A ‘Mobile Home’ and a ‘Manufactured Home’ Are Not ‘One-in-the-Same’ and Never Were!
“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
There are approximately 22 million Americans that live in factory-built homes, according to the Manufactured Housing Institute. Surprisingly, well over half of the 22 million don’t live in a manufactured home, they reside in a “mobile home,” even though there have been zero new “mobile homes” produced in nearly half a century.
The descriptive words “mobile homes” and “manufactured homes” are not interchangeable and are not one-in-the same.”
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.
The legislation is the 1974 Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act, which went into effect June 15th, 1976. The federal code is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Community Development (commonly) know as the HUD Code. The regulations mandate housing design and construction, strength an durability, fire and wind safety, energy efficiency and overall quality. Manufactured homes are the only form of single family housing built and installed to a nationwide building code in the United States.
Unfortunately, many of those dreaming of quality affordable home ownership are not aware that a new manufactured home could well be the path to quality affordable homeownership, or have discounted manufactured homes as an option due to uniformed 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 and characterizations 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.
Following are new manufactured home facts;
FACT: A Manufactured Home May Be Less Susceptible To The Occasion Of Fire Than Any Other Dwelling.
The truth is a new manufactured homes may well be “Less susceptible to fire” than any other type of available dwelling, according to a study by the National Fire Protection Association.
FACT: Manufactured Home Wind and Storm Safety is Equal Or Superior To A Traditional Site-Built Home.
As a result of upgrades standards, new manufactured homes have been proven to be equal and in many respects safer than site built homes during tornadoes and hurricanes.
Fact: Today’s New Manufactured Home Will Increase or Decrease In Value As A Comparably Sited Traditional Home.
A comparably sized and sited new manufactured home will appreciate near the same rate as a site-built home, and will have an original cost up to 50% less. Data from by the Urban Institute, released by the Federal Housing Agency, concluded that the price index for manufactured homes featured an annual growth rate of 3.45, versus 3.8% for site-built homes.
