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Modular Homes - Just venting

March 26th, 2007 at 11:38 pm

I have no idea why I need to vent about modular homes. I think it is because of the stigma I get about them from my co-workers and friends. I can not shoot my mouth off at them so I guess I will vent it here. This is not intended to shoot off of anyone's remark on the forum. There has been no one saying anything insulting or offensive at all. I guess just for me to release some pent up thoughts.

I have been pondering on this over the last few years.... In some areas like the SF Bay Area, it can be ridiculously expensive to live here. Why I stay? Many reason including the deaf culture and many wonderful opportunities here. Fortunately my fiancé has a house so I am no longer in a "rent" situation to worry about this. But have many times thought of buying modular homes as I have seen some really nice ones. I have a friend who turned down an offer of buying a modular home because someone convinced her it was bad investment. She is a single mom of 3 and been renting only 1 or 2 bedrooms apartments. This 3 year old modular home had 4 bedrooms and was cheaper than her bad area of the city run down apartments. Since then she has gave up finding a better home and work two jobs just to make ends meet.

I know the value of the modular home usually does not go up in most cases and can go down. They are built better than some of the traditional houses.

We do strive for the best investment and value for our money but I have come to the conclusion that I don’t think it really matters for some families. I see this as a happening thing in our future where populations are overgrowing (especially in cities) and the division among the rich and poor is even more visible. Even there are families who does own a very expensive home and can not sleep well at night because of the risk they might loose their house due to debts.

Stability for us and children is really important to a more abunditful lifestyle. If it means having a strong home where you can raise your family, who cares if it increase value later on or not if you are in a situation where housing is just not affordable. It is too bad that modular homes and double wide trailers has the stigma and stereotype as it does now days where affordable housing is just crazy. I can still see it as a happy home and a good investment in health, emotional, and mental health. It can even leave room to save for retirement and savings vehicle.

But that is just me!

Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments »

15 Responses to “Modular Homes - Just venting”

  1. Ima saver Says:
    March 26th, 2007 at 11:45 pm 1174952745
    1174952745

    I think you are right. I was fortunate to be born and live when housing was affordable in my 20's.

  2. daybyday Says:
    March 27th, 2007 at 01:08 am 1174957683
    1174957683

    We live in the SF bay area too, are in our mid-40s, and are now renting again after having to sell our home. We are now renting a small duplex, a worse stigma than owning land with a modular. :O I've gotten rude comments from family members about our having to give up home ownership. But I've just had to try to get over it and move on. I understand and agree with everything you've said.

  3. Carolina Bound Says:
    March 27th, 2007 at 01:22 am 1174958523
    1174958523

    I have a stick-built home but it has a wood foundation. Many people turn up their noses at that. I researched before I bought, learned that wood foundations are as reliable as concrete -- and better in some ways (no cracking, for instance). But it's unconventional, at least around here. What I didn't find out in my research -- opinion can actually affect value. Burns me. (I haven't had a bit of trouble -- my crawl space is dry as a bone -- even dusty!)

  4. monkeymama Says:
    March 27th, 2007 at 01:33 am 1174959207
    1174959207

    My folks were big on not investing in a modular home and personally I avoid them, BUT I Can afford a nice home. I am from the SF Bay too - I would consider it - better than nothing and probably beats renting.

    Instead we moved somewhere cheaper. But if we had stayed, I can not see putting down anyone's choice. Know too many killing themselves for $700k starter homes or squeezing 6 people in a 2-bedroom rental. Given the choice a modular sounds pretty darn nice... & it's Cali for goodness sake. Might feel differently if it was tornado country. But the weather is pretty mild, think a modular will do just great.

  5. boomeyers Says:
    March 27th, 2007 at 03:13 am 1174965200
    1174965200

    I think a modular in an earthquake zone might actually be a better idea than a traditionally built home! It just seems it might be able to twist and bend better than 2x4's. Just a thought.

