Manufactured vs Stick Built

[joesunn]

I did get hold of the county and requested the building permit from 25 years ago and it identified the building as modular. Thank you all for your feed back.

 

[ATNA]

So I will piggy-back off this thread instead of creating a new one with regards to modular vs manuf/mobile. I currently have a property that the deed says its a 1999 Titan Modular Home. The town says it's a manuf/mobile double wide. It has a full basement and was able to see the framing underneath. It has wood framing, the two sections joined at the middle and has wood floor joists with no steel under carriage. The strange thing, which I don't recall coming across before, is the HUD placard on the exterior (that you would typically see on a manuf) one on each section. The stamp reads TRA instead of the ULI number. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[sputnam]

Wood vs steel framing is not the definitive feature. Site built dwellings can have steel framing. Factory built dwellings can have wooden framing. Manufactured dwellings are built to HUD standards and have the HUD tag attached near a corner of each section. Modulars are built to state building codes. Modulars have a data plate (it's paper) attached inside. Usually in a closet or inside a cabinet. Site built dwellings are built to state/local building codes. They don't have any sort of label attached.

 

[Lycabull]

I took a MF housing class from Mr. Heyn many moons ago. Also a report writing class the next day. Two of the best classes I've ever attended, thanks Rich! I had just started out on my own and one of my first assignments was a so called "Modular house." It was a refi as the owner had just purchased it a few months earlier and was now wanting to refi and add a family room.

Once I found out what it was and informed the lender, the brown substance really hit the whirling blades so to speak. I decided at that time I wanted to learn everything I could about manufactured houses. Of course I was the idiot since the other appraiser had called it a real modular. It was what it was. I was told by people who know more than I do the manufacturers created them to help buyers get financing since financing for manufactured houses is often limited.

The prior appraiser had only used stick built comparables for the original sale and the buyer was already upside down on his mortgage trying to borrow more. I searched the whole county and there were only two properties with manufactured housing that were even anywhere near the value of the subject. One was on a whole section of land, the other a quarter section. The subject had a 10 acre parcel.

When Rich taught the manufactured housing class, he went out to visit one of our local manufactured housing dealers for lunch that day. When he returned, he told the class they had a two section manufactured HUD house parked right beside a two section "on frame" modular. He said except for the fact one had HUD tags/date plate, and axles/wheels to deliver it on and the other did not, they were basically identical. Especially quality wise.

The thing I try to keep in mind is the only difference between a stick built, a manufactured HUD house and a modular house is the later two are built under a roof in a factory. Sure, sure, the HUD home has to be built to HUD specs, but I challenge anyone to tell the difference between a HUD and an on frame once they are set up without looking underneath. One of the first two section manufactured HUD houses I appraised with my mentor was a KIT Home. Not like the kind Sears sold and shipped on a train, but a KIT brand. Four by Six exterior framing, it was higher quality than many stick built houses I've appraised. Most of the on frames I've appraised were very similar in quality to a typical manufactured HUD house. Interior paneling and no drywall, 2 x 2 interior framing, etc. It is basically a two section manufactured house (aka doublewide) that is shipped out on a truck so it can be called a modular. Never seen much difference other than that. All about the quality.

Now for some fun. Which form, 1004 or 1004C

 

[ATNA]

Well, to put this discussion to bed, I was wrong. The subject had every sign of being a modular but it ended up being a manufactured home. The lender submitted the info on the tag to the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS) for verification. They provided a verification certificate indicating it was in fact a manufactured home and provide the wind/roof/thermal info, manufacturer, DOM and serial number. So a bit of advise if your unsure, have the lender use this company for verification. Thanks guys for all your input.

 

[alebrewer]

I could be wrong, but aren't most manufactured homes stick built also?

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

All about the quality.

The typical "modular" comps better with a "Manf. home" than what I call a true factory built in sections house. I have valued several and those are indistinguishable from conventional construction. A foundation is poured to specs and plumbing roughed in. Semi's bring in the panels and set them in place, The roof is set in place, then shingled. The interior is then finished out and then floor covering and appliances installed.

I could be wrong, but aren't most manufactured homes stick built also?

Well...if you can trash wood "stick". I recall a couple of my college roommates (brothers) worked at a place building MF's. The biggest work hazard was falling thru the roof and they 'installed' the dryer duct with a sledgehammer. Simply punched a hole through the floor. "2x4" walls were turned sideways and often warped, so they often had to craft a place to hide the bulging ones. In a closet on the wall, Often the unit arrived with a wall separated from the floor.

 

[alebrewer]

Well...if you can trash wood "stick". I recall a couple of my college roommates (brothers) worked at a place building MF's. The biggest work hazard was falling thru the roof and they 'installed' the dryer duct with a sledgehammer. Simply punched a hole through the floor. "2x4" walls were turned sideways and often warped, so they often had to craft a place to hide the bulging ones. In a closet on the wall, Often the unit arrived with a wall separated from the floor.

Wouldn't that relate more to quality issues than construction materials?

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Wouldn't that relate more to quality issues than construction materials?

Do you think they are not cut from the same cloth? Elkhart, IN has a huge number of firms building RVs and MHs. The quality is in the pits for all of them unless you pay dearly and even then? Go to any RV site and see the complaints about walls separating from the floor, inadequate axles. One showed that the axles were rated so low, that the weight of the RV was only 50 lb. less than the axles load rating... Once you put your clothes and food in, you're overweight. Leaks. 1 in 3 rooftops leak within 2 years? Windows literally fall out of the sides. Water pumps etc. When I was in the old patch, even back then, the boss wanted to save money by installing our gas detectors in a conventional RV rather than the heavier oilfield trailers we were accustomed to. The first one arrived at the wellsite with a warped frame and wall separation. Once back at the shop, they ended up reinforcing the frame with additional metal and tension cables. Did the other one the same way. Then bearings started coming out of the axles. So replaced the entire axle with heavier ones. In the end, cost more than doing it right the first time. Recently passing thru W Texas I noted one of the old logging trailers sitting on a well pad. Made by Richard Roach in the 1980s or before. Still working. They were heavy duty.

 

[alebrewer]

Do you think they are not cut from the same cloth? Elkhart, IN has a huge number of firms building RVs and MHs. The quality is in the pits for all of them unless you pay dearly and even then? Go to any RV site and see the complaints about walls separating from the floor, inadequate axles. One showed that the axles were rated so low, that the weight of the RV was only 50 lb. less than the axles load rating... Once you put your clothes and food in, you're overweight. Leaks. 1 in 3 rooftops leak within 2 years? Windows literally fall out of the sides. Water pumps etc. When I was in the old patch, even back then, the boss wanted to save money by installing our gas detectors in a conventional RV rather than the heavier oilfield trailers we were accustomed to. The first one arrived at the wellsite with a warped frame and wall separation. Once back at the shop, they ended up reinforcing the frame with additional metal and tension cables. Did the other one the same way. Then bearings started coming out of the axles. So replaced the entire axle with heavier ones. In the end, cost more than doing it right the first time. Recently passing thru W Texas I noted one of the old logging trailers sitting on a well pad. Made by Richard Roach in the 1980s or before. Still working. They were heavy duty.

So look: my point was (and is) that manufactured homes are built with sticks, therefore they are - in fact - 'stick built'. So, the question, 'is it stick built or manufactured' is a nonsensical question. A much better distinction between the two construction styles would be 'site built' vs 'manufactured'... at least in brewers' world.