Manufactured Home DIY Projects

Manufactured Home DIY Resources — Photo courtesy of Kabco Homes.

Want More Manufactured Home DIY Projects? Read This!

New manufactured home resident Thomas Humbert was excited to test his handyman skills against a broken electrical outlet. To his surprise, a trip to a local hardware store left him with a few more steps than he expected.

While most residences are created from the ground-up, on-site, mobile homes are built assembly-line style, with many parts and components crafted to save space. For instance, the dimensions of a sink may be trimmed down to make it more space-efficient.

“This isn’t usually noticeable to the naked eye,” Mobile Home Parts Store (MHPS) President Tim Peele said, “But it makes a big difference in what part you need.”

Manufactured Home DIY enthusiasts — look for many parts beyond the hot spots

Beth from Capitol Supply Service, an MH improvement store that caters largely to contractors, explained that customers often head to Home Depot in search of doors. They come to realize many big box stores don’t carry the correct size doors for many manufactured homes.

“They can usually special order custom doors but that’s a lot more expensive,” she said.

Are you a manufactured home DIY enthusiast?

Don’t worry, there’s plenty of online places to purchase manufactured home parts including Mobile Home Parts Store and Star Mobile Home Supplies. Your town might even have an MH-specific hardware store like Capitol Supply & Service, which has several bricks and mortar locations in Michigan.

The differences between manufactured homes and site-built homes include doors and windows of different sizes, different water spouts and different heating and cooling systems.

Electrical Outlets Variation for Manufactured Home DIY Enthusiasts

Typical residential switches and outlets connect to a box attached to framing studs. Rather, manufactured home electrical outlets often simply attach directly to the home’s drywall or wall paneling. In older homes, outlets might be self-contained. This means the panel could be difficult to pull out of a wall without causing damage.

“Every home is different,” Peele said. “Any time electrical is involved, it’s best to hire a professional.”

Star Supply CEO Eric Brace agreed: “There is always a risk of electrical shock.”

Another thing to consider: Businesses don’t usually accept returns on electrical or furnace parts.

“This is the biggest problem when doing your own work,” Brace cautioned. “I understand everyone wants to save money but if you’re not sure, you should have a pro look at it.”

Pipes in a Manufactured Home

Manufactured Home DIY — A Flair-It fitting for polybutylene piping.

Some pipes in older manufactured homes are no longer in use, making it difficult to find fittings for them. However, Mobile Home Parts Store carries parts that will work even if the plumbing system itself is obsolete, Peele explained.

Mobile Home DIY enthusiasts can gauge what type of pipe they may need based on the pipe’s color. Gray pipes are polybutylene. Flair-It fittings will work for those — its original fittings have been discontinued for a while. White or clear pipe is pex. General fittings will work for these, though DIYers usually find them in major home improvement stores as well. Yellow pipe is CPVC. Fittings for these require glue, are not as flexible and are best found at local home improvement or hardware stores.

Size, size, size

The number one thing Peele tells new residents is to know your mobile home sizes.

“There is no such thing as a standard door, window, tub,” he said.

These items need to be ordered in the correct size from an MH-specific retailer. Manufactured home doors often are shorter than other doors. Standard doors at Lowe’s, for instance, are 80 inches tall. Most manufactured home doors are 76 or 78 inches, and these can be difficult to find. Tub and shower faucets need to have the same hole pattern as the back of the faucet, otherwise water will escape.

The niche stores as well as the standard home store are likely to carry light fixtures, appliances and construction materials. Of course, it always helps to measure a part, appliance or open space before heading to the store.

Manufactured Home DIY Enthusiasts Should Keep These Points in Mind

The heating and cooling systems in manufactured homes may vary from traditional offerings.
There is no benefit in placing a call to the supply store with the make and model of your home, according to Brace. From year to year manufacturers use different parts.
If you want to upgrade your manufactured home, the part and process likely will cost more.
Be ready to spend extra on shipping, especially if ordering large parts. Brace explained that while Star Supply ships large items, they must go via freight, which starts at $171.
Manufactured Home Parts Store offers a series of video tutorials that walk manufactured home DIY enthusiasts through how to install and measure almost everything in a manufactured home, including the kitchen sink.

The Value of Manufactured Home Insurance

Risk Management for Most Owners and Residents Starts with Manufactured Home Insurance

How do you manage the risk of losing or preventing damage to your manufactured home? Risk management is a key component to the financial well being of all manufactured home owners.

Enter: Manufactured Home Insurance

Insurance is one of the most recognizable forms of risk management for most people. Home insurance allows people to pay a relatively small amount for the promise that when something terrible happens, they will be covered.

There are many kinds of insurance from the core auto and home insurance policies we all know to the unusual; as in the case when TIME reported that Bruce Springsteen insured his voice for $6 million. However, in this article I will focus on home insurance, and in particular how it works for manufactured homes.

Let us start with some of the basics.

An HO-3 is the most common type of home insurance. It is what what people often call “Homeowners”. You could think of this being the “gold” standard. For my friends in Texas an HO-B policy is a close relation. A homeowners policy typically is a package of coverages that includes:

coverage for the home itself
personal property
other structures on the property (e.g. a detached garage)
additional living expense
and liability

Know Your Agent, Ask Questions on Manufactured Home Insurance

Now, additional living expense is the coverage that helps to pay for temporary accommodations when your own home becomes unlivable. Many insurance companies adjust their policies, so it is best to discuss your individual needs with an agent.

