People enter the the tiny life for a variety of reasons. Operation Tiny Home builds home for American service veterans.
Tiny Living Rekindles The American Dream That May Have Seemed Out of Reach
When the idyllic term ‘The American Dream’ crept into daily conversation, it looked something like a Polaroid snapshot. The picture had 2.5 children, an average sized home with a white picket fence, and a golden retriever.
Fast-forward to today and the average American home is over 2,500 square feet, people are waiting until their 30s to start a family, minimum wage no longer matches housing costs, and most families are made up of two parents who work outside the home or a combined family versus the previously expected, traditional nuclear family.
From millennials to retirees, people are beginning to realize that they cannot afford the average American home. Mortgage payment and apartment rent, especially on a fixed income, have outpaced the average ability to pay. Even for those who can comfortably afford the cost of living, they no longer want to have to work 60-80 hours a week for a house they have such limited time to enjoy.
So, are we deciding to rewrite The American Dream?
A smaller home means reduced cost and more freedom, key components of The American Dream.
Tiny Living Offers Affordability
The cost of living in the U.S. alone is thousands of dollars a month for housing, vehicles and utilities. But many living tiny report paying a fraction of that cost, from $400-$800 per month. Several tiny house dwellers opt to tend land or gardens, or complete farm work in exchange for lot rent on agricultural land. Their housing costs are next to nothing and the parking spot offers room to roam.
Tiny home living is a growing lifestyle choice for those looking to reclaim The American Dream.
Tiny home owners are much more likely to pay for their house in full upon its completion. They get to avoid carrying or paying for a 15- or 30-year mortgage. Paying for a home in cash continues to be a common occurrence for existing manufactured homes, as well.
Likewise, many people looking to downsize choose total DIY homes. Or take part in completing some of the build themselves. We also can encourage custom builders to use reclaimed materials. Of course, this can add character to a build. Also, it limits materials used for construction, saving on budget line items.
Park Models and Tiny Houses Renew a Sense of Community
We are in a generation where parents feel pressured to keep a watchful eye over their kids at all times. The days feel long gone when children could play in their neighborhoods together, climb trees, and ride bikes until the street lights come on. However, in tiny house and park model communities, we are seeing a growing trend in like-minded people coming together to build the foundation for future generations. Communities offer shared garden spaces, community recreation spots, and even shared garage space for possessions like bikes and snowboards. These community ideals almost offer families and retirees a renewed sense of hope in the upcoming generation.
Dozens of tiny homes were on display at the Tiny Home & Simple Living Jamboree in August 2018 in Austin, Texas.
Small Homes Promote Environmental Consciousness
Tiny houses offer a solution to many global environmental concerns, boasting the use of less than a third of the electricity and producing only a fraction of the CO2 output of the traditionally sized American home. The limited use of construction materials such as lumber, as well as the fuel to transport it saves both money and trees. Additionally, the average home uses an average of 45 light bulbs whereas tiny homes usually have less than nine bulbs. This, paired with the limited use of large appliances in a tiny house, creates a much smaller global footprint overall.
Living Smaller Encourages Experiences
Living tiny encourages owners of smaller homes to go outside, experience nature, be active, engage in their communities, and travel. This is an opportunity to experience the world like they never could before when they spent their time chained to a desk job or forced to climb a corporate ladder or toil away at a blue-collar job. The tiny lifestyle offers the ability to save money for travel. Or to haul your house when you go.
Smaller living truly offers freedoms Americans are longing for, focuses on community, answers global environmental concerns, and allows consumers to simplify and save money. Indeed, tiny houses could be The American Dream for the next generation.
What to look for when buying used. Get the home you want, whether it's manufactured, tiny or a park model.
Looking to Buy a Used Mobile Home?
Whether you’re a retiree ready for adventure or you’re single and looking to save while you pursue your career, manufactured homes can be an excellent living solution for both your financial and lifestyle needs.
If you are planning to live in a manufactured home, that doesn’t mean the quality of the build should be minimized. There are ways to save money where it makes sense and end up with a perfectly safe and reliable house that will last for years.
To ensure you make educated decisions throughout your home search, here are 4 key areas to pay close attention to when buying a used manufactured home.
Home quality depends on foundational stability and chassis as much as it does the home itself.
A Functional Foundation
Many people looking to save on time and cash will look at purchasing used tiny home trailers from pre-owned flatbeds to unknown chassis on eBay or Craigslist. This is a major red flag. What you want is more than a trailer used to haul hay bales from the farm. This is the foundation on which you will carry your home, your family, and all of your belongings.
