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The Complete Buyer's Guide to Manufactured Homes and Land, by John Grissim. Rainshadow Publications, 240 pages, 66 illustrations. Price: $23.95 $32.27 Canadian. Order toll-free at 1-800-304-6650, or online at www.buyersguidetomh.com John Grissim's book is designed specifically for the first-time buyer of a manufactured home. Grissim moved from California to Washington state and bought his first manufactured home. In the process he became fascinated with the manufactured home industry and the potential it held for people looking for quality homes, flexible in design and moderately priced. Grissim did an outstanding job of research and published a book that is packed with good material.
Two caveats: Grissim's book was written for a national audience, not specifically for the Florida market. Potential first-time buyers of manufactured homes need to be aware that the Florida market is unique. Two very strong associations are active in Florida: the Federation of Manufactured Home Owners Association of Florida Inc. (FMO) and the Florida Manufactured Housing Association (FMHA). These organizations helped to pass the state law governing manufactured housing, Chapter 723, which, without a doubt, is the most comprehensive law in the nation protecting the rights of owners of manufactured housing on leased land.
Second, Florida has the strongest law governing how manufactured homes are installed and anchored. The section in Grissim's book that deals with these topics is not applicable to Florida.
If you are a first-time buyer in Florida, I recommend that you contact either or both of these organizations to learn more about Chapter 723 and about installation requirements. Reach the FMO at (727) 530-7539 in Largo, and the FMHA at (850) 907-9111 in Tallahassee.
The book's 13 chapters are packed with information and advice. Grissim is fair and balanced and goes to great lengths in each chapter to point out the negatives as well as the good points.
The first three chapters cover history, determining if a manufactured home is right for you, and some possible pitfalls. Chapter 4 covers your buying powers and financing. Chapter 5 concerns finding and buying land and buying in a resident-owned community (ROC). It points out the drawbacks of placing your home on a private lot and indicates zoning issues to watch out for.
Chapter 6 is on leasing a home site in a land-lease community. This is where first-time Florida buyers need to understand state law. While Chapter 723 provides excellent protection, there are nuances to land-lease arrangements that a buyer needs to understand. However, there is excellent advice for anyone considering a land-lease arrangement.
Chapter 7 is about buying your manufactured home from a dealership and spotlights some of the pitfalls. Chapter 8 is a continuation of that topic, providing advice on finding a reputable dealer. Chapters 9, 10 and 11 help you select the right home (tips, checklists, etc.). There is a list of the top 25 manufacturers, complete with capsule descriptions, and a discussion of how to get a fair price and a square deal. These three chapters, especially Chapter 11, give the first-time buyer valuable information and advice to get the right deal. Grissim spells out how to negotiate the price and financing.
Chapter 12 deals with site preparation, delivery and setup. This information is not particularly helpful to the Florida buyer, as noted above, since our laws are different.
Chapter 13, the final chapter, is about walk-through inspection, warranty service and maintenance for the long haul. It provides a handy checklist, what to do when problems arise (and they will, just as they do on a new site-built home), and what to do with the manuals and documentation.
The book has a handy appendix that lists resources, Web sites, administrative agencies and state associations of the manufactured-home industry.
I can strongly recommend this book to anyone considering a first manufactured home. Grissim's valuable advice will save money, time, frustration and effort.
- 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.