Manufactured homes use unique construction techniques. There is the use of alternate materials. And the home is subject to different regulations than site-built structures.

For these reasons, manufactured home insurance is considered a specialized home insurance product causing some standard, household name branded insurance companies to shy away. This can take several forms including a complete rejection of manufactured home owners, a heavy underwriting process, or a requirement to keep the auto policy with the same insurance company.

However, competition is alive and well with several specialized insurers having heard the call to fill the gap including Foremost, American Modern, my own Tower Hill Specialty, and others.

As mentioned previously each insurance company handles policies a little differently. So, here are a few key points that come up more often for manufactured home insurance.

Manufactured Home Insurance Coverage Recommendations

Dwelling Settlement Option

This refers to how the home is valued, both when selecting a policy limit and when determining how much money is paid at the time of a claim. There are two main options available to manufactured home owners. The first one being “replacement cost”, which is considered standard for that HO-3 policy we spoke about earlier. Use of replacement cost is often subject to more underwriting limits for manufactured homes relative to site-built homes. The second option is Actual Cash Value, which starts with replacement cost but then is reduced by depreciation/aging of the home. This often results in a lower premium as well. It is important to discuss the tradeoffs between these two settlement options with your agent to ensure you are getting the best policy for you.

Covered Perils

A peril refers to a risk or a source/cause of loss such as fire, theft, and windstorm. The “gold” standard, for the home, in this case can be referred to in several different ways including “open peril”, “all-risk”, or “special form”, which basically means that a cause of loss is covered unless otherwise excluded. Some insurers of manufactured homes take the opposite “named peril” approach. In the case of a “named peril” approach the insurance policy will specifically indicate which losses are covered and everything else not named is not covered. The explanation that really brought this point home to me was this:

With an “open peril” policy the burden is on the insurance company to show a loss is excluded.
With a “named peril” policy the burden is on the manufactured home owner to show a loss should be covered.

Byline Versus Package

A HO-3 policy by its very nature is a package of various coverages; not un-similar to a package of TV channels that you may be offered from you cable company. For this reason, even if you don’t have any other structures on your property you would still have the coverage as part of your policy. In contrast a byline approach would allow you to only purchase the coverages you need and want. The ability to choose a byline approach is much more common for manufactured homes. For this aspect there isn’t really a right or wrong answer so long as you get the coverages you need at the best price.

Areas to Push the Conversation with Your Agent

When discussing any kind of insurance with your agent there are some areas I would recommend you push the conversation. The most crucial ones would be:

It is All About You

The areas to focus on seem obvious, but can be overlooked. Those areas are you, your lifestyle, your pets, valuables, and any business aspects, such as if the home is rented long-term or used occasionally as an Airbnb.

This type of conversation will help ensure you are aware of certain coverages. And you can discuss those coverages to find our if they are right for you. You will also want to reveal a little bit about your financial situation and I will explain why that is important in the deductible selection.

Deductible Selection

You should discuss your financial situation with your agent, especially regarding your family’s ability to absorb a “shock”/loss. High deductibles equate to lower premiums. So if your family has, or could have, an emergency fund; a larger deductible may be appropriate for you. If your family lives on a tighter budget it may make sense, despite the higher premium, to have a smaller deductible due to the outsized devastation it may mean to your family when a loss does occur. Also keep in mind your tolerance for risk when selecting a deductible.

Limit Selection

You should discuss your goals with your agent because similar to the effect of discussing which coverages are right for you; you also need to discuss how much of that coverage you need. As an example, some investors in rental homes are more interested in protecting the investment they have put in and lower premiums than they are in replacing the home in the event of a loss. A goal like this, or potentially other goals, can affect the approach your agent takes when it comes to meeting your insurance needs.

Shop Around

I would recommend that you should discuss with your agent a desire for two or three quotes from reputable insurance companies; companies that have shown they can weather the storms and have a solid financial stability rating. Also, you should re-valuate your insurance needs every couple of years and when significant life changes occur.

The Conclusion on Manufactured Home Insurance

Insurance is key to ensuring a safe and prosperous future for you and your family. Be wise in who you choose to help you pick up the pieces when things go wrong. Finally, honestly ask yourself “Are you covered properly?”

8 Most Common For Sale By Owner Mistakes

We Performed an Informal Poll to Understand Some of the Typical For Sale By Owner Mistakes’

What does For Sale By Owner (FSBO) mean?

The phrase “for sale by owner” is often used to note the type of home sale. With a home, the sale typically comes through an agent, retailer or broker. So, the FSBO designation is important in housing. This is unlike many other consumer products such as autos, appliances, and electronics that quite often are sold by owners.

We Help Homeowners Sell and Buy Manufactured Housing

MHVillage offers its customers many services. But at the core of all we do is the assistance we provide people in the sale of homes. We do this for all classes of professionals, and for individual homeowners as well.

For this blog post, we use customer feedback to provide readers with a list of the 8 Most Common FSBO Mistakes. Below we list solutions for avoiding those typical FSBO mistakes.