When buying used, you want to ensure roadworthiness and safety by hiring an inspector. Make sure the chassis can handle the weight of your home.
Tiny home builders take their latest creation on the road, often living in them while the home is on the market.
Electric and Plumbing Hazards When Buying Used
You want to be certain the builder of your used small home was a certified contractor and, whenever possible, that they are certified to build manufactured homes specifically.
Aside from the obvious hazards, a DIY attempt at electrical could pose dangers for electrocution, code violations, expensive after-build repairs, or improper breaker boxes. Plumbing concerns can include the use of improper materials for piping, connections remaining without proper sealant, and the ruining of furniture and flooring. Emergency repairs for these mistakes are very costly and can even result in a complete rebuild.
A sale representative from Clayton Homes talks with a potential buyer about a park model.
Ventilation, Windows and Insulation
The interior of a park model tiny home at Village Farm in Austin, Texas
Unlike a traditional home build, there is much to consider in the way of insulation and window installation when having your manufactured home built or installed. Buyers must consider things like how often their house will be moved, what seasons it will travel through or be parked in, and how severe the temperature changes might be. These kinds of climate changes can result in mold damage if the home has not had the proper ventilation installed correctly.
It is more costly to install a double paned, tempered window in any home, but if you plan to move your house often, a tempered window can save you thousands in window replacement in the long run when rocks on the highway bounce up and break your glass.
Denim and sheep’s wool, spray foam or traditional fiberglass can be used for tiny house insulation. The cost varies greatly depending on your choice of material, but these changes are benefits of a fully customized build where everything from environmental impact and R-rating can be considered. Be sure to ask your seller what type on insulation was installed in the mobile home as well as its R-value to ensure it will keep you warm enough wherever you park.
Timeline Accuracy
When buying a used mobile home, tiny house, or park model, unlike a traditional stick-built home, financing and lenders can be very particular. This means that if you do not plan to pay for your new home in cash, you may need to plan for a few extra weeks before the keys will be in your hands.
Like with any large purchase, be sure to do your research before you commit. Check out certified and trusted builders. Look for professionals within the manufactured home industry. They will be your best bet for happy and safe small home living for the long-haul.
S2A's new modular construction will come in varying sizes and floor plan design.
S2A, a New Modular Builder in California, Leverages Tesla Powerwall
There’s a new modular builder in the housing market offering a home the company hopes will “shatter the world’s conventional thought on the way residential and commercial buildings are designed and constructed.”
The California-based company, S2A Modular, is introducing what it calls the #GreenLuxHome, the “first-ever electrically self-sustaining, custom luxury home” with “high-end designs and materials; faster construction speed; self-sustaining power … and smart-connected living.”
Modern design in a new modular home from S2A Modular of California.
New Modular Builder Is Less Than Two Years Old
John Rowland, president of S2A Modular.S2A Modular CEO Brian Kuzdas.
John Rowland and Brian Kuzdas founded S2A Modular in 2017.
Rowland, the president, has about 30 years of home construction experience. Kuzdas, the CEO, has about 30 years of brokerage experience, having started out selling apartments in Chicago.
When they studied the manufactured and modular method of construction — which can turn out stronger buildings faster and cheaper than traditional site-built construction methods — they thought it would be a good idea to form a partnership and build a factory for a new modular product, Kuzdas said.
The factory, still under construction, will be completed in two phases. The company will complete its first 100,000-square-foot facility in 2019. The second facility will open in 2020. Both facilities will be located on 18 acres in Menifee, Calif. Combined, they’ll produce about 2,000 units per year, Kuzdas said.
Meanwhile, S2A has assembled a corporate team and has access to a construction workforce. Eventually, the company would like to build another factory in northern California, he said.
Spanish bungalow in a new modular home design from S2A Modular.
New Modular Builder Will Expand to New Markets
Even though the factory is unfinished, S2A has already taken orders for more than 250 units, including single-family homes, mixed-use buildings, apartment buildings, hotels and modular communities. For the time being, S2A is focused on selling buildings in California. The company plans to expand to nearby states, and eventually the rest of the country, Kuzdas said.
Straight lines in a simple bungalow floor plan from S2A Modular, a new modular builder in California.
Though all the units will be built in a factory, S2A will not use a “cookie-cutter” approach. The company offers dozens of new modular single-family home designs, with the option to make even more custom changes. Home sizes can vary from a 600-square-foot accessory dwelling unit to a 10,000-square-foot mansion. The price of each home will vary based on design, but will cost less per square foot than a comparable stick-built home. And upgrades for things like cabinets and countertops will cost less than similar upgrades in the traditional housing market. That’s thanks to the efficiencies of modular construction, he said.
