I work in manufactured/modular retail. This last year especially, many customers have been getting priced out of a modular project that they had in mind. On the note of the "hybrid" mods you were talking about, I'll first ask a customer how important having a basement is to them - if they don't mind having a slab underneath, I'll tell them that we could do a doublewide with full drywall interior, and a 5/12 pitch on the roof. So it still will be a manufactured home and need to have a title registered (gotta love NYS!) but be essentially indistinguishable from a modular. Even after adding in the cost of the drywall and 5/12 components with the factory (and labor on delivery), the cost ends up being about $35-50k cheaper doing it this way. I wouldn't personally call it a hybrid, as that feels a bit misleading, but I think it's helped quite a few of my customers get into a home they love without overstretching the budget they have to work with!
@@peppersghosttheater I ordered a modular in August in KY. Was Quoted $26k for 2000 square foot basement. I didn't do a whole lot of shopping around due to not being able to find contractors.
Yea you are right it will be indistingushable from a modular home. But your financing options will not be the same and more importantly the financing on buying a used doublewide is not the same as a modular. That is my only real problem with a doublwide. It also doesn't help that most people who want one are going to what to get one built the way they want.
I always found funny that I grew up in a third world country and we lived in a house fully made of concrete and bricks, now I live in the US and had to buy a house made of sticks, anyone else see anything wrong with that? Do you all remember the 3 little pigs story?
and we have bricks dividing our walls inside the apartment. Old stick builds though are flimsier than what's being built now. That reminds me, we did bathroom remodel in my US apartment, inside walls were framed with metal studs. When the guys were pulling the sheetrock down, the walls were bending, and they knocked pictures off the neighbor's wall 😂
Very true, for the most part modern construction is garbage. Years ago I knew someone who worked for one of the big budget homebuilders and he told me technically those houses are only designed to last 50 years.
I could not agree more with your comments. Now is not the time to buy a modular home. We did, what a nightmare! We were supposed to have the house in the beginning of December 2021 and finally got the house April 11, 2022. Or close to 40% over budget including a 12% surcharge for lumber and a surcharge for fuel. I was disappointed in the quality of construction given to factory environment in which it was built. No excuse for walls not being plum and stairs they don’t match in height. We did our inspection walk-through and I found close to 50 items which were unsatisfactory. Been waiting two weeks for a response.
So my husband and I priced two modular homes, a 2 story (3100) & 1 one story house (2700 sq ft) and they were both more expensive than the stick built home we had priced. The stick built home (3600 sq ft) was larger and came with luxuries (granite, cabinetry, wood & tile flooring, etc.). We couldn't believe it, this is crazy! We are either going to wait to build or add-on to the home we have now.
I know a lot of people have decided to either renovate their current home or add an ADU/Tiny home in their backyard because they can’t afford their area anymore. This housing market is crazy.
or maybe just actually trying to buy parts and do a real self build., especially if companies can 3dprint most the actual construction, like big lepo pieces
Kristina, love your channel and we used it as reference before we started our project. We are nearing the end (FINALLY) of placing a cross-mod home on .6 acres in the Sierra. We purchased during COVID and have had extensive delays due to lack of materials, labor, weather, and permitting delays. Our unit had NONE of the modern looking options available in prefab start ups, or in Canada & Europe. In fact, no one did for the size we needed (1,500+sq. ft.). Clayton Homes used to have the i-House (manufactured) which we loved, but when we asked our rep, we were told it's no longer available. Our site cost around $70K for the land. Prep of that land to date (grading, compacting, surveying, permits, extra dirt/rock, stub ins for utilities, perimeter foundation, steel, concrete, and blocks for foundation) have come in around $53K. We have another $25-$30K to go for septic, water connection, and electrical. Our unit, with customization, tax, and fees, came in around $177K. The same unit post-COVID is now base priced at over $230K. We signed our contract at just the right time. The real budget killer is in the ground works. It's hard to get solid estimates, many items are not included and end up being added on because they have to be, and labor is an issue. Our lot already had water, electric, and Internet available. Of course, ours was challenging being at 7,000 ft. elevation, in a National Scenic Area, and in an extremely remote area with almost zero labor. I guess a question I would have, is why don't manufactured & modular producers here in the US offer nicer, modern, or architecturally pleasing exteriors like in other countries? I think this would draw in more buyers and help pressure municipalities to allow the units in housing-starved areas.
My wife and I recently looked into a modular home. Even before buying the land it was more expensive than just buying a house. I was really disappointed. We’re just gonna have to wait for prices to come back down.
So basically any savings one might have realized has evaporated as the cost is now about the same as traditional construction. I checked a local company and was shocked - what they quoted for the houses not much less than what another builder quoted to construct a house of similar size. Thanks for the info, looks like I won’t be moving. I am now officially priced out of my market. Time to shovel money into the current house to update it. Never thought I would see this happen in Texas.
Thank you for bringing this up. I found modular home to be more expensive than the site built or stick built home. My goal was to build a passive house and so far it is way too expensive.
I have a two story geodesic dome modular home. For me it is perfect. On a half acre lot I have my extra blacksmith shop , garage , woodshop and large veggie garden .
Thank you for this video. I went to Clayton Homes today 3-4-23. They told me they can make any Manufactured home and make it a Modular Home. I don't know if that is true. He said they take the Manufactured Home and take it off the metal trailer and put it on a concreate slab and boom it's Modular. Sounds a little crazy to me.
Wow. I found my dream modular home for around $425K but with everything you mentioned as far as the extra services needed, I’ll have to purchase a traditional home. It’s gotten so expensive from years ago when I first started looking 😩
We've looked into both stick-built and modular home construction but with inflation, supply chain shortages, and labor issues, we feel it's just not the right time to build. Luckily we live in a paid off house (best thing we ever did was get a 15 year mortgage) in a great location so hopefully it will continue to appreciate while we wait for things to improve.
Many people have told me that they have a home that is paid off but the prices have gotten so high for homes that they have to no place to move to even with a hefty down payment. They have been priced out of their own markets.
