Home buyers are often confused over the different types of housing available. Modular homes, manufactured homes are viable options. First time home buyers, long-time home owners and independent-living seniors will find the explanations below helpful to understand the advantages and disadvantages for each type of home.

Site Built Homes: Traditional Home Construction

• A custom home builder will construct this type of home by hand on a building site
• These types of homes must confirm to all state, local or regional codes and requires a home inspection on site.
• Quality is dependent on the contractor and subcontractor capabilities.
• This traditional construction method is widely used and accepted around the country by home buyers

Modular Homes: An Incremental Improvement

• A factory produces sections of the home and then are shipped to the building site for final assembly by a contractor. Typically, furnaces, air conditioners, appliances, carpet and window treatments must be added on-site.
• State, local or regional building codes must be in conformance for the site. Inspectors will verify the home meets these requirements.
• Modular homes are often cheaper than traditional or site built homes.
• A modular home that is properly assembled by a contractor should have the same longevity as its site-built counterpart, increasing in value over time.

Manufactured Homes: A Cheaper Housing Option

• Modern manufactured homes, often mistakenly referred to as mobile homes or trailers, offer options for floor plans, interior finishing and exterior siding giving them a custom look.
• Manufactured houses are built entirely in a factory and shipped in sections or whole to the building site. Manufactured homes are complete with urnaces, plumbing, kitchen appliances, carpet and window treatments. They must be self-sufficient and ready to occupy when they leave the factory.
• Manufactured homes need only to conform to a Federal building code, called the HUD code, rather than to building codes at their destinations.
• Manufactured homes are built on a steel chassis with wheels that are removed once placed on-site.
• Inspections check on the electrical and plumbing hookups at the site and are not required to approve the structure as it has already passed 38 HUD inspections during construction.
• Manufactured housing offers greater cost-savings than site built and modular homes.
• Manufactured Homes Ideal for Lower Income or Independent Living Seniors
• Manufactured homes offer the ability for custom options giving a custom-look for homeowners. Their lower cost and quality construction offers an ideal home for lower income and independent living seniors.

Placing a manufactured home in a community catering to these types of homes enables homeowners to have the joys of pools, playgrounds, club houses and other amenities ideal for a family.

Bertakis Development offers Michigan manufactured home communities and Texas manufactured home communities. These communities are ideal for lower income families and for independent living seniors.