Small farm-style residence from new modular builder S2A, based in California.
Tesla Powerwall Central to Home Efficiencies
The core of S2A’s modular design is the Tesla Powerwall, which stores electricity generated from solar tiles. Using this battery to power a home requires modern, energy-efficient windows, doors and other components. This arrangement eliminates energy costs — in fact, utility companies might even pay the homeowners for contributing energy to the grid, according to S2A.
“This is the future of housing in general,” Kuzdas said. “If you take a Tesla battery and put it in a home built in the ’50s, forget about it. It’s not as energy efficient.”
He’s excited about the overall benefits of modular construction.
“I love what’s going on right now,” Kuzdas said. “Modular is a great way to build. It’s not much different than the traditional method, it’s just that you’re building inside. You don’t have to take weekends off. You don’t wait out rain. That’s where you create efficiencies.”
A new modular builder, S2A from California, creates varied architectural and design elements in energy-efficient homes.
Leland Industries of Grandview, Texas built a staircase to access the loft sleeping area.
From Safety To Storage, Here are the Best Reasons to Choose Stairs Over Ladders
Alternating tread staircase in a Triangle D tiny home shown during the National Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree in Austin, Texas during August of 2018.
Tiny houses attract people from all seasons in their lives. You may be a recent college graduate wanting to spend your money on paying off student loans instead of expensive housing costs. So you opt for an affordable DIY tiny. Others might be retirees wanting to travel the country with a THOW (Tiny House on Wheels).
Even families are now looking to provide adventure and experiences for kids, so they go for a park model tiny with a little more space to live the simple life. No matter where you are or what your motivation to minimize, many people come to the same conclusion about the average tiny house…
“What if I need to use the bathroom at 3 a.m.? I don’t want to climb a ladder in the middle of the night.”
If you were to ask any tiny house builder or tiny house event speaker what questions they get most often, you are likely to hear responses about toilets and ladders.
With tiny houses ringing in at an average estimated 200 total square feet of living space, lofts included, is it really possible to have stairs or steps inside your home? We say a resounding YES. And here we provide five reasons we favor stairs over ladders. Stairs may not only be a potential option for tiny living, but one that provides a solution for the hurdles many face about whether or not they actually could go tiny.
Stairs Over Ladders, Reason 1: Maximum Safety
Whether it is a midnight bathroom run or just getting into bed or your loft living room, ascending a ladder can be dangerous. Most tiny house ladders are built to be removed and stored somewhere other than their climbing location, so you have to consider the safety of hooking it in place properly each time. Meanwhile, stairs are stationary and sturdy without ever having to be moved. This creates a place that is safe for everyone in the family, including the pets.
Stairs Over Ladders, Reason 2: More Storage
Some may think the addition of stairs in a tiny house would take up too much space. But, if you consider each step as a drawer or cubby, cabinet or appliance housing, you have gone from worrying about square feet to creating an entire housing place for your wardrobe, books, laundry and more. Check out our latest tips for making great use of storage space around a home.
Stairs Over Ladders, Reason 3: Family Friendly
Using stairs instead of a ladder has minor cons like the fact that the materials naturally weigh more than a ladder. Still, you must consider your family and yourself. Navigating steps at any time of day or night is easier than a ladder. Additionally, if you have small children, older family members, or people with disabilities, the steps offer more stability for going into and coming down from loft spaces.
Stairs Over Ladders, Reason 4: Pet Friendly
Tiny homeowners tend to have pets of all shapes and sizes and ladders don’t lend themselves to ease of climbing for most animals. Steps, though, can make climbing easier as well as less scary for your pets. Another cool option offered when you choose stairs in your tiny home is to build an intentional space for your pets’ bedding and treats, toys, or even food and water bowls. This keeps these items out of the main pathway of traffic in your tiny while giving the pet their own designated space.
Stairs Over Ladders, Reason 5: Extra Seating
With the simple addition of a seat cushion or pillow, a staircase of seven or eight steps can create a place to sit and read or even for hosting a houseful of company. Also, this means it will provide space for pets to lay and sun themselves in front of your windows or even a place to rotate your house plants so they can get the amount of sunlight each requires.
When you are designing your tiny house, you want to consider all of your options. You want to save livable floor space, storage, and room for anything you might place in a loft. Choosing the way you access your loft space is an important concern. Don’t be fooled into thinking ladders are the only option for tiny house living with a loft. Consider the pros of adding stairs over ladders to your tiny home floor plan.
Enter one of two short film contests to help bust myths about mobile home community living. Multiple cash prizes will be awarded.