@@birdytvcertified the cost of homes in their area is so high they can’t afford the area they currently live in. If they were to buy now it would be a lateral move not a home improvement.
We will be paying off house by next year. We could not afford to buy a house like our now because they have trippled in price in 12 years. We are making extra payments into the principal and should be paying it off very soon.
@@KristinaSmallhorn we could stand to make $100k or more on our home. We bought it at $220k, had $40k down on it and only have $160k left on mortgage. We could sell our 2700 sq ft house w/ .5 acre for $315-$350 or even higher but still could not afford to move where we want to because we want land in the country and land in NC is expensive. We have 4 kids so downsizing isnt an option yet. Anything with land costs $450k-$500k+…. We keep getting badgered by agents to sell our property in our “large country neighborhood” that we would make a ton of money…. I tell them to go find me a house like mine not under 2200 sq ft with same amenities they see in my specs on 2 or more acres of land for $400k or less within 30min driving distance of the nearest city hubby works at out of the expensive property taxed counties…. I tell them if they find it and its not a dump I will gladly put an offer and sell this house I love. They NEVER come back!!
I found your channel because I was researching modular homes. I was thinking it would be perfect, but the price is way more than what it used to be, so I will be looking at other routes to getting an affordable house.
I've loved the idea of a manufactured home for a very long time. Now their standards are as high and sometimes higher than tradition "stick/site-built" homes. Love your insights, cautions, and clarifications! Hugs Kristina!
Kristina, do some research into yurts and earthship homes. I live in southern Colorado where there is minimal rain and winters are relatively short and mild. Insulated yurts are becoming popular as temporary housing, especially among young people who own land but need to save additional money before building. Earthships are being built out of everything from adobe to dirt-filled tires or plastic bottles. If built in a rural area, they require initial investment in a septic system, well (or cistern) and solar or wind power. Passive solar allows for free heating; active solar or windmills power batteries to run a well pump and electric appliances. When completed, earthship homes are inexpensive to operate and are environmentally friendly. In some states there are government programs available to help with the cost of purchasing or installing solar panels. Homeowners living in a sunny locale can generate enough electricity to power not only their home, but an electric car as well. Some, with large solar arrays, make money by selling electricity back to the local power company. As the cost of home ownership continues to increase, and demand for affordable homes outpaces supply, Americans will be forced to think outside the box in regard to home construction. This also means that lenders are going to be pressured to reconsider financing for unconventional homes.
get a second job and build up a huge deposit. Every now and then opportunity knocks, but it doesn't knock for long. You got to be ready to pounce when it does. In 2009 I was able to buy four 1600 sq ft 3ba/2br condos in Phoenix for $10K each because I had the cash in my savings account. Prices were dirt cheap then but if I didn't have CASH I could not buy them. That $40K investment is worth $1M now. I paid off debt, worked 2 Jobs and saved some bucks so I could pounce. I got a much better deal than I had anticipated.
We are hoping to build a modular home sometime in the future because we want a small home that's easy to make passive or net zero for emissions. I have no idea where or when we'll build this because it was sort of a retirement plan, but if prices aren't more affordable, we'll probably opt for something else.
They're are many steps in-between modular and stick built... with different amounts of work being done at a factory, or onsite. Some stick built homes have all lumber 🪚 cut off site and marked. Just has to be nailed together onsite according to plans.
Hello Kristina, I went to a couple of manufactured home sellers this weekend, and because I need to move out of my house in 60 days, I was trying to buy a house in "special" or any house that they can have ready, now, this is the crazy part, both says exactly the same, if I have land already, I can buy one of this houses and get it there in "almost" 60 days, now if I don't have land, they have to put all in a "package" and they can't use one of these "ready" houses instead I must wait 6 months to get one from the factory... Nobody can give you a reason why? and when you re-ask why, they give a truck full of bs nonsense...
Makes sense, it will take you time to buy land zoned properly, foundation laid, sewer, plumbing placed. etc...why hold up a house ready now to sit while you get your ducks in a row? Modular homes ready now can be sold to people who planned ahead and have everything in place to make the purchase and build now.
They don't want to sell the show homes until they come out with newer versions. If they sell it to you they have no way to show other people to get them to buy it. We went through the same thing best bet is to find a version that is older on their lot,not used but older that they are willing to sell. I would ask if they have any homes ready to sell from the lot before I looked at any of them and fell in love if that is what you need.
What a great video. I was looking into the hole modular-home-building most of all out of interest, and because the prices they use in marketing would make it seem like it's 1/5 of building a new stickhouse (dont know if i used that term correctly). Definitely going to only keep an interest here, especially the part about startups with great renderings but not real houses built etc :D
I like the idea of modular. Perhaps things will be different in a couple of years, but waiting and then finding out it's not better will be really disappointing. Guess I need to learn how to build a log cabin. What chain saw do you recommend?
Even my favorite modular home company - one that Kristina features a lot - has no actual photos of a finished product on an actual plot of land, let alone a customer review. And they're asking $50K. The sad part is either with that company or another like it, someone is going to get a bad product for a while until we can know for sure it's worth the asking price ( not to mention the 2022 real-world cost )
My parents "built"/installed a modular home in upstate NY 17 years ago. They added basement, and also had an expensive septic due to environmental constraints of NYC watershed. The cost was around ~400k. Part of that was due to shady 1st contractor, who they had to walk away from.
This was a great video. I am looking to renovate a 70+ year old small house. Due to local regulations I cannot tear down and rebuild on the same spot, so my only option is to renovate. It is a 3-5 year wait to get on the list with local general contractors. I was considering modular for the renovation, but it will still need contractors for the installation.
Ope, didn't notice this was a year old XD. I'll check out some more recent videos but got some creative advice fer ya. When doing numbers like like the average cost for the labor, extras, utilities etc. It's best to add the numbers on screen for better understanding. Honestly my only gripe, love the energy you bring and the information/advice you're giving.
Sheesh! Ok that was a full and frank discussion! Can you tell us what events could or should happen that would change your mind and set you back on the modular home buyer path? Thanks so much and thanks for your great videos.
