Manufactured Home Retailers See a Boom in Demand as People Adjust to Covid-19 “Staying at Home” Protocols
There is little doubt the advent of COVID-19 and subsequent “stay at home” protocols with no end in-sight, have spurred “wannabe” homeowners to rethink their heretofore housing priorities. However, for many, there remains little doubt that the aspirational concept of partaking in the uniquely American dream of homeownership is still alive and a realistic affordable possibility with today’s quality modern manufactured housing.
According to retailers across the country, they are experiencing a somewhat surprising surge in new manufactured home sales – born out by the uptick of online visitors here at ManufacturedHomes.com — America’s pre-eminent platform for manufactured home and modular home shoppers.
No one can say with certainty why so many Americans are exploring and purchasing manufactured housing, considering their unsettled future health and welfare situation resulting from the continuing pandemic, with no ending in sight.
We can only conjecture that many new manufactured home shoppers are realizing that the present and unsettled future of living conditions may not be sustainable for the long haul, especially families confined in densely populated urban rental environments.
Shoppers are motivated towards manufactured home affordability, quality of construction, features, amenities, energy efficiencies, safety, and accessibility. Many also appreciate how manufactured homes make social distancing easier and a way to corral or keep families together.
There are also a segment of manufactured home buyers that are looking for an inexpensive “getaway” second home in the country, in the mountains, a spot on the lake or river, etc.
Shipment results of new manufactured homes have yet to account for the uptick in new sales as manufactured home producers adapt to CORONA-19 protocols requiring worker furloughs and the availability of construction components. Home construction backlogs under normal circumstances have typically averaged four or five weeks for delivery, and are now averaging somewhere between 7 to 9 weeks as a result of those issues.
Respected retailers in the Southeast and Northwest U.S. confirm the boom in manufactured home sales activity.
SOUTHERN ALABAMA RETAILER CONFIRMS ROBUST MANUFACTURED HOME SALES
The state of Alabama is home to the largest number of manufactured home building facilities in the nation and as such is a barometer of sales activity throughout the Southeastern United States.
A prominent south Alabama retailer, Discover Modular Homes in Summerdale, confirms the robust sales activity that commenced shortly after COVID-19 “stay at home” protocols beginning in early spring.
Discover Homes General Manager, Brian Nelms, with 30 plus years of manufactured home retailing experience, believes the resurgence of families seeking affordable homeownership is a direct result of a desire to escape existing, restrained and uncomfortable living conditions posed by the pandemic.
“We are seeing an upsurge in home shoppers over the last two to three months, many are young families that are seeking affordable homeownership to escape the unsettling aspects of COVID-19, said Nelms.
Nelms also points out that recently he is serving a number of manufactured home buyers that are fleeing cities and relocating in the rural areas in southern Alabama where land is relatively inexpensive and yet close to resort areas of Southern Alabama (Gulf Shores), Western Florida (Pensacola) and Southern Louisiana (New Orleans).
Nelms offered this example, “presently I am in the process of selling two homes to families relocating out of Chicago, Illinois.”
Discover Modular Homes offers affordable, quality built homes produced by the most respected manufactured home builders in the nation, including Sunshine Homes, Cappaert Homes, and Legacy Housing. Building times for factory ordered homes are 5 to 8 weeks, depending on the manufacturer.
CENTRAL OREGON SEES HIGH DEMAND IN MANUFACTURED HOMES THIS YEAR
Manufactured home dealers in Central Oregon said Wednesday they have seen a higher demand for their homes this year, reported (KTVZ – Bend online).
J & M Homes in Redmond, Oregon say they are seeing a record year in sales of manufactured homes. Manager Mike Swantko said he has been selling manufactured homes in Central Oregon for two decades.
“Once people got used to staying at home in March and April, we’ve had a rush of people coming in, “Swantko said.
He said a manufactured home also takes less time to build than a site-built home. “We generally get a home project going between 90 to 120 days.”
One of J and M Homes’ projects is Cascade Village, which is a manufactured housing in northeast Bend. Swantko said it is an ideal neighborhood for people who want affordable housing in Bend.
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