Submit Short Film to Noble Homes, Bust Stigma, Earn Cash
After Laurie Westendorf moved into her home, she was excited to show her friends. But after telling them about the housewarming party she’d planned, she was shocked at the reaction.
“I had a friend say, ‘Why are you going to throw a housewarming party when you’re just buying a trailer?’” the Kalispell, Mont., resident said.
It’s a reaction that those living in manufactured housing know too well thanks to the stigma associated with this vital source of affordable, unsubsidized housing. The 18 million residents living in factory-built homes have had to bump against outdated notions and unfair stereotypes for decades.
Liz Wood, who lives in Duvall Riverside Village in Duvall, Wash., felt this when she moved into her manufactured home abutting the Snoqualmie River. She felt like she’d found the perfect place to raise her daughter and took pride in the garden sanctuary she built up in her yard.
But her friend, who purchased a site-built, lakefront home at the same time, made her feel otherwise.
“I thought, ‘Hey, there’s some common ground,’ but in reality, I felt less than, and that was a hard pill to swallow,” Wood said. “I knew that I was looked down upon by some of the comments that were made.”
Use your phone or any other camera to shoot video and enter contests to change minds and win cash.
Negative Language Naturally Builds Negative Perception
Language seems to be one of the major barriers that needs to be overcome when addressing the stigma. Joan Thompson-Stein, who lives in Conifer Green in Kingston, Mass., said she was attending a public meeting one day for a development being built near her neighborhood. An off-hand comment that someone made about her community stuck with her.
“’You used to be able to call them trailer parks,’” she recalled a man saying, his words dripping with disdain.
In reality, manufactured housing serves a viable and attractive option for both first-time homeowners and those looking to downsize — something Wood said she experienced firsthand during the Great Recession. While she lived fairly comfortably during those years, her friends and family were struggling.
“Their lakefront property that they spent big money for — it turns out they couldn’t really afford to be there,” she said. “And at this point I’m able to give her flowers and plants and she puts them in her yard. So not only can we continue to make our homes beautiful, I can give to others at a different economic level and hopefully convince them that there are strong hardworking people who want to live in a nice home and that it doesn’t have to cost $400,000.”
Working Hard for Community
In many of these neighborhoods, hard-working members are volunteering their time to help not only themselves, but their entire community.
A visit to these homes and communities quickly brings down the common misconception that these are last resorts.
The Rev. Michael Scarlett, who lives in Colonial Estates Homeowners Association in Taunton, Mass., said residents have a real sense of ownership in the 148-home neighborhood he lives in.
“Colonial Estates as a community really is a community,” he said. “People take pride in their homes.”
That’s been Westendorf’s experience, too, when others have come to visit her neighborhood, Morning Star.
“Once they come into the community and they come into our home, they just fall in love with it,” Westendorf said.
Show Noble Homes Your Film, Share How You Live
That’s exactly what the Noble Homes Video Contest aims to do: show the true reality of manufactured home living.
There are countless stories that could inspire us each and every day, ones meant to be widely shared. The hope is that creating and sharing these videos will break negative perception, eliminate the stigma.
And there will be two types of a contests.
In the first, videos can be between 30 and 60 seconds. A second contest will allow videos to be a minute to three minutes. In both, the videos are meant to capture what it’s truly like to live in these neighborhoods while challenging the stigma around manufactured home communities.
First place winners in both contests will be awarded $5,000 and a runner up will win $1,000.
Anyone can submit as many videos as they want for either contest and are eligible to win in both categories. However, a contestant will not be able to win more than once in a given contest. In other words, you can’t win first and second place in the same contest.
Submissions will be accepted until March 17, 2019, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time. Winners will be announced May 6. Contest judges will be led by manufactured homeowners themselves. This contest is truly for and about homeowners, so it’s important that they have a say in how their lifestyles and homes are portrayed.
Are you looking for a new place to live? Some mobile home parks, or now known as manufactured home communities, have age restrictions on the residents. So, this means some communities are designed to be “senior communities” or for residents who are aged “55+”. However, other communities are family mobile home parks. These are for families with members of all ages.
Here is a quick definition:
Senior, Active Adult, or 55+ Community:
They come by different names, but it means the same. Designed for retirees, they have clear restrictions on the ages of the people living in the community. So, these 55 plus senior retirement communities will offer special features and benefits designed for older adults.
All-Age Community or Family Mobile Home Parks:
Family communities, better known as all-age communities, are designed for everyone. It doesn’t mean you have to have a family or be under 55 to live in one. These communities are for people and families of all types.