We bought land with a cruddy little trailer on it with the hopes of paying it off fast and building something new within 5 years. We’re at the end of year three and now I wish we had just bought what we wanted at the time. Houses in our area are far and few between and now twice the price 😫 Hopefully things change drastically in the next year but I doubt it.
I've wanted to build my dream for some time. As soon as that dream became realistic inflation hit. At some point some things have to deflect to the downside. Right now I know for a fact this going beyond a supply chain issue and is now simply corporate greed from manufactures. I know some things will come down but quite a few won't. We are entering a new era in economics whether folks like it or not. Sadly we badly need an exudus in the housing market and major industries. But when? How long? How much? This is soul crushing.
the value of housing stock is used as a political tool, so if prices are high the country seems wealthier.. when in trtuh of course it means everybody is getting poorer. They should ban multiple home landlords and crash the market. homes should never have been part of the economy
Thank you very much for this analysis. I need to get out of my current rental house because of mold issue. I was considering a modular "healthy" home like Bluhomes or Dvele but after seing your video I will explore the recently built market in a dry climate. I think this would be my best option for now. Thanks!
My husband and I bought acreage in Indiana years ago and a few years ago, we decided to start making plans to do a stick build on that site. Well, couldn't get a builder that was reasonably priced. Then anyone that would talk to us told us a two year wait. Then they tell us it would be time and materials only. We just gave up. Modular was something we considered, but now you have squelched that idea too. We live in a 47 year old block home in Florida for the last 23 years, so I guess we shall be staying. We get offers on our house every week, but where can we afford to move to that is newer and about 1800 square feet for $400K?
Thanks to your podcast I've learned a great deal about the housing market. It's helping me a great deal with some important long term decisions on how I moved forward with my property and getting a new dwelling . Thank you again.
A modular home has to be built to handle being transported. six inch walls, drywall is glued to the studs as well as screws holding everything together.. They do cut costs however in the quality of the hardware and plumbing from my experience though.
My husband and I have land but are trying to find a solution for putting a house on it in North Dakota. I can’t find any modular home retailers that have reviews! We’ve thought about doing a kit just to get a shell up but everything seems difficult to confirm and have shipping to such a “far away” state as ND. I wish there was an Amazon review but for housing!
First, THANK YOU for making videos about manufactured and modular homes!! My only request as a manufactured home retailer in CA is to refer to the state you quote figures from for permits and construction. Many people start their research online and end up with realistic expectations based on these figures. We here in CA are EXPENSIVE to do everything - Thank you tax man, workman's comp, etc. Again - Thank you for your channel!!
Kristina, I was considering a modular home still, until this video, now I will just relegate to buying a stick built, or second owner type of deal, I wish they built more split level homes, I always liked them
What about the loan deadline? On a stick built home loan, you have a certain amount of time to get the house finished. How does that work with a modular home?
Check around, big difference in price for contractors and also for modular homes, In my area(rural) contractors are from $20 $60 per hour, Although cheaper is not always better. Talk to people and do research as you say, it could save you many thousands and possibly inferior product.
Bought a modular home for 220k out the door including a garage in 2019 right before covid. Took until beginning of 2021 to get completion. Insurance was for a 325k house. The house is presently going for 390k given all the same specs.
"supply chain problems" DONT THINK SO. Companies, and manufactures realized if they hold onto their product longer they can charge more for it without having to invest anything new. It has become industry wide as people have just accepted "supply chain issues" as an excuse.
The hardest part for me is understanding how to get land. Do banks provide you a loan to buy land for a modular or manufactured home? In addition to the loan on the home?
They’re called mobile homes because they were first really produced in the US after WWII in Mobile, AL, so they were really Mobile (mo-BEEL) homes. As they became more popular and spread across the US, they became mobile homes since they were “moveable”. Side note, “Sweet Homes” was a builder there in AL, and their ads and billboards inspired the Lynyrd Skynyrd song, Sweet Home Alabama.
JJ - NOPE NOPE AND NOPE! The first "mobile homes" were converted from "travel trailers," which were towed behind cars. The modern travel trailer originated in 1929, with Arthur Sherman's "Covered Wagon" model, which sold for $395 each. Travel trailers were also called "house trailers" or "trailer coaches." In 1956, the first true mobile home, the "ten wide" (10' wide) was introduced, along with the term "mobile home."
Obviously two issues that are going to be constant with everything..... Labor prices and Material prices. We need less middlemen. Consumer need to be able to work with one or two parties from start to end. Unfortunately as well many middlemen in the material industries as well.
The term "affordable" is thrown around so casually it really does depend on where the customer intends to live or work. That price might seem exorbitant to someone who is thinking along the lines of less than $5,000 all matters taken care of. But someone who is accustomed to paying too much for a home from a part of the country where everything costs too much wouldn't bat an eyelash at spending one quarter million dollars or more for a place to call home.
I can't buy a house much less land in WA state with inflation now. Avg price of the homes around me is 800k -2mil$. I just found modular/kit/mfg homes and was so excited cause I love the modern look. But dang...this economy...
We ordered a Modular last August and won't receive it until July. My price is locked in but the price for others has went up $24k since I ordered one. It had went up 40k within the last year before we ordered. No way I would order now and wouldn't had ordered one if I could've found a contractor to build.. I would've rather built a home
My full time house in Bridgton Maine burned down over memorial day weekend. Total loss. I bought it at 220 and people wanted it at 775 when it burned. I have systems in place but need an affordable solution, don't want a mobile and am not allowed anyway. Suggestions?
@@eckankar7756 they are still very good homes. I love them, the price of them right now is no different than a stick built of not more. I want to honest with people, that’s why I made an updated video.
@KristinaSmallhorn Can we get an update on this. It seems that things are finally getting better but a more specifically ranges of cost expenses and breakdown approximate.
I’m hoping at least by midsummer but I’m just guessing. The home builders association is optimistic this will be the case and plan to build more this year.