8 Most Common For Sale By Owner Mistakes

FSBO Mistake #1: Locate the Title for your Home Prior to Listing

Eventually, a buyer is going to ask for the title on the home. They want to ensure that they won’t have a problem transferring the mobile home title. The buyer wants to be the new owner without hassle. In addition to wanting to know the availability of the title when the time comes to transfer, the buyer also wants to know that the person they’re negotiating the sale with is the person listed. Only the person on the title can sell the home.

Avoid the 8 Common For Sale By Owner Mistakes — Home information often can be found inside the home, including under the sink, on the electrical panel door and in bedroom closets.

FSBO Mistake #2: Know the Make, Model and VIN Code of Your Home

This seems simple, right? For instance, most people immediately can communicate the make and model of their car. But homes, less so. Most stick-built homes have no make and model, in this sense. But manufactured and modular homes do. If you don’t already know who made your home, and the name or number of the particular model, do some investigating. The make and model will be listed on the title, if you’ve located it. If you’re still working on that, take a walk around the home. Most often, a manufacturer’s data plate will be on the short, tow-hitch side of a manufactured home. That plate will provide a VIN number that helps you track back info on the home, by calling the state of manufacture. Also, there may be a branded manufacturer’s plate that offers the name in insignia, if not the model as well.

The added caveat here is that manufactured home buyers get more savvy all the time. Many of the people looking at a FSBO home do have a brand preference, and the seller can gain credit and trust for immediately being able to say, “This is a 1997 Fleetwood”. For instance.

For the VIN, understand each section of the home will have its own VIN. So, you’ll want to be on the lookout for a VIN associated with each section if you live in a multi-section home. They two will be similar, but not the same.

FSBO Mistake #3: Have The Home Dimensions Handy

A lot of times, someone looking through a house will ask for a floor plan or the square footage. It’s very helpful to have a sheet that shows the floor plan. Square footage would be on that sheet, or discernible from doing some simple math. However, the first question a manufactured home buyer will ask is “what are the dimensions of this home”. That’s a request for width and length. You may not already know the answer. Perhaps it’s directly noted on the printed floor plan, or in other literature, you have with the home. Learn more about mobile home sizes and dimensions here. If not, get your tape measure and run it along one long side, and one short side. Maybe do this anyhow, just to check the record on your home dimensions. The tape measure won’t lie (if you measure at least twice).

And now you know you live in a 16 x 80-foot home!

FSBO Mistake #4: Talk to the Community Owner or Manager

OK, it is your home and you’re the seller. But if you live in a community, there undoubtedly are park rules at play for aspects of sale and new residency. The buyer, assuming they’re staying in the community, will want to understand the mobile home park rules. Obviously, you cannot sell a home to a person younger than 55 years old if you’re in a retirement community. There likely will be rules about pets. How many people can live in the home. These really are all standard order kind of stuff. The good news is that you, as the seller, may be missing some perks! Perhaps you get paid a fee for finding the buyer? Or maybe the new resident gets a price break for the first year, free lawn maintenance or unanticipated benefits at the clubhouse. Now wouldn’t these be good selling points?

FSBO Mistake #5: How much is the lot rent?

Someone comes to look at your house and hasn’t stopped in to the community office or looked at the website. And why would they if they’re still making decisions about the actual home? So, you know what you pay for lot rent. Be ready to tell them. The anticipated monthly cost of the home should be on the table.

FSBO Mistake #6: Fix the Small Stuff

If you were being coached by a professional home seller, they might say to avoid large expenditures. In other words, don’t rip up and replace carpet, or bring in new kitchen cabinets. Whatever you spend might meet your desires, but the buyer may have ideas of her own and not find the value you perceive. However, patch holes in the wall. Touch up with paint. Secure the dangling doorknob and put the the closet door back on track. These are all simple repairs that can be done for less than $100. And no interested buyer wants to see these small mobile home repairs unaddressed because that will lead them to believe the bigger stuff they cannot see also is in disrepair. Provide some confidence to the potential buyer by fixing the small stuff.

FSBO Mistake #7: Get an Appraisal for the Home

Now, most people know that a home appraisal is part of the home sale. It often is ordered by the bank to ensure a loan amount is in line with the market value of the home. However, if you order a reliable market-based appraisal yourself, you can have that appraisal report out on the counter when potential buyers come through. This will be another measure that provides confidence for the buyer. Not only did you think to order the appraisal ahead of time, but the value it states will provide a well-documented education on the current market value of manufactured homes. The potential buyer may need this education if they’re new to the market, moving from apartment rentals or have lived in or owned a site-built home.

FSBO Mistake #8: Fill Out a Seller Disclosure Statement

This is something that buyers most often request, but it can be a good pre-emptive measure for sellers, too. Typically, a seller disclosure statement is a one-to-four page checklist of home and home system items that can be verified as in proper working order. And they point out a few items where there is a problem. Hopefully, the problems are minor and will not stall or kill the sale. Regardless, pointing out that sometimes “a heavy rain from the west might cause leaking above one window” again will inspire the buyer’s confidence in you as a seller, and in your home.

If you want more information on selling your own home, our experts at MHVillage have put together a handy mobile home sellers guide for you to read through. It provides a lot of information on the step-by-step process of selling your mobile home, including how to write a great sales caption and the best use of photos for selling your home.

Find Your New or Used Manufactured Home on MHVillage!