However, they may have other restrictions. They may limit the number of non-related residents in a home. Pet restrictions are also common in mobile home parks.
The wonderful thing about family mobile home parks is they really can be communities. Many offer amenities like playgrounds, clubhouses, pools and planned activities that bring neighbors together.
When searching on MHVillage, there are two quick ways to narrow your search for a family mobile home park:
You can do an advanced search and pre-select for family age. Just go to the MHVillage advanced search page and click the Only in All Ages checkbox.
Then, when you hit search, only homes in family mobile home parks will appear.
Another way you can limit the searches on MHVillage is to filter after you have done the search. First, type in a city and state. Second, when you have the list of homes in that area, pick Family Communities from the dropdown.
Don’t forget you can also set up Ideal Home Search alerts and Watch favorite family mobile homes parks so you can see when new home listings become available.
‘Tis the season and all can be merry and bright, regardless of your square footage. In fact, tiny housers can celebrate the holidays in big ways! And we are here to give you the top tips and tricks from tiny home dwellers. Our intent is to show you how to keep your holidays happy and your home cheerfully decorated for the occasion.
The Countdown is on with the Five Ways to Get Your Small House Christmas Ready
Trim the Tree-Or Whatever
While the tiny house and small home living industry continues to boom, growing over 900 percent in the last decade, some think living small means you can’t enjoy a Christmas tree during the holidays. As with many tiny living adjustments, one can certainly have a tree, but they may opt for a difference in the layout. Here are a few suggestions from tiny house dwellers who celebrate the holidays with all the bells and ornaments.
Use a taller, thinner tree so you can still enjoy the ambience of Christmas without the use of as much real estate.
Opt for a table-top tree or put a smaller-size pine in an extra bedroom or the kids’ room to save living space in main rooms.
Decorate a living tree outside or, like one full-time RV family, build a Christmas teepee from downed tree limbs.
Use Double Duty Decor
As with most small spaces, tiny home dwellers recommend buying decorations you can use more than once a year. Just like someone in a small home would be more likely to purchase a fold-down desk that doubles as a dining room table, the same goes for holiday decor.
Look for signs that are reversible or trees you can enjoy all year round, only adding ornaments and colored lights during the Christmas holiday season.
Put the Pine Outside
Decorate a tree outside your tiny home!
Whether you go traditional with a simple circular pine and holly wreath, or you opt for something more extravagant like your monogram, adding a touch of the holidays outside your small home can help bring the decor indoors. People feel welcomed with holiday cheer when they pull up to your house, so less is expected indoors.
Change Out Christmas Subtleties
From holiday hand towels in the bathroom to decorative kitchen clean up, spreading your festive feelings throughout your small space makes the entire home feel like Christmas. The spirit of the holiday shouldn’t stop with a tree. Hang a holiday mug, put a decorative cover on the wine bottle, and keep the napkins looking like December. All of these tiny touches will make a big impression on your guests.
Enjoy a feast with friends in your small space.
Expect a Full House
Too many people assume that if they choose a smaller space that they can no longer host holiday parties or festive functions, and we couldn’t disagree more. The sheer novelty of simple living should be shared. That conversation piece alone will draw crowds to your hip new place.
Invite the masses, prepare your space for the holidays, and enjoy the cozy company. People will have a wonderful time enjoying the intimate setting for meaningful conversation that only a small home can provide.
Clayton Home Building Group®, a division of Clayton and a Berkshire Hathaway company, partnered with Knoxville Habitat for Humanity to launch their inaugural Playhouse Build and donated a playhouse to a local family.
More than 30 team members from Clayton’s TRU® plant in Halls, Tenn. facility volunteered on Nov. 17 for the weekend Playhouse Build for new Clayton homeowners, the Glenn family.
The construction was part of the Knoxville Habitat Playhouse Build. The collaborative effort among local corporations, the Knoxville community and volunteers build and donate playhouses for local families or organizations.
The Clayton Built® playhouse was the first constructed for the organization’s Knoxville affiliate.
‘Bless a family’ with a Playhouse
“The Knoxville Habitat Playhouse Build is an excellent way to bless a family or group of children of the sponsor’s choice, while also helping the hardworking families in our program,” Knoxville Habitat for Humanity President/CEO Kelle Shultz said. “Like Knoxville Habitat, Clayton understands the importance of homeownership, and we are grateful for their generous support and teamwork that made our first Playhouse Build so successful.”
Corporate sponsors donate to participate in the Playhouse Build Program. This raises funds and awareness to support Knoxville Habitat for Humanity’s in aid of local families that need of affordable housing. The organization also partnered with Knox County Schools to build kits for the playhouses. Gibbs High School students built the TRU® Halls playhouse kit.