Thanks for the great information! I've been weighing the option between stick built and modular, and I've checked out several builder's websites that advertise they build manufactured and modular homes. Looking at their offered floor plans, many of them are just manufactured homes and not modular. Do you happen to know any reputable modular home builders in Georgia?
All the companies for each state are going to be different. My suggestion is to start searching for companies that actually deliver to Georgia and go from there.
I have been looking at modular and manufactured homes. After looking at costs my husband and I are seriously considering just doing a site build. So far everything I've been looking at it will likely cost us about the same. With a site build i could have everything i want. Vrs the premade floor plans with not much wiggle room of the manufactured and modular. This supply issue is my biggest concern right now for any options we have.
In Canada, modular homes makers kind of went out of business. They are so hard to find. Does a log walled homes, designed , planed and prepared in a lumberyard then transferred and assembled on site enter into a modular home format? The finishing is a completely separate contract.
He has only gotten to the slab stage. Everything has been delayed as we had a hurricane here and the contractors and the materials are hard to come by. Storm damaged homes are repaired before new projects can be started. He’s still doing it though.
Designed a 2500sqft home with a 30x40 metal shop and covered parking. Local builder says he can keep it under 400k. Another builder said 700k Another said 500k and no shop. Deer valley dealer quoted 410k for their 2500sqft modular not including site work concrete and septic. Why buy something that's only acceptable when we can build what we want plus a shop for less. Prices are ridiculously out of control. Although we can buy something bigger in town for 400k that has a garage, land, landscaping, flatware, fencing etc. Building is more expensive than buying a home and a modular is more expensive than Building a home. Seems backwards from 5-10 years ago when you could buy land build a house and double your money lol those days are long gone.
Everything you said applies to our builder. This was 3 years ago the cost got crazy expensive. They kept trying to delete upgrades almost took forever to get started before we Said enough. They also soured on any attorneys to be involved and I said I don't think so. So we pulled out of fear we could lose 350 to 400k of our money. We bought a 30 year old home saving us 150k. Amazing alot you Said applied to them.
Unfortunately modular construction in Australia is 3 to 5k a sqm as where average standard method prices are 1 to 2k. Of course anything thats not a cookie cutter will cost more.
I agree, but save yourself a few very bad migraines, (or perhaps trauma). By the time you buy the overpriced modular and land and cement foundation to bolt onto, you have to consider all of the additional ie; components that make up a house, I’ll name a few, electric service from a nearby pole , plumbing feed, waste line (most likely to cesspool) , deliver from afar and more. You will be spending more and your investment will be worth less bc it is a modular. This is not a time to buy a home, any home. Lots of greedy companies , investors , real estate crook’s ripping off the public who need a place to live, and they don’t give a sh- about you. I was a framer years ago. Use your head. Don’t give in to these f--- rs.
I work in manufactured/modular retail. This last year especially, many customers have been getting priced out of a modular project that they had in mind. On the note of the "hybrid" mods you were talking about, I'll first ask a customer how important having a basement is to them - if they don't mind having a slab underneath, I'll tell them that we could do a doublewide with full drywall interior, and a 5/12 pitch on the roof. So it still will be a manufactured home and need to have a title registered (gotta love NYS!) but be essentially indistinguishable from a modular. Even after adding in the cost of the drywall and 5/12 components with the factory (and labor on delivery), the cost ends up being about $35-50k cheaper doing it this way. I wouldn't personally call it a hybrid, as that feels a bit misleading, but I think it's helped quite a few of my customers get into a home they love without overstretching the budget they have to work with!
Pinning your comment!! Thank you for explaining this!!
How much extra is a basement going to cost. They are big here in GA. Must haves
@@peppersghosttheater I ordered a modular in August in KY. Was Quoted $26k for 2000 square foot basement. I didn't do a whole lot of shopping around due to not being able to find contractors.
Genius
Yea you are right it will be indistingushable from a modular home. But your financing options will not be the same and more importantly the financing on buying a used doublewide is not the same as a modular. That is my only real problem with a doublwide. It also doesn't help that most people who want one are going to what to get one built the way they want.
I always found funny that I grew up in a third world country and we lived in a house fully made of concrete and bricks, now I live in the US and had to buy a house made of sticks, anyone else see anything wrong with that? Do you all remember the 3 little pigs story?
and we have bricks dividing our walls inside the apartment. Old stick builds though are flimsier than what's being built now.
That reminds me, we did bathroom remodel in my US apartment, inside walls were framed with metal studs. When the guys were pulling the sheetrock down, the walls were bending, and they knocked pictures off the neighbor's wall 😂
Very true, for the most part modern construction is garbage. Years ago I knew someone who worked for one of the big budget homebuilders and he told me technically those houses are only designed to last 50 years.
It also depends on where you live. Many places in Florida still build homes with concrete blocks but wood interiors
In Ireland the same
Bidenflation makes it hard
I could not agree more with your comments. Now is not the time to buy a modular home. We did, what a nightmare! We were supposed to have the house in the beginning of December 2021 and finally got the house April 11, 2022. Or close to 40% over budget including a 12% surcharge for lumber and a surcharge for fuel. I was disappointed in the quality of construction given to factory environment in which it was built. No excuse for walls not being plum and stairs they don’t match in height. We did our inspection walk-through and I found close to 50 items which were unsatisfactory. Been waiting two weeks for a response.
So my husband and I priced two modular homes, a 2 story (3100) & 1 one story house (2700 sq ft) and they were both more expensive than the stick built home we had priced. The stick built home (3600 sq ft) was larger and came with luxuries (granite, cabinetry, wood & tile flooring, etc.). We couldn't believe it, this is crazy! We are either going to wait to build or add-on to the home we have now.
