Frequently
Asked Questions
Is there
a "Guide" or "Rating System" for manufactured
homes?
No. Manufactured homes vary markedly in size, style and 'price
point' or retail cost not unlike conventionally constructed homes.
As comparing a slab-on-grade track home selling for $120,000 is
not practical to comparison to a $400,000 'custom' built home,
comparison of a manufactured home that sells at $40,000 retail
cost to one that sells for $90,000 retail cost is not practical.
There are no "magic numbers" in home buying, be it manufactured
homes or conventionally built homes. The homeowner has to choose
where their priorities lie. In buying your home, do you need a
large amount of square footage and multiple base bathrooms for
a growing family or do you prefer a smaller overall home with
more luxury type amenities such as a whirlpool tub or wood-burning
fireplace?
Given similar
size and style, a manufactured home costs less than a comparable
conventionally built home. Why?
A manufactured home is constructed on an assembly line. It is
done inside a building so that Mother Nature didn't have the opportunity
to rain on your floor decking or your studs before the roof was
put on. Also, the workforce that constructs manufactured homes
enjoy the same dry warm/cool workplace that your home does so
they can be more productive in what they do. They also do the
same portion of the home assembly every day. Therefore, they can
be trained to do that particular job well. Random drug testing
is also used to insure both the quality of the product produced
and the safety of the workers in the plants.
The Planning
Commission where I want to build my new manufactured home has
an ordinance prohibiting the use of manufactured homes. Is that
ok?
No. Indiana has a law in state statute that protects manufactured
housing from discrimination by the local jurisdictions. Indiana
Code 36-7-4-1106 reads: "...Comprehensive plans and ordinances
adopted under the provisions of this chapter may subject dwelling
units and lots to identical standards and requirements, whether
or not the swelling unit to be placed on a lot is a manufactured
home or some other type of dwelling unit..." The statute
continues and allows local jurisdictions to regulate the exterior
wall and roof coverings to be similar to other types of home construction.
What is
the difference between a 'modular' and a 'manufactured' home?
The standard or construction code that the home is constructed
and certified under. A modular home is constructed to a state
construction code here in Indiana. In other states, a modular
home is constructed to a state or local construction code. A manufactured
home certified under the national Manufactured Housing Construction
and Safety Standards is so strictly regulated both in design and
construction, that the home's federal certification supersedes
every state and local home construction code throughout the entire
United States. A manufactured home can be shipped to any state
in the United States. A modular home can only be sited within
the area of the jurisdiction that approved the home. In Indiana,
we have the Indiana Residential Code that regulates all modular
and conventionally constructed homes. Therefore, an Indiana certified
modular home can be located anywhere within Indiana.
Is the
Indiana state construction code more stringent than the HUD code
used for manufactured homes?
No. The current Indiana Residential Code is based upon the International
Residential Code. That code document was called the CABO One and
Two Family Dwelling Code until just recently. The National Association
of Home Builders; NAHB (the national association for conventional
residential construction builders) did a comparison study in 1997
to analyze the two codes and compare the requirements. In the
conclusions portion of their study, the 'stick' builders stated:
"...There are many similarities in these codes, along with
minor differences of slight consequence, and some differences
of notable consequence. On balance, the codes are comparable..."
A summary of this study is available from the Indiana Manufactured
Housing Association at 317-247-6258 or email housing@mfghousing.org.
Are the
inspections done on a manufactured home comparable to the inspections
for a site built home here in Indiana?
No. The manufactured home is much more completely and competently
inspected. Every manufactured home is inspected, not only by the
quality control personnel employed by the manufacturer but also
by a professional "Third Party" independent engineering
and inspection company that must be approved for that function
by HUD. These inspectors are required to be trained in the requirements
of the HUD standards as well as the quality control procedures
contained within the Manufactured Home Procedural and Enforcement
Regulations. This is a totally separate federal standard on how
the inspections are to be performed and monitored. In addition,
HUD has hired companies to insure that proper procedures are being
followed. Indiana contains 686 local jurisdictions that are charged
by state statute to enforce the Indiana Residential Code. Of those
jurisdictions, only about two thirds have any kind of building
inspection program. The remaining one third may charge for a building
permit to generate funding for the local government but do not
perform any inspections. While many of the local jurisdictions
have trained and qualified inspectors, there is no state wide
licensing of construction code inspectors and no state wide minimum
qualifications for these inspectors.
Does Indiana
product most of the manufactured homes?
