Is this something?

[Lycabull]

ROAD Act.

Looks like the UAD could just be the beginning. This has not passed yet, but appears to be gathering steam. Looks like it affects many areas. The times are a changing.

Inside the Major Bill Poised to Reshape the US Housing Market

The bipartisan legislative initiative aims to bolster supply for middle-class families.

www.theepochtimes.com

Lawmakers removed the permanent chassis requirement for manufactured homes. The long-standing federal rule required that manufactured homes be constructed on a permanent steel frame to qualify under the federal construction code.

It also includes the Modular Housing Production Act and other reforms to streamline the production of factory-built housing.

There was also some focus on the demand side of the equation. For example, the bill establishes incentives for mortgage lenders to originate small-dollar mortgages—typically less than $100,000—to address the financing gap for low-cost homes. Additionally, Congress updated rules on appraisal standards and fees for these small-dollar loans.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act includes reforms to Veterans Affairs housing policies. The major changes include expanding access to Veterans Affairs home loans, improving consumer protections for borrowers, and enhancing housing support for disabled and homeless veterans.

 

[Overimprovement]

I'm not a MH construction expert--on what else could a MH be built and still be transportable? Does this also mean the tongue and wheels could remain and still qualify for financing AND conversion to Real estate?

 

[J Grant]

Soon they will be financing cardboard boxes -

"To free up funding and expand housing options across America, cardboard boxes at least five feet high with a hole for air on one side will be acceptable for conventional and FHA financing. Eco-friendly, they are also eligible for green energy credits. Installing tin foil on the top qualifies each box for a solar panel credit up to $25,000."

"Starting July 1st, in order to avoid any bias or stigma, the GSEs will penalize each appraiser who uses the word "box" or "cardboard "in an appraisal. The name for this exciting new form of affordable housing, an opportunity for working Americans who are priced out of the traditional housing market, will be "Four-sided Aerodynamic shelter".

 

[sputnam]

I'm not a MH construction expert--on what else could a MH be built and still be transportable? Does this also mean the tongue and wheels could remain and still qualify for financing AND conversion to Real estate?

MH can, and already are, being transported on dollies that are removed at the site and can be reused. 'Manufactured' vs 'Modular' has never been about the frame. Manufactured housing can have steel or wooden frames. Same for Modular. The difference is that manufactured housing has to comply with HUD building codes and modular has to comply with state buiding codes.

 

[Tawfik Ahdab]

They should stop calling them “manufactured homes” and instead refer to them as “HUD-code”homes, as prevails in the factory-built housing construction trade.

But then these old names are sticky. Consider how many people still designate manufactured homes as mobile homes or even as trailers to this day even though the term “manufactured home” will have been in official use for 50 years come July 15, 2026

By the way, sputnam, FHA requires a manufactured home to have a permanent chassis - the foundational, load-bearing framework of a manufactured object that structurally supports it in its construction and functions - so the frame very much matters. It just doesn’t explicitly require it to be steel.

 

[sputnam]

They should stop calling them “manufactured homes” and instead refer to them as “HUD-code”homes, as prevails in the factory-built housing construction trade.

But then these old names are sticky. Consider how many people still designate manufactured homes as mobile homes or even as trailers to this day even though the term “manufactured home” will have been in official use for 50 years come July 15, 2026

By the way, sputnam, FHA requires a manufactured home to have a permanent chassis - the foundational, load-bearing framework of a manufactured object that structurally supports it in its construction and functions - so the frame very much matters. It just doesn’t explicitly require it to be steel.

BTW... no one said the frame doesn't matter. I said 1- They can be transported on a dolly that's then removed and, 2- the frame could be steel or wood.

 

[Zoe]

I don't see as a biggie. States and local code oversee manufactured and modular homes in many areas. Many areas in Tennessee have no code enforcement in the jurisdiction.

If a licensed contractor does the installation, they are still held to a building code. The licensed contractor has liability insurance.

 

[Zoe]

I can't think of building code licensed contractors are held to but a manufactured home dealer or modular home dealer would know.

I want to say their code is like an international code to hold a contractor's license even if local jurisdiction has not local building code.

If homeowner did installation, beware.

 

[sputnam]

I can't think of building code licensed contractors are held to but a manufactured home dealer or modular home dealer would know.

I want to say their code is like an international code to hold a contractor's license even if local jurisdiction has not local building code.

If homeowner did installation, beware.

Contractors aren't inspected to see if they meet code. Things they build are. The particular code that matters for site built dwellings, depends on the location. A lot of state building codes are either BOCCA or based on BOCCA.

A manufactured home dealer would have little reason to be an expert in HUD building codes. Manufactured dwellings are built in factories. The dealer is the salesman.