I know a lot of people have decided to either renovate their current home or add an ADU/Tiny home in their backyard because they can’t afford their area anymore. This housing market is crazy.
or maybe just actually trying to buy parts and do a real self build., especially if companies can 3dprint most the actual construction, like big lepo pieces
Everything is super expensive now either way you go.
thats cuz the traditional builder was gonna scope creep up his price to probably double the original quote
Kristina, love your channel and we used it as reference before we started our project. We are nearing the end (FINALLY) of placing a cross-mod home on .6 acres in the Sierra. We purchased during COVID and have had extensive delays due to lack of materials, labor, weather, and permitting delays. Our unit had NONE of the modern looking options available in prefab start ups, or in Canada & Europe. In fact, no one did for the size we needed (1,500+sq. ft.). Clayton Homes used to have the i-House (manufactured) which we loved, but when we asked our rep, we were told it's no longer available. Our site cost around $70K for the land. Prep of that land to date (grading, compacting, surveying, permits, extra dirt/rock, stub ins for utilities, perimeter foundation, steel, concrete, and blocks for foundation) have come in around $53K. We have another $25-$30K to go for septic, water connection, and electrical. Our unit, with customization, tax, and fees, came in around $177K. The same unit post-COVID is now base priced at over $230K. We signed our contract at just the right time. The real budget killer is in the ground works. It's hard to get solid estimates, many items are not included and end up being added on because they have to be, and labor is an issue. Our lot already had water, electric, and Internet available. Of course, ours was challenging being at 7,000 ft. elevation, in a National Scenic Area, and in an extremely remote area with almost zero labor. I guess a question I would have, is why don't manufactured & modular producers here in the US offer nicer, modern, or architecturally pleasing exteriors like in other countries? I think this would draw in more buyers and help pressure municipalities to allow the units in housing-starved areas.
FYI, where we are placing our home, existing homes (traditional or manufactured/modular) are fetching north of $600K if they ever come to market.
My wife and I recently looked into a modular home. Even before buying the land it was more expensive than just buying a house. I was really disappointed. We’re just gonna have to wait for prices to come back down.
Pre-fab is more affordable
@@obijuankenobi420 what's the difference?
@@d1ndark25 nothing,one just fits together offsite first
@@PazLeBon thank you for the clarification.
So basically any savings one might have realized has evaporated as the cost is now about the same as traditional construction. I checked a local company and was shocked - what they quoted for the houses not much less than what another builder quoted to construct a house of similar size. Thanks for the info, looks like I won’t be moving. I am now officially priced out of my market. Time to shovel money into the current house to update it. Never thought I would see this happen in Texas.
Are you in Austin?
You'll have to do that, anyway.
@@KristinaSmallhorn We're north of Dallas and it's the same here.
Except a $150k house now costs 300k
At least you're on the ladder.
Definitely reconsidering buying a modular or manufactured home. Sounds way more expensive than I wanted it to be 😞
Thank you for bringing this up. I found modular home to be more expensive than the site built or stick built home. My goal was to build a passive house and so far it is way too expensive.
I have a two story geodesic dome modular home. For me it is perfect. On a half acre lot I have my extra blacksmith shop , garage , woodshop and large veggie garden .
That’s what I want!! Those are sound construction!!
Dennis, could you please let us know who you went with to build? Thank you
I spent several weeks with Buckminster Fuller who is famous for the geodesic dome. The man was brilliant.
Modular or panelized? They are NOT the same.
How much did it run you if you don't mind me asking?
With how many bd/bths
Thank you for this video. I went to Clayton Homes today 3-4-23. They told me they can make any Manufactured home and make it a Modular Home. I don't know if that is true. He said they take the Manufactured Home and take it off the metal trailer and put it on a concreate slab and boom it's Modular. Sounds a little crazy to me.
Wow. I found my dream modular home for around $425K but with everything you mentioned as far as the extra services needed, I’ll have to purchase a traditional home. It’s gotten so expensive from years ago when I first started looking 😩
I know! Modular is fn garbage
We've looked into both stick-built and modular home construction but with inflation, supply chain shortages, and labor issues, we feel it's just not the right time to build. Luckily we live in a paid off house (best thing we ever did was get a 15 year mortgage) in a great location so hopefully it will continue to appreciate while we wait for things to improve.
Many people have told me that they have a home that is paid off but the prices have gotten so high for homes that they have to no place to move to even with a hefty down payment. They have been priced out of their own markets.
@@KristinaSmallhorn can you please elaborate like more explanation to that ? Thx
@@birdytvcertified the cost of homes in their area is so high they can’t afford the area they currently live in. If they were to buy now it would be a lateral move not a home improvement.
We will be paying off house by next year. We could not afford to buy a house like our now because they have trippled in price in 12 years. We are making extra payments into the principal and should be paying it off very soon.
@@KristinaSmallhorn we could stand to make $100k or more on our home. We bought it at $220k, had $40k down on it and only have $160k left on mortgage.
We could sell our 2700 sq ft house w/ .5 acre for $315-$350 or even higher but still could not afford to move where we want to because we want land in the country and land in NC is expensive.
We have 4 kids so downsizing isnt an option yet. Anything with land costs $450k-$500k+….
We keep getting badgered by agents to sell our property in our “large country neighborhood” that we would make a ton of money…. I tell them to go find me a house like mine not under 2200 sq ft with same amenities they see in my specs on 2 or more acres of land for $400k or less within 30min driving distance of the nearest city hubby works at out of the expensive property taxed counties…. I tell them if they find it and its not a dump I will gladly put an offer and sell this house I love.
They NEVER come back!!
I found your channel because I was researching modular homes.
I was thinking it would be perfect, but the price is way more than what it used to be, so I will be looking at other routes to getting an affordable house.
I’m researching daily on the best affordable housing options. When I see them I will make a video on them. Homes are sooooo expensive.
I've loved the idea of a manufactured home for a very long time. Now their standards are as high and sometimes higher than tradition "stick/site-built" homes. Love your insights, cautions, and clarifications! Hugs Kristina!
Thank You Debbi! Best moderator on UA-cam.
@@KristinaSmallhorn Awww shucks (she says kickin' imaginary dirt) Thank you! :D
@@DebiBrady I pictured the little rascals when I read that. 😂
Their standards are the bottom of the barrel don’t let her trick you
Kristina, do some research into yurts and earthship homes. I live in southern Colorado where there is minimal rain and winters are relatively short and mild. Insulated yurts are becoming popular as temporary housing, especially among young people who own land but need to save additional money before building.