Whether you are looking for a new or used manufactured home, start your search with MHVillage.

If you haven’t used MHVillage, let me walk you through a few of the search features we offer, to help you find your new or used manufactured home.

Looking for a Home

Whether you started on the homepage or you started your search via a major search engine like Google, there are a few ways to search by home on MHVillage.

General Search

This will let you start by simply entering a location, be that city/state or zip code. Then you can narrow your search results. We have several different options to sort or filter the listings to meet your needs.

Ideal Home Search

Have some specific details in mind? The “Ideal Home Search” might be for you. This option allows you to enter details like bedroom/bathroom counts, community type (all ages or age restricted), homes in communities that allow pets, etc. Another great feature about this option? You can set up an alert that sends you an email when there are homes on the website that match what you are looking for!

“Like” Homes You Find!

If you are searching on MHVillage, and find a listing that you suits you but aren’t ready to contact the seller, you can “Like” that listing for updates. This action will set you up to receive updates on the home. The updates will be sent whenever the home lowers its price, they change the photo or description or if they have an Open House!

Search For “New Homes”

If you are looking for a home that is sited, the general search is a great place to start. But if you want to move a home from a Retailer or Dealer to a plot of land, or if you want to look at brand-new homes or model homes, we have you covered. Just type in the location under homes and then select the option that says “On Dealer Lot” from the search results.

Looking for a particular manufactured or mobile home floor plan? We have those on our site under their own tabs as well:

By giving these manufactured home listings their own section, you can really narrow your search to what you need. They also provide different details that are specific to moving the home to land or a site in a community. Each of them will also have their own contact options available should people have questions!

Find Your Manufactured Home — Gulfstream Harbor in Orlando, Fla.

Search by Community

On MHVillage, you can search for your manufactured home by Community! When browsing our site through this avenue, you will see community listings.

Each community listing includes details and features any home on MHVillage that is also in that community. If you have questions for the manager, you can also contact them right through their ad.

Search by Dealer/Retailer

Similar to searching by community, you can shop on our site by professional mobile home dealers. Dealer pages will give you a company description and show you all of the available homes that the professionals have in their inventory. The Pro+ professionals on our site offer a link directly to their website!

So, whether you are looking by home, community, or dealer, MHVillage gives you all the tools you need to find your manufactured home!

Check out our expert’s guide for Buying the Perfect Mobile Home to get yourself prepared for your search.

Colorado Nonprofit Offers Loans For New Manufactured Homeowners

MH industry terms — A new home from Adventure Homes.

Durango-based Nonprofit Assists New Home Owners with Financing

HomesFund, a nonprofit based in Durango, Colo., is using a $600,000 grant to make manufactured home ownership possible for residents of La Plata County, an area where housing prices have been skyrocketing.

Manufactured and mobile homes are the nation’s only subsidy-free affordable housing. And with housing in Colorado a hot commodity, those wishing to purchase a manufactured home could use a leg up.

HomesFund seeks to give people financial and educational opportunities that break barriers to home ownership. Their mortgage assistance program has helped people in southwestern Colorado purchase both site-built and manufactured homes since 2008.

Manufactured Home Loan — A Google Earth satellite image of Durango, Colo., where the topography and natural draw of the area tends to increase home prices. At the center of the image with the red pin is Durango Fountain, an all ages community.

Colorado Has Some of the Nation’s Most Pricey Housing

Stick-built homes in La Plata remain financially out of reach for large percentages of potential homeowners, HomesFund Executive Director Lisa Bloomquist Palmer said. And site-built homes that are more affordable often are far from job centers. This makes manufactured home communities a much more viable option.

That’s why HomesFund launched its new manufactured home loan system, exclusively for manufactured homes. The program began in the second quarter of 2018.

The company originally allocated $350,000 for the program, but has since validated $600,000, thanks to the Community Development Financial Institution Fund. This amount will help eight to 11 buyers in the next three years with manufactured home loans of $20,000 to $75,000. They are now accepting applications.

“Those in MH face many challenges,” Bloomquist Palmer said. “Financing is one problem we can do something about.”

Finance Options Remain Limited for Manufactured Housing

This program is particularly helpful because manufactured homes aren’t considered real estate but personal property, unless a homeowner also owns the land beneath them, which is a rare occurrence.

This matter rules out real estate loans and narrows the options for potential homeowners.

What sets HomesFund apart from other lending organizations is that they forgo the large interest rates and cash down payments lenders often require, according to Bloomquist Palmer.

Unlike nearby Colorado counties, people from many economic backgrounds call La Plata home. And Bloomquist Palmer thinks it’s important to keep it that way.

“We want to have an inclusive community in La Plata County,” she said. “If everyone who was middle class moved away because they can’t afford to live here, we would have more congestion and people would spend more time away from their families.

“Aspen and Telluride are exclusive and expensive. Part of the appeal of Durango is that we have a strong middle class,” Bloomquist Palmer said. “We are a place where people really live and it’s very apparent that people of all incomes can live here.”

Qualifications for a Manufactured Home Loan Through HomesFund

However, HomesFund’s loan application does have some requirements. The nonprofit has yet to give out a manufactured home loan.

“Our funders demand that we have income restrictions,” Bloomquist Palmer said.

