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The Irony Of It All
Brad Hollerbach

Zoning Double Standards
What's The Difference Between Current
Habitat House and a Manufactured Home?

Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009, at 2:19 PM

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  • Brad, I'm glad you brought this up. I too was a bit skeptical anyway when I first heard about the Habitat house being built offsite. This was before I heard of Farrar's request.

    I'm hoping that the city official's aren't overlooking this on the Habitat house just because it's a "Habitat" house.

    -- Posted by TommyStix on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, at 10:20 AM
  • Here's the difference-

    it's attitude.

    The rich love to give to the poor things they themselves would never consider using or keeping. They love to build Habitate houses althought they themselves would never live in a 1000 sq ft home. They love to give hand-me-downs to charity and think they have done a good thing and pat themselves on the back.

    But for a poor or mid-class person to want to better their lives in a cost effecient way - OH NO, that simply won't do and will never meet their snooty standards.

    Cape Girardeau leaders are the worse snobs I have ever seen. That is why the City of Cape spends money on a side walk down Lexington when it is much more needed near schools and parks or on Independence. That is why Bloomfield Rd gets stop lights and Independence st does not, even though there is more traffic on Independence st than Bloomfield rd. That is why the tax for storm water repair is gong to build a water park on the north side of town instead of doing wat it was meant to be used for. That is why the city is spending millions on a golf course used only by the wealthy when industry after industry is closing in our area and unemployment is so high.

    Yes there is a double standard. It's all about who you are in this town.

    -- Posted by Skeptic1 on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, at 11:59 AM
  • Brad, did you check to see if perhaps the lot the Habitat house is being moved to is in a different zoning district than the Fountain house? There are different permitted uses in the various zoning classifications, so it is entirely possible that the city's standards are being followed. I would imagine that the project is in line with city codes, as visible as the project is.

    frazzled63701, you need to learn more about Habitat for Humanity... the recipients of their homes actually purchase the home, making a monthly payment just like you and me. It is not a handout from the rich, but a helping hand designed to help a deserving family become responsible homeowners.

    -- Posted by WhatsamattaU on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, at 3:06 PM
  • Habitat wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the rich giving them donations- the materials are usually donated and time is donated by church groups and etc. Yes the poor purchase the house but the house could never be built if it wasn't for the donations from the rich.

    -- Posted by Skeptic1 on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, at 3:57 PM
  • Don't get me wrong- I am NOT knocking Habitat.

    I'm just saying that the City of Cape leaders are snobs with double standards.

    -- Posted by Skeptic1 on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, at 3:59 PM
  • WhatsamattaU,

    Both the lot at North Main and Mr. Farrar's house on Fountain are in R-2. The City currently uses 4 residential zoning districts – R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4. According to the zoning ordinances, any double-wide manufactured home requires a special use permit for it to be installed in any of these districts.

    Thanks for reading.

    -- Posted by Brad_Hollerbach on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, at 4:47 PM
  • Thanks for checking on the zoning.

    -- Posted by WhatsamattaU on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, at 5:36 PM
  • Just_Me

    I think the term “manufactured home” is a very fuzzy area. While some can be rolled in – like the one Mr. Farrar is wanting – others are built in modules that can be assembled on site using a crane. I read about that in Fine Homebuilding.

    While the Zoning Ordinances include all the things that must be done for a special use permit to be issued (I’ve included that information below) for a manufactured home, they’re not very clear on the reasons they can actually reject the request for the home. Or at least not that I could find.

    However, they are very clear that the manufactured home must be permanently mounted on an “enclosed foundation.” I will admit that I am ignorant on the deeding and titling aspect of manufactured homes, but when I see the word “permanent” that implies to me that it can’t be removed or not easily.

    Thanks for reading.

