Manufactured homes VS non manufactured homes
 

Can anyone tell me about manufactured homes? Are they like trailers? Are they hard to cool and heat? Are they safe in Florida storms?

I can't speak about heating and cooling, but when a hurricane is threatening and a mandatory evacuation is ordered, all manufactured home occupants must evacuate. There is usually plenty of notice, and shelters are opened. Some shelters accept pets.

Have lived in a manufactured home here since 1989. There has never been a mandatory evacuation. Some homes did have damage in the hurricanes of '04, as did some site built homes.
Ours heating and cooling bill is very low. We have no problem with insurance...maybe some older places do.
What we do have is a gorgeous golf course view and low taxes.

I'm not an expert on Manufactured Homes and have not owned one for the last eight years. Prior to that, we owned and lived in one and owned and rented out another but not in TV. The one we lived in was a 1992 Palm harbor and it was well built, tall ceilings, deluxe cabinets, etc. and a nice home with 1450 sq. ft. We had no problems getting insurance on the 92' ----we begin to have problems getting insurance on the '85 rental. I don't know "the state of art" on insurance for them now. I heard rumors that it is difficult----but don't have any facts.

We were always up north during hurracine season. No problem. Personally, I think a Manufacture Home is great, especially if you are a snowbird. The new ones have higher standards and the codes did change during the years for these homes.

Bottom line, I would thoroughly check out the insurance issues (it might be different if you already own one) but all things fairly equal----I would own one again. In TV especially because amenities are the same----$100,000 Manufacture Home or $400,000 designer home! That's value to me.

take a ride on the historic side and feel free to chat with the residents. there are lots of us living there - so we all can't be wrong! ;)

ours is quick to warm and to cool and well insulated which keeps cost down.

had no prob securing insurance - did not go thru villages agents who are reluctant to insure! most important item - make sure tie downs are up to current code - home inspection wil reveal same.

have only snowbirded for 5 yrs but cannot recall seeing storm damage in our villages during that time. haven't had sinkhole or catastrophic ground collapse either - as newer villages have endured.

only know of one unit catching fire - but none due to lightning or utility service.

never lived in trailer - cannot offer comparison. what is it like?

I live in a manufactured home. They are not at all like living in a trailer. They are insulated and heat and cool the same as a site built home. The paneling on the walls of the older homes is the giveaway that you are in a manufactured home. Other than that most people couldn't tell.
There are several insurance companies here that insure them. Duh! Florida is the manufactured home capital of the world. You can rest assured that insurance companies are not going to let this huge market go untapped.
Obviously, they are not as safe as a concrete block site built home or even a wood framed home in the event of a major storm, but there are literally thousands of manufactured homes here on the historic side and some just across 27/441 in the older sections that have been her for 30 years. In fact a rec center was destroyed in a tornado that struck here about six years ago. If a concrete rec center can be destroyed, nothing it safe. But like I say most of these homes have been here for a long time so the odds of one getting hit are very low.
Another factor is that because of our location in Central Florida so far from the coasts most of the hurricanes have weakened considerably by the time they arrive here. Now, don't everyone jump all over me saying that hurricanes can come here and they can be strong because that is certainly true. But, hen was the last serious hurricane that hit the Villages area? We did have a tornado here about 6-7 years ago. The one before that was over 50 years ago. When was the last time substantial damage to a home, manufactured or otherwise occurred here due to a hurricane? Like I said, many of these manufactured homes have stood here untouched for over 30 years.
My point is, yes, it is something that you might want to consider if you're thinking of buying a manufactured home, but I don't get all paranoid about it. Strong hurricanes in this area are rare. Tornadoes are even rarer. If there is a direct hit by a tornado on your nice $300,000 wood framed designer home, it's probably not going to survive either. But what are the odds.
Then you can look at the benefits of buying a manufactured home. Now, I could afford to buy something a little more expensive like a villa, ranch home or cottage under $150,000 but I made a decision that I would rather leave that extra money in my retirement fund which is pretty small.
My home is very small so the electric bill which includes heat, AC and golf cart charging is a wee bit over $100 a month. My property tax with the homestead exemption is about $500. Insurance is very low as well.
Having such low expenses allows me to have few nicer things that I might not have if I bought something more expensive. That is the choice I made.
I live in a beautiful neighborhood where most of the people keep up their yards. My neighbors are great and it's very quiet and peaceful over here. And my house is very comfortable and plenty big for two people. It's a bit crowded if we have company stay over, but that is only a few weeks a year. I'm certainly not going to make a decision based on those few weeks.
I'm happy here, some people may not be. Do I wish I had a bit more money to be able to afford a nicer larger home? Sure, but doesn't almost everyone?

We found it to be all personal preference and pocketbook. Although we do not live on the Historical side but we do golf-cart through there occasionally when we are out for a ride. It's quite pleasant over there (where in The Villages is not pleasant). We found it to be a question of property taxes in Lake county and insurance costs for a manufactured home as opposed to property taxes in Sumter county and insurance costs for a villa for not much more money.

I, too, considered moving when friends moved into their shiney new homes.but I could never get this golf course view elsewhere.
We sat out Hurricane Jeanne..the most destructive one..in '04. It took roofs and porches off . Knocked down lots of trees...but this manufactured home was intact, as we're most.
I have been under the house and it is dry sand and dirt with lots of tie downs. It is sealed
We also have dry wall as many of the newer ones do.

Good summation Dr.!

Thanks everyone for your input and advice. We will be in the villages next Monday for our lifestyle preview. We are really looking forward to it.

Just so you can see for yourself, you should make an appointment with a real estate agent to look at both manufactured homes and site built homes. There are plenty of both available. When I first came here, I looked at about ten houses in one day.

