Manufactured Housing
Buying a new manufactured home
Selecting a dealer and manufacturer
By LEN BONIFIELD
Published October 18, 2003
Second of four parts.
* * *
In Part 1 of this series you learned how to do your planning and research. Now you have your plan; let's begin the process.
Manufactured homes are typically sold by dealers, much as you would buy a new automobile. Often they are called "street dealers." Manufactured home communities that are still being developed may have salespeople who will sell you a home through several select manufacturers.
Dealers usually fall into three categories. A megadealer has 20 to 30 model homes on the lot. It usually has five to 10 furnished models and 15 to 20 homes for sale and offer immediate delivery. "Ma and pa" dealerships offer smaller lots with fewer homes to choose from. The "factory-direct" dealer has been bought out or set up by a manufacturer and is limited to the products of one manufacturer.
Generally, dealers - just as in the auto industry - are tied to one or two lines of homes.
When you begin to select the dealer you are going to work with, do your homework. How long has the dealer been in business? Ask for the names of five or six recent buyers and speak with them. Check out the dealer with the Better Business Bureau. Ask how many homes the dealer sells each year. Ask the salesperson you are working with how long he or she has been selling. What is the turnover rate of salespeople for that dealership? Check with the manufacturer(s) the dealer represents.
The dealer will be either directly or indirectly responsible for seeing that your house is moved to your lot. The transporting of a manufactured home is not to be taken lightly. Many homes are damaged during transport. You should investigate the house moving firm the dealer uses. The dealer will most likely arrange for your home to be installed on your lot. This means connecting the sections, building piers, anchoring the home, connecting the plumbing and the electricity, and obtaining all the permits.
Make sure that the installer used or recommended by the dealer is licensed, bonded and insured, has years of experience and can provide recent references. What kind of warranties can you obtain from the dealer? Make sure they are in writing; I suggest having an attorney review them.
Home buyers can get so caught up in the emotion of buying a new home and working with the salesperson that they overlook the moving of the home and the installation. These are two very important steps in the process. You may buy your ideal dream home, built to your standards and find that it is damaged in transport to your lot or is installed poorly, leading to many future problems.
When you buy your home through the community to which you are moving, the community usually deals with one or two home moving companies that may be hired by the manufacturer to move the home to your lot. This provides you with the opportunity to get references from the salespeople in the community, then talk to people who have moved into the community recently.
Choosing a home and a manufacturer is a little more difficult. If you are buying your home from the community to which you want to move, you might be limited to one, two or three manufacturers with whom the park has relationships, although many communities will let you select your own manufacturer/dealer as long as the home meets the park's standard requirements.
In Florida we are fortunate that there are a number of quality manufacturers, usually within reasonable transportation distance, for you to choose from. Many of the manufacturers offer factory tours or have salesrooms or models to select from. Most manufacturers have trained people to help you with the modifications and options you choose. You should visit as many of the manufacturers as you can within a reasonable driving distance. Review the floor plan options. Decide on the basic floor plan (two, three or four bedrooms, baths, family rooms, etc.), then review models offered by each of the manufacturers you visit. Many manufacturers have Web sites you can visit on the Internet. All of them will be happy to provide you with brochures, floor plans of the various models, price lists, etc.
Following these steps can narrow down your search to a couple of manufacturers and dealers you want to work with. The next article in this series will discuss analyzing the construction of your home and possible options.
- Send comments or questions to Len Bonifield at elb@gate.net or fax to 863 853-8023, or phone (863) 858-1557. Please include your e-mail and mailing address. Because of the volume of mail and phone calls, he can't respond personally to every query. Bonifield is a manufactured-home resident and a past HOA president and former officer of the FMO District 1 board of directors.
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