    --

    (37) Double-wide manufactured homes (mobile homes) in "R-1," "R-2," "R-3," or "R-4" districts, with the following provisions:

    a. The manufactured home shall be in compliance with Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, adopted June 15, 1976, as amended, and Missouri Public Service Commission rules.

    b. The unit when complete shall have a minimum width of not less than twenty-four (24) foundation feet as measured at all points perpendicular to the length of the manufactured home, which shall not be less than forty-two (42) foundation feet. This standard is intended to restrict units to the type which are brought to the site in parts, typically two (2) halves and at least one thousand eight (1,008) square feet minimum.

    c. All wheels, springs, axles, lights, and towing apparatus shall be removed.

    d. The unit must be permanently installed on a properly designed, enclosed foundation system in accordance with the BOCA National Building Code.

    e. Orientation of the manufactured housing unit on the lot shall conform to the same orientation as the majority of conventionally built structures in the immediate area (within three hundred (300) feet). Example: Front door to front lot line, rear door to rear lot line.

    f. Roof must be a gable or hip roof of at least three (3) in twelve (12) pitch or greater and covered with material that is residential in appearance, including, but not limited to approved wood, asphalt composition or fiberglass shingles, but excluding corrugated aluminum, corrugated fiberglass, or metal roofs; except for permitted deck areas, all roof structures shall provide an eave projection of no less than six (6) inches and no greater than thirty (30) inches.

    g. Exterior siding or covering shall be of a type, quality and appearance customarily used on conventionally built homes.

    h. The lot shall be provided with a hard surface (not earthen in nature) driveway not less than nine (9) feet wide with side-yard parking sufficient for the placement of at least two (2) vehicles.

    i. A minimum of eighteen (18) inches of crawl space under the entire manufactured home shall be maintained.

    j. Permanent steps shall be set at all external exits with appropriate handrails and/or guard rails.

    k. The unit shall be served by a water supply and sewage disposal system in accordance with the International Plumbing Code, as currently adopted by the city.

    l. The unit shall be served by an electrical service in accordance with the National Electrical Code, as currently adopted by the city.

    m. Any such structure so installed shall conform to all applicable zoning and subdivision ordinances and any other pertinent ordinance in effect at the time of installation or construction, including setback requirements.

    -- Posted by Brad_Hollerbach on Fri, Mar 13, 2009, at 5:48 PM
  • Brad, the differences between a mobile (manufactured) home and a Habitat house are many.

    One is the quality of the finish. Every thing from drywall to trim to fixtures to windows appears to be the least expensive available at the time.

    Fit, finish and material are generally of lower quality compared to stick built. There are many differences besides quality of materials. Also sizing, insulation, egress regs, fire rating etc.

    Mobile Homes are factory built following the Federal Government HUD Codes not the local building codes. The HUD Code requires that all mobile homes be manufactured on a non-removable steel chassis (steel building platform). Mobile homes are subject to local zoning regulations.

    Generally mobile homes depreciate in value since it is very hard to improve or expand an existing mobile home.

    Mobile homes are considered personal property and have to be registered with the DMV. Stick built homes, as you know, don't.

    If you want to see how lenders view mfg homes, find someone who will give you the lending guidelines for them. Or, check with Fannie/Freddie.

    Found this useful info on the web -

    Conversion to Real Property: Special permits are required from the city or county to complete a conversion that will affix the home to a permanent foundation and to obtain title changes that define the property officially as a "real property". After the foundation work is complete, an inspection is required by either the designated city or county agency or, in

    some cases, Manufactured Home inspectors contracted out to the manufacturers. Most states

    require an "affidavit of affixture" or a court document before title change is complete.

    Common characteristics of Manufactured Homes:

    • All are required to have a Department of Housing tag affixed to the rear section of the

    home. This requirement has been in effect since 1977. ("Manufactured homes

    constructed prior to 1977 are typically referred to as "mobile homes").

    o This small metal tag will include the point of origin and the home's serial number

    (VIN number).

    o If the home has more than one section (double-wide, triple-wide, etc.), each

    section will have a tag.

    o These are normally three letters followed by a serial number. The three letters in

    the tag number are a reference to the professional engineering firm that oversees

    the construction of Manufactured Homes to ensure building/manufacturing codes

    meet state and regional requirements.

    o Each section will have it's own HUD number if more than a Single Wide home.

    • Multi-section homes always have a marriage line, which is a seam where the sections of

    the home are joined together. Identification of the marriage line is often the best way to

    identify a manufactured home. However, please note, a trim strip on the front and back of

    the home often conceals the marriage line.

