Pros and Cons of Buying Mobile Homes

We are ABSOLUTELY ecstatic about mobile homes!

So much so – that at this point we live, breathe, and sleep all things mobile homes, but we can also admit that they are not for everybody…

THAT’S RIGHT – we said it, no bias here. Okay… maybe just a little… but transparent, nonetheless.

When it comes to something as important as buying any home, considering all sides of the purchase is just smart. You may find yourself wondering about the benefits of choosing to buy a mobile home vs. a site-built home, so we wanted to cover some of the pros and cons of mobile homes to help you decide.

We know deciding what to buy can be incredibly overwhelming, so with that in mind, let us take some of the stress away by honestly talking about your options.

Pros of Buying a Mobile Home

1. Savings – You’ll find huge savings in Time, Money, and Headaches

There’s no secret that when it comes to dollar per square foot, you’re getting more for your buck by choosing to buy a mobile home. You can actually save anywhere from 10-30% off a similar site-built home.

But why is that? What makes a mobile home more affordable than a site built home?

To put it simply, factory produced mobile homes allow the builders to make homes quicker and less inexpensively – with quality still in tow.

So no worries there! Just a little time and money is being saved, no big deal or anything…

But wait, there’s more!

Not only is the production cost lower than it would be of a site-built home, but the construction process is also much cheaper! Now would you look at that? MORE SAVINGS!

Thanks to the lower base price of a mobile home, you can even add upgrades and STILL save, while the SAME upgrades may cost more in a traditional site-built home.

Less expensive to purchase, to build, and to maintain! Can it get any better than that?

Yes, it can!

In fact, there are some special mobile home communities that handle the expenses for services like lawn maintenance, trash removal, and other on-site repairs as part of the rental fees. Now, not ALL communities do this of course, but that is something to definitely look into and ask about when you are looking for space to place your home. To get services like these for a site-built home, you’d be spending hundreds of dollars more a month in HOA fees.

Manufactured housing does NOT mean you have to settle for less, that’s actually a pretty common misconception. In fact, choosing upgrades like a soaking tub, fireplace, or granite countertops are much more achievable.

Who wouldn’t love a soaking tub!?

2. Financing Options & Qualifications

There are so many options when it comes to financing a mobile home. Did you know that you can qualify for the SAME mortgages that you would if you were applying to buy a site-built home?

Interesting, right!?

But one loan you cannot get when buying a site-built home is a Chattel Loan.

What is a Chattel Loan, and how is that pronounced?

We are glad you asked! When pronouncing Chattel Loans think of “cattle” or “battle” while saying it out loud.

This type of loan is actually the most common mobile home loan, and here’s why: As you may already know, mobile home buyers don’t always own the land that they settle on. In these cases (which happens about half the time) you are obtaining a loan for the home only.

Chattel loans normally have a higher interest rate and has a shorter loan period than a typical mortgage loan. But DON’T let that scare you, there ARE some advantages:

• Shorter Payback Time
• Reduced Total Interest Paid
• Free and Clear Sooner

Now, on the opposite end of this topic, if you do have land – you can apply for a Land in Lieu financing option.

A Land in Who? A Land in Lieu!

If you already own a piece of land, then you may be able to build a new mobile home on your property with as little as $0 down.

$0 down? Z-E-R-O! Not a single penny. How exciting is that?!

Land in Lieu financing is a loan program that allows you to substitute the equity in your land as a down payment instead of cash. This allows families to purchase a new mobile home and any site work needed to build onto the property with as little as $0 out of pocket.

Man, that $0 sure does have a ring to it!

If you have land, this loan would be a great opportunity to explore!

Another loan that you can apply for when buying a mobile home is a poor credit loan.

Yes – you can buy a home with poor credit!

This isn’t actually what the loan is called, but there are ways that we can help get a potential home buyer with a lower credit score pointed in the right direction. Unfortunately, people with poor credit are more likely to get turned away by banks while applying to buy a traditional site-built home.

That’s such a shame, right? It doesn’t seem fair, does it?

The truth is, anyone with any credit score can get financing, but it doesn’t always make the most sense to do so because the additional fees may be out of reach. If you have a credit score above 500 and a pretty decent down payment, you can usually find acceptable financing, but the only way to know for sure is to actually apply for a loan.

It’s really not as scary as it may seem, and if you need any guidance – please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our helpful sales specialists by calling 210-510-0500.

For more information on this topic, visit Mobile Home Financing Options or watch our YouTube Video.

