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Double wides and Modulars.

Cutiegirlracing
Can someone tell me how I can tell the differance? I'm looking at buying one, but can't tell what it is. I'm getting alot of differance answers.
The "house" is very long. I'm gussing 80 feet by 30. It's 15 years old and has 6 inch dry walls. The roofline is not straight it has a roof going 90 degrees out over the pouch which is built into the side. The walls make like a "C" around the pouch.
What is this thing. How will it effect the resale. I'm only interested in turning this thing around and resell. It does need some work, but it can be a great money maker.
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Comments

13 comments

Date Votes
  • whompuss
    A double is two mobile homes, pulled into location by trucks and bolted together to make a whole house. The wheels and axles are usually removed along with the tongues and they are underpinned with the same type of vinyl siding that covers the outside walls. Modular homes are factory built the same way but are hauled to the location on trucks, bolted together on top of a permanent foundation and intended to stay forever. Double wides can be moved by unbolting, putting on wheels and tongues and pulling off like they came in.
    Bottom line: Very little difference.
    Flip side- helluva lot of diffeence from one manufacturer to another. Some are damn near as good as typical constructed houses, example- Horton Homes, Eatonton, GA.
    I'd go to a large retirement community with double wides and look at the different ones. On a nice day folks will be outside and you can ask their experience with their particular brand.
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  • Rockatansky
    Depends on where you are I guess. My REA said I should stay away from those even as a temporary solution for building a house since it's a complete waste of money. Banks don't finance those and some that do, do it at 10+% rate.

    I'd be careful with flipping these days too, as market is so saturated with inventory of houses that it makes it hard to sell a house not to mention a trailer or a prefab, but again, it all depends on your geography and demographics, I guess.
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  • Cutiegirlracing
    quote:Originally posted by HobbyGuy
    By the dimensions, it sounds more like a double-long/double-wide mobile home. Mobile homes will have an axle under each section (for transporting), where a modular will not. [;)]





    The axle thing I don't think is always true. They take the axles off now. I can look to see if there's any mounts for the axles though. I'm guessing at the size. I think it could be bigger. This thing is huge.
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  • farmplinker
    Take a look here: http://homebuying.about.com/cs/modulareducation/a/modularhomes.htm

    In essence, a modular home is built in a factory in pieces. The pieces are trucked to a site where they are installed and assembled on a foundation. Modular homes can be quite large and complex and can be very difficult to distinguish from a "stick-built" home.

    "Manufactured" is the new term for mobile homes, which are built on a steel chassis frame and are hauled (towed) to a site. Mobile homes usually cost less than either stick-built or modular homes, but don't hold their value or apppreciate as much.
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  • LOKO383
    Traci, you should have it appraised,then decide IF you can make money on it as a flip, remember the bank will only loan 80% of the appraised value of the home and property,and w/it being 15 yrs old,the buyer has to take the age,condition,acreage if any, and loan value into consideration on the purchase, also an appraisal will give you 3 comparables that have sold in your area for around the same money within 2-3 thousand dollars usally not much more than that,that might help you decide on a final flip price,Loko[:D]
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  • jimbowby
    [8D]-Neither Mobile homes nor Expensive Modulars APPRECIATE in value like a house, if there is APPRECIATION then it is solely land value--

    --Modular homes (when installed) allways have perimeter foundations and septic systems already set up-generally power service is at the site--

    --Modular homes vary from $50,000 t0 $200,000 and they even sell triple wide modulars up to 3000 sq ft and more ,(expenxsive)--

    --[:D][:D]--JIMBO
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  • XLpitman
    I work for a manufacturer of modular buildings and witness and take part in the construction everyday. I will say that modular equals much more quality. They are built on skid frames or carrier (axled) frames.

    I'd have to guess that the house you are speaking of is probably modular, since it has 6" walls. I don't recall ever seeing a mobile home with 6" walls. Maybe, but I've never seen one in my area.
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  • Sav99
    A doublewide will have HUD tags on the outside of the building. Most likely on opposite corners.
    Modulars are also built to BOCA code. It is treated as a stick built for lending purposes.
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  • mcaso
    Most Double wides are Mobils(trailors) and use the HUD building codes.
    Modulars are classed by law as stick built houses and use your states building codes.
    One big difference, in Washington State, is the bank loan. The banks must give you the same loan for a Modular(also called a Gold Tag home)as for a stick built home. Which is a lower interest rate than for a Mobil(trailor). A Mobil Always Has a TITLE just like a trailor or a car, no exceptions. Find out who built it. Modulars Do Not have a title, nor does a stick built house. Modulars require a foundation. Mobil do not require a foundation because they are made to be towed from place to place. Modulars cost more. Our Modular cost about $8,000.00 more than the same thing in a Mobil. The bank was attempting to give us a Mobil loan until we pointed out that it was a legal Modular. This was necessary because most dealers say or imply that their Mobils are Modulars. Always ask if there is a TITLE. And have the seller put in writing that it is a Modular. If the seller will not do this then you know something is up. The other big difference here in Washington is the electrcal wiring. Our state's code is better than HUDs, not that one would notice any difference. Years ago my brother checked into this and came to the conclusion that the more either of the two they weighed the better they are built. The only reason we bought a Modular is that our land has covenances prohibiting Mobiles. Neither have a whole lot of closet or shelving space, just adequate space. 80 feet is a little long. How about 60 feet, measure it to be sure. Ask a bank what the bank reqires to show if it is a modular or not. Theoretically, a Modular should have a higher resale value but don't count on it.
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  • SCorvers
    Buy a house, not a temporary living quarters.
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  • fishermanben
    The way the insurance companies separate the two are by determining if the unit is on a permanent foundation.

    Ben
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  • Colt Super
    Nationally, the real estate market continues to drop sell prices and build inventory.

    This is called "tanking".

    It is not a good environment for flipping.

    Go to your local library and look for articles in the weekly news magazines over the last 3 or 4 months, about the status of the market. I find U.S. News and World Report to be the most straightforward and easiest for a dummy like me to understand.

    As a former realtor, let me caution you to avoid "falling in love" with a particular property. If you do, you will almost certainly get burned.

    Doug
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  • dakotashooter2
    If it has any steel framing it is a manufactured (mobile) home. It should also have one or more HUD stickers on it somewhere on the outside and maybe under the kitchen sink. While better than they used to be manufactured homes are still by no means the same quality as modular homes.
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