    • The "peak" of the roof can also be an indicator of a manufactured home because most,

    although not all, roofs will also have a roof cap along the center of the roof. This roof cap

    is usually visible from the street. Occasionally, older Manufactured Homes will have flat

    roofs.

    • When a home is located on private property (ground-set), it should have a vapor barrier

    line, which is a wood strip abutting the ground along the bottom of the home's siding.

    -- Posted by ELITIST_SNOB on Sat, Mar 14, 2009, at 1:44 AM
  • Elitist,

    Anyone can stick-build to the minimums required by local building codes. In this case, I would not assume that the Habitat house is better-built than the one Mr. Farrar is wanting to install.

    Peg McNichol who reported on this story in the paper shared with me a copy of the application that was submitted to the zoning commission.

    According to it Mr. Farrar’s application the manufactured home is both HUD and VA approved. I’ve always heard that both of those codes are pretty rigorous. Granted, they may not be McMansion quality rigorous, but still rigorous.

    You do bring up an interesting question about depreciation that I would love to test. I have most of the Cape County property tax assessments for the last two years. And no, I didn’t hack into the County’s computers. This is public information.

    Anyhow, it would be interesting to see how the county has evaluated double-wide manufactured homes that have been in place for at least the last two years. If you are correct about them being registered as personal property rather than real estate then that should be apparent in the evaluation comparisons. I don’t have any personal property data, just real estate.

    Email me some addresses of existing manufactured homes that fit that criteria – bhollerbach@semissourian.com -- and I will post my results on this forum.

    Thanks for reading.

    -- Posted by Brad_Hollerbach on Sat, Mar 14, 2009, at 12:55 PM
  • Brad, everyone can ***** and moan about this issue but unless the people in Farrar's neighborhood go to bat for him in front of the council, nothing will be done and he won't be able to put his mobile home there. Isn't that the real issue? His neighbors may not want that kind of thing close to them. They want their property values preserved.

    Mobile homes are fine if you want to live in one. Given the choice, not many people would choose a single, double or triple wide mobile home over a stick home. I don't know of anyone who ever has.

    The law is the law and if people here are so miffed about the guy not being able to put a trailer on the property they should ******* their rear ends and go get the zoning law changed. Anything less than that is just ******** and moaning. That's the bottom line. Wouldn't you agree? I mean, come on, Brad. If you or anyone else really gave a crap, you all would be trying to change the law, not commenting on a blog. Commenting and complaining makes people feel like they're doing something but really they're doing nothing at all. Can anyone argue with that?

    I have to go. My McMansion here in the "rich" area of town needs to be admired again. I have to go walk on the sidewalks in my neighborhood because after all, he council approved the sidewalks to be built here rather than in the poor section of Cape. It is my civic duty to walk on the sidewalks and because I'm a good citizen, I will do my civic duty. Have a great day.

    -- Posted by ELITIST_SNOB on Sat, Mar 14, 2009, at 5:33 PM
  • A deed does not refer to a house. A deed conveys title to land. If you have a nice house built upon a specific spot of land, the land is worth more. But look at your deed and you will see that it doesn't specify whether or not there's a house on it.

    A house does not have a title.

    A trailer has a title.

    -- Posted by StopAndThink1 on Sat, Mar 14, 2009, at 9:47 PM
  • Just_me, I see asterisks from my side for your propane language. Not sure what you are seeing.

    Actually Elitist, I think the zoning ordinances hearing often work the opposite way.

    Often the naysayers only show up at these meetings. People in favor rarely do – except of course for the people wanting the actual permit. I’ve been to one of these meetings in support of neighbors who were directly impacted by a special permit request. They were naysayers.

    In this particular case, Mr. Farrar’s neighbors were given the opportunity to comment, and they didn’t. If they had been vocally against his request, I would respect that, but so far they have been mum.

    The problem is with the zoning ordinances.

    While they have all the provisions listing what is required for a manufactured home to be granted a special use permit, I found no details on valid reasons for rejecting the permit. It seems to be a very arbitrary decision based on the whims of the zoning commission.

    Thanks for reading.

    -- Posted by Brad_Hollerbach on Sat, Mar 14, 2009, at 