What's Important When Shopping For A Manufactured Home!

Often, customers come into our store and look a bit frustrated. 
They usually have been out looking at homes, and have been shown homes but NOT helped! Yes, there is a big difference. 

To often the buyer after looking online, doing research on the home computer, getting a little confused with all the choices and options, "They find a floor plan" finally decide they know what they are looking for, and then go shopping for it.

Yes, research is a great thing! However, determining all the needed home features, making sure all the working components are specced out to be ordered that are not thought of by a buyer, set up and delivery, trim out, and much more, all need to be considered when shopping for a home. That is many times where a lot of the confusion stems from. Who does it all? How does it happen? What's the cost? How to go through the whole process? This is ALL weighing heavy on the buyer's mind when starting the shopping process.

So what's important when shopping for a manufactured home?
Shopping at a place that has a selection of multiple builder brands and models to view is a good start. Also, does the salesperson really add value? Value is also by asking the right questions to fully understand your families home features and size needs for today and tomorrow, your interest in the many energy saving features, all the back end stuff like lot prep, delivery, set up, and finish out needs is all value added benefits you the buyer are looking for. These are all areas that cause stress, concern, confusion, and when shopping, can keep you looking store to store until you find the company and salesperson that can fill these needs.
I ask all the time, have you seen homes you like? The answer is yes, we found the perfect home down the street! "There is a reason the customer did not buy" The reason buyers keep looking, is a buyer needs to know they are getting the best value, and that value is based on a great house at a fare price, and that all their concerns are met.

When shopping, Questions you should also ask are:

• Which homes have MOST of the features that you feel important, like bedrooms, living areas, office, open or separate kitchen, size of various room needs, where a utility room is located? Example back, side, middle, etc!
• Types of builder brands carries, and benefits of each one?
• What type warranty does this builder provide, and is there any extra warranties that can be applied to the home?
• What type energy saving features can this home have, and are they added in this price shown?
• Can this home be stretched in length or width to areas that we feel are to small?
• Can walls and fixtures be moved to accommodate special wants or needs?
• What are the most common upgrades being added to the house?
• What foundation type is recommended for this home, and what is the added price for it?
• If an item needs to be fixed or replaced, How does the "after the sale" service rank by the builder compared to the other builders?
• Do I need Modular or HUD code for the area I live, and what is the difference?
• After going over available money down credit, and intent of the home, ask about the differences in putting up land VS doing a Home Only transaction? Costs and speed!

As you can see, it is important to not only have the right questions asked of you, but to also ask back some probing questions. 

By
Brett Swearingen
brett@homemart.us
Home-Mart, Inc.
Tulsa, OK.

WOW, That doesn't even look like a trailer; That's because it's not!

The most common thing I hear from a customer is; That does doesn't even look like a trailer, or mobile home. That's because most people who have not been in one in many years, either remembers the old trailers of the 70's or 80's or was told by someone that remembers the old ones, that they are cheap. That person is just misinformed of what factory built homes are like now, and is lucky to now see the home as they are built today.

Factory built homes are now either built to HUD or IRC Modular codes and standards. These standards are at or better than most site built homes. Most track built homes today have 2x4 exterior walls, which is a minimum standard for a factory (manufactured) built home. Many factory built homes are now built standard with 2x6 exterior studs and R-19 wall insulation. The interior walls can be optioned with 2x4 interior too, but many also came standard that way too! Of course windows are at a minimum built with a storm window too, but most homes today come with thermal windows or LowE "Energy Star' rated thermal windows (like by #CroftWindows ).

Imagine what it takes to not only build a house to these high code standards and be able to withstand moving it to a location. The quality construction they now have is incredible. However, it does depend on what optional finish out a home has in it, and that is what makes the WOW Factor! There are many builders doing quality factory built homes. There is #SeHomes , #DeerValleyHomes , #FranklinHomesUSA , #FleetwoodHomes , #Cavco , and numerous high end IRC Modular builders too like #Bluhomes , or others!

Factory built homes can be Single-Wide (16x80) or the now the very poplular Super-Wide (18x80), but many buyers are now doing Double and Triple-Wide homes! When doing a modular home, buyers are going mini or extreme triple.