“Partnering with Knoxville Habitat for Humanity on their first Playhouse Build event was very special for our team,” said TRU® Halls Plant Manager Blake Ryman. “We are fortunate to sponsor a great organization that shares our commitment to providing affordable, quality homeownership.”
More than 30 team members from Clayton’s TRU® Halls, Tenn., home building facility volunteered to build a playhouse for Knoxville Habitat for Humanity’s inaugural Playhouse Build fundraiser. The playhouse was donated to a local family who recently purchased a new home from Clayton Homes that was built in the TRU Halls home building facility. The team members shared a powerful moment as the children were surprised with a new playhouse!
Builders Gain New Perspective from Homebuyers
Clayton team members and the Glenn family gathered at the TRU® Halls home building facility for the playhouse reveal and dedication. The Glenn family recently purchased a TRU® home built in the home building facility by the team members in attendance.
“We donated the playhouse to a local family who recently purchased a home that we built in our facility,” said Ryman. “It definitely put a smile on everyone’s face when we surprised the kids with their new playhouse as they moved into their new home. It means so much to our builders to meet the real families they are constructing these homes for – it really puts things into an important perspective.”
Remodeling a mobile home can be costly whether you’re prepping your home to sell or you have purchased a home and are looking to make a few noticeable upgrades. In either case, we’ve got you covered.
Remodeling a Mobile Home on a Budget
This article will walk you through the top five affordable upgrades for your mobile home remodel that will pay for themselves in long term value.
Work From Outside In When Remodeling On a Budget
1. Siding
We all know that first impressions are important. The same goes for your home. To be sure your manufactured home is putting its best foot forward! walk outside your home and make a list of areas that could use some love. One upgrade to an exterior that packs quite a punch is the siding on a mobile home. Start with a solid power washing of the exterior of the home and from there you can assess the damage. If replacement siding is in your budget go for it. The siding of the home is such a major part of the exterior presentation.
Another cost-friendly option for remodeling the exterior of your mobile home is a fresh coat of paint on steps or shutters. Again, start with a good wash and then go from there!
2. Skirting
Surprisingly enough there is a massive industry specifically geared toward properly skirting your manufactured home. Not only is this detail necessary for your home’s structure, it also drastically improves curb appeal. Whether it’s repairing and cleaning or completely replacing your home skirting, you would be surprised what a difference this detail makes.
3. Flooring
If you have an older home most of them come with a real “retro” style carpeting. A remodel that will completely modernize the home is switching to wood flooring. While laying hardwood is super pricey there are a TON of less expensive options on the market that you can easily do yourself. Faux wood vinyl flooring has come a long way, and the DIY approach allows you to more effectively remodel your manufactured home while saving money.
4. Kitchen Cupboards
Every gathering you have ends up in the kitchen. This room is the most frequently used in the home. Updating or painting your kitchen cabinetry can make a world of difference. Here is a great article walking you through some tips and tricks on painting your cupboards like a pro!
Photo Credit: Kitchen Cabinet Kings .
5. Walls
A fresh coat of paint goes a long way of course, whether you are covering up some old paneling or just refreshing the current paint job. Another option that can add texture is a contemporary wallpaper. Now, I am not suggesting you go crazy and wallpaper the entire home. But adding a textured wallpaper to an accent wall or a backsplash can add a really sophisticated touch. I am also not talking about your grandma’s wallpaper. There are so many contemporary wallpaper options available both in your hardware stores and online. Here is a great resource to get you started!
So, while the word “remodeling” might bring up visions of endless sawdust and repairmen in your space, it doesn’t have to be that way. Start out small, will any of the above options that you can easily do yourself and go from there. These simple tricks can really make a difference for not only aesthetics but also how long your manufactured home can last.
What are my options for a loan on a mobile home? There are a variety of packages available, and greater options are available all the time.
What are the most popular loans for financing a mobile home?
We will cover four types of loans for financing a mobile home. We will define the product and discuss options with mobile home financing companies who provide that specific type of loan. This post will provide details on the following loan products:
Chattel lending for community operators (home-only loan)
Land-home mortgage
Construction to permanent home loan
Chattel lending for street retailers
Chattel loans for a mobile home are for the home itself. Others types of loans might include land financing, too. And the route you take may change depending on whether you are looking to buy a new manufactured home, a pre-owned mobile home, and whether you want to live in a community or on private property.
Buyers looking for the right kind of loan for a mobile home have several options to consider. And the list seems to be growing. Mobile and manufactured home finance is opening up again, too. The new options also can create confusion about a correct course of action.
