In article .com,
wrote:

I am considering a manufactured home
because they offer a very attractive
price point. However, based on what
I've read on various message boards
I am having serious doubts as to the
viability of these homes. To make
matters more difficult there are no
less than three key players in the
process each of which seem to have
a history of probelms:

1) Manufacture
2) Dealer
3) Setup and Installer

It seems that any or all of these player
can ruin your home buying experience.

My question is basically this. Based on
the horror stories I've seen here and
elsewhere is there any real point in
considering a manufactured home?

There is a very good point...you can get into
a nice new home for a fraction of what a traditional
city house costs. Many people have enough equity
in their current homes to sell, pay cash for
one of these units, and never have a house
payment again. Live gets a lot easier and more
flexiable when you don't have house payments
hanging over your head each month.

Are there people out there who have had
good luck with their manufactured home?
How can one make sure they get a good
deal and their home is delivered and
installed properly?

The big thing is learn all you can, and visit
as many manufactures, dealers, and parks that
you can. You will soon be able to sort out
the good work from the fly by night. Also,
check with your insurance company to see what
they might require.

Also, are the rates of dissatisfaction of
manufactured home owners significantly
higer than "traditional" home owners?
They also have their fair share of
problems.

With stick-built houses, there are problems, but
the cost of the problems can be 10 times the
cost of problems with mobile homes or single
and double-wides. I cannot count how many times
I hear of people mortgaged up to their eyeballs,
and then find out they have mold in their house,
and they lose everything.

I really like the cost savings of a
manufactured home but I don't even want
to get involved if it's something that
I'll regret the rest of my life. (I'm
going to put down a sizeable amount of
cash for the down payment -- at least
it's sizeable to me .

Where and how you live is a key lifestyle
choice. Unless you are a billionaire, everything
is going to be a trade off. The best you can
do is make a good decision and give it a try.
If it doesn't work out, then forget having
regrets, simply fix the problem and move on.
A relatively new manufactured home in good
condition should be able to be sold without
taking too much of a bath, although it might
take some time to find the right buyer and sell
it.

-john-

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John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
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