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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
   
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | total performance - 2015-05-07 10:01 AM Three 4 Luck - 2015-05-07 9:27 AM total performance - 2015-05-07 9:13 AM watchpeppydoc - 2015-05-07 9:00 AM Did you keep the basement stairs where they are? Seems like an out of the way spot but thinking I want them more central? Did you go with site built then? That is one floor plan I had "saved". That was one modification we made. no basement stairs as we don't have a basement. Yes, we did site built. Since it's just two of us, we turned one of the bedrooms into an office also. Also we took out the garden tub and went with a shower/bath combo and then just a shower stall.
I guess I'm spoiled--ours is 4x6.  | |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | Hubby and I built a modular 9 years ago when we moved back to ND. We had zero issues financing it when we first purchased it, and we have not had any issues refinancing it. In fact we just did a refi this past spring so we could cash out on our equity we had built up to build a three stall, attached, garage.
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Expert
Posts: 1314
Location: North Central Iowa Land of white frozen grass | Just remember that the 2 most important rooms in the house are the master bedroom, bathroom and the kitchen. My wife wanted a big closet so we put one in that is 9'x10' with a pocket door off the master bedroom. Do those 2 first and them fit all the other rooms in the house around them. We built a stick built house and it took about a year from start to finish. Our friends said they didn't want to wait that long so they went modular. It took just as long to do theirs as ours. Our house is 34 ft. wide and most modulars are only 28 ft. wide. You can not believe how much more usable your space of each room is when you can square them up better. Our garage is 36' X38' and I would not want it any smaller. | |
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Sideways Riding Expert
Posts: 11371
Location: ND--it snows, it floods, it snows, it floods | We are in this process right now and have decided to stick build. We actually were leaning toward modular but when I figured out all the site prep and everything else needed it's the same as stick building. I found a floor plan that we like in the modular and are having it stick built PLUS an attached garage for the same price as the modular with no garage. We are not doing a basement due to water table issues but are having a crawl space. If we had gone the modular route we were going with Dynamic built in Detroit Lakes, MN. They are more expensive but extremely well built and you can customize as you want. In fact our current floor plan is a Dynamic floorplan if that helps. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
Location: Roping pen | First, we need to define what we are talking about.
A Modular is "off frame" typically-ie the house is hauled in (one or many pieces and mostly built offsite) on a truck/trailer. These are typically the same as an on-site stick built home. Width and/or height, is not an issue anymore.
A manufactured home, the trailer (ie I beams) are a part of the house framing and must stay with the house as it is part of the construction.
One easy way to id the difference are the eve width. Most Modular eve's are 12-16". Most manufactured homes have 4-8" eves.
Lending, is dictated on the above. Manufactured homes have been harder to finance as they are typically not attached to a permanent foundation. If they are (basement, crawl space, etc), they can qualify just like a modular or stick built.
In today's world, to me, all can be quality homes, and all can not be quality homes. I have seen stick builts that would not hold up to a manufactured home. It all depends on the options, builder, local codes, etc.
We are in our 3rd Modular. I like them, as to me, they are better built than the exact same stick built. The reason I say this, is that all construction is done inside and with more control. Weather delays, water/rain/snow issues, materials issues, labor, etc are problematic with stick builts. Also, warranties have been better, with modular homes.
Give me a modular that was built inside, by craftsman that specialize in just one trade (ex-drywallers that all they do is drywall), with specialized equipment to make sure house is square, etc, along with a cost savings of 20-40% (due to bulk buying of products, no delays, more skilled labor, better construction techniques, etc) over a stick built any day.
I have way more horror stories with stick builts than I hear from modulars as I have been lending money on houses for >18 years. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 227
Location: Heart of Texas | As someone who works in the mortgage industry. A modular home will be considered a mobile home in the long run. Yes it looks better than your traditional mobile home, at the end of the day it is a mobile home. It will be financed same as a mobile home. And when you go to sell it, realtors/appraisers will use other mobile homes as comps. Not houses. So it will NEVER appreciate like a stick house will. 99% of them, Karsten being the only manufactuer that i know of, still require mobile home parts when something breaks. Also, depending on how much acerage you have, the modular/mobile home may not appraise for as much as you need it to for financing. I would check with your lending insititution before making any decision. There are very few lenders that even lend on them as well. Something else to think about. If you are in the Texas or New Mexico area, i know a great lender who can get you the information you need as well as do a bang up job on your loan. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 729
Location: south central usa | jewishprincess - 2015-05-07 3:31 PM
As someone who works in the mortgage industry. A modular home will be considered a mobile home in the long run. Yes it looks better than your traditional mobile home, at the end of the day it is a mobile home. It will be financed same as a mobile home. And when you go to sell it, realtors/appraisers will use other mobile homes as comps. Not houses. So it will NEVER appreciate like a stick house will. 99% of them, Karsten being the only manufactuer that i know of, still require mobile home parts when something breaks. Also, depending on how much acerage you have, the modular/mobile home may not appraise for as much as you need it to for financing. I would check with your lending insititution before making any decision. There are very few lenders that even lend on them as well. Something else to think about. If you are in the Texas or New Mexico area, i know a great lender who can get you the information you need as well as do a bang up job on your loan.