Financing a mobile home with bad credit, in particular, has been a difficult proposition for mobile home lenders and borrowers, especially in recent years. That is why many communities offer financing for mobile homes.
Chattel lending from the buyer’s perspective looks much the same as any other type of manufactured home lending. However, if the buyer chooses among all other options to pursue chattel for new or used mobile home financing, the buyer carries the loan. It then can be reassigned to the community owner for financing.
What is a Chattel Loan?
A chattel loan is a loan for personal property, which can include manufactured home loans. The home, if it’s being financed without an associated piece of land (real estate), is considered personal property. Chattel loans often have a lending limit that is lower than a mortgage. In addition, interest rates can be higher.
Chattel Loan Details
If the chattel finance goes through a community owner, the community owner can set their own mobile home loan rates. They can set them to be competitive with the banks and credit unions.
Of course, the rate is dependent on the borrower’s credit-worthiness too; the most common considerations are debt-to-income ratio, credit score, and unpaid debt, though there are considerations for the latter.
The intent of this post is to define the features of specific manufactured and mobile home loan types. We hope to provide an understanding of which product may be of most benefit to you.
Your dream of homeownership can come true by securing a loan for a mobile home.
How Can I Finance a Home in a Community?
Community operators who have yet to organize a lending operation still can provide assistance to buyers in need of a loan for a mobile home. Chattel lending for buyers working with a community operator who provides information and limited guidance is a viable option with the recent “loan originator” definition change in SB 2155.
Park Lane Finance Provides Chattel Loans for the Community Operator
“We do direct and indirect loans,” said Luke Foster, market development manager for Park Lane Finance. “If there’s a retailer in the community, we work with the retailer. If there is a community manager who’s helping a customer with a home loan, we can work with the manager as well.”
Park Lane will receive a contract from the community operator with an indication that the buyer will contact them directly. The buyer will work directly with Park Lane. However, Foster said he and his colleagues are very willing to work with operators and managers simultaneously. Being that community operator guidance is no longer in question under Dodd-Frank rules, the on-site professional’s involvement is a great service to the potential buyer and residents.
Community operators and managers still cannot quote a rate, discuss terms or talk about approval with a client. However, the community owner can comfortably provide options for a loan on a mobile home and help the customer organize materials needed to secure a loan.
“If I was sitting there with a community operator who wanted no part of the loan transaction, I would tell them they are missing out,” Foster said.
Consumer Interest On the Rise
Foster said the flow of loan applications has been increasing for four consecutive years. Much of that is due to an improving economy and changing perceptions about manufactured housing.
The increasing business has as much to do with the ‘why not’ question toward manufactured housing as much as it has to do with the ‘why’ surrounding the price and value proposition for site-built homes.
“There’s an affordable housing crisis out there, and in good markets where people want to be, manufactured housing is a great option,” Foster said.
What is a Land-Home Mortgage Loan?
A land-home loan is a mortgage that allows the buyer to obtain an existing or under-construction manufactured home. The land is financed by a later phase of the same loan. Borrowers receive a payout, or “draw”, for the home or home construction, then a draw to close on the real estate. Finally, they get a payout to have the home delivered, sited and finished.
It’s in the Name: A conversation with Mike Scheffler, Mortgage Banker and Business Development Manager for Land Home Financial Services, Inc.
Land-home packages provide loans for manufactured homes in two ways:
Home finance is the entry to ownership. Loans for a mobile home are becoming more readily available.
if the home is to be placed on owned land or…
if the home is to be placed on land in the process of being purchased (in conjunction with the home)
“The beauty of these manufactured home loan packages is they work with new construction and existing homes,” said Scheffler.
The packages on a loan for a manufactured home also work with government programs like VA and FHA. For qualified borrowers, these loans require a smaller down payment than most conventional loans, and the credit score requirement is more flexible (accepting scores as low as 620).
If the subject land is under ownership prior to the financing, the cost of the mortgage is even more affordable.
“Any equity the future borrower has in the land could be used to offset down payment and closing costs,” said Scheffler.
Options Within Land-Home Finance
The facets of these land home packages don’t stop there. LHFS offers several different down payment assistance options depending on home product, credit, and qualified income.
Nationally licensed, LHFS has over 100 branches across the country. It emphasizes nationwide resources with a local feel. At every branch, a local expert is available to answer questions. The goal is to ensure home loan applicants feel at home during the approval process. In addition, Land Home provides specialized service to those in need of unique products, like its specialty, the land home packages.
