Manufactured Housing News

Nowadays, manufactured homes represent one of the best housing alternatives for many homebuyers. However, a series of misconceptions lead people to regrettable mistakes when buying a home. In short, myths and stereotypes take away the opportunity for many people to buy a safe, high-quality, and affordable manufactured home.

As we struggle to clear the preconceived ideas about manufactured homes and help people turn the dream of owning a home into reality, we’ll use this opportunity to dispel five of the most common misconceptions associated with the manufactured housing industry.

Myth #1: All manufactured homes look alike.

Many people think of manufactured homes as cramped, nearly identical dwellings. But what they might not know is that manufactured homes can be customized in terms of both aesthetics and functionality. Manufactured home builders make available a variety of floor plans and customization options that allow future homeowners to cook a meal in a true chef’s kitchen, complement their bathrooms with a Jacuzzi tub, install skylights to get more natural light, turn living rooms into small movie theaters, and opt for site-built garages.

What’s more, the manufactured housing industry keeps evolving. Every single year, manufactured home builders come up with new materials, floor plans, features, and customization options. By simply providing different customization options, manufactured home builders allow buyers to turn a standard manufactured home into a truly unique home. To make things easier, builders also guide manufactured homebuyers throughout the intricate process of choosing the right floor plan, features, and location in order to ensure that the manufactured home they’re about to buy will fit their needs and lifestyle.

Myth #2: Manufactured homes are poor quality and unsafe.

Manufactured homes are now built with the same building materials as conventional homes. Not only does this mean that these homes can be very appealing; it also means that they’re built to the same – if not higher – quality as site-built homes. An essential aspect often overlooked is that the construction of manufactured homes is regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Under the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, manufactured homes must comply with certain design, construction, quality, durability, energy efficiency, fire resistance, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical systems, and transportability performance standards. Because manufactured homes have to conform to the same local and state building codes as site-built construction, they’re very durable and safe even during extreme weather.

Myth #3: Manufactured homes are less energy efficient than bricks-and-mortar homes.

Many people believe that manufactured homes are less energy efficient than site-built homes. In reality, manufactured homes can be designed, remodeled, and retrofitted for better energy efficiency, just like conventional homes.

To make manufactured homes even more energy efficient, HUD has developed a series of standards that “minimize the sum of construction and operation costs” over the entire lifespan of these homes. Additionally, many manufactured home builders have developed new construction processes, which allow them to build homes in a more sustainable way, and have teamed up with ENERGY STAR to provide more energy-efficient homes. Thanks to new materials and high-tech features, including smart thermostats, heating and cooling systems, water heaters, and low-E windows, manufactured homeowners are able to conserve more energy—which translates into lower energy bills—while enjoying higher levels of comfort.

Myth #4: Manufactured homes are expensive.

Since a manufactured home can be customized according to individual needs, there can be significant differences in price levels. However, manufactured homes typically cost between 10% and 35% less than comparable site-built dwellings. Furthermore, manufactured homes are faster to build and produce less waste than on-site construction, which can also reduce the overall construction costs.

Myth #5: Manufactured homes depreciate in value.

Many people wrongly assume that manufactured homes depreciate in value more quickly than brick-and-mortar homes. In fact, the appreciation or depreciation of a manufactured home depends on the same factors that affect the market value of site-built housing; namely, the local housing market and maintenance. Over the years, we've seen many manufactured homes, which were located in great neighborhoods, installed on permanent foundations, and kept in tip-top condition, appreciating just as much as the site-built homes in the same area.

At Triad Financial Services, our dedicated professionals have the expertise and experience necessary to make manufactured home financing simple and easy for everyone, including homebuyers, realtors, dealers, investors, and credit unions. Furthermore, we’re continuously scaling up innovative and practical lending solutions to expand the economic opportunities for all those interested in manufactured home financing. For more information regarding the financing options that we make available for manufactured homes, please get in touch with our professionals today!