Mobile Home Prices

[snooker1]

Anyone recently purchase or know the rough price for a middle of the road doublewide mobile home. I have never purchased one, and the two companies I spoke with want way to mush personal information for just a simple question. I know extras cost more, I am just looking to find a rough starting number for a basic model.

 

[Toliver]

I can't give you exact numbers because what I looked at may be different than what you're looking at but just be prepared for sticker shock. We were going to put a mobile home on our place to live in until we build a house. The prices were insane. Single wides from around 65,000 to 3 br/2bth almost 2,000 sf for upwards of 1/4 million.

 

[snooker1]

I can't give you exact numbers because what I looked at may be different than what you're looking at but just be prepared for sticker shock. We were going to put a mobile home on our place to live in until we build a house. The prices were insane. Single wides from around 65,000 to 3 br/2bth almost 2,000 sf for upwards of 1/4 million.

I was told by one company $75 to $300 a sq foot. Just kicking around different options.

 

[bilgerat]

I looked into them back in the summer, the cheapest 1500sqf doublewide cost around 180k with tax and set up fees , prob closer to 200k now with inflation.

 

[Railroader]

My wife works for an independent dealer, and the prices are insane, but getting better.

We bought a new 2016 32x80 upgraded everything just the way she wanted it for 100,000. This included metal framed concrete skirting, and a bit of a difficult install up against an existing 14x50 screened porch/laundry room.

The same house today is near $200K.

 

[Liberty]

Not trying to derail, but I honestly think you will come out better value with a small private builder putting up a stick-built structure of equal size. Even if costs are similar, in 20 years when they are paid off the stick built will retain it’s value, but the mobile home will be almost worthless. There are a few good dealers, but many mobile home dealers here are like car dealers. Trying to get a straight answer on final delivered blocked up pricing was like trying to get the dems to be honest on guns. It’s been 7 years, but I was looking at putting a trailer on 27 acres before vs. building. When the numbers were fully worked out the cost vs stick built with me acting as my own general contractor were too close to drive a lawn mower thru.

 

[snooker1]

Not trying to derail, but I honestly think you will come out better value with a small private builder putting up a stick-built structure of equal size. Even if costs are similar, in 20 years when they are paid off the stick built will retain it’s value, but the mobile home will be almost worthless. There are a few good dealers, but many mobile home dealers here are like car dealers. Trying to get a straight answer on final delivered blocked up pricing was like trying to get the dems to be honest on guns. It’s been 7 years, but I was looking at putting a trailer on 27 acres before vs. building. When the numbers were fully worked out the cost vs stick built with me acting as my own general contractor were too close to drive a lawn mower thru.

Yea that's why we are just kicking around different options, It's just my wife and I and Florida is not what it used to be, so we are kicking around the idea of selling our home and moving.

 

[Geffellz18]

Jeez-The number thrown out on here are insane for a manufactured home!
I’d look into a metal barn structure and framing it out-Seriously thinking of going this route if/when we decide to build.

 

[Toliver]

Not trying to derail, but I honestly think you will come out better value with a small private builder putting up a stick-built structure of equal size. Even if costs are similar, in 20 years when they are paid off the stick built will retain it’s value, but the mobile home will be almost worthless. There are a few good dealers, but many mobile home dealers here are like car dealers. Trying to get a straight answer on final delivered blocked up pricing was like trying to get the dems to be honest on guns. It’s been 7 years, but I was looking at putting a trailer on 27 acres before vs. building. When the numbers were fully worked out the cost vs stick built with me acting as my own general contractor were too close to drive a lawn mower thru.

I hadn't even thought of that aspect. When we moved into the house we were going to leave the trailer up and let an up and coming first responder live in it for free in exchange for keeping an eye on things when we're not home. But if a person is going to sell it in the future, depreciation is certainly and factor to consider. What about modular homes instead? I haven't really looked at them yet.

 

[Liberty]

I hadn't even thought of that aspect. When we moved into the house we were going to leave the trailer up and let an up and coming first responder live in it for free in exchange for keeping an eye on things when we're not home. But if a person is going to sell it in the future, depreciation is certainly and factor to consider. What about modular homes instead? I haven't really looked at them yet.

I think the issue is more financing than the mobile home falling apart. Some lenders won’t loan money at all on mobiles and some won’t lend on mobile homes over xxxx years old, causing a buyer to have to take a loan more like you were just buying open property with a much higher down payment and less lending options. I just don’t know enough to comment on modular homes. Maybe some Florida members can comment as I understand that they are common there in retirement villages. Then only thing that I’m really sure of right now is that I’ve been hauling wood in and splitting logs since my last post because my house is all electric with no natural gas service out here in the county. Heat pumps are great until the temps get under freezing, and then they suck power all night and day like my pool pump until it warms up. If I was putting something up out in the country new construction it would have a propane heating system. I don’t remember wood being this heavy in my 30’s. It’s time for a Goodys powder and some Gatorade.

 

[bany]

I think the foundation or lack of has a lot to do with age and selling later on. Everything seems to cost$200+ per square now.
I’d look at building a house.

 

[Railroader]

I'll say this about livin' in a trailer...We feel like we got a great value, a great house and it was done in two days.

Poof! Moved in and done.

Quality is good, no problems, very energy efficient, comfortable, and a very nice home.

So far, there has been no depreciation, but we're not concerned with resale value, because it's paid for, and we plan on living here till we're dead and done...

This house was bought to enjoy owning, living in, and to be a place to call home.

A great investment.