“We’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” Scheffler said. “Land Home Financial gets its name from doing Land-Home Manufactured Housing Loans. After that amount of time dedicated to a single product line, our process has evolved and our relationships on GSE side are second to none. All of this equates to a better experience for the borrower and the retailer.”
Scheffler noted LHFS is a lender, not a broker. It provides an in-house, specialized team to originate and service loans for a manufactured home. Land Home works with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, VA and FHA to help create better programs for Manufactured Housing. Much of its success, Scheffler said, has to do with its sticking to the mentality of the community banker.
“When you call us, you will be assigned a loan officer who will see you through the entire process, he said. We originate and service loans. When you need something from us, you can contact your loan officer directly. There’s no need to wade through an automated phone system or try to find the answers you need from an operator outside of the organization.”
That service extends to a particular land home package, namely, construction to perm, or C-to-P.
What is a Construction to Permanent (CtoP) Loan?
The “construction to permanent” loan for a manufactured home includes the ability to purchase land. From there, “draws” or payments are available for site improvements. The draws work in an order similar to what follows…
To order and pay for the home
For the home delivery and setup costs
When the home is placed and the loan becomes a mortgage
“We specialize in this product, Scheffler said. “Construction to permanent makes up a majority of our MH business. It’s what we’re good at and specialize in.”
Loan terms for C to P mortgages are akin to site-built home mortgages with that of a modular home. If the mortgage is for a manufactured home, the rate may fluctuate a bit depending on the applicant’s credit rating and the loan to value ratio.
In addition, its in-house construction management team is one of the benefits of working with LHFS.
“When you fund a construction loan and release money at different stages of the project, there are checks and balances in place to determine when that money is released. We manage that process ourselves where a lot of other lenders hand that out to a third party, which runs the risk of derailing the project and creating a lot of headaches for everyone involved,” Scheffler said.
How Does Chattel Lending for the Street Retailer Work?
The buyer often will have an idea for a community or other existing land when they enter a retail sales center. When they select a home they’d like to purchase, the retailer will share information on a number of lenders who may be able to provide financing. Among those choices will be an option to apply for a chattel loan, which is a personal property loan for only the new home and with no land associated.
Cascade Financial Provides Chattel Loans for Street Retailers Who Assist Customers with a Loan for a Mobile Home
Cascade Home Loans started in 1999 and exclusively provides loans for buying manufactured homes. In 2017, the lender expanded into chattel lending for buyers who want to purchase through a street retailer.
A street retailer or “street dealer” is the traditional model home center approach to selling and buying manufactured homes.
“We were only offering VA and FHA manufactured home loans,” Cascade President Cody Pearce said. “However, we already had those relationships in place, and we started to expand loan offerings as a natural progression in manufactured home finance.
“We really have two critical clients that we work really hard to keep happy. That’s the retailer and the borrower,” Pearce said. “It can be a complicated process, and we try really hard to create a great experience, for the borrower in particular.”
What Does the Customer Experience in Shopping for a Loan for a Mobile Home?
When a potential customer finds a home retail center, they often will already have a manufactured home community or a parcel of land in mind for the new manufactured home.
The buyer then decides on a house, and fills out a loan application. The loan application most often goes to multiple lenders. This is why Cascade works to get a same-day response to the applicant. During that initial contact Cascade assigns the borrower a credit manager as a single point of contact.
Documents Needed to Secure A Loan For A Mobile Home
Checklist of items required to finance a mobile home:
Closing documents
Contract
Credit application
Forms of ID
Ability to repay form
Chattel Lending Can Reduce Finance Wait Time
The borrower and credit manager work together to compile all of the needed information and documents to get the buyer to closing.
“It could be as rapid as three days, and it can take more than a week to close. How involved the borrower is in getting documents together determines much of that,” Pearce said.
Regardless, that turnaround time is significantly shorter than that for a land-home plan.
“Our experience has been that even with some additional risk on the loans, chattel lending through the retailer has been a good move for the industry. It provides home ownership opportunities for buyers who might not otherwise be able to purchase a manufactured home,” Cascade Financial Executive Vice President Gerron Dover said.
Cascade gets about 2,500 loan requests each month for financing manufactured homes. The lender is based in Gilbert, Ariz. However, it does business in all the lower 48 states. It also lends on manufactured home real estate (FHA/VA) as well as chattel in both communities and on private property.
“There was a time when it was thought maybe no one would be able to enter this space and meet that need,” Pearce said.
Editor’s Note: This post is intended as an ongoing resource from MHVillage to help buyers find a loan for a mobile home. We will add and update information as new mobile home loan packages become available and as finance options expand through legislative and policy change. So, please bookmark this site and refer back as needed. Thank you for reading!
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