# Modular Homes?



## Nincompoop (Dec 20, 2007)

I am moving out to New Mexico soon and will finally be able to invest in a house (I currently live in NYC so can't afford it). While doing a bit of research online I came across a company called Falcon Ridge that makes modular homes on permanent foundations. They claim that the houses are just as good as site built houses as far as looks, but hold together better over time and are a bit cheaper.

Anyone know anything about these kinds of houses? Is this something that could actually be a good deal or will I constantly have to fix things as the house falls apart? Thanks


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## inspectorD (Dec 20, 2007)

I think modulars are good in some areas and not so good in others. They are a cheaper substitute than a regular stick framed home. Alot will have to do with the quality of the company and the contractor you use to finish the installation process.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK...I say that to my 10 year old alot...Check out a list of references and ask them about any problem customers you can talk to. They will not want you to talk to them but insist so you can make an honest decision. Tell them you want to take the good with the bad and not encounter the same mistakes. If you are all on the same page from the start ...it ends up with a better product.. Also check out another company...there must be more than one around. 
In this market today they will compete for your business. If they are not interested you would be better off without them, now you know what kind of service you will get up front. 
Make it clear you want an open, honest line of communication at all times. If you need some help and can afford a Home Inspector, get one and you will not be sorry. They are there to work for only you, and they have seen more than you will. Check out www.ashi.com for a qualified professional, It is the organization I belong to and we are only a professional organization, doing what we were trained to do. For a $500 dollar investment it saves you many times more in the long run, and less headaches since you have someone to explain the issues in a comfortable, easy to understand language. Not the double talk construction, that's not in the contract lingo.
I have installed about 12 modulars and am still not to impressed, but alot had to do with the quality of the products. You get what you pay for. The concept of modular is a good one, but the quality has to be there. So do your homework, it is a big expense.
I hate to ramble and go but... 
Tell us how you make out. Everyone is curious.


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## phreaq (Dec 20, 2007)

My brother in law bought a modular home many years ago, and overall it was a good experience (he had it built new). You wouldn't know the house was modular unless told, but you can see the odd tell tale sign, like thicker walls were the two sections were joined, which is not a bad thing.


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## kok328 (Dec 20, 2007)

They say that they are built in a controlled environment (which is true) but, I've seen the twist when loaded onto a truck and delivered to the site.  Also, they use the thinnest of all materials.  Basically the equivalent of a mobile home, put on a foundation.


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## glennjanie (Dec 21, 2007)

Welcome Nincompoop:
The term get tnagled awfully bad in housing. There are Mobile Homes (house trailers), Double Wide Mobile Homes (2 house trailers joined together), Pre-Fabricated Houses (under roof in one day on the site), Modular Homes (a real house built in a factory under controlled conditions in 2 or more modules), 'Stick-built' Homes (every piece fabricated on site with the weather).
Because I worked in a 'real' Modular Home factory for 4 years in the early 70s I can honestly say "I have had part in building over 1,000 homes. We built 2, 3 and 4 bedroom houses and shipped them out by truck to be set on a foundation (the truck and heavy-duty trailer came back to the plant). We also built a home for our architect that included 6 modules (over 3,000 sf), several appartment projects 1, 2 and 3 stories. One of the near last houses we built was for my family and me. That one had some 'special finishes' since I was in purchasing at that time. I still drive by there occasionally and it still looks good, brick and all. I worked at several positions in that plant including; finish carpenter, field representative, receiving and distribution foreman, plant foreman ( with a record of 1 1/2 houses a day for 90 days) and purchasing agent. When I went into purchasing it was with the capability to build 40 houses per month. That record had suppliers falling at my feet and unbelievable prices. All good things come to an end though, that outfit went broke and managemet vacated. There are still factories that build houses in modules, Glide Homes in California, Discovery channel has shown a company in Lousiana that builds them and sets them up on 10' stilts! I' sure there are others that I don't know about. Just remember; if the steel frame stays under it, it is a mobile home.
Well, now that I've told all about one of my past lives I rest my case.
Glenn


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## travelover (Dec 22, 2007)

When you think about it, factory built makes a lot of sense. Can you imagine a car that was delivered to the driveway as pallets of sheet metal, pistons, tires, cans of paint? What a mess.


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## ToolGuy (Dec 22, 2007)

travelover said:


> When you think about it, factory built makes a lot of sense. Can you imagine a car that was delivered to the driveway as pallets of sheet metal, pistons, tires, cans of paint? What a mess.



The first thing I think about is how the rough framing, and especially the t&g floor shething is not subject to weather before the walls and roof are done. That in itself is enough to justify going modular.


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## Daryl in Nanoose (Dec 23, 2007)

I have often thought about purchasing a Modular for the convenience of having a new home in a lot less time. I have Reilly looked hard into these and have been in quite a few show homes but the one thing I realize is that in all the years I have been in the Home Improvement business I have had very few calls to repair a modular. As previously mentioned "do your homework".
 Another thing is ( at least up here) if the proper tie downs footings and foundation are put in it can become DeRegistered as a modular or mobile which means its a custom home, appraised and taxed as a home.


