Information provided by  Manufactured Housing Industry of Arizona:

Factory Built Homes Myth vs. Reality

Approximately one of every ten new homes sold in Arizona is a factory-built home and it’s no wonder! Today’s factory-built homes offer the foremost in quality, livability and affordability. If you’ve been thinking about a factory-built home, you’ve probably heard of a few myths and misconceptions. But we want you to know the real facts…so you can judge for yourself the real benefits and value of today’s factory-built homes.

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MYTH: Factory-built homes are not well-made.

FACT: All manufactured and modular homes are built to standards and codes that require the highest standards in every aspect of construction. Manufactured homes must pass a rigorous inspection process during construction by third-party inspectors, unlike site-built homes. Modular homes are built to the same codes and standards as site-built homes, but in a controlled, efficient environment with highly skilled construction teams.

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MYTH: Factory-built homes are not safe.

FACT: Factory-built homes in Arizona are designed and built to withstand the most severe weather. And one of the largest insurers of factory-built homes in America has concluded that the chance of fire in a site-built home is twice that of today’s factory-built home. Thanks to stringent building codes, safety inspections standards, and Arizona’s comprehensive installation requirements, an Arizona factory-built home may be the safest home you can buy.

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MYTH: Factory-built homes are difficult to finance and insure.

FACT: Buyers of today’s factory-built homes may choose from a wide array of financing options. Financing a factory-built home is no more difficult than any other home. Retailers are knowledgeable about home financing and may provide you a list of lending institutions – large national lenders as well as local companies – that can assist you obtain financing for your home. Of course, you are free to shop independently for your financing as well.

Personal property financing (home only) is readily available. Conventional, VA, FHA and other financing programs, with terms up to 30 years, are available when a home is financed as real property. Should you choose to acquire land in conjunction with the home, you can finance the home and land together. Lenders are active in financing factory-built homes because studies prove that these homes appreciate in value just like any other comparable homes. Likewise, insuring your home is easy and readily available from a host of recognized insurance companies.

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MYTH: Factory-built homes are not attractive and don’t fit in with most neighborhoods.

FACT: See for yourself the appeal and comfort you expect in a high-quality home. There’s a spacious, stylish and beautiful factory-built home for every taste, lifestyle and budget. Whatever you want in your new home, you can have it in a factory-built home.

 

• Manufactured homes – These are homes built in a factory setting to the factory built housing construction and safety standards established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In the years since the HUD Code was first introduced in 1976, it has been continually updated to incorporate new advances in construction techniques, procedures, and materials. Factory built homes are often referred to as “mobile homes” as they can be transported from the construction facility to their final location. Factory built homes can typically be bought at lower price points than any other type of housing and are especially popular when hitting a tight budget is necessary. At the same time, factory built homes can be customized and built with as many exotic features as your budget will allow. Minimal maintenance and low utility bills are hallmarks of factory built homes.

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Factory Built Home Prices – Get the Most Value for Your Money When Buying a Home

Factory built home prices are not too good to be true – they’re too good to pass up! While building a traditional home from the ground up is an incredibly expensive venture, you can have all the benefits of a brand new home at a fraction of the cost when you choose a factory built home instead.

There are several benefits of factory built homes that ultimately make them a more cost-effective choice than site-built homes:

• Their construction environment prevents material loss – Factory built homes are constructed in a covered, controlled environment that’s protected from inclement weather, so there won’t be any delays in construction or material loss due to external factors that would ordinarily cause damage, such as rain or hail. Additionally, this environment enables the use of precise construction technologies and inventory controls that help to minimize material waste. These practices generally keep factory built home prices lower than those for site-built homes.

• They can be built with the same materials for less money – In terms of material quality, factory built houses are made with the same building materials that are used in site-built homes. However, factory built home builders are able to negotiate substantial savings on building materials because of the volume of homes they make. These savings get passed on directly to home buyers through reduced factory built home prices.

• They are built efficiently with exceptional craftsmanship – Factory built homes are built in a team environment using advanced building technology, quality building materials, and skilled labor that result  in a more precise and better built home. Builders are  trained and skilled in specific areas of construction, so every aspect of your home will be built with exceptional craftsmanship. What’s more, every step of the construction process is governed by a strict federal building code and closely monitored by third-party inspectors.