# Manufactured Home External Wall + Eroded Soil Spot



## tk3000 (Sep 14, 2013)

Hello Folks, 

I am looking into buying an almost new (2007) manufactured home, it is a foreclosure so it has some issues (mostly seem cosmetic.) I read about the new generation and standard of manufactured homes, and it seems that nowdays such standards are much higher than in the past. But I am no familiar with that type of houses

The following photo shows the outside of an external wall, it seems to have its cloth torn away and some material (looks like fiberglass at first) exposed.
(see attachment)

At the back of the house there is a spot of terrain/soil showing quite some erosion, does that seem something to be concerned about?  (see attachments)

thanks


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## nealtw (Sep 14, 2013)

At first glance the depression in the back yard looks like it could have the location for an above ground pool, people often shape the dirt and cover it with sand.
The white material on the end of the house is housewrap. The house has been exposed to weather for who knows how long and could create some rot problems. The sheeting behind the house wrap is OSB and it can swell to double it's thickness when wet but sometimes can do quite well when exposed as it can dry out too.
I would plan on removing the bottom half of the OSB so the wall can be inspected from the outside, some framing may need to ber replaced.
Mold on the inside of that wall would be a sign of bigger problems with that wall.
When sheeting is installed on houses they are ussually put on horizontally with a gap between the upper and lower sheets and in some areas it is required to have a few holes in the sheeting under the windows. If you have these gaps and holes it would be a plus as they would have helped the wall dry out betweeen times that it got wet.


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## joecaption (Sep 15, 2013)

I agree, plus someone messed up and set that back step to close to the back doors threshold and did not install the siding before install the steps. I'd bet waters by now has came in under the threshold and started to rot out the subflooring. sheathing if not more.
Sure looks like some First time DIY tried to install that siding by looking at the outside corners I'd remove it all and redo it.
All that fascia should have been primed and painted two coats before it went up, and or covered with aluminum coil stock to prevent rot.
Unless your buying this for just the cost of the land without those buildings I'd be hiring a contractor I trust or a nonrealtor suggested licensed home inspector to look it over since by your questions your not sure what your looking at.


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## tk3000 (Sep 15, 2013)

Thanks for the inputs and insights, joecaption and nealt. I really don' know much of anything about house construction (especially mobile homes), but can do mostly any in-house repairs (drywall, pluming, electrical, etc). I have not seen the house yet, these are pics sent to me; I mention fiberglass cloth because it kind of resembles fiberglass cloth (the type used for auto repair). 

That external exposed wall seems to be a bigger concern, it is too bad since it is an almost new house. In the past I lived in a country whereon mostly any house is built out of concrete blocks, mortar, and/or bricks; wood structures and frames seem too susceptible to problems.


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## nealtw (Sep 15, 2013)

Like Joe said if the price is good enough, anything can be fixed. If you have some skills and tools, you can learn how to fix it. I'm not sure you should try to get it as cheap as Joe suggested but you will want a fairly large discount to cover all possible problems. The land will have a fixed price and with comparing houses you should be able to come up with a value of the house, a copy of the city tax bill should help you with that. I would knock off 1/3 to 1/2 the value of the house and see where that goes.


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