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## glennjanie (Dec 23, 2007)

Proper this, proper that, DeRegistration; it doesn't mean squat to me. I have owned 2 Mobile homes; you can't trick me.
Glenn


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## ToolGuy (Dec 24, 2007)

hehe


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## Daryl in Nanoose (Dec 24, 2007)

Where's the Kitchen LOL


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## Daryl in Nanoose (Dec 24, 2007)

All I was saying is that Modular can have some atvantges and with proper steps can become a nice home if your up to the task.
This is my Mobile  which has been deregesterd and classed as a custom home. Yes a trained eye can spot it ( lower ceilings).


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## inspectorD (Dec 24, 2007)

Modulars are just fine if you get what you pay for. As with any home getting a product you paid for is the issue. 
What happened in my experience was that the home was built fine but was damaged in transport, or rained on when not completed, then installed anyway. When the fiberglass insulation gets wet, it no longer has the r-value it once had, and the home gets sealed up without drying out correctly because it needs to be finished.
A home is what you call it when there is a roof over your head, just be aware of any pitfalls and you will be OK.
So go modular if you can, it saves time and money and can be a superior product to other style homes. I have seen some stick built homes which should be used for fire department drills.


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## ToolGuy (Dec 24, 2007)

inspectorD said:


> ...I have seen some stick built homes which should be used for fire department drills.



I couldn't have said it better myself. Likewise for some renovations. It's all a matter of making sure you get what you pay for.


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## Daryl in Nanoose (Dec 25, 2007)

ToolGuy said:


> I couldn't have said it better myself. Likewise for some renovations. It's all a matter of making sure you get what you pay for.


 hear, hear


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## booft (Dec 26, 2007)

The only thing I know is that sometimes you need to special order things you may wish to replace (faucet, stove top, etc.) Most things for Mobile units are special made, the size is different so be careful for that.


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## phreaq (Jan 2, 2008)

For those of you in the southern Ontario area, I have noticed what appears to be a Mattamy 'factory' in the Milton area. Mattamy is a large home builder in Ontario, and it seems they built one MASSIVE warehouse looking building that has a *complete* 2 storey house being pumped out one side every so often (not sure of the frequency). They do not appear to be modular at all.

They put the houses onto flat bed trucks, but I'm not sure where they are bringing them. There is a lot of development in the area, so perhaps they are seeing if it's better to build houses in an assembly line fashion in a controlled enviorment compared to building on site.

anyone else know about it?


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## Nincompoop (Jan 11, 2008)

Thanks for all the great info!! I had a chance to go out to the area over the holidays and drove around to check out some of the different houses I had been looking at online. The modular homes ended looking as nice as any of the stick built ones I looked at. I can now consider one of these a bit more. Thanks again for the info.


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## inspectorD (Jan 11, 2008)

Good luck , glad to see we could help. 
We''l be hangin around to hear the results, and  still be here for more help if you holler.


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## Daryl in Nanoose (Jan 13, 2008)

As the Inspector said, Good Luck and keep as posted.


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## oohum02 (Jan 14, 2008)

My husband and I bought a modular home in December of last year. All in all, I thought it was a good investment. I agree with the "do your homework" logic. They look great and they seem pretty easy to tackle but they can be something of a money pit if you're not careful. We are constantly fixing cracks in the wall from where the house settles. There are also lots of repairs to be made as far as cupboard doors falling off because of cheap building materials chosen, etc, in addition to the fact that I don't think our floor has ever been level. There is a reason they are cheaper to build- just be sure to consider that before you buy. Best of luck!


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## glennjanie (Jan 14, 2008)

Hello OOHUM:
I couldn't agree more. You will have plenty to keep you out of trouble there. We will try to help any way possible. I don't believe in luck, only blessings, so we will bless you with all the information you can use.
Glenn


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## guyod (Jan 14, 2008)

High end modular:

Any one know if the 2 story $200k+ modulars are classified as regular houses as far as apprasials go.  

And how do resale values go for the standard modular?


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## claudian (Feb 18, 2008)

Maybe it's now a little bit late.
but still hope it helps.
There are several advantages of modular homes. 
1, The prices generally run about 15% to 20% lower than other types of houses.
2, They are most likely to be more energy efficient than its traditional neighbors, because they are built in a controlled environment, produce less waste, and are assembled faster. 
3, The best thing about modular homes is that you will have much more architectural freedom because they are built to local codes.

Here is an article, what you should know about modular homes, from the website, which provides some information. 
And There are lot's of them by online searth, 
this is another www.raisearoof.com, something similar.