Earthships are being built out of everything from adobe to dirt-filled tires or plastic bottles. If built in a rural area, they require initial investment in a septic system, well (or cistern) and solar or wind power. Passive solar allows for free heating; active solar or windmills power batteries to run a well pump and electric appliances. When completed, earthship homes are inexpensive to operate and are environmentally friendly. In some states there are government programs available to help with the cost of purchasing or installing solar panels. Homeowners living in a sunny locale can generate enough electricity to power not only their home, but an electric car as well. Some, with large solar arrays, make money by selling electricity back to the local power company.
As the cost of home ownership continues to increase, and demand for affordable homes outpaces supply, Americans will be forced to think outside the box in regard to home construction. This also means that lenders are going to be pressured to reconsider financing for unconventional homes.
Not sure when I can even to buy a house anymore. Prices keep doubling everyday 🤷♀️
Just keep continuing to work and stay positive. Pay down debt and live within your means.
get a second job and build up a huge deposit. Every now and then opportunity knocks, but it doesn't knock for long. You got to be ready to pounce when it does.
In 2009 I was able to buy four 1600 sq ft 3ba/2br condos in Phoenix for $10K each because I had the cash in my savings account. Prices were dirt cheap then but if I didn't have CASH I could not buy them. That $40K investment is worth $1M now. I paid off debt, worked 2 Jobs and saved some bucks so I could pounce. I got a much better deal than I had anticipated.
@@Mulerider4Life I have to say, that really made me angry. Please look up stuff and get back to us.
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 come on bro. It's basic economics. You can only control so much.
@@Mulerider4Life these people don't want to take responsibility they would prefer la revolucion all over your face bro
What do you think of buying land now, and building a modular home later, when costs come down?
when has 'any' typo o housing stock came down?
I just looked into a company that is offering a 2 bedroom “modern” modular home for 5 almost 600,000…
We are hoping to build a modular home sometime in the future because we want a small home that's easy to make passive or net zero for emissions. I have no idea where or when we'll build this because it was sort of a retirement plan, but if prices aren't more affordable, we'll probably opt for something else.
Great video. Love your summary of the costs of the modular homes.
Thank You 😊
They're are many steps in-between modular and stick built... with different amounts of work being done at a factory, or onsite. Some stick built homes have all lumber 🪚 cut off site and marked. Just has to be nailed together onsite according to plans.
Hello Kristina, I went to a couple of manufactured home sellers this weekend, and because I need to move out of my house in 60 days, I was trying to buy a house in "special" or any house that they can have ready, now, this is the crazy part, both says exactly the same, if I have land already, I can buy one of this houses and get it there in "almost" 60 days, now if I don't have land, they have to put all in a "package" and they can't use one of these "ready" houses instead I must wait 6 months to get one from the factory... Nobody can give you a reason why? and when you re-ask why, they give a truck full of bs nonsense...
I have heard some crazy stories recently from the lots across the country from subscribers.
@@KristinaSmallhorn I want to thank you again and again for the referral of Rebecca Valera you gave me like a year ago, she is an awesome realtor.
Gabriel, have you looked into living in a van or RV until you can get the land that you need and something to put on it? Lots of UA-cam videos.
Makes sense, it will take you time to buy land zoned properly, foundation laid, sewer, plumbing placed. etc...why hold up a house ready now to sit while you get your ducks in a row? Modular homes ready now can be sold to people who planned ahead and have everything in place to make the purchase and build now.
They don't want to sell the show homes until they come out with newer versions. If they sell it to you they have no way to show other people to get them to buy it. We went through the same thing best bet is to find a version that is older on their lot,not used but older that they are willing to sell. I would ask if they have any homes ready to sell from the lot before I looked at any of them and fell in love if that is what you need.
Really appreciate your vast range of knowledge and your videos ..have learned a lot to consider...
Thank you for commenting. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and learn a little along the way.
What a great video. I was looking into the hole modular-home-building most of all out of interest, and because the prices they use in marketing would make it seem like it's 1/5 of building a new stickhouse (dont know if i used that term correctly). Definitely going to only keep an interest here, especially the part about startups with great renderings but not real houses built etc :D
I like the idea of modular. Perhaps things will be different in a couple of years, but waiting and then finding out it's not better will be really disappointing. Guess I need to learn how to build a log cabin. What chain saw do you recommend?
I’m going to see about building myself. There is a channel called “armchair builder” and he walks you through building your own home.
Stihl chainsaws are built to last.
Even my favorite modular home company - one that Kristina features a lot - has no actual photos of a finished product on an actual plot of land, let alone a customer review. And they're asking $50K. The sad part is either with that company or another like it, someone is going to get a bad product for a while until we can know for sure it's worth the asking price ( not to mention the 2022 real-world cost )
My parents "built"/installed a modular home in upstate NY 17 years ago. They added basement, and also had an expensive septic due to environmental constraints of NYC watershed. The cost was around ~400k. Part of that was due to shady 1st contractor, who they had to walk away from.
WOW 😳 So glad that you gave this information. Thank You 🙏🏽🌹🌟
This was a great video. I am looking to renovate a 70+ year old small house. Due to local regulations I cannot tear down and rebuild on the same spot, so my only option is to renovate. It is a 3-5 year wait to get on the list with local general contractors. I was considering modular for the renovation, but it will still need contractors for the installation.
I think I'll buy a tent before they go up too geez...
LOL, tent and camper prices have already doubled since Covid. There is no escape.
Ope, didn't notice this was a year old XD. I'll check out some more recent videos but got some creative advice fer ya. When doing numbers like like the average cost for the labor, extras, utilities etc. It's best to add the numbers on screen for better understanding. Honestly my only gripe, love the energy you bring and the information/advice you're giving.
Sheesh! Ok that was a full and frank discussion! Can you tell us what events could or should happen that would change your mind and set you back on the modular home buyer path? Thanks so much and thanks for your great videos.