 

[kayaksteve]

I’m not sure about installing one on your own land but, the ones going up around here seem to be going for about 250k on a 1 acre lot. A couple guys around here have been hauling them in on every one acre lot they can find. They seem to be sittin a lot longer at those prices now. They were selling them before the porches were built. Maybe that’s a sign of the prices coming down.

 

[buckpasser]

I'll say this about livin' in a trailer...We feel like we got a great value, a great house and it was done in two days.

Poof! Moved in and done.

Quality is good, no problems, very energy efficient, comfortable, and a very nice home.

So far, there has been no depreciation, but we're not concerned with resale value, because it's paid for, and we plan on living here till we're dead and done...

This house was bought to enjoy owning, living in, and to be a place to call home.

A great investment.

I can appreciate that angle! Both of my parents lived in “trailers” after they divorced. Those old things seem to be totally different animals than what I’ve seen sold lately. My pastor bought a double wide and put it on family land to raise his young family. You can tell it’s not stick built, but if you were to pour a footer and run masonry around it, it would be very tough to tell it from just a straight gable stick built home. Interior looks very nice too.

 

[Liberty]

I’m really glad we are having this discussion. My property has a site 100 yards from my house where a double wide use to sit. The brick stairs are even still there. There is septic, well, and a power pole. I’ve been considering building an unneeded “barn” half framed on the inside when my son and only child comes of age for a starter home. Then when we are dead, he can have the whole place. It sure would be a lot easier to wheel a single wide trailer in the week before he gets married, and let him rent or wheel it out after it isn’t needed anymore if he wants the vineyard back.

 

[Liberty]

I'll say this about livin' in a trailer...We feel like we got a great value, a great house and it was done in two days.

Poof! Moved in and done.

Quality is good, no problems, very energy efficient, comfortable, and a very nice home.

So far, there has been no depreciation, but we're not concerned with resale value, because it's paid for, and we plan on living here till we're dead and done...

This house was bought to enjoy owning, living in, and to be a place to call home.

A great investment.

When I see the amount of almost completely unskilled labor being used by the mega builders here with just enough skilled workers to get past inspections, it doesn’t inspire much confidence. There are still some fine carpenters/ contractors in my area that build them 1 at a time. I think a better product can be produced in a factory in mass if the same quality of materials are being used with low skill labor than on a worksite. My father was a carpenter, 2 uncles were electricians, and another was an hvac tech, so I think my opinion has some reasonable basis. Cost overruns and weather delays also aren’t issues in factories. Isn’t it great to have choices! Plus you don’t have to wait for a 6 months living in an apartment while your house is being put up.

 

[Milkman]

Be sure the county you have in mind allows mobile homes. Some Georgia counties have restrictions.

 

[Railroader]

When I see the amount of almost completely unskilled labor being used by the mega builders here with just enough skilled workers to get past inspections, it doesn’t inspire much confidence. There are still some fine carpenters/ contractors in my area that build them 1 at a time. I think a better product can be produced in a factory in mass if the same quality of materials are being used with low skill labor than on a worksite. My father was a carpenter, 2 uncles were electricians, and another was an hvac tech, so I think my opinion has some reasonable basis. Cost overruns and weather delays also aren’t issues in factories. Isn’t it great to have choices! Plus you don’t have to wait for a 6 months living in an apartment while your house is being put up.

It is great to have options.

My house is built with the same stuff that on-site builds use, hurricane rated construction, and also designed to survive being towed down the road at 70mph...

 

[GeorgiaBob]

Another option might be three stage build. Start with a metal shell or a wood barn building on a concrete slab. Insulate and build out a temporary interior with limited plumbing and wiring, and HVAC, just enough to be reasonably comfortable while building your home.

In stage two you build the frame/shell of the home you want. You get to take your time on the build. And once the slab, frame and roof is tight you get to take your time on the interior. All of this on your schedule because you are comfortable. You already have a place to live in the first building. When you have enough of your real home finished you move in there.

And the final part is using much of the interior of the first building to finish your home while setting up the first building as barn, storage, garage, shop, or even guest house. Bottom line is you have a place to live quick and don't waste a lot of money on temporary housing (mobile home). The trick is to design your site plan to include the first building as a part of the finished homestead.

You spend $30,000 or less on the first building (including slab with plumbing) and anywhere from $10K up to $25K on that interior. Then the rate you spend money on the rest of it is entirely up to you, your budget, and your goals.

 

[Crakajak]

Another option might be three stage build. Start with a metal shell or a wood barn building on a concrete slab. Insulate and build out a temporary interior with limited plumbing and wiring, and HVAC, just enough to be reasonably comfortable while building your home.

In stage two you build the frame/shell of the home you want. You get to take your time on the build. And once the slab, frame and roof is tight you get to take your time on the interior. All of this on your schedule because you are comfortable. You already have a place to live in the first building. When you have enough of your real home finished you move in there.

And the final part is using much of the interior of the first building to finish your home while setting up the first building as barn, storage, garage, shop, or even guest house. Bottom line is you have a place to live quick and don't waste a lot of money on temporary housing (mobile home). The trick is to design your site plan to include the first building as a part of the finished homestead.

You spend $30,000 or less on the first building (including slab with plumbing) and anywhere from $10K up to $25K on that interior. Then the rate you spend money on the rest of it is entirely up to you, your budget, and your goals.

I know some people that built a 24x24 garage with a loft above it.Built the house a few years later and attached to the garage.1 bed,1 bath, small kitchen.1 big room except bath.Framed the garage doors for real garage door opening and just framed inside it that until the house was completed.
When I was superintendent for a large metro Atl builder.We always layer out the house,built the garage as stated above...except an office area and storage area.Last house built was attached to that 5 year old garage.