Requirements include having an income 80 percent of the area median income or below and being able to demonstrate they can afford a home once they have it. HomesFund looks at potential homeowners’ debt-to-income ratio, duplicates of credit and other factors. It also asks that people have a history of being in the area. Applicants can learn more on the website.

The loan is for people purchasing manufactured homes in communities. HomesFund has other mortgage assistance programs for fixed manufactured housing. Bloomquist Palmer said they have requirements for communities as well.

“We want to make sure that the homes we earn money on are in approved communities,” she said. “They need to be safe and habitable, need to have certain rules and there can’t be any problems with sewer and electricity.”

Host a Holiday Party in Your Tiny Home

Gather with friends for a holiday party in your tiny home.

Five Ways to Toss a Holiday Party in Your Tiny Home

Consider the “wow factor” assigned to your non-traditional way of life on a day-to-day basis. Now consider the reaction to your intention to throw a holiday party in your tiny home!

Whether you decide to park your home in a single locale or take it on the road, people will stop to “oooohhh” and “aaahhhhh” at the way you choose to live.

Likewise, the wonder of knowing someone who chooses to live in under 400 square feet will attract visitors. Many people who decide to downsize and live the tiny home lifestyle are people who’ve enjoyed hosting dinner parties, birthday gatherings and game nights with friends.

But how can you continue being the host when your real estate shrinks by 400 percent?

Consider these five tips for hosting a holiday party in your tiny home.

A Full House is A Happy House

This is true in traditional homes as well as tiny homes. When your kitchen counter is simplified to a sink with fitted inserts that double as beautiful cutting boards and a 1×3-foot space that can flip up to extend your “counter”, you might think things get claustrophobic during food prep for a full family holiday meal.

You can still cook simple lunches, trays of fresh fruit and cheese, a breakfast spread or dinner with all the trimmings. What changes might you implement for other cooking sources? Think about the grill for meat, pre-cook some side dishes or cater the meal to reduce the number of cooks in the kitchen.

Arrange for Creative Seating

Plan a holiday party in your tiny home — Tiny spaces can generate very creative kitchens and dining areas.

Use the popular open floor plan of tiny homes by incorporating event seating. Set up spots at a bar or counter area, dining area, as well as any couch or chair space you may have. Please avoid being concerned about a lack of space. Just as they would for any party, guests will assume the room will be crowded. So, don’t be afraid to extend that invite!

Additionally, tiny houses with stairs offer creative seating space with the simple addition of a few cushions or pillows.

Use Outdoor Space

No one wants to be sardined into any tiny space with tons of other people, no matter how beautifully “farm to table” the cuisine nor how modern-retro that space is fashioned. To solve that problem, plan to sit outside; for dinners or Legos for the kids, for playtime and partying, sit outside. Create an outdoor space that people will want to visit.

Make the best of the small space and the most of the outdoors. Prepare for foul weather even when the forecast calls for no rain. A simple canvas canopy can fit several partygoers around a beautiful dining table — or over a fire pit where memories can be made for dozens of your closest family and friends.

Plan Vertical Place Settings

Stack cake plates into three-tiered cheese and veggie displays. Use wire baskets on the walls to offer storage for silverware and paper goods without using valuable real estate on your table.

Toss a party in your tiny home — Tiny homes can make lovely gathering spaces for all kinds of occasions.

Take Trendy Tips

City dwellers often are forced to choose a smaller apartment. This means there are always trends that will teach you how to host anything from an elegant dinner party to a bonfire outside in a space meant for two. Here are a few of our favorites:

Hang Your Décor- This current trend is a space-saver and will allow for matching theme decorations without taking up your table space.
Use Drink Containers- Instead of choosing bottles and cans that will take up places on tables and countertops, opt for drink-serving carafes to save room in coolers or in the fridge, as well as saving on waste.
Leave Out Your Cutting Board- These are so much more than a kitchen tool, as their beautiful designs have graduated to décor. Use this to both cut veggies, cheese and fruit, as well as to serve it to guests.

It is hard to know how several people will handle socializing in a small space, but we all know we need to reconnect. It doesn’t matter if it is at a luxurious table for six, intimately coordinated and lovely for friends, or in lawn chairs with horseshoes and friends who enjoy the great outdoors. Living tiny has a way of creating the opportunity for lasting memories.

Check out these other MHVillager blogs that can provide information on holiday kitchen safety, tiny home holidays and Andrew Morrison’s Tiny Home Appendix Q.

Manufactured Home Installation in Photo and Video

Moving a mobile home manufactured Home Installation — Cole Phillips, at left in the purple, leads observers through the details of moving a mobile home and manufactured home installation.

Live Walkthrough of a Manufactured Home Installation Demonstration at SECO 2018

Twenty people recently gathered to watch a live demonstration of a manufactured home installation at a community near Atlanta. MHVillager came along to document the process for people who want to better understand what’s done to ensure the health, safety and functionality of a manufactured home.

The demonstration was put on by Cole Phillips, owner of Phillips Manufactured Home Services and co-organizer of SECO, an annual symposium for owners and managers of small- to midsize-communities and other industry professionals.

“There’s a lot that goes into finishing a vacant site,” Phillips said, as the 16×80-foot home from ScotBilt rolled up an incline at The Waverly, a hilly and picturesque community with old-growth trees.