We bought land with a cruddy little trailer on it with the hopes of paying it off fast and building something new within 5 years. We’re at the end of year three and now I wish we had just bought what we wanted at the time. Houses in our area are far and few between and now twice the price 😫 Hopefully things change drastically in the next year but I doubt it.
Have checked Hudhomestore.gov for foreclosure homes? You won’t have to fight with investors for those homes. It’s worth a shot.
@@KristinaSmallhorn I saw one of those. Or something like that on MLS. It was a sh*thole. Way overpriced at 200k, even for Chicago in a decent area.
I've wanted to build my dream for some time. As soon as that dream became realistic inflation hit. At some point some things have to deflect to the downside. Right now I know for a fact this going beyond a supply chain issue and is now simply corporate greed from manufactures. I know some things will come down but quite a few won't. We are entering a new era in economics whether folks like it or not. Sadly we badly need an exudus in the housing market and major industries. But when? How long? How much? This is soul crushing.
I wish I knew the timeline when things will get back to reality. This housing market is so insane.
the value of housing stock is used as a political tool, so if prices are high the country seems wealthier.. when in trtuh of course it means everybody is getting poorer. They should ban multiple home landlords and crash the market. homes should never have been part of the economy
Thank you very much for this analysis. I need to get out of my current rental house because of mold issue. I was considering a modular "healthy" home like Bluhomes or Dvele but after seing your video I will explore the recently built market in a dry climate. I think this would be my best option for now. Thanks!
My husband and I bought acreage in Indiana years ago and a few years ago, we decided to start making plans to do a stick build on that site. Well, couldn't get a builder that was reasonably priced. Then anyone that would talk to us told us a two year wait. Then they tell us it would be time and materials only. We just gave up. Modular was something we considered, but now you have squelched that idea too. We live in a 47 year old block home in Florida for the last 23 years, so I guess we shall be staying. We get offers on our house every week, but where can we afford to move to that is newer and about 1800 square feet for $400K?
Thanks to your podcast I've learned a great deal about the housing market. It's helping me a great deal with some important long term decisions on how I moved forward with my property and getting a new dwelling . Thank you again.
I think the hybrid is referring to Clayton Homes Cross-Mod. I have been considering getting one but not sure yet.
Please see the pinned comment. Great information there.
I literally hit the subscribe button when she jumped infront of the green screen. I love it! Great knowledge !
A modular home has to be built to handle being transported. six inch walls, drywall is glued to the studs as well as screws holding everything together.. They do cut costs however in the quality of the hardware and plumbing from my experience though.
My husband and I have land but are trying to find a solution for putting a house on it in North Dakota. I can’t find any modular home retailers that have reviews! We’ve thought about doing a kit just to get a shell up but everything seems difficult to confirm and have shipping to such a “far away” state as ND. I wish there was an Amazon review but for housing!
First, THANK YOU for making videos about manufactured and modular homes!! My only request as a manufactured home retailer in CA is to refer to the state you quote figures from for permits and construction. Many people start their research online and end up with realistic expectations based on these figures. We here in CA are EXPENSIVE to do everything - Thank you tax man, workman's comp, etc. Again - Thank you for your channel!!
nice homes wish your models was closer to nc specially palm harbor style ;)
Kristina, really appreciate this educational video. I learned a lot, thank you.
Other options! Thank you Kristina.
Thank you. This was important because I thought modular would be less expensive.
Kristina, I was considering a modular home still, until this video, now I will just relegate to buying a stick built, or second owner type of deal, I wish they built more split level homes, I always liked them
What about the loan deadline? On a stick built home loan, you have a certain amount of time to get the house finished. How does that work with a modular home?
I want to build a modular home my land. But waiting and waiting for the delays to end
Here in Phoenix I saw a styrofoam homes on the news. They coat the outside with a concrete coating about a 1/2 inch....it looked pretty cool.
Check around, big difference in price for contractors and also for modular homes, In my area(rural) contractors are from $20 $60 per hour, Although cheaper is not always better. Talk to people and do research as you say, it could save you many thousands and possibly inferior product.
True!
Los Angeles, Ca has that as a norm. Almost every house around 300k is modular/manufactured and in a park with a land lease of around 1k+.
HUD, AKA mobile homes, were still being manufactured well into the late 1990's!
Bought a modular home for 220k out the door including a garage in 2019 right before covid. Took until beginning of 2021 to get completion. Insurance was for a 325k house. The house is presently going for 390k given all the same specs.
"supply chain problems" DONT THINK SO. Companies, and manufactures realized if they hold onto their product longer they can charge more for it without having to invest anything new. It has become industry wide as people have just accepted "supply chain issues" as an excuse.
I think it’s gone up even more since in the year since
The hardest part for me is understanding how to get land. Do banks provide you a loan to buy land for a modular or manufactured home? In addition to the loan on the home?
They’re called mobile homes because they were first really produced in the US after WWII in Mobile, AL, so they were really Mobile (mo-BEEL) homes. As they became more popular and spread across the US, they became mobile homes since they were “moveable”. Side note, “Sweet Homes” was a builder there in AL, and their ads and billboards inspired the Lynyrd Skynyrd song, Sweet Home Alabama.
Awesome facts to know
JJ - NOPE NOPE AND NOPE! The first "mobile homes" were converted from "travel trailers," which were towed behind cars. The modern travel trailer originated in 1929, with Arthur Sherman's "Covered Wagon" model, which sold for $395 each. Travel trailers were also called "house trailers" or "trailer coaches." In 1956, the first true mobile home, the "ten wide" (10' wide) was introduced, along with the term "mobile home."
Great history lesson ❤
Best information I've seen! THANK YOU 😀
small relocatable unit, buy own cheap land pay in cash & pay off the unit, once finished then add to the original building giving you a larger home.
Thanks for the information. You helped me make up my mind about the modular home.
Thank You Bobby Joe. Glad the information was useful.
