MANUFACTURED HOMES: MISCHARACTERIZATIONS AND MISREPRESENTATIONS OF AMERICA’S ONLY QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP
“The trouble with the world is not that people know too little; it’s that they know so many things that just aren’t so.” — Mark Twain
Many low and medium-income families across this wonderful country believe that the high price and shortage of conventional housing are foregoing their uniquely American dream of affordable homeownership, and as a result, are destined to be renters in the foreseeable future. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Unfortunately, most of these dreamers are either, not aware that manufactured homes could well be the path to quality homeownership, or have discounted manufactured homes as an option due to uninformed misrepresentations and mischaracterizations of today’s only quality affordable housing available in the country.
Often those that have not explored today’s manufactured housing will assume that a manufactured home and a “mobile home” are one-in-the-same, espousing myths that have been handed down through generations, such as what “mobile homes” (manufactured homes) “are not.” – “They are not well-built,” – “They are not safe,” – “They don’t appreciate.” – ”They are not energy efficient.” – ”They don’t last,” etc.etc.
For many years here at ManufacturedHomes.com, we have posted numerous articles that have factually debunked these misinformed and sometimes intentional myths, mischaracterizations and misrepresentations of today’s modern high quality manufactured housing. That outdated imagery is preventing many hardworking low-to-middle income hard-working citizens from realizing the American dream.
To quote Henry Rosovsky, Harvard economic Historian, “never underestimate the difficulty of changing false beliefs by facts.” That being said, here-we-go-again with a review of verifiable facts,
FACT: THERE HAVE BEEN “ZERO” MOBILE HOMES PRODUCED IN OVER FOUR DECADES
The descriptive words “mobile home” and “manufactured home” are not interchangeable and “are not one-in-the-same.” In fact, there have been zero “mobile homes” produced in over four decades.
New “mobile homes” ceased to exist in 1976 when the U.S. Congress passed legislation establishing a Federal Building Code officially and legally designating the new factory-built homes as “manufactured homes.”
This legislation is the 1974 Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act, which went into effect on June 15th, 1976. The federal code is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development (commonly) known as the HUD Code. The regulations mandate housing design and construction, strength and durability, fire and wind safety, energy efficiency and overall quality. Manufactured homes are the only form of single-family housing built and installed to nationwide building code in the United States.
For more information and validation regarding the quality of manufactured homes, click – Manufactured Homes: “Most Regulated and Inspected Housing in the United States” – and – “Are Manufactured Homes Well-Built?
FACT: A MANUFACTURED HOME MAY BE LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE OCCASION OF FIRE THAN ANY OTHER DWELLING
There are those who believe that a manufactured home is more susceptible to the occasion of fire than other types of dwellings. This would be understandable for a “mobile home” built before the implementation of the 1976 HUD Code, it is certainly not true for today’s HUD Code manufactured homes. The truth is that the modern manufactured home may well be “less susceptible to fire” than any other type of available dwelling, according to a study by the National Fire Protection Association. To review the study, click “Manufactured Homes Fire Safety: An Honest Discussion”
FACT: MANUFACTURED HOME WIND AND STORM SAFETY IS EQUAL OR SUPERIOR TO A TRADITIONAL SITE BUILT HOME
As a result of upgraded HUD standards, manufactured homes produced since 1994, have been proven to be equal and in many respects safer than site-built homes during tornadoes and hurricanes. (It is important to note that there are not any homes built to withstand winds of 200+ miles per hour). To access studies confirming manufactured home wind safety, click “Manufactured Home Wind And Storm Safety: An Honest Discussion.” and a recent post, “Hurricane Season: Manufactured Home Safety.”
FACT: TODAY’S NEW MANUFACTURED HOME WILL INCREASE OR DECREASE IN VALUE AS A COMPARABLY SITED TRADITIONAL HOME
“They don’t appreciate,” is probably the most prominent negative expression among manufactured home naysayers. That opinion could be close to the truth, if they are talking about “mobile homes,” not factually accurate when characterizing today’s modern “manufactured homes.”
A comparably sized and sited manufactured home will appreciate near the same rate as a site-built home, and will have an original cost of up to 50 percent less.
Recent data from a report by the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank, released by the Federal Housing Agency, concluded that the price index for manufactured homes featured an annual growth rate of 3.4%, versus 3.8% for site-built homes.
For expanded information that “a manufactured home is everything a home should be, and more,” you are invited to confirm previous reports posted here at ManufacturedHomes.com by clicking, – Is A Manufactured Home A Sound Investment?” – and – “A New Manufactured Home Will Be One-Half The Cost Of Comparable Site-Built Home”
