Will Manufactured Homes Increase in Value?

Among the (many) misperceptions about manufactured homes is that they either don’t increase in value, or they rise in value more slowly that homes built the old-fashioned way.

But a recent report from the Urban Institute, a think tank based in Washington DC, suggests otherwise. It states that manufactured homes now achieve an average annual growth rate of 3.4%, versus 3.8% for traditional, site-built homes.

Of course there are many other variables that also impact home prices, such as location, age and condition. But in recent years, some manufactured homes have increased in value at a faster pace than their stick-built counterparts, so any assumptions of future value simply based on the how a home is built can, at last, be laid to rest.

Hopefully, this will help the consumer market get past the stereotypes about houses that are built in factories. After all, such stereotypes that do not exist about cars built in factories, or furniture or appliances or electronics or anything else we gladly pay top dollar to acquire.

Consider also that when a home is built in climate-controlled factory conditions, it can be completed without worries over weather-related damage that can delay completion or warp building material components. All technicians and craftsmen are professionally supervised throughout the project, which isn’t always possible with site-built construction.

These structures must also meet the HUD Code, a set of stringent guidelines that regulates the construction of Manufactured Homes. These regulations require them to meet quality standards in strength and durability, energy efficiency, heating, plumbing, air-conditioning, thermal systems and electrical systems. An inspection process at every step during construction verifies that each home built meets these criteria.

Factory-built housing now sells more than 1 million units every year. Would you like to make it one million and one? Here’s the place to start.

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