3. Energy Efficient – Unlike Older Mobile Homes

Did you know most manufactured housing is very conscious of the environment and many homes have an energy saving package as an option or as a standard feature? Hats off to that!

With upgraded insulation, energy-efficient windows, and electronic thermostats, these homes can achieve an elevated level of saving energy. There is actually a HUD code that these homes must go by in order to meet these safety and efficiency standards.

With these guidelines, you should know that your mobile home will have:

• Strength
• Durability
• Fire Resistance
• Energy Efficiency
• Quality

BUT, does saving energy mean you will be saving money as well?

Of course it does!

Featured in our Clayton manufactured homes, both the Clayton Home series as well as Tru Home series include an Ecobee Smart Thermostat. This device is pretty neat! The Ecobee Smart Thermostat has really cool voice control options, and can save you up to 23% annually on your heating/cooling costs!

Who doesn’t love saving a little extra cash?!

Think about how much you could potentially save long-term just by going about your normal day with the eco-friendly technology already built into your home. Learn more by visiting our Clayton Homes.

Cons

1. You Can’t put a Mobile Home in Some Communities

While mobile homes have come a long way, and it is getting harder to tell the difference between some factory built homes with site built homes, some behind-the-times communities don’t allow you to put a mobile home in their community.

Whether it is a law directly prohibiting mobile homes, or rules that are almost impossible for mobile homes to meet, some communities are closed minded about mobile homes (and a ton of other things as well).

If you are thinking about buying a mobile home, first figure out if the community you want to live in allows new mobile homes to be installed in the community. If not, we recommend looking for a new community, but if that is not an option for you, you may have to find a more expensive site-built home.

2. Mobile Homes Aren’t Meant to be “Mobile”

Now, we know what you’re thinking…

“Then why on Earth is it referred to as a Mobile Home?”

Well, the homes are not mobile in the sense that you can’t just get up & go at any moment.

Let’s talk this through…

A mobile home is technically slang for a manufactured home that is produced then transported to the lot of land or property that it will be settled on. Once the home has been transported and settled, it is not something you want to move again.

Some of the first mobile homes were actually recreational trailers. You know, RV’s, Winnebago’s, or even campers that can hitch up for tow.

This is simply not the case in the manufactured homes of today. These are homes that are capable of transport, but not meant for moving from town to town while exploring North America. Not only is it costly to move after installation, it can also risk wear and tear on your home.

YIKES!

This is not at all an easy process by any means! There’s actually a lot that can go into a move of this nature, as well as considerations that need to be addressed.

To list a few, you’ll need:

• Licenses
• Permits
• Bonded Professionals

Not to scare you but…

Moving a single wide home can run a homeowner upwards of $8,000.

This is truly not an easy pill for anyone to gulp down…

And moving a double wide home is even MORE! It can run a homeowner upwards of $13,000!

These numbers are estimated based on:

• Relocation Distance
• Uninstalling & Re-installing Utilities
• Labor Costs

A MAJOR bruise on the bank account… Ouch!

We want to remind you and truly make sure that you are aware, that picking a lot to place your home is something that should be thought over thoroughly, because once the home is installed, it will most likely remain there for a long time.

At least that’s the goal, right?! See a transport IN ACTION here.

3. Take Caution with WHO You’re Buying From

Unfortunately, many mobile home dealers have a sales pitch and company “values” (we say that very loosely) that align with those of a car salesman.

Have you ever encountered this type of experience? We sure hope not!

If you haven’t, this can sometimes feel like a very high-pressured environment, where the salesman needs to meet a monthly quota, the commission is the motivation, and the buyer is pressured into a purchase that may be well out of the intended budget and still not even meet their needs.

Now, you would think in these current times, this would all be left in the past, right? Unfortunately, no.

That’s one of the reasons Braustin is out to change the industry, because people deserve better.

We started this company with CHANGE in mind, and we set our goals to help as many families as possible become homeowners.

We believe in complete transparency. We strive to provide you with all of the information that you need to make a smart buying decision, and we believe that everyone wins when we focus on educating instead of selling. We keep home prices at the lowest possible from factories who already keep low overhead expenses in order to pass savings on to our customers.

We want you to be aware of all sides to investing in a mobile home, before making the decision to move forward in the buying process. Part of trust comes from communication, and that’s why we are thorough in our explanations, so that no questions or concerns are left unanswered.

So that’s it: Pros and Cons of Buying Mobile Homes. Follow the links in this page to read more information on each topic. We would love to chat with you or hear about your experience with us on our Facebook page or through our Contact Form.