Dispelling Myths and Stereotypes of Today’s Manufactured Homes

Old myths and stereotypes surrounding prefabricated housing are obsolete and misleading.

The lack of affordable homeownership has reached crisis level in the country. Lower income wage earners and many middle-income citizens have been priced out of the traditional site built home market. For many, there doesn’t appear to be a path to the uniquely American dream of quality homeownership.

There is indeed a doable option that many may have not seriously considered based upon myths and mischaracterizations: –Today’s modern manufactured homes.

Today’s Manufactured Homes Are Not “Mobile Homes”

Often the descriptive connotation “mobile home” is used interchangeably with “manufactured home,” creating a generalized negative impression that they are one and the same. The truth is that they are not the same. There have not been any “mobile homes” built in the United States in over 40 years.

That’s right, since the passage of the 1976 HUD Code, the quality of manufactured homes has improved dramatically. In fact, manufactured housing is constructed of the same materials as site built housing and now has a comparable lifespan. It can be designed in a variety of architectural styles to blend into almost any site-built neighborhood. Furthermore, the manufacturing process allows not only for increased affordability but also for the efficient use of resources. Construction of a manufactured home generates 30 to 45% less waste than comparable site-built construction.

For Many, Manufactured Homes is Their Smart Housing Choice

Manufactured housing is an important affordable homeownership solution in the United States. It is in fact, home to 17 million Americans, representing nearly 12% of housing for families living at 50% or less of the poverty level and is the largest source of unsubsidized housing in the nation.

Today’s manufactured homes are safe, energy efficient and will last as long as a traditional site built home. A new manufactured home can be quickly financed, installed and customized with numerous features to satisfy the needs and desires of the home buyer.

For millions of families manufactured home is the smart choice: an affordable investment with the potential to appreciate in value.

The Myth: A Manufactured Home Can’t Appreciate In Value

Properly installed on land with long-term security, a manufactured home can be an asset-builder for homeowners. The most important factors affecting appreciation are land control, financing, and titling. Under the right circumstances, there is no inherent reason why a home built in a factory cannot appreciate as a comparable site-built home would.

The Truth:  Manufactured Home Fire and Storm Safety Equal to Site-Built

The most common deterrent to many becoming manufactured homeowners is the misconception and misrepresentation that manufactured homes are unsafe in high winds and are susceptible to fire events. While those characterizations of “mobile homes” built over four decades are simply not true with today’s new manufactured housing, these myths persist. For clarification and truths you are invited to click the following reports on manufactured home wind and fire safety:

“Manufactured Homes Are As Safe As Traditional Homes During a Storm”  – and – “Manufactured Home Fire Safety: An Honest Discussion”