Should You Consider Buying a Manufactured Home in 2023?
Are you feeling depressed or frustrated and like you are being squeezed out of the onsite-built housing market? Perhaps a manufactured or modular home might be your best option for affordable housing. When visualizing a manufactured home, what do you see? Hopefully, something luxurious because that is exactly what manufactured and modular homes have become over the course of time. Need a refresher on the difference between the two? Check out this previous post to learn more about what each type of home can offer. Some may argue that manufactured and modular homes are not only more visually appealing, but also a smarter choice for home ownership in today’s economy. Here are some reasons why it might make sense for you to buy a manufactured home.
Financial Considerations & Affordability
Buying a manufactured home or a modular home is a great option for someone looking to receive everything they want in a home for a fraction of the cost. The average cost of a manufactured home is substantially lower than a traditional site-built home, which would explain why affordability is #1 on NewHomeSource’s reasons to consider buying a manufactured home. This could be a huge relief for many as prices continue to spike in real estate.
It’s not only the build that costs less – but there are also other factors that work in favor of your pockets. For instance, the energy efficiency that comes with manufactured and modular homes.
Energy Efficiency
From air sealing and insulation to installing the latest HVAC technology, prefab homes can incorporate many features that will keep your electricity bill at a reasonable cost. Other features like LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, and energy-efficient windows can also impact month-to-month energy savings.
Resale Value
In addition to saving money, manufactured homes can also be a way to make money through value appreciation. There is a common misconception that manufactured homes don’t hold value and depreciate over time. The Manufactured Housing Institute debunks this idea stating that manufactured homes appreciate at the same market rate as other homes in a neighborhood. It is important to consider the location, age of the home, and overall condition; All of which impact the resale value. Thus, manufactured homes can hold high resale values.
Maintenance
One of the biggest headaches of being a homeowner is the maintenance cost. Unlike renting an apartment or any other space, home ownership leaves you responsible for all repairs. This can really hit the bank account hard depending on the amount of damage to a property. While it is important to maintain any home you live in, manufactured homes tend to be less expensive to maintain than traditional homes. This means there’s less to budget for each month, which saves you money each month!
Building Cost
According to Forbes, due to the lower cost of materials and other determinants, manufactured homes are priced between 10%-35% less per square foot than a traditional home. The difference in cost without a sacrifice of quality has many people interested in investing in a prefab home, custom-made to their wants and needs. Manufactured and modular homes have evolved into a comparable option for many families and will continue to grow more popular as people discover the many benefits that come with them, which include affordable luxury standard features that you can’t get for the same price as a site-built home. Affordable Luxury features can include beverage bars, huge tile walk-in showers, separate soaking tubs, tall banks of windows, porches, and built-in desk/office spaces.
Personal Mortgage Insurance
In addition, when you finance a manufactured home you avoid the personal mortgage insurance (PMI) required from site-built home financing if you do not put 20% down. This alone can take save you hundreds of dollars each month. Here are a few other reasons to consider when deciding whether purchasing a manufactured or modular home might be right for you:
Durability
The structural quality and durability of a home are important factors to consider. Natural disasters are becoming more aggressive and common. Depending upon the area where your home will be, safety may be top of mind. While you may have seen images of trailer homes, mobile homes, and manufactured homes torn apart or destroyed by hurricanes or tornados, many manufactured home builders go to great strides to help prevent this. For example, Oak Creek Homes not only builds a heavy home but makes sure it is installed and secured with a 47-point inspection (on all 18-foot and wider homes). This means a manufactured home is builtstrong and secured to its foundation, which keeps it from sliding off or rolling over. In addition, hardboard siding is used instead of vinyl. Hardboard siding stands up to the elements, resisting damage from wind, rain, freezing temperatures, and hail. This gives a manufactured or modular home years of protection and low maintenance. The HUD code regulations that are required for each and every home also ensure safety and durability for even the strongest storms and disasters. Hear from manufactured homeowners whose homes withstood category 4 hurricanes here.
Versatility
What makes owning a manufactured home more versatile than a traditional site-built home? Most manufactured home builders allow customers to pick out various design elements of their homes. These can include exterior materials, like galvanized metal accents, metal roofs versus shingles, and body and trim paint colors. On the inside of the home, this can include colors for walls, cabinets, tile, backsplash, and flooring. Manufactured homes are utilizing some of the most popular design and decor choices so that you can customize the perfect place. You can take your home to the next level with the many options offered. Having this amount of power over your journey to homeownership is not only empowering but also it is also to first step to truly getting connected to your home and ensuring that every inch is built to your satisfaction.
Construction Process
When you’re anxious to purchase something, you probably are not willing to wait 2 years to receive it. This can be the case for many site-built homes today as material supply shortages continue to infiltrate the market. Manufactured homes, like the Oak Creek Homes specifically, receive many of their materials right here in the U.S. making the home-building process quicker and easier. Homes are built in a factory in as little as 6-8 weeks and then, installed on-site.
Summary
In short, it is important to explore the various ways to achieve home ownership and be open to new and improved options. Manufactured and modular homes have made a lot of progress over the years and have proved to be a great alternative to site-built homes, especially in an ever-changing real estate market. You can count on modern manufactured homes to be both affordable and sustainable despite the increase in prices we continue to see going into 2023. If you are curious about all that a manufactured home has to offer, you can visit www.oakcreekhomes.com to browse the many different designs and floorplans you are sure to fall in love with.
Contact us to Schedule a Visit or Tour
Ready to schedule a tour? Or have questions? Let us know, we’d be happy to talk with you. We can also help with financing and finding land for your custom-manufactured home. Land and home packages are available.
Other Educational Resources
Just starting the manufactured home buying journey? Download these handy checklists. They’ll start you off on the right path.
- Mortgage Rates the Decision to Buy a Home in 2022
- Can you Customize a Manufactured Home?
- 8 Things to Consider when Choosing a Manufactured Home Builder.
- 19 Questions to Think About Before Buying a Manufactured Home.
You can buy any of our top-selling single-wide or double-wide homes at your nearest Oak Creek Home Center. We deliver to Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and parts of New Mexico. Manufactured home builder Oak Creek Homes has been building manufactured houses and modular homes for over 50 years.