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## inspectorD (Feb 19, 2008)

True the homes are built in an environment which is controlled. Beyond that you are at the mercy of the installation contractor. These homes are not fully assembled when trucked down the road, and things get damaged in transport. I have seen water running down an outside wall in a rain storm where the insulation got soaked. The installer continued the next day to sheet rock and finish the interior, he had a deadline.
I am not trying to put a bad image to all modulars, just don't sugarcoat it saying they are better. There are pro's and cons to all building. I want you to tell us the good with the bad, let folks make up their own minds with intelligent discussion.
Another thing I can't understand is the less waste part, if you have a 2 story building you have way more material to build the modules. A double floor and ceiling joist construction comes to mind, how is that not wasteful?
And the last issue is the quality of material, you get what you pay for. Plastic trim, plug together wiring which is hard to improve or add to, glued parts off-gassing everywhere, you can smell it.
Some companies are better than others, and you can improve the home if you pay more, but then it does not compete with the stick built price.
I understand the concept of building in a controlled environment, but having installed many modulars and built many homes, I go for the old style stick built.
Unless you can afford a post and beam. 

Getting off soap box now.


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## stallion1265 (Feb 24, 2008)

hornest have one of these home are nice it is cheaper and very affordable the secret is if you maintain it when something breaks .just fix it and don't take your tim cause then you are asking for problens ok .


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## stallion1265 (Feb 24, 2008)

now can any one help me out i baught a moble trailer home and it is very drafty especially in one of the bathrooms can some one tell me how to stop the draft any good ideas


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## travelover (Feb 24, 2008)

stallion1265 said:


> now can any one help me out i baught a moble trailer home and it is very drafty especially in one of the bathrooms can some one tell me how to stop the draft any good ideas



One way to locate the source of a draft is to burn an incense stick and move it around the room to see where the smoke trail is diverted. Start with the windows and intersections of floor, walls and ceiling.

Good luck.


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## glennjanie (Feb 24, 2008)

My bet is on the water heater space which opens to the outside; probably has a big crack around it.
Glenn


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## gmicken (Nov 17, 2010)

ToolGuy, Good show. I like your sense of humor. I have been a builder for 38 years and had a dealership for a company in PA. I am in MD and the local modular company in the lower DE area shipped all over Maryland. They went out of business a few years ago and it was a good thing. They built junk. The good thing is the houses keep me busy. The company I sold for was 4 hours away and I toured the plant 4 times to check out the building and process. I was impressed and hooked up with them. I would say the best thing to do is #1 make sure its not a trailer. #2 tour the plant, if they do not want you to tour the plant. Stay away. I have always used fir plywood on all of my houses and do not have the warping as with cheaper pine. We have built houses from 1000 sq ft to 9800 sq ft and if you take pride in your work, its worth it and shows in the end. G


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## joecaption (Jan 10, 2011)

I also have set up many real moduler homes, so as long ago as 25 years ago in NH . And I 100% agree with the poster that the quailty varies all over the place on these.
It's a shame companys like Clayton, Champion, Fleetwood were allowed to try and pass there  mobil homes off as Moduler. It distroyed the market with there cheaply built homes. A friend of mine does the punch list for Fleetwood in this area and everytime I see him he has at least 3 pages of flaws he has to go back and fix.
People and bankers in some area are under the mistaken impression that modeler are something new and there all made like trailers so have less resale value, so it's harder sometimes to get a loan for one or even be allowed to put one in certin area because the locals think it's going to bring down there property values, even though it's not true.
I've also seen time and time again where the hacks that the company sends out to finish off the home just do not care and mess up a perfectly good home.
Things like when there installing the siding on a very cold day cutting it to tight so the first warm day it buckles up. I caught them installing seamless gutters with sheetrock screws because they forgot the box of hidden hangers and put a seam right over the front door which of cource leaked.
There was a dead circut to the master bathroom so they ran a while new line, which is fine except they ran it right over the water filters under the house so tight that we could not change the filters.
I found where someone had broken off the whole top, back side of the nailing flange on a big window and all they did was dump two tubes of caulking in the hole instead of replacing the whole window.
Most use preformed vinyl fashia material, it never works and just buckes up and falls off.
Time and time again after screwing up all that stuff the home owner would give them the job of adding a porch or a garage onto the house instead of paying my company.
They added a one car garage with no flashing between the two building, The shorted the sheathing for the siding on a block knee wall so much you could see cars drive by. Installed shutter of a differant color then the house.
Installed the ledger board for the deck by just nailing it to the vinly siding and while doing that punched a hole in the siding.
It got so bad people were hiring me to stand around all day and make sure things got done right.


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## OYLBuilders (May 14, 2011)

All of the modular proponents say that they appraise the same as a stick-built home. Does anyone have experience and can confirm that? 

Are you aware of any companies doing a good job building modular and who you would recommend?

I'm sure there are lots of horror stories, but it would be nice to hear about the companies that are doing it right.

Joel


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