, with a $700 lot lease, which seems like too much to me, but I would definitely consider that option. It would save me about as much money in property taxes as I'd pay for the lease.3765
Jane: Is that $700 per month?
Jane: Is that $700 per month?
Yes. It does include some utilities, grounds upkeep, and the like.
Jane: Is that $700 per month?
I mentioned a few years ago a retirement community of owned homes where the land lease included snow removal and water. In the late 80's, the monthly rate was low with an annual % increase. About two years ago I checked and was horrified to read of the owned 40 year-old simple cottage homes paying land lease of $983/mth.
Last weekend, triggered by this thread, I went to see what that development looked like today. It is huge!
No prices for lot lease listed. Only 2.9% annual increase
http://www.ricedevelopmentcorp.ca/wilmot-creek/our-homes.html It is not unique. Senior developments are big business!!!
Zillow has one listing https://www.zillow.com/wilmot-creek-clarington-on/
check out 'container homes'. They are kind of unique.
They are and I've seen pictures of some that I found quite attractive.
But there are drawbacks to using containers for housing. They were never designed for habitation, so whatever has to be done to add appropriate insulation, water pipes, and heat/cool air ductwork/pipes adds costs and takes away from the amount of space available for living. Containers are designed to meet standardized sizes, so you have long narrow spaces to fill or you end up joining more than one in multiple-story structures (stairs, passageways, etc.). It takes a great deal of energy to turn two containers into a "double-wide" (if you will). And though some container home proponents like to applaud their reusability, containers are used for their intended purpose until they are retired from service because they're too damaged to be used in shipping. And buying new containers to convert into housing is not nearly as "green" as reusing them. Great look, but not as environmentally conscious as many would hope.
happystuff
6-12-21, 4:41pm
I'm in love!!!! Found this doing a google search one day:
https://tinyhouselistings.com/listings/350-sf-expandable-house-with-kitchen-toilet-shower-delivery-available
I know it's not for everyone, but I like it.
I'm in love!!!! Found this doing a google search one day:
https://tinyhouselistings.com/listings/350-sf-expandable-house-with-kitchen-toilet-shower-delivery-available
I know it's not for everyone, but I like it.
That's cute and would work for a cottage property. I couldn't figure out how the connections for utilities and sewage were incorporated in the design.
Mostly just eye candy, but I enjoyed browsing this site that features what they are calling the healthiest homes on the planet.
https://www.phoenixhaus.com/
happystuff
6-13-21, 9:57am
razz - since it is a container home and movable, I'm thinking sort of like a mobile home... that is a guess!
Rogar - thanks for the link. Looks interesting and I've saved it for later.
Actually considering something like this one for our Tx home ... maybe as a winter getaway from the winter here. Older but clean, well-kept and backs up to a ranch. One could see the stars at night. Lot fee is $400 a month but covers most expenses/utilities.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/45-Paseo-Encinal-Dr-90_Kerrville_TX_78028_M79026-50313
That would be a good solution for your situation, pinkytoe. Get a sense of where you really want to be and do it at your leisure.
Actually considering something like this one for our Tx home ... maybe as a winter getaway from the winter here. Older but clean, well-kept and backs up to a ranch. One could see the stars at night. Lot fee is $400 a month but covers most expenses/utilities.
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/45-Paseo-Encinal-Dr-90_Kerrville_TX_78028_M79026-50313
I like that a lot; the HOA fee is reasonable, IMO.
I like that a lot; the HOA fee is reasonable, IMO.
I think that's a great idea! It's really nice and a great price.
mschrisgo2
6-16-21, 2:10am
I stumbled across 3-D printed houses on YouTube, fascinating and revolutionary concept!
(I’m sorry, I can’t figure out how to put a specific link here, but if you search 3-D homes, they will come up.)
ToomuchStuff
6-16-21, 9:08am
I stumbled across 3-D printed houses on YouTube, fascinating and revolutionary concept!
(I’m sorry, I can’t figure out how to put a specific link here, but if you search 3-D homes, they will come up.)
Look in this section of the forum for a post on 3d houses.
happystuff
6-16-21, 10:51am
I like that, pinkytoe, but the photos seem "stretched" to me (sorry, can't think of a better word before my 2nd cup of coffee -LOL). I do like how it is furnished.
Well there's lots more of these in the area so need to do more research on pros and cons.
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