Many of the buyers are looking for options that allow them to now have high end finish out, quick construction time, fixed building costs, at a much lower price per sq. ft. than traditional stick built homes on your lot. There is also the Eco part of the equation too. Factory built homes are traditionally considered GREEN by a less than 3-5% waste factor, energy efficient and many even certified as #Energystarhomes rated!

The buyer picks their colors, material types like cabinets, flooring, fixture quality, counters, and other options, and even the exterior wall type like #Smartboard #Hardiboard (concrete composite), or vinyl with OSB underlayment.

So, this ain't no trailer, it's a HUD or IRC rated factory built/manufactured home!

Came back in and look for the first time. You will be so happy you did.

Brett Swearingen

What about the Re-Sale value of "Mobile" Manufactured Homes?

The Re-Sale of #MobileHomes known as #ManufacturedHomes is always a question asked by customers buying a new house.

The re-sale of a precision factory built house works the same as the sale of a stick built home. If you move a home off the lot the home was built, set up and attached to, it will be worth MUCH less than the true market value of the house if it was sold still attached with the land.

Lets look at an example of a Factory Built VS Stick Built house on a lot. 
(Move either house, value goes way down!)

1. Factory Built: Lets say you put a double or even triple wide factory built house for your lot, and it was permanently set on an FHA approved foundation, and possibly even the parameter is enclosed with stone, or solid material. "The house also must be well maintained inside and out." When you go to sell this property as Land/Home, it should increase in value as any well maintained property would. "If it's Modular, it is even titled as real property, and you should be able to use two of three comps in the appraisal as stick built!
2. Stick Built: When doing a stick built home on land, a well maintained property should also increase in value just as the factory built home has.

However, if you decide to move EITHER a factory or stick built house, you typically will loose value, and get whatever the market would bear. The last time I saw a stick built house taken off the foundation and moved off the lot, it sold for pennies on the dollar. "When buyers say a factory built home doesn't hold value, it is usually when it is taken off the foundation and sold as a moved house too."

The question, really needs to be: Do all types of houses loose value if taken off their foundation, moved, and sold? The answer is; typically yes! Homes should sell much less regardless if stick built on the land or if built in a factory.

So, when looking to buy a precision factory built house, sell it as you would a home stick built on your lot! You should get the appreciation in value the land/house can provide, or take the value hit "as you would any home after moving it", and have another home moved on your lot.

#brettswearingen

Understanding Roof Pitch for Manufactured Homes

The roof pitch on a manufactured home varies based on it being a single-wide, double-wide, or even modular. 

Roof pitch is simply calculated as follows. 3.5/12 pitch is 3.5 inches of rise per 12 inches of run. A 5/12 would be 5 inches of rise for 12 inches of run. Many manufactured home builders will even do 6/12 or 7/12 pitch roofs.

Low-Pitched Roofs: On a single-wide home, the roof can be considered flat since it is typically under a 3.5/12 pitch. These roofs can be "and many times are" metal. Water run off on 2.5 to 3.0/12 pitch roofs have a tendency to be higher maintenance, or at least get more frequent roof damage. This is why many single-wide builders are now doing asphalt shingled 3.5/12 pitched roofs, and even a dormer over the front door. Once you get to 3.5/12 or greater, you will start seeing the use of asphalt shingles, dormers, roof colors, and a whole family-plan of options s. At Home-Mart, their exclusive "Masterpiece" line built by Fleetwood Homes has the 3.5/12 pitch, Dormer, and 8.5 FT walls. This adds 1-1.5 FT of ceiling height to what usually would be a 7 FT ceiling in a single-wide home. 

High end single-wide homes that come with higher pitched roofs, taller side walls, Dormers, energy efficiency packages, and 16x80 or even 18x80 are really becoming the new trend! 

Medium-Pitched Roofs; are 3.5/12 pitch to 7/12 pitch. These are much more common on manufactured HUD Code, or IRC Modular Homes. Picture to the right is of a 6/12 pitch on a HUD manufactured home. Many times the 5/12 and up pitch will also allow the homeowner attic space to store items. This would be for modular homes. A HUD code home will will have the space, but the code prevents the homeowner to floor an attic at the plant. I see homeowners doing this as an after market feature, and it is becoming more common.

