NC Manufactured to stick built conversion?

[John Toomey]

Last year we purchased and completely renovated a 1983 Manufactured home. It sits on a brick foundation with a dirt crawl space. It has a 24x16 addition that sits on slab. The interior has been gutted and sheetrocked. All new cabinets and new toilets, sinks, showers, electric wiring, plumbing, everything. The floors have been tiled in the bathrooms, kitchen/dining and addition. The rest has been carpeted. Walls have been knocked down to creat a combo kitchen-dining. All stainless steel appliances. All new windows and siding. We had it appraised and the appraiser said that we should get it converted into a stick built due to the renovations. How do we go about doing this in North Carolina? Everyone we talk to tells us something different. Also, is it worth it because Ive heard "Once manufactured, Always manufactured." Even after conversion would it still be considered manufactured? Please help! ANY feedback would be greatly appreciated!
bugboarder72@yahoo.com -John

 

[Mr Rex]

John, to "convert" the manufactured home, the steel undercarriage would have to be removed and a foundation system designed by a professional engineer be installed in its place. In addition, the engineer would have to certify that all the homes structural systems meet site built code, including floors, walls, wall openings, and roof etc. All the mechanical systems would have to be certified as up to site built code (there are some minor differences particular in the electrical systems of older manufactured versus site built homes etc.)

As you can see, the improvements you describe do not come close to a "conversion" although certainly have added quality to your manufactured home. As you have been told, "once a manufactured, always a manufactured" while not 100% true, is more likely than not to be the case. Few if any Professional engineers would be foolish enough to certify that the manufactured home has been upgraded to the same requirements of a site built house, unless he was there and inspected each system as it was "upgraded".

 

[Otis Key]

Last year we purchased and completely renovated a 1983 Manufactured home. <snip> We had it appraised and the appraiser said that we should get it converted into a stick built due to the renovations. How do we go about doing this in North Carolina? Everyone we talk to tells us something different. Also, is it worth it because Ive heard "Once manufactured, Always manufactured." Even after conversion would it still be considered manufactured? Please help! ANY feedback would be greatly appreciated!
bugboarder72@yahoo.com -John

My Bold

Welcome to the forum John. As Mike indicated, partly, it takes more than just what you've done. In fact, the bolded section above of your post is the answer. Once = always. Now, I'd personally consider getting back in touch with that "appraiser" and try to get something in writing and file a complaint for giving out false information.

Appraisers have a saying of "It is what it is" and you have a manufactured residence with a site built addition (hopefully it was permitted). Now the assessor's office (I'm not in your state so I don't know the rules) will many times convert a record from manufactured to "single family residence" for the benefit of collecting higher taxes.

Have a good day sir.

 

[CindyMura]

John---------honey, sweety.....................Why didn't you ask before you did the improvements? Undercarriage is everything in the manufactured home world.

 

[Joanne Rauenzahn]

I have something SORT of similar to that right now - to sell it to FLMC I would need an engineers report and similar comps - which I doubt can be found. I have also heard once a manufactured, always a manufacured.

There is a home near my sis in maryland that they built a huge addition of to their doublewide. When the inspector came out he said NOPE - they would need to put another $70,000 to redo parts of the foundation. They vacated and the very nice looking home now just sits there. Kinda awful!

Good luck!

 

[John Toomey]

John---------honey, sweety.....................Why didn't you ask before you did the improvements? Undercarriage is everything in the manufactured home world.

The place was a steal either way. I was just looking at the conversion as a boost for resale because I know finding financing on MFs is hard. Im not all that concerned about the conversion, it was more like a bonus. The house sits on 18 acres of great land and it was just what we were looking for. We wont be moving any time soon. Even as a manufactured home it appraised at $20,000 more than we bought it for with out all the renovations being done!

 

[Mr Rex]

John, I hope you have a Professional engineers certification for the walls you removed and that there is no structural bearing of the addition on the original manufactured home. Any modifications to a manufactured home require an engineers certification. If your appraiser didn't ask for one, his butt could be in a sling if you were to default or at the next sale if that appraiser asks the right questions etc. You would likely be highly perturbed to discover at that point that you need an engineers cert, as that potential buyer moves on down the road. Food for thought.

 

[Tom McDowell]

John You have received some good advice above. While the appraiser MUST identify that the subject is partially a manufactured home that does not always mean he would use manufactured homes sales to compare to your's. Idealy he would select similar homes that have had the conversion. Even if you follow the advice of removing the steel frame and have it replaced the appraiser should report that fact in his report.

What part of NC do you live in. Some places have several manufactured homes with additions. Others have none.

I would suggest you find an appraiser that has experience in doing this kind of work. Not all appraisers have the level of competency to complete a manufactured home appraisal especially one with additions. Also there are a number of appraisers that just refuse to do anything associated with a manufactured home.

Good Luck!

TAR HEEL BORN
TAR HEEL BRED
WHEN I'M GONE
I'LL BE A TAR HEEL DEAD

 

[Otis Key]

The place was a steal either way. I was just looking at the conversion as a boost for resale because I know finding financing on MFs is hard. Im not all that concerned about the conversion, it was more like a bonus.

John, you cannot make a Yugo into a Mercedes by hanging the emblem on it. It was "born" a manufactured home" and will remain as such. However, the big concerns have already been expressed by me and the others. If you've modified the structural integrity of the load bearing walls, you may have a real problem. If you've removed the HUD tags, you may have a real problem.

As mentioned, it would seem that you talked with someone who calls him/herself an appraiser who has little to no experience with manufactured housing appraising. That can not only get that person into trouble, but you also from a financial aspect. None of us here want to see anything like that happen to anyone. We see it day in and day out.

Might as well face the fact that you still have a manufacture residence that now has an addition.

 

[John Toomey]

Might as well face the fact that you still have a manufacture residence that now has an addition.

Which is fine by me. Like I said, I was curious about the option of making it a stick built simply because if we ever do sell it would make it easier on the next person for financing. It was a bonus if it could. However, it can't and I no longer have any interest in pursuing it. We probably wont sell for many years from now and we are happy with our manufactured residence that now has an addition. And, yes, the structural integrity is still completely there.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone, you've been very helpful!