SO many differences, where do I start.
(1) Higher Insurance cost
(2) Yearly Registration (Like a car)
(3) If it is older, poor insulation, plumbing, windows, rot in floors.
(4) Lower Market value compared to the same site built.
I could go on, but do your self a favor, you are better off in the long run to buy a site built.

What yearly registration? Over twenty years...no registration.
Insurance rates are very low.
No mold or mildew other than regular Florida stuff...we have a dehumidifier on the air conditioner, and under the house is bone dry.
We put it up and it has doubled in value. Check the houses for sale in Country Club Hills...usually over half are "pending" .
I'm not saying that there are not places in sad condition, but you can not make blanket statements condemning thousands of homes.

Yearly registration, like a car, is only paid on manufactured homes on rented lots. This has never been the case in The Villages. The lots are all privately owned, and the owners pay property tax, just like any other homeowners.

moez 18 - please remember that totv is a message board where posters of all levels of experience are permitted to post...some have better experiences than others to share and some are more knowledgeable than others...and some posts demonstrate clear bias...consider all advice that is offered and rely on none of it! ;)

Well said Winston. I could afford another home but that will not happen. I love my manufactured home and the site it is on, my neighbors are the best. Also in Country Club Hills.

Where do I start...

What? $300 a year more? So in 30 years I've paid less than $10,000 more in insurance but also paid what...$100,000 less initially? Plus you paid additional interest from a higher mortgage if you have one. I don't have a mortgage.

Wrong, it's just property tax...and need I say, probably half what you're $200,000 house costs you. It more than makes up for the slightly increased insurance cost.

And how long do you think your house will last without maintenance? Upgrades? Do you think your plastic things will last longer than my plastic stuff? Your house will go 30 years without anything done to it? Really?

Yes, fortunately the market value is half of that of a site built house. It's the bias from people who think of nasty trailer parks who keep the prices down. Thank you, you allowed me to get a real bargain!

My home is just a place to sleep. It's not what defines "me" as many seem to think a house does. I look for bargains, these are a bargain. For less than $100,000 you can live the Villages lifestyle without a mortgage...it's a no brainer. IMO, they're much better than those villas that are all in a row with no space between them...just driveway after driveway after driveway...

To each their own...

You are right about that -- just looked on The Villages web site for homes for sale in Country Club Hills - out of 16 homes listed, 9 are showing as "pending".

I prefer to live on the Historic side in a manufactured home. I get more bang for my buck which allows me to buy more toys! I have a 2010 Mustang convertible, a RV with a new toad vehicle, 2 golf carts and a motor scooter. All cost me less then what I would have paid for a site build home south of 466. Why be "house poor"? Also, I like living over here, no bond, things are closer, the best pool in TV, and I have a local government body that has to answer to the voters (read: The Wall). Try to remember what Harold Schwartz's sales pitch for his dream community "Live like a millionaire on a retirement income". I'm trying!

its just easier to answer buy the home you can afford...you will find the neighbors are great...no matter where you hang your hat...

the main 'but' here is that most of the manufactured homes here are 30-40 years old. We had looked first on the 'historic' side and found problems (structural) with every home we looked at, I couldn't see moving into a home that would immediately need repairs. In the end we found that most good homes on that side wound up being 100k or more....so for a little more we bought a courtyard villa resale.

While most of these points have no basis in fact, I would agree with you that a site built home is better. It's a matter of how much money you want to spend and what you will get for it.

For example, my lot is about 6,000 sq feet where a courtyard or patio villa lot is about half that and I don't have to walk through my neighbors driveway to get to my backyard. One person living in a a manufactured home loves the golf course view. That view would cost them much more with a site built home.
I could take money out of my retirement funds and by a site built home on the other side, but that money is generating income for me. It is my choice to leave that money doing it's good work and spend a little less on a home which is comfortable and plenty big for two people.
I know people who live down here that have enormous houses and they spend a lot of time cleaning them. Some of them are house poor.
Again, while I agree that site built is definitely superior to manufactured, it is about making a choice and having a balance.

Many beautiful mature trees and shrubs in this area, too.

My home is 28 years old. I doubt that most of the homes on this side are 30-40 years old. Harold Schwartz and his partner, Al Tarrson had only sold about 400 homes by the mid 80s. There are thousands of homes on this side so really only a very few are over 30 years old and many of the older homes have been replaced with newer manufactured homes or site built homes. My house is in excellent shape. The previous owners maintained it very well and did several renovations. I looked at several houses in this area that were under $100,000 and needed no work. Mine was the best of them.
I hope that you are happy in your courtyard villa, but many people might not like homes that are so close to one another and where you have to go through your neighbors driveway to get to your backyard. What I've also wondered about the courtyard villas is, where do your guests park?
I'm not putting down courtyard villas. Many people love them. I'm just saying that they wouldn't be my first choice. If I were to move, I'd prefer a patio villa which has a bit more room around it.
But to my point, these are all choices that people have to make. Everyone has to do what is right for them. A manufactured home is the right choice for some people.

so glad that you found what you wanted and that you were not shopping for a home when mine came on the market! i believe as the good dr. posted - homes on the historic side are not as old as you make them out to be. and we all know that the for-sale homes one views are only those that are available at that given time - sorta like a photograph - what you see is what there is for sale at that time. painting the historic side resale market with the broad brush that you used does a disservice to anyone who would be looking for a house now and/or in the future.

Be prepared to pay cash unless you are buying new and your insurance will be a challenge. The one I purchased, and have since sold, ended up in the state insurance pool. Just my experience with an older manufactured unit.

so what does homeowners insurance cost for manufactured homes

our little version of paradise costs just over $600 for our 1,000sq ft [27 yrs old] and very well maintained! and our non-villager agent gave us our ins binder before we left her office!