Indiana is one of the nation's leading production states for manufactured
homes. The states of Georgia, Texas and Indiana vie for the lead
production numbers each month. Also other states including Alabama,
Florida and North Carolina produce significant numbers of homes.
The manufactured housing industry and the recreation vehicle industry
grew from the original "mobile home" industry. Today
over 51% of all recreational vehicle in use in the United States
are produced in Indiana. Most of the manufactured homes sited
in the greater Midwest also are produced in our Hoosier state.
The combination of these two production industries comprises the
seventh largest industry in the State of Indiana.
Where can
I go to look at what is available in a manufactured home?
All of our retail sales companies that develop with manufactured
homes are listed on our website as well as all of our member manufacturers.
You can view several different manufacturers products on their
websites, find a dealer in your area that handles that particular
brand and go see display units at the retailer's offices. All
of the manufacturers offer free tours of the plant facilities.
While most of the plants are located in the northern third of
the state, a plant tour is interested, educational and enjoyable.
After all, your new home is one of the largest investments your
will ever make. Doesn't it make sense to get the highest value
for your home buying dollar? Each year IMHA sponsors a model manufactured
home as a 'second centerpiece' home in the Indianapolis Home Show.
Does a
manufactured home go on a permanent foundation?
Yes. The Indiana Residential Code requires that manufactured homes
being placed on real estate be installed upon a permanent foundation
system and in compliance with not only the construction code but
also the manufacturer's installation instructions. These instructions
are required by the federal Manufactured Home Procedural and Enforcement
Regulations to accompany every home when it is shipped from the
plant. This is an engineer-approved manual for how the home is
to be installed.
Can manufactured
homes be placed upon basements?
Yes. Manufactured homes can be placed upon a 'crawl space' foundation
or on a full or partial basement foundation. For transportation
purposes, the basement stair and any other construction in the
basement will be done by your builder at the site after the home
is delivered and set. If you are considering a basement under
your home, it is important that you discuss this with your retail
sales person when ordering your home. The manufacturer can incorporate
the floor opening for your site constructed basement stairs as
your home is being built in the plant facility.
Are there
options that I can add to my manufactured home to make it truly
"our" home?
Certainly. Obviously color choices are available for both the
interior and exterior of your new home. With over 20 manufacturers
to choose from, floor plan choices and almost overwhelming. Today
options such as a built in microwave oven, wood burning fireplace,
whirlpool garden tubs, ceramic tile counter tops are available.
Also some of the newest options available on manufactured homes
are ceramic tile floors, hardwood floors, 9-foot high ceilings,
factory-constructed porches, and fire proof cement fiber lap siding.
Are manufactured
homes more susceptible to damage from tornadoes?
No. While the effects of a tornado can be devastating, there is
no meteorological or scientific basis to thinking that manufactured
homes attract tornadoes. In fact, the explanation for the abundance
of reports of damage to manufactured homes from tornadoes is quite
simple: manufactured housing is most abundant in rural and suburban
areas where meteorological conditions favor the creation of tornadoes.
Are manufactured
homes more vulnerable to fire than site-built homes?
No. Manufactured homes are no more prone to fire than homes built
on-site. As a matter of fact, a national fire safety study by
the Foremost Insurance Company showed that site-built homes are
more than twice as likely to experience a fire than manufactured
homes. The study showed that the number of home fires is 17 per
1,000 for site-built homes, while only 8 per 1,000 for manufactured
homes. (Foremost Insurance Group of Companies, Fire Loss Study,
1986).
Do manufactured
homes appreciate in value as do conventionally built homes?
In general, manufactured homes will appreciate at the same market
rate as other homes in the same neighborhood, but, as with all
housing, it is subject to the same market factors which affect
appreciation. The factors that impact future value include: the
housing market in which the home is located; the community in
which the home is located; the initial price paid for the home;
the age and maintenance of the home; the inflation rate; the availability
and cost of community sites; the extent of an organized resale
network.
My neighbors
are voicing concerns that I want to place a manufactured home
on my lot. Is my home going to negatively impact the value of
homes around me?
For years, many people believed that having manufactured housing
near or adjacent to a site-built housing would depreciate the
property values of the site-built housing. There is little evidence
to support this notion. In fact, all the recent studies on the
subject have come to the conclusion that manufactured homes, either
in communities or on individual lots, have no impact on the property
values of site-built homes that are adjacent to or in close proximity
to them.