You are awesome! Thank you for this information 😊 … and I am loving your lipstick
thank you, with this information you just gave us, we will look at other options, M
love your videos and you have a great sense of humor
Too expensive. I think ill buy some land with a cave, a solar panel and an ebike.
Yep.
Obviously two issues that are going to be constant with everything..... Labor prices and Material prices. We need less middlemen. Consumer need to be able to work with one or two parties from start to end. Unfortunately as well many middlemen in the material industries as well.
Very nice video! Informative and creative. Watched it twice!
Thank You 😊 Dee!
The term "affordable" is thrown around so casually it really does depend on where the customer intends to live or work. That price might seem exorbitant to someone who is thinking along the lines of less than $5,000 all matters taken care of. But someone who is accustomed to paying too much for a home from a part of the country where everything costs too much wouldn't bat an eyelash at spending one quarter million dollars or more for a place to call home.
I can't buy a house much less land in WA state with inflation now. Avg price of the homes around me is 800k -2mil$. I just found modular/kit/mfg homes and was so excited cause I love the modern look. But dang...this economy...
Thank you for this great information!
We ordered a Modular last August and won't receive it until July. My price is locked in but the price for others has went up $24k since I ordered one. It had went up 40k within the last year before we ordered. No way I would order now and wouldn't had ordered one if I could've found a contractor to build.. I would've rather built a home
Thank you for sharing. Its the same story I’m hearing from a lot of people.
I love this channel because she is truly an expert.
So helpful!!! Thank you so much!!!
Am thinking of a tinyish home...in Texas
I have a tiny home video coming out next Tuesday. Be on the lookout.
My full time house in Bridgton Maine burned down over memorial day weekend.
Total loss. I bought it at 220 and people wanted it at 775 when it burned.
I have systems in place but need an affordable solution, don't want a mobile and am not allowed anyway.
Suggestions?
I was considering a modular house until I saw this video 😅 I guess both stick-build and manufactured houses are back on the table
Yes, she promoted them for years now it's a total turn around from all her previous videos on modular homes.
@@eckankar7756 they are still very good homes. I love them, the price of them right now is no different than a stick built of not more. I want to honest with people, that’s why I made an updated video.
@@KristinaSmallhorn Thank you, I love the work you do for us.
Really love the new screen!! 👍
@KristinaSmallhorn Can we get an update on this. It seems that things are finally getting better but a more specifically ranges of cost expenses and breakdown approximate.
Man....my husband and I should have done the modular home when we were thinking about it 15 years ago.
Great, informative video! What do you think of buying a modular home that was completed before the supply chain issues?
Also, when do you think things will level off with supply chain issues in the housing construction business?
I’m hoping at least by midsummer but I’m just guessing. The home builders association is optimistic this will be the case and plan to build more this year.
Great video. Who would you recommend for a Northern Maine manufacture?
Thanks for the great information! I've been weighing the option between stick built and modular, and I've checked out several builder's websites that advertise they build manufactured and modular homes. Looking at their offered floor plans, many of them are just manufactured homes and not modular. Do you happen to know any reputable modular home builders in Georgia?
All the companies for each state are going to be different. My suggestion is to start searching for companies that actually deliver to Georgia and go from there.
I have been looking at modular and manufactured homes. After looking at costs my husband and I are seriously considering just doing a site build. So far everything I've been looking at it will likely cost us about the same. With a site build i could have everything i want. Vrs the premade floor plans with not much wiggle room of the manufactured and modular. This supply issue is my biggest concern right now for any options we have.
In Canada, modular homes makers kind of went out of business. They are so hard to find. Does a log walled homes, designed , planed and prepared in a lumberyard then transferred and assembled on site enter into a modular home format? The finishing is a completely separate contract.
I wander would they do that with apartments like a 5 level unit will that help the rent go down in price?
Thank you Kristina
Been watching Boxabl. Have you heard of any negative in the build? Very high shipping cost for east coast customers
Has Johns modular build video been posted?
He has only gotten to the slab stage. Everything has been delayed as we had a hurricane here and the contractors and the materials are hard to come by. Storm damaged homes are repaired before new projects can be started. He’s still doing it though.
great video
Designed a 2500sqft home with a 30x40 metal shop and covered parking. Local builder says he can keep it under 400k. Another builder said 700k Another said 500k and no shop. Deer valley dealer quoted 410k for their 2500sqft modular not including site work concrete and septic. Why buy something that's only acceptable when we can build what we want plus a shop for less. Prices are ridiculously out of control.
Although we can buy something bigger in town for 400k that has a garage, land, landscaping, flatware, fencing etc. Building is more expensive than buying a home and a modular is more expensive than Building a home. Seems backwards from 5-10 years ago when you could buy land build a house and double your money lol those days are long gone.
Great video!
Thank you.
Confused. There are some high-quality prefab/modular homes in China and Vietnam that are low priced. Have you looked into them and what do you think?
I will be looking at other options
Everything you said applies to our builder. This was 3 years ago the cost got crazy expensive. They kept trying to delete upgrades almost took forever to get started before we Said enough. They also soured on any attorneys to be involved and I said I don't think so. So we pulled out of fear we could lose 350 to 400k of our money. We bought a 30 year old home saving us 150k. Amazing alot you Said applied to them.
Unfortunately modular construction in Australia is 3 to 5k a sqm as where average standard method prices are 1 to 2k. Of course anything thats not a cookie cutter will cost more.
Love your info
Hello Kristina how hard it’s to get permit for house like this ??? Thank you .❤
Thank you for the great advice
I agree, but save yourself a few very bad migraines, (or perhaps trauma). By the time you buy the overpriced modular and land and cement foundation to bolt onto, you have to consider all of the additional ie; components that make up a house, I’ll name a few, electric service from a nearby pole , plumbing feed, waste line (most likely to cesspool) , deliver from afar and more. You will be spending more and your investment will be worth less bc it is a modular. This is not a time to buy a home, any home. Lots of greedy companies , investors , real estate crook’s ripping off the public who need a place to live, and they don’t give a sh- about you.
I was a framer years ago. Use your head. Don’t give in to these f--- rs.