  6. scfr Says:
    March 27th, 2007 at 04:02 pm 1175011356
    1175011356

    If anyone thinks modular homes are somehow subpar, have them check out the amazing Sunset Breezehouse: http://www.mkd-arc.com/whatwedo/breezehouse/index.cfm

    I had a real estate agent confess to me very "hush-hush" that she believed modular homes could actually be superior in quality because their components are constructed indoors out of the elements, and under very strict quality control. Here in the Pacific Northwest, traditional homes may be subjected to lots and lots of rain during construction. Who knows what problems that rain exposure may cause down the line?

    People who turn up their noses at modular homes are just reacting to very outdated stereotypes.

  7. fairy74 Says:
    March 27th, 2007 at 04:56 pm 1175014604
    1175014604

    I agree completely with what you've said. I am pretty sure a modular home will be the only way DH and I can ever afford a home in California, without killing ourselves with massive overtime. Honestly, I would much rather own a piece of land and have a nice house (regardless of how it got there) then have some ramshackle thing on no land, just because that was the only thing we could afford. Most people who criticize about modular homes have not seen them recently and/or live in areas where traditional housing is affordable. The other time you may get that negative reaction is when someone else didn't think of it themselves and is stuck trying to pay off 700,000 on a tiny starter home, I think it sometimes make it easier to justify the ridiculous burden they are saddled with.

  8. Homebody Says:
    March 28th, 2007 at 03:14 am 1175051654
    1175051654

    http://www.hoopamodular.com/

    I have considered talking my mom to put one of these on her extra lot here in Northern California. Mom's home was built by the local junior college and moved to her property, so it is actually "modular" here in Humboldt.

  9. LuckyRobin Says:
    March 28th, 2007 at 04:03 am 1175054633
    1175054633

    Half of the houses in my development are double or triple wide manufactured homes (no single wide or aluminum ones are allowed). Some of them, if I hadn't seen them trucked in and put together, I would not even know they were manufactured homes. Fancy siding, fancy windows, big covered porches. Inside they have hardwood floors, are sheetrocked, have marble or high quality looking counter tops and cupboards in the kitchen, huge lovely bathrooms, so much space. For half the price of a comparable stick built house. We also have two log cabin kit homes that are both in excess of 2000 square feet that are gorgeous, 2 modular homes that are a bit boxy but nice looking and the rest are stick built. Some of the stick built ones don't look as good or as solid as the manufactured ones.

  10. LuckyRobin Says:
    March 28th, 2007 at 04:42 am 1175056945
    1175056945

    I think it comes down to simple snobbery and a lack of knowledge on what is available today.

  11. gruntina Says:
    April 9th, 2008 at 03:51 am 1207713066
    1207713066

    Livingalmostlarge - A Modular home is a home that is not built on the property but built in a warehouse/factory where it can be built more perfectly angled and brought to the property. They are nicer than the mobile and double wide trailer. What makes them different is the modular homes are a combination of sections/squares so it can resemble a house and they do not have wheels.

    If you do a search of a floor plan or samples of modular homes on the web, you can find some that you would have no idea they were not traditional built homes. Hope this answer your question.

  12. Livingalmostlarge Says:
    April 9th, 2008 at 07:11 pm 1207768305
    1207768305

    I'd live in a modular home then. I have no bias. I doubt I could tell the difference considering I don't even know what a double wide is. Or what it looks like.

  13. gruntina Says:
    April 9th, 2008 at 10:30 pm 1207780258
    1207780258

    A double wide is normally what you see in trailer communites often built for the seniors citizens which are the larger ones. The sidings are more trailer like.

  14. Synergy Modular Homes Says:
    October 28th, 2011 at 02:59 pm 1319813973
    1319813973

    The common misconception that we see is when a customer confuses a mobile home with a modular home. While they are both built off site, a modular home is built with far superior materials and specifications. Many modular homes are now as strong as, or stronger, than traditional stick built homes.

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