When having a manufactured home built, those who want the features of 8.5-9 FT walls inside, typically do not have a roof pitched over 5/12. The picture of the Franklin Home has 9 FT interior walls,l and 5/12 roof pitch. This makes a home very dramatic, and it sure stands tall on the homebuyers land. However, when doing the higher pitched roofs on Manufactured homes, it eliminates many builder/manufactures to do other unique features like dormers,. This will many times then be an after market event. 

All the manufactured homes with a 5/12 or greater pitch, will have to also be hinged and raised at the home site. When doing this, the roof is raised, and a roof cap is then placed at the crown.

For more information, check with Brett Swearingen about customizing a home to fit your needs. 

The Difference Between A Modular Home VS Manufactured Home

Manufactured and Modular homes can be very similar in appearance, but very different underneath 

The terms Manufactured Home & Modular Home are many times interchangeably used, but in reality it is the code the home is built by and how the foundation is made. Choices in either type of structure can have an effect on the location the home is placed (such as a city lot), the finance options (Modular title can be merged with land as real property), the tax implications (depreciation), future value and salability, etc.

What is a Manufactured Home?

A manufactured home is any home factory-built in the U.S. to the HUD Title 6 construction standards (commonly known as ‘the HUD-code’). The HUD-code took effect June 15, 1976.  (A mobile home is a factory-built home that is built before June 15, 1976, and not built to a uniform construction code.) This is confusing, as many people commonly say they live in or want a mobile home. This term needs to used exclusively for homes not built to the much higher standards now enforced upon "today's" manufactured homes!

A HUD-coded home built after 1976 will display documentation called the Certification Label and the Data Plate. The red Certification Label (sometimes called the HUD Label) can be located on the tail end of each transportable section of the home. The Data Plate will be located inside of the home. Regulation states that the Data Plate be affixed inside the home on or near the main electrical breaker box, or other readily visible/accessible location. These documents are extremely important; as per the HUD Title 6 regulation removal is illegal. Removal could hinder the buying, selling, financing, or insuring of a manufactured home; they are not replaceable. The data plate is pictured here!

A manufactured home is built on a permanent chassis to ensure transportability. However, typically a manufactured home is not moved from its initial installed site. It is set on concreted piers, strapped down in concrete, axels and wheels removed along with the pulling tung used during transportation to the lot. 

What is a Modular Home?

A modular home is any home factory-built to a local state code. In some cases, a state may have adopted one of the uniform construction codes (i.e. UBC, IRC, etc.). Modular homes will not have the red Certification Label, but will have a label attached to the home stating the code it was built to. 

A modular home can be built as an “on-frame” or “off-frame” modular. On-frame will be built on a permanent chassis, whereas, the off-frame modular will be built with the removal of the chassis frame at location. An off-frame modular will usually require additional cranes to assist with home placement on a solid brick type perimeter or even set on and over a basement. Modular homes are, more often than not, attached to private land, and then classified as real property, or permanent to the land. They also qualify for most all traditional financing. Some will say; an on frame modular home attached to a permaninat foundation could be a little more secure, but others will say an off frame attached to a permaninat foundation is just as strong. The main reason for having an off frame modular set, would be it truly not movable, and may even appreciate more in value.

Brett Swearingen

Sales people "Who's Up Is It?" still argue over walk-in customer's. Lets fix it!

Who's Up is it??

This still seams to be this crazy part of most sales staff arguments. There are so many way's companies do it, or have done it forever. In fact, the worse thing that I hear is; well, that is the way we always have done it! Companies change to improve their customer's experience, marketing and promoting of their goods and services, even compensation, but never seem to change how the rotation of new customers walking in the door are divided through rotation. Most times, customer rotation is not changed because companies don't account for new ways "today's" smart and informed customers now shop. Just a few years back, many customers still gained most of their product information through going to stores to get it. Today, the shopper does get information from the salesperson, views, touches, smells, and experiences the product when at the store and buying. However, most customers by the time they have got to a store, they have done extensive research, comparisons, pricing, and have many times even called in to notify a salesperson they are coming in. This is where, "Salesperson Rotation" changes are now a must to stay current with new shopping habits of today's customers. 

