‘It’s Not Your Grandmothers’ Mobile Home Any More:’ Modern Manufactured Home Heading to Versailles, Kentucky

Source: Lexington Ky. (WKYT) – “It’s not your grandmother’s mobile home anymore,” said Logan Hanes. The Executive Director of the Kentucky Manufactured Housing Institute.

Hanes was referencing a new 1700 square-foot home heading to Versailles, where the community will be welcomed to walk-through it for six weeks. The goal is that cities will change their zoning ordinances for the homes.

It’s built in a factory but more closely resembles a typical site-built home than what many refer to as a mobile or trailer home. Logan Hanes believes it could help cities solve their affordable housing crisis.

“From a safety standpoint, every single new manufactured home is inspected by the state twice, and sits on the same footing that goes down the step just like that of a site-built home now. From a construction standpoint, it is built to a very rigorous federal code. If it’s a modular home, it’s built to a state code.”

“The stigma and perception of manufactured housing was earned one. Today’s industry looks drastically different. We’re trying to educate city officials to update those planning and zoning ordinances to reflect what the industry looks like today.”

Hanes says the average price of a manufactured home falls around $145,000.

The Mayor of Auburn and the President of the Kentucky League of Cities, Mike Hughes, said it’s a change officials are going to have to be willing to make.

“I think they’d be more expecting when you see a home that’s built this well, the quality of the home, and again, the fact that lending agencies are willing to do long-term loans on the home.. The exact same way they would on a site-built home using the same comps and standards.”

Because as Hughes has learned… “We can’t site build our way out of this issue.”