Stick Built vs Modular

[PhilNH5]

As I mentioned in my prior post I have lived in both. My single wide trailer had a title from the Department of Motor Vehicles. My modular was issued a deed. I had no trouble getting a mortgage, no trouble refinancing and my buyer had no trouble when I sold it.

Based on your input versus mine and others' experiences, the rules must vary by state. As you point out Hunterridge would be wise to look into this prior to purchasing.

Phil

 

[hunterridgefarm]

(As you point out Hunterridge would be wise to look into this prior to purchasing.<font color="blue"> </font>)

I plan on doing just that. That's what I like about TBN you get alot of input.

 

[Foxpoint]

We just had our modular home delivered yesterday. It is a Cape model with dormers and a sunroom to break up the blockiness a bit. In my area, we spoke to several builders for stick built and we were looking at close to $150 per sq foot. Our modular will come out to about $90 a square foot. I'll post once we get the house set.

 

[riptides]

Between you and foxpoint,

What kind of price models are you looking at? Is this a total package deal? or do you contract out, behaving like the general contractor? Does the modular home maker recommend a dealer? A builder? Who works the county?

I am doing a renovation, and had one friend recommend a start over, then I got to thinking... yea, why not? So I am curious as to your research on pricing.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Foxpoint]

Mike Z,

We have a dealer/contractor we went through to purchase the house. This dealer (along with most other modular dealers in Delaware) are in southern Delaware and usually do not sell in northen Delaware where we live due to the hoops you have to go through for the county. (The building trade in northern Delaware does not like modular / manufactured since they would have to charge less for stick built)

Because of this, the contracting process is a bit of a hybrid. THe dealer is doing the following:
-foundation
- house set
- HVAC install
- plumbing hook up
- electic hook up, 10 feet away from house
- signing for the permit

We are organizing the following:
- site engineering / septic tests
- septic design
- septic install
- well tests / install
- legwork on permit requirements
- getting electric service to the house
- propane service
- gathering all the permit requirements

We have a good working relationship with the dealer - the key is constant communication / updates since the dealer can't be on site everyday due to the distance. The manufacturer of our house is Pleasant Valley Modular Homes. They have been around for a while, due to growth in their business, they just opened up a new factory a few months ago. As they get more familiar with the new processes in the new factory, they are coming up with a much larger range of stock floorplans than when we started the process a year ago.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Foxpoint,
As for me I am just getting started researching this week. I have checked only with 2 dealers and they have numerous designs and floor plans. They will do turn key or anything in between.

"IF" I decide to go this route I will most likely contract out some of the work myself since I know several builders.

Right now we are looking at the Cape Cod style but this could change. I know we are not going with the standard ranch ( at least that is what the wife said).

I have a couple of web sites posted on this thread, take at look at them.

 

[rogdan]

We are moving into our modular this week, we are not satisified with the process as we could have had a stick built in the amount of time we have waited. I don't have any current pictures but we wanted a "farm house" look like the older ones in the area and were satisifed wiith what they offered. Ours is a minimally custom and we paid basically by the sq ft coming out under $60 sq/ft. Builders claim to be able to match it in this area but try to pin one down and get them on the site!

 

[rogdan]

Front view, we have the siding and the front porch on which makes it look better

 

[rogdan]

The crane in action, hope I didn't highjack your post.

 

[OKnewguy]

In talking to my wife, she said that she has had problems with loans from the national and regional lenders. She did not know if it is a regional thing or what. She said that (if it documented as a mobil or modular home in the courthouse, which the underwriters will find out) that then the hassle sky rockets and often many lenders will not touch it. She also said that this might be getting better, because the lending business is slowing down some, and they are willing to take on harder loans. Again, I am not knocking the quality or construction of these homes, I feel that the way things work are not correct. The lenders need to understand that there are great quality modular homes, and they need to be addressed the same as a standard house. I am not trying to start any kind of argument either, and just wanted to inform people of the other side of the business.
Good luck with your home plans,
Dave

 

[riptides]

VERY nice.

Any one else for pricing info? Looks like between 50 - 100 dollars a square foot depending on where you live?

