Manufactured Homes: Second Homes and Vacation Homes
Do you ever wish you had a place to escape the hustle and bustle of the daily grind? Do you sometimes fantasize about having a second home to get away for a weekend now and then? Perhaps you live in an urban area and would love to have a place in the country, or at the river, or in the mountains or maybe at the seashore. Maybe you live in a cold climate and would love to have a retreat in a warm winter climate, or you live in a warm climate and would love to have a cabin in the mountains.
It is entirely possible and natural that you would like to own your own second home, but I hate to break it to you: this is unrealistic because of the expense associated with building a home in the location of your choice. Even if the cost is not a major consideration, you may or may not be sure how you would go about securing a builder for the home anyway and/or you can not afford the several months and the supervision involved to get the home constructed.
For a number of years, I operated a mobile home dealership in Bullhead City, Arizona. Bullhead City is a community on the banks of the Colorado River. The states of Arizona, California, and Nevada all join borders within a couple miles of Bullhead City. Directly across the river is the resort town of Laughlin, Nevada with several large hotels and casinos, fine restaurants, fishing, boating, and golf. This very popular vacation area is a virtual oasis in the Mojave desert.
What is remarkable about this area is the large number of mobile homes sited. In fact, many of the 40 to 50 thousand residences in this area are mobile home second homes, or second homes, that became permanent homes by retirees. About one-half of the second homeowners are “weekenders” with primary homes in the Los Angeles areas of Southern California, about 5 hours away by car. The balance of vacation homes are owned by so-called, “snow birds,” who escape the cold weather in Canada or in the northern cold weather climates of U.S. in the winter time.
I refer to this area because I am most familiar with the dynamics that contribute to the second home phenomenon that is sweeping the country. There are many places in this great country where manufactured homes are ideal when considering a second or vacation home.
Rural land costs are often less expensive than most would anticipate in many of these recreational areas, such as the Bullhead City area, which depends on the vacation home owners to support the local economy, as there are not a large number of permanent residents nor industry to sustain the services of the area. You will also discover that most of these areas are “ mobile home friendly “ with easy and inexpensive regulations, permitting policies, and fee requirements when installing a mobile home on private property.
Mobile homes (now properly referred to as manufactured homes) are the number one choice for second home purchasers nationwide. The quality of construction and flexibility of customization, floor plans, and size choice are just a few of the benefits of purchasing a manufactured home as a second or vacation home.
If you choose to locate your home in a extremely hot weather climate or a very cold and snowy area, your new manufactured home will be built to the energy efficiency standards for your area as per requirements of the federal HUD code. Snow load roofs will be installed to withstand the anticipated worst case scenario for snow weight. There are requirements for wind resistance standards if you are locating your second home in a tornado or hurricane prone zone of the country. Fire safety requirements exceed the typical requirements of a site-built home.
More good news! You have the final say for decor, features, appliances, and equipment for your new manufactured second home as well.
Homes are available in small or large multi-width homes with 2 to 5 bedrooms and two large beautifully appointed baths, or single wide homes with the same features and quality construction as a multi-width
And finally, the best news!! Your new vacation home can be delivered, installed, and ready for you to occupy in as little as 6-8 weeks at an affordable price far less than any other comparable site built home.
(Image from Vacationhometoday.com)