“Your park probably is not designed for a 16×80 home,” Phillips said. “I’m not saying it won’t go in, but you need to plan for it.”

Most communities were built 30 years ago or more, and designed for homes that were smaller, easier to move and easier to install.

Included in the installation process is…

Clearing any trees that may block the home’s entry and placement
Grading for drainage
Clearance on all sides, for delivery and general ease-of-use

Phillips said due diligence is required in every delivery and set up, because no locale is the same.

“You might need to get into the books or make a call to find out everything you need. If you have a plumber coming out, you might need to pull a permit for that person to be there,” he said. “Have you ever had to pull a permit for a plumber? Some places require it, and if you find that out when you arrive, it will cost you time and money.”

Utility Hookup for Manufactured Home Installation

“You have to make sure all of the utilities are set upon delivery,” Phillips said. “If not, your

bill is going up. That’s something you want to have settled well ahead of time.

“We’re here to save you money, to do this part of the job as quickly and as inexpensively as possible,” he said.

In nearly every case with a manufactured home installation, there will be an educated guess on where the main entry door will be positioned on the home site. Part of the consideration is an attempt to get the site’s power pedestal in a convenient place. In this case, the power pedestal clearly will need to be relocated.

Vapor Barrier Installation

Manufactured Home Installation Practices — An installer from Lollie’s Mobile Home Services of Florida draws a vapor barrier under the home.

A vapor barrier is rolled out as the home is placed and temporary piers are set. The vapor barrier keeps moisture from coming up into the home.

The Waverly was built in the 1970s. It is a sprawling community in the Chattahoochee River basin northwest of downtown Atlanta. It includes 270 homesites, with 40 manufactured homes for rent. The property is a Yes! Community, one of the nation’s largest portfolio owners of manufactured home communities.

Leveling Pier Sites, Strapping Down the Home

Among the most important parts of manufactured home installation is to place the home on sturdy piers and strap it down. This ensures the health and safety of the residents, as well as the functionality and longevity of the home.

“This is amazing. It’s so important that everyone sees how a home comes in and what should be done to make it stable and safe.”

— The Waverly’s Community Manager Debbie Houston

Wheel and Axle Removal After Manufactured Home Installation

When the home has been positioned and made level with the use of a hand operated Platypus lift, crews get to work pulling off the tires and axles that enable the home to be rolled into place. Many times, the gear will be stored under the home for future use. However, sometimes the parts are recycled for use with another delivery and home installation.

Finishing the Home

Installers will finish the utilities before making way for skirting and deck space.

“We’ll have decks put on it and will have it listed by the end of the week and ready to go,” said Shana Johnson, sales agent for The Waverly.

Fall Cleanup Checklist for Your Manufactured Home

Fall cleanup is on our mind as the weather is getting colder and leaves are starting to turn. These are simple cleanup tasks for your home and lot that will make for an easier spring next year. (And for more great tips, check out Five Things for Under $100 That Extend the Life of Your Mobile Home.) In addition, if you have your home for sale, these are great ways to keep up the curb appeal.

Wash and put away yard furniture

garden furniture in snow — Furniture left in the snow like this can rust. Protect it with a cover or by bringing it indoors.

Fall cleanup should start with putting away outdoor furniture. If you have porch furniture, outdoor chairs or tables, get them ready for storage. Be sure and wash them first — you’ll be glad you did next spring! Cushions should be stored in something airtight to prevent creatures from making homes in them.

If you don’t have space to store in a shed or under a carport, many companies make patio furniture covers, which can help prolong the life of your furniture. If you have a tall shed, items like chairs can be hung from hooks so they don’t take up as much space.

Clean up and cover or store grills

Unless you are planning to grill your Thanksgiving turkey, this is also a great time to clean and store your grill. Clean racks and grease trays before you do — otherwise animals like squirrels and mice will find them. You don’t want to find a mouse nest when you open your grill next summer!

Empty out summer flower pots and put away yard ornaments

You might have some fall mums out on the porch, but keep in mind that when flower pots fill with water and freeze, they easily crack. This can destroy that beautiful planter. Clean up all those flowers that are past their season. Pots not being used should be emptied and stored. This is also a good time to store any seasonal yard decor.

Final mow of the season for your mobile home lot

As the weather cools, the grass will stop growing. Now is the time to do a final mow and trim, if you do your own yardwork. Make sure your yard equipment is ready for the long, quiet months ahead.

Plant spring blooming bulbs

Now is a great time to plant bulbs for spring and summer, like tulips, hyacinths, and crocus. These sunny flowers will bring a smile to your face when you drive into your community next year. Make sure to clean up all shovels and trowels. You don’t want them to rust over the winter.

Mulch planting beds

You can get a jump on spring weeds by mulching in the fall. Mulch the planting beds in your lot to make spring weed cleanup even easier. Mulch will also protect those bulbs you just planted.

Sweep or wash porches and decks

Because fall is a wet season and mud and dirt can accumulate on porches and decks attached to your manufactured home. Before you store your garden hose for the season, you might want to give everything a good wash.

Clean out gutters

gutter clean up — Even if you have gutter guards, you should check to make sure they are still functioning.

Leaves and debris accumulate in home gutters this time of year. This can cause melting snow and ice to back up and damage your roof. First, clean out gutters along the edges of the roof, then run water from your hose down the downspouts to look for clogs.