not to be nit picky as i agree with this with one exception - "So it will NEVER appreciate like a stick house will"...IMO it should be that a stick house "can" appreciate and outside of high demand rural areas, a home built in the country is probably more likely to depreciate due to the lower # of comps / potential buyers | |
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 Banjo and Baby
Posts: 7259
Location: South of Canada and North of Mexico | jewishprincess - 2015-05-07 3:31 PMAs someone who works in the mortgage industry. A modular home will be considered a mobile home in the long run. Yes it looks better than your traditional mobile home, at the end of the day it is a mobile home. It will be financed same as a mobile home. And when you go to sell it, realtors/appraisers will use other mobile homes as comps. Not houses. So it will NEVER appreciate like a stick house will. 99% of them, Karsten being the only manufactuer that i know of, still require mobile home parts when something breaks. Also, depending on how much acerage you have, the modular/mobile home may not appraise for as much as you need it to for financing. I would check with your lending insititution before making any decision. There are very few lenders that even lend on them as well. Something else to think about. If you are in the Texas or New Mexico area, i know a great lender who can get you the information you need as well as do a bang up job on your loan. Actually no, once a modular is placed it is then considered site built. There is no title on one. http://www.wisconsinhomesinc.com/inspiration-homes Look at the gallery and tell me these look a bit better than a mobile home and are still considered one? Maybe in Texas they aren't as nice??
Edited by watchpeppydoc 2015-05-07 4:26 PM
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Banjo and Baby
Posts: 7259
Location: South of Canada and North of Mexico | Can you tell which ones are modulars and which ones are site built in these pictures?
Guess its a trick question because all of these pictures are Modular homes by Dynamic and Wisconsin Homes.
Edited by watchpeppydoc 2015-05-07 4:42 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 227
Location: Heart of Texas | watchpeppydoc - 2015-05-07 4:19 PM
jewishprincess - 2015-05-07 3:31 PMAs someone who works in the mortgage industry. A modular home will be considered a mobile home in the long run. Yes it looks better than your traditional mobile home, at the end of the day it is a mobile home. It will be financed same as a mobile home. And when you go to sell it, realtors/appraisers will use other mobile homes as comps. Not houses. So it will NEVER appreciate like a stick house will. 99% of them, Karsten being the only manufactuer that i know of, still require mobile home parts when something breaks. Also, depending on how much acerage you have, the modular/mobile home may not appraise for as much as you need it to for financing. I would check with your lending insititution before making any decision. There are very few lenders that even lend on them as well. Something else to think about. If you are in the Texas or New Mexico area, i know a great lender who can get you the information you need as well as do a bang up job on your loan. Actually no, once a modular is placed it is then considered site built. There is no title on one. http://www.wisconsinhomesinc.com/inspiration-homes Look at the gallery and tell me these look a bit better than a mobile home and are still considered one? Maybe in Texas they aren't as nice??
Wow aren't you condescending. The homes you are talking about refers you to a builder. Those are probably kit homes?? You don't go to a mobile home dealership and have them refer you to a builder to build it. When most refer to a modular home, it's a mobile home that has been upgraded to be "modular" for lending purposes. I think we are talking about two different types of homes. Mobile/modular homes from a dealership are built in a factory, delivered by truck, and cannot be put on a cement foundation like stick homes. The plumbing and electrical will not allow for it. So for the sake of arguing, I think we talking about two different things. Agree to disagree. Have a blessed day! | |
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Banjo and Baby
Posts: 7259
Location: South of Canada and North of Mexico | jewishprincess - 2015-05-07 5:09 PM
watchpeppydoc - 2015-05-07 4:19 PM
jewishprincess - 2015-05-07 3:31 PMAs someone who works in the mortgage industry. A modular home will be considered a mobile home in the long run. Yes it looks better than your traditional mobile home, at the end of the day it is a mobile home. It will be financed same as a mobile home. And when you go to sell it, realtors/appraisers will use other mobile homes as comps. Not houses. So it will NEVER appreciate like a stick house will. 99% of them, Karsten being the only manufactuer that i know of, still require mobile home parts when something breaks. Also, depending on how much acerage you have, the modular/mobile home may not appraise for as much as you need it to for financing. I would check with your lending insititution before making any decision. There are very few lenders that even lend on them as well. Something else to think about. If you are in the Texas or New Mexico area, i know a great lender who can get you the information you need as well as do a bang up job on your loan. Actually no, once a modular is placed it is then considered site built. There is no title on one. http://www.wisconsinhomesinc.com/inspiration-homes Look at the gallery and tell me these look a bit better than a mobile home and are still considered one? Maybe in Texas they aren't as nice??
