With home prices having risen steeply, the possibility of purchasing a brand-new home for $90,000 or $110,000 may seem like a golden ticket to homeownership.Ĭheck your eligibility to buy a manufactured home here Manufactured home standardsįor one thing, the manufactured home you want to buy must meet government standards to qualify for a conventional conforming loan or government-backed mortgage. Manufactured homes offer homebuyers both affordability and flexibility - two things in short supply in some U.S. The trailer hitch and axle, which are attached to a steel beam that runs the length of the manufactured home unit, are necessary for transporting the home to its location and are key differentiators from from modular and stick-built, or site-built, homes.

Another key difference is that manufactured homes have a trailer hitch and axles built in when they come off the manufacturing line, according to Dawes. You may have also heard the term “modular home.” These are similar to manufactured homes except that they are built to state and local building codes, rather than federal requirements. Modern manufactured homes are also different from the mobile homes of yesteryear in that they are built with more sustainable materials and may be designed to be affixed to more permanent foundations. But post-1976, new federal building codes were enacted that governed the construction of these homes. In the past, mobile homes were created as affordable and flexible housing options that could be moved with relative ease. More importantly, they’re built to much stricter safety standards and codes than they were a few decades ago. These days, manufacturers offer models with floor plans of 2,000+ square feet, multiple bedrooms and sitting rooms, covered porches, and more. However, manufactured homes have evolved in recent years. And those are still available, including brand-new models with energy-efficient appliances. The term “manufactured home” probably calls to mind classic single- or double-wide trailers.

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