Put away hose

Once you have all the fall cleaning complete, it is time to empty the garden hose and store it. Otherwise, water in the hose can freeze and damage it.

Check shed and outdoor structures

Recently, we posted an article on How to Repair a Shed. That article has a ton of great tips on how to clean up and repair that structure. With the weather getting colder, many small creatures like to move into sheds, garages and storage areas. Make sure to read our tips on things you can do to prevent critters from moving in.

Thinking about selling your mobile home?

While many people think of spring as home-selling season, fall and winter can be a great time to find a home buyer. As we move into the snowy season, check out this article in the Villager on Winter Sales – Tips for Selling Your Home in the Winter.

‘Yes’ on Florida Amendment 2 Would Retain Tax Cap

Manufactured Housing Industry Educates Consumers on Potential Impact of Florida’s Amendment 2 — Taxation on Non-Homestead Properties

Concerns are mounting that a crowded ballot and two high-profile state campaigns may mean Florida’s Amendment 2 gets overlooked.

“I’m not hearing people talk about it as much as I would like,” said Jim Ayotte, executive director of the Florida Manufactured Housing Association.

Why Does Amendment 2 Matter for Florida Manufactured Home Owners and Residents?

Amendment 2 provides a 10 percent cap on annual property tax increases for non-homestead properties.

Potential high tax increases, if Amendment 2 fails, would not only increase operating expenses for the community, but would impact homeowners directly in situations where manufactured home property taxes are a pass-on expense.

“Manufactured home owners living in land-lease communities would be harmed the most,” Ayotte said. “Property taxes are usually a pass-on expense. The owner gets the tax bill, they’re responsible for the common areas and they bill the rest of the amount by the number of occupied lots. That means homeowners’ expenses stand to go up significantly.

“The homeowners and residents definitely would bear the brunt of this,” he said.

Details on Amendment 2

Florida’s Amendment 2 has been in place for a decade. It protects non-homestead properties from the possibility of a sudden spike on the property tax bill. A yes-vote on 2 would be a “status quo vote”. It keeps things the same. However, a no-vote would drive change that could cost homeowners and residents much more each year.

Amendment 2 requires approval of 60 percent of voters to pass. This is true for all amendments to the Florida State Constitution.

Ballot Summary on Amendment 2 from Florida TaxWatch

“Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to permanently retain provisions currently in effect, which limit property tax assessment increases on specified non-homestead real property, except for school district taxes, to 10 percent each year. If approved, the amendment removes the scheduled repeal of such provisions in 2019 and shall take effect January 1, 2019.”

Florida TaxWatch recommends a “Yes Vote” on the amendment.

What Else is on Florida’s Nov. 6 Ballot?

There are a pair of heated races, one for governor and one for the U.S. Senate. Given that, ballot initiatives may be overlooked when races for public office garner most of the attention.

Also, two initiatives use similar language. As noted, Amendment 2 concerns non-homestead properties. Amendment 1 concerns homestead properties, roughly defined as a primary residence.

“There are 12 ballot initiatives on Nov. 6, and we’re really worried about ballot fatigue,” Ayotte said. “It’s very confusing, and the concern is that the majority will vote no on everything.”

Additionally, there is a limit to the number of constitutional amendments that can appear on the ballot. This leads to initiatives with little or nothing to do with each other in a single amendment. For example, Amendment 9 seeks to ban offshore drilling and vaping in an enclosed business.

“Like I said,” Ayotte stated. “It’s very confusing.”

More information on voting in Florida is available through Quick Facts on the Florida Division of Elections Page, where there are links to voter registration resources, County Supervisor contacts for local ballots and all 12 ballot initiatives in English and Spanish.

Virginia Beach Couple Narrowly Escapes Final Blow from Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael Survivor David Stough — David Stough collects whatever belongings he can after his home was destroyed by a tree blown over in the final push from Hurricane Michael.

Couple’s 1973 Skyline Mobile Home Smashed by Tree – Friends, Relatives Launch Campaign to Assist

*See Storm Roundup at Bottom of Blog Post

In the early morning hours of Oct. 12, with the remnants of Hurricane Michael still pummeling southeast Virginia, David Stough walked into the kitchen of his manufactured home. As soon as he turned on the light, a tree crashed through the roof. The tree fell right in front of him, throwing him back into the living room and up against the television.

“Three more steps and I would have been underneath the tree,” David said. “I would have died that night.”

Miraculously, he was unhurt. But the home he shared with his wife Nightstar Stough is demolished.

“My wife walked in and asked what happened. I said, ‘We just lost our kitchen’,” he told MHVillager in a phone interview. “I’ve never been through anything like this in my life. I’ve been in motorcycle accidents, but never something like this.”

The Stoughs Put A Lot of Love Into Their Mobile Home

David and Nightstar had lived in the mobile home, a 1973 Skyline, for 18 years. The two married in the backyard, located on a lot in Colony Mobile Home Park in Virginia Beach, Va.

After the tree fell, David and Nightstar managed to extricate themselves and their two dogs from their wrecked home, with help from the local fire department. They spent the rest of the morning with David’s nephew.

It wasn’t their first storm, or their first falling tree, David said, but their house had always emerged intact. Until Hurricane Michael.