Wow aren't you condescending. The homes you are talking about refers you to a builder. Those are probably kit homes?? You don't go to a mobile home dealership and have them refer you to a builder to build it. When most refer to a modular home, it's a mobile home that has been upgraded to be "modular" for lending purposes. I think we are talking about two different types of homes. Mobile/modular homes from a dealership are built in a factory, delivered by truck, and cannot be put on a cement foundation like stick homes. The plumbing and electrical will not allow for it. So for the sake of arguing, I think we talking about two different things. Agree to disagree. Have a blessed day!
not condescending, you are thinking modular as manufactured which is a double wide, mobile home etc. Modular are stick built in a factory and brought to the site and placed with a crane, they do not have axles or frames under them. Up here in Minnesota mobile home dealers also are a middle man for modular companies such as Wisconsin Homes, Dynamic, Bonneville, Schult, Friendship and many others. The first two are strictly modular builders while the others I mentioned also are manufacturer's of manufactured homes. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 550
| I agree, I think most people are thinking modular & doublewide interchangably.
An on-frame modular looks like a DW, an off-frame looks, is deeded, and is financed like a house.
They do really nice ones now, and can even customize them. The post that said about the house being built as stick built elsewhere, and moved to your foundation- I would consider that a modular.
Also, around here, I don't even think you are able to put the "doublewide" type modulars on a basement.
I'm sure different parts of the country differ on definitions of modular, I think that is probably where the vastly different opinions come in. | |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| A little OT but I had my manufactured home put on a permanent foundation, had to mess with the title to get a "real" deed like a regular stick built - it was STILL a PITA to sell as lenders would NOT touch it even though it was now considered a stick-built, would never have another. Mine was not a modular but a double wide. We bought it because I talked to several builders that told me they were built better (never exposed to weather as built indoors) and had higher standards for less money than some stick builts. That was a huge mistake on my part by not building. | |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | I would go with stick built....I have yet to not hear of someone having issues with a modular.
I have zero suggestions on a floor plan EXCEPT, a mud/boot room is a must with a door between it and the next room.
The other aspects to consider (stick built or modular) and I'm assuming you've thought of this...
Type of basement, up here people either do a cement or some do styrofoam, some even still do wood but with the frost we get in the ground has to be built right or causes issues. Basements are pricey, when we thought of building (1200 sq ft house) was going to cost $60,000 range.
Permits- building, power, sewage and depending on all your county may require.
Booking contractors, it's the season for some to be already booked for the year and your very often at the mercy of your contractors. If you have the proper people lined up and ready to roll a October finish on a June start is realistic. Big suggestion is get your basement dug and ready ASAP when you finally decide.....
Its a stressful and fun process, good luck!
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Location: midwest mama | watchpeppydoc - 2015-05-07 8:16 AM
A modular is stick built just not on site. Follows same codes and regulations as a site built. I am only interested in two companies that are local and have great reviews on line. Once a modular is set on a foundation it is considered site/stick built. Will not have any issues with financing one. I really need to be in a house by October and do not know if that's enough time for site built? I'm hoping by June to be able to start. Dynamic and Wisconsin homes are ones I'm leaning towards. I would not do a modular that specializes in manufactured.
My situation was similar to yours. 18 years ago I had a 2000 sq. ft triple wide modular built and put on my property and I love it as much today as I did when I first moved in. I have had ZERO problems with it. The quality of it is actually much better than a lot of stick builts - 2x6 construction, massive insulation, etc. It is on a permanent foundation. I constantly have people ask me if I would consider selling my place.
LOVE IT!!!! | |
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| Build you a stick built house ... very few state financial underwriters recognize anything modular as a permanently built house ... and value does not increase as a stick house does ..
Modular in most states can mean anything from a mobile home with no axels with a foundation around the perimeter to one hauled in in pieces to assemble ... so spend your money wisely!!
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 Veteran
Posts: 146
| Preferably, I would do stick built but it does take time, it is really stressful and you can count on it costing 20% more than you budget for. There are great contractors, good ones, and down right bad ones, so you need to do your homework. I have no issue with modular or manufactured homes between the two I would choose modular, since it is a stick built home if there is a good company in your area. What I do really like about manufactured homes is the cost is going to be what you see; many are built as well as a stick built and have all the upgrades. Floor plans are very efficient and little wasted space and you get larger master bathrooms with garden tubs, sitting rooms etc. that you usually can't get in a stick built without paying more. To me it just seems like you get many really nice things in manufactured homes that aren't offered in stick built homes in the same price or even higher costing.
It's really up to what you can afford, have the time for and how much stress you are willing to deal with. If you are planning on living on this place for many years and resale isn't something that will come up anytime soon then build what you feel most comfortable with and what you can afford. | |
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