Rx for ponds silting in.

[Chillimau]

Thanks Patrickq, It may have been the W/E of the Peach festival, I didn't go through Stratford. Just went down to the place to work on the tree limbs. Should have stayed home, lost a nut that holds the bar on the chainsaw and the stringtrimmer/brushcutter had carburator problems. Always a good plan to have a couple different projects going so when one hits a wall, you can work on the other. But Hey the sun was shining!!.... bout a hundred degrees worth.

I have looked at the builders in Stratford a little never really scoped them out. I will go by and check out Hinkle Homes, sounds like a good place. We haven't really decided what to do about living quarters. I have a cement block building that is roughed in that I would like to finish out for a short term house while the other is built. Wife wants to just do it and get a mobile home. I have a hard time with that because of the stinking mobile home dealers are worse than car salesmen, at least the ones I have found. A few years ago you could find pretty good owner homes for five or six thousand now the same thing is ten to thirteen and it is an older home. Oh yeah, "These aren't mobile homes anymore, they are manufactured housing, they hold their value." Whatever ....

I know I am looking a the bottom of the market but it is not a long term home for me and I will not spend a bunch of money on one. (I'm cheap)...( really I just don't see the VALUE).

Thanks for the insight about the schools. I did find the test results online a while back. Best I remember Stratford did better in math and science, might need some work in history and reading. One note was that a bigger percentage of the graduating seniors went on to complete college than my school here in the city. Mostly just wondering about drugs and the atmosphere. I think drugs are everywhere, just some places are worse than others. Funny, the things you start thinking about when you grow up. I have no idea what sport junior might like, right now he just throws everything everywhere, 17 months old yesterday. I wasn't at all excited when I found out he was coming, but wouldn't take anything for him now.

My boss grew up and lives in Konawa and really likes it. The OG&E powerplant taxes have helped Konawa too from what he said.

Got to get to work.

Thanks again

Gary

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Gary,

Cool picture! Is that a halo on his head?

SHF

 

[Chillimau]

SHF, Well, my wife would like to think so, but actually I think that is the magarita machine at the bar behind us. Should have missed that, one of those photography errors!

Thanks

Gary

 

[patrickg]

Gary, My buyer's agent (helped me find our current rural property) became a very good friend and when I was considering a manufactured home (everyone calls them doublewides or trailers, usualy trailers irrespective of Government sponsored name change) he suggested that I consider a Stratford Home. Some of the reasons he gave are even more applicable to a younger family, such as yours.

No matter what the used car uh err ah, manufactured home salesmen say, the truth is that once purchased, set up, and moved into you couldn't sell it for more than $10,000 less than it cost. It immediately depreciates. Of course this is a paper loss if you aren't selling. How is your crystal ball, can you guarantee that nothing would happen to cause you to sell? It would be a calamity. Stratford homes are stick built, absolutely identical to site built, no metal frame, no trailer wheels. Our builder, Hinkle, would have built on site but it would have cost more (they quit site building soon after starting on my mom's house in Dec due to the increased tempo of their business. The diff was approximately equal to the delivery charge (independent delivery service) so that was a wash dollarwise B U T I gained months in schedule as all the various trades are at their location and didn't have to travel to my site on a catch as catch can basis.

I have looked at hundreds of manufactured homes on the internet. I have seen factories. Some of the homes are very well done and it is a shame that the value just doesn't hold up due to prejudice. Others are quite shoddy. If you buy a quality manufactured home and ever sell it you will be thousands of dollars behind where you would have been with a Stratford home. Stratford homes are worth more afteer they are set up on your land that the land is worth plus the cost of the home. It is instant appreciation (with a little sweat equity coordinating electric, water, septic, gas or whatever). They can be financed. Local banks know Hinkle Homes and will give construction loans which they convert to a regular loan after the house is on site. We put $12K down on a $63K house on 12 Dec and had rain delays in construction and delivery (muddy ground at the site) and we could have moved in in June if we didn't have too many other things vying for our time and attention. That was not their typical price for a 1820 ft house. I designed it with a bit of help from Joyce Hinkle and a fair amount of plaigerizing plans via the internet. It has two master suites with private baths and combination Jacuzzi tubs with showers, huge walk in closets (the electricial asked where to put the outlets in the little bedroom inside the bedroom (it was a walk in closet not a nursery or anything) Then there is a hall bath with shower and tub, and a guest bedroom with even larger closet. the living, dining, and kitchen areas are one vaulted ceiling space (with an attic above with mucho insulation).