Nearly All Consumers (97%) Now Use Online Media to Shop Locally, According to BIA/Kelsey and ConStat New study reveals local consumers access an increasing number of online media sources before buying; use of online coupons and appointment scheduling on the rise.

  

Many sales people do not want to hear that a company wants to change their sales "Up" rotation procedures to stay up with current buying trends. Especially if new procedures, rewards the sales people for prospecting and generating business through the many different online mediums to generate new business. Online Prospecting can fish for those many shoppers who are doing their pre-purchase research. SO, by the time the customers is ready to buy, they walk through the door and ask for that salesperson by name. This disrupts "Old School" sales rotation programs, as it is not designed for that. So, what happens is the person who works shard, prospects, and generates new business for walk in customers asking for their name, looses out on the cold walk in customers generated by the company efforts. The push back by sales people who are not for excluding ALL customers asking for a salesperson by name from rotation, is usually the person who doesn't or is not willing to do anything to generate individual business, and waits for only a next up walk in. 

+Forbes posted the Top 7 Internet Marketing Tips 

Companies who want to see growth, need to initiate reward for individual sales staff efforts to prospect. Companies will see a growth surge as sales people who want more up's, will start to also generate walk in traffic asking for them. When a customer enters and say's they are here to see someone by name, that is the same as a be back, and that sales person STAY'S in next rotation after they are finished with their customer. Sales people need to benefit from rotation, and not be penalized by generating business. Double the business, sure! everyone can double, just start working and not waiting!

Remember, if you reward those who work, others will follow. The one's who refuse to change and won't work and just want to kill time till their eventual up, will ultimately die off. This is just part of the evolution of change to stay relevant with today's buying process. 

+Brett Swearingen 

Brands Of Manufactured Homes Over Other Brands!

How do you choose one Builder or Brand over another? This is where it really gets crazy.

If you are using a design firm to build a "Concept" Green Modular Home, or niche specialty modular designed home, then brand / building company is so very important. It is important from the design firm, to the builder, and the warranty after the home is completed.

What Brands are best??

BUT, if you're buying a manufactured home that is energy efficient, GREEN, and one of many standard plans or models produced by manufacturers or builders sold at Home Center, then brand is important but not always critical. Many of the builder brands today all build to above codes and standards, have excellent warranties, and are built to where you know you're in a nice quality home. Yes, there are lower or upper levels of options available on manufactured homes providing customers levels of comfort and style. Some examples of options or levels of construction provided by a manufacturer are; less or more insulation and durability in exterior walls "like 2x6 studs with R-19 insulation or 2x4 R-11 insulation", wrapping the house, R 22-19-30 insulation, thermal windows and doors, tape and textured 1/2 Sheetrock or covered 3/8 Sheetrock with seam batting, plywood or OSB flooring board, 6/12 hinged roofing, 9 FT. walls, 2x10 floor joists, and of course the so many fixture and trim out options including wood burning fireplaces, cabinetry grades, high end appliances, tile or laminated, floor coverings, lighting packages, the list can go on and on.

Buying one brand over another does have its advantages. There are definitely quality of craftsmanship differences in by manufacturers / builders, but the above example is based on building standards and basics provided. Now when it comes to quality craftsmanship, and floor plans offered, there are several brands that do set themselves apart. That is why it is important to see several brands when shopping. An example is buying a car. You can buy a Ford VS GMC, or a Lincoln VS Cadillac. All of these brands are good, safe, efficient, and provide options, but yet they are different. Customers will prefer one over another, and customers can even be emotional about how they prefer one over the other. Home buying is an emotional choice too. A home is usually the biggest investment a person will make. So, that coupled with everyone's wants and needs different from another, make home buying a very emotional decision. Hmm, variety of brands is good thing. The #Sushine Brand is an example of great quality and lots of options VS KABCO Brand all coming with many of the same options too. They are just different in style and are a matter of personal preference. The +sunshine Homes has taped and textured walls standard, and #KABCO Builders doesn't but it can be ordered. Don't stop there, +Palm Harbor Homes, +Champion Homes, SeHomes , +Clayton Homes are good to compare. Many can all be found on one Home Center lot to view.

Be sure to look at several brands, but always be sure you are comparing the same options when pricing and comparing homes. Be sure those options include the extra energy savings features, and foundation work.

+Brett Swearingen