See I don't get that where you live part, on a "kit" if it is pre-built somewhere in a factory. Or am I off base here?

I have asked one company mentioned in previous replies about pricing, they came back with a one-liner "Where will the house be "built" at?"

Help me out here.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[riptides]

I thought your post to be VERY informative. No need to think you need to defend it. It is something to be aware of when buying and selling a home.

Thanks.
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[rogdan]

We are under a construction loan now and will convert to a standard mortgage hopefully by the end of the year. The bank in our situation considers us the same as site built with an advantage of the building company being considered trustworthy by history and needing fewer inspections by the bank. We are insured by the same company as our current site built home with no consideration to the home being of modular design. We were told that it was the same by all involved if it wasn't under HUD code and didn't come with a title.

 

[Foxpoint]

A couple of notes on insurance, (which may answer the question on if modular is as "good" as stick built). We are currently paying about 800 a year for homeowners for a HUD doublewide on a permanent foundation. When the modular is finished, our insurance will drop to about $450 since we will be using the doublewide as an office / exercise room / play room and it is then considered an "other" structure to the insurance company similar to a garage or barn. The modular is considered the same as site built by State Farm.

 

[Foxpoint]

In regards to loans, we will be in a conventional loan once we are through with the construction phase of the project. IN my area (mid Atlantic / Delaware) modulars are built to BOCA codes which are the same codes as stick built. We had no problem finding a lender for us with the modular. Modular is really just a construction technique since the codes are the same as site built. My insurance agent and bank both feel that modular presents less risk during the construction phase but there was more paperwork on the front end. For instance, the bank did a credit profile on the manufacturer. When we first purchased the property, it had a HUD doublewide on a permanent foundation. We had an extremly difficult time getting a loan - go figure since the loan and payment was lower than our old house, we have excellent credit, and debt to income was in the high teens.

For our bank / manufacturer / contractor the draw schedule looked like this:

10% at loan closing to place order with manufacturer, payment to septic, foundation, HVAC, Well, Plumbing to purchase materials

X % at house delivery to pay the factory for the cost of the house itself

Balance at certificate of occupancy to pay subcontractors, etc.

 

[Varmintmist]

First, all houses are boxes. If it is stick built or modular it is a box.

As to floor plans being limited, I designed my own. he only limitation was placement of the basement steps due to a 9'3" basement wall (headroom) and the fact that SWWBO shot down my first 20 floorplans. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

http://www.smihomes.com/ourbenefits.htm

I saved by doing all my own plumbing, electric, heating and finishing, basicly they set 2 real big boxes and drove away. All of the plumbing was stubbed down, upstairs elec was dropped down, registers and elbows were in place, all of the trim was included.

I am thinking for the house itself without basement it was 40-45 bucks/sq foot off the top of my head.

There are HUGE differences in modulars as there are in contractors. Mine is a middle of the road fancy wise. It is overbuilt but goodies were optional. I have a friend who has had 2 built. One colonial (Ritzcraft homes) higher end, and a chalet type, dont know the manufacturer.

The only way you can tell that they are not stick built is that the marriage wall is 6 inches thick instead of being a 2x4 studded interior wall.

Financing was a pain because some banks are still modular=trailer thinking. Not all and it is changing. However the real problem financing is in having more than 7ac. Banks hate that.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

("The crane in action, hope I didn't highjack your post. ")

No highjack, post more pictures if you have them.

So far I am seeing a difference in some dealers as to the quality, but I have seen the same with stick built also. I will be visiting a dealer next week that has some of the designs we are looking at. One floor plan we are looking at comes in about 8 sections not including the roof. Lot of angles and dormers.

All the information you guys are posting is very usefull from insurance to loans.

Thanks

 

[rogdan]

Well you asked, this is the first of 6 modules going in. We have 4 bedrooms and 2 full, 1 -3/4 and 1- 1/2 baths . just undr 200sqft

 

[rogdan]

Actually just under 2000 sq ft, basement is just under 1200 sg ft

 

[rogdan]

This is where it gets tight, its amazing how precise such a big machine can operate. It took several minutes at this point of "fine tuning" with the crane.