I upgraded the vinyl, carpet, pad, central heat and air to high SEER heatpump etc. Ran the price up a tad.

If you look at total outlay over say 10 yrs or 20 yrs with a sale at the end of the period there is just no way to justify buying a manufactured home I F you are close enough to Stratford to keep delivery costs from balooning. They ship as far as Kansas. The homes can only be 26 ft wide and single story due to hwy regulations, could be designed to go over a basement but delivery/setup would be complicated. The Hinkles are nice folks and let me use their name to shop at wholesalers for things for the house. I saved over $300 on a propane gas log with hardwood mantle. Shopped at three stores then the wholesaler. That was a real 300 not 300 below MSRP. The Hinkles are very conservative. They don't do Solatubes and don't like to do skylights. They wouldn't install the gas log fireplace but gave me all the materials (scrap lumber etc) to do the job and Dewayne (the owner) worked as my helper installing it. They have never done one before and didn't want the responsibility for a new thingy. They were glad to see this house hauled away as the fireplace was extremely attractive and every woman who saw it asked about getting one. We're still friends but that fireplace put a strain on the relationship.

If you get a chance, go say hi to Joyce and DeWayne. They will let you tour the homes under construction and most that are finished awaiting delivery. Take a look at the lumber they use and how they use it. Take a look at the scrap pile out back. Their building process reeks of quality. And oh by the way, don't worry about exposing your wife or anyone to rough language around a bunch of framers, and other tradesmen. You could be there for days and
N E V E R hear a curse word (unless it was a real new guy) cause the others will tell him right away, set him straight, that isn't the way it is around there.

Patrick

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

patrickg,

The current philosophy is that manufactured homes fall into 2 categories. HUD or BOCA. Double wides (trailers) are built to HUD Code. HUD requires these come from the factory with small metal plates rivited to the siding. These are called "HUD seals". The current FHA handbook says that FHA will not finance a HUD home which has had these seals removed, moved, or altered. I have noticed a trend for other lenders to follow FHA guidelines and expect everntually, any HUD home which has had these seals removed will be unfinanciable except with bank money. (Slightly higher interest and the loan stays 100% local). Which could make residing a HUD home impossible. HUD also requires a piece of paper glued inside a cabinet or door (the recommended location is near the fuse box, but can be anywhere depending on the manufacturer and employee) which is called a "Data Plate". This plate lists the home's serial number, serial numbers and manufacturers of all appliances, date of manufacture, roof stress loads and insulation level. Generally, after even a few days, these plates disappear as wifey decides she doesn't want to open the cupboard and see that paper anymore.

BOCA homes are also manufactured and used to be called "modular" in the local industry. Usually, we view these as the equivalent of site built. If you crawl underneath, you can't tell them from a site built home.

I've heard and used a lot of different definitions of what makes a mobile home and what makes a modular. The HUD/BOCA definition seems to make the most sense and I expect it will be around for awhile. The basic difference between the two systems seems to be that HUD allows for a much lighter weight building.

SHF

 

[Chillimau]

Hey Guys, thanks for the info. I think I can bury the mobile home idea once and for all with the wife.

Thanks again

Gary

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Gary,

Mobile homes (HUD homes) usually are attractive to the wives. They walk into them on the lot and everything is there, they look great and it seems like a quick way out. I have an added advantage and took my wife with me on a couple of new set inspections. Made sure we got there right after the set up and before the repair crews came in. Made a world of difference.

SHF