“The thing that sucks about it is my middle name is Michael,” David said with a chuckle. “But our angel Michael was there to pull me out. We’re both Christians. We go to church on Sunday.”

David, who has a background in construction, had put a lot of work into the 1973 Skyline, including redoing all the plumbing. He was planning to further remodel it before the tree hit. Unfortunately, there was no insurance on the home.

Hurricane Michael topples tree on Virginia Beach mobile home — David Stough surveys the damage at his Virginia Beach home.

Couple Displaced and Wanting to Go Home Again

As of Oct. 17, the Stoughs were living in a hotel in Virginia Beach. With help from the Red Cross and David’s sister, Denise Weaver, they can afford to stay at the hotel through most of October. After that, they’ll need to move somewhere else.

Their community, Colony Mobile Home Park, wants to keep them around. The Stoughs were planning to return to the park that day to look at another home.

“Colony is trying to move us into another place,” David said. “They’ve been a blessing. I’ve lived in the park for 25 years, long enough to feel like family to them.”

GoFundMe Pages Dedicated to Help The Stoughs

If the park manages to find them an unoccupied home, it will probably need work. David can do all kinds of home repair, but what he and his wife really need right now is money.

He said the best way to help is through a GoFundMe donation. The Stoughs currently have two GoFundMe pages, one set up by a local friend, Tonya Clark, the other by Weaver, who lives in Tennessee.

It is not financial pressure alone that’s pushing David and Nightstar to find a permanent abode. After just a few days living in a hotel, David was ready to move on. He wants a permanent place to live, a feeling of stability — a new normal.

“I just want to go home, man,” David said. “I just want to go home.”

Hurricane Michael Relief Efforts — Two members of a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team walk through heavily damaged neighborhoods in Florida after Hurricane Michael. Photo courtesy of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Storm Roundup in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Michael and Florence

“Hurricane Michael made landfall around 1:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 10, 2018 near Mexico Beach, Florida, as a strong Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 155 mph and a minimum central pressure of 919 millibar. Based on these intensity measures, Michael is considered the fourth most-powerful hurricane to hit the United States, behind the Labor Day Hurricane (1935), Hurricane Camille (1969) and Hurricane Andrew (1992), and the most powerful storm to impact the Florida Panhandle in recorded history. Moreover, as the storm remained at Category 3 intensity as it crossed into Georgia and continued to deliver tropical force winds and significant rainfall as it moved into the Carolinas and up the Eastern seaboard, Michael caused wind damage, triggered flooding and resulted in deaths in a number of states, including those still recovering from Hurricane Florence.”

— Structural Extreme Event Reconnaissance Network: Hurricane Michael Preliminary Virtual Assessment Team Report

Florida

The hurricane primarily was a Panhandle issue in Florida, and a lot of it was the Gulf Coast out to Panama City.

Massive evacuations saved untold numbers of lives. In the 38-page report offered by the Structural Extreme Event Reconnaissance Network, a collaborative effort among 10 universities, there was one mention of mobile homes, regarding part of the evacuation criteria near the center of the storm. There were no mentions of manufactured housing, signaling the more recent structures with enhanced tie-down standards are dramatically improving health and safety for residents and homeowners.

“We have many members from Panama City, both retailers and communities,” said Florida Manufactured Housing Association Executive Director Jim Ayotte. “There were retailers that had significant damage. A Clayton retailer had a few homes that were irreparable, and they demoed and removed those homes. Prestige Homes had one home blow over on its roof.”

Homes on retail lots have blocks at the wheels to prevent rolling. However, retailers do not tie down homes.

“And then there was a community that had damage to the office, but the homes all fared well,” Ayotte said.

Ayotte said he is taking a team to the field the week of Oct. 22 to further investigate the effects of Hurricane Michael on manufactured housing.

“What we know right now is that a lot of homes near the beach were were heavily damaged, along with much else near the beach, and they were older mobile homes,” Ayotte said.

Twenty-two fatalities are on record in Florida as of late last week. Meanwhile, search and recover efforts remain underway.

North Carolina

Brad Lovin, executive director of the North Carolina Manufactured and Modular Homebuilders Association, said North Carolina was hit hard again, just a few weeks after about a million people were evacuated prior to massive flooding from Hurricane Florence.

“We were still moving mud and getting people back in from the last storm,” Lovin said.

Massive flooding remains a problem in North Carolina. Yet, 60 mph winds felled a tree on a car and killed the driver.

The greatest amount of flooding occurred in the southern portion of the state, in the area of Whiteville and Lumberton where the Lumber River twice rose to historic levels in a month.

The federal and state governments have approved more than $1 billion in storm recovery funding to more than 20 counties in North Carolina, where 600,000 were without electrical power and 500 residents remained in shelters.

Virginia

Randy Grumbine, executive director for the Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association, said he was unaware of any specific storm events directly impacting manufactured homes in his state.

“Unfortunately, five lives were lost in Virginia attributed to Michael. Three were swept away by swift water, one was a fireman killed on-scene responding to an accident caused by severe weather,” he said.

The fifth fatality in Virginia remains under investigation.

FEMA response teams are working to help feed and house all survivors of Hurricanes Florence and Michael.

Editor’s Note: State officials from Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina are encouraged to provide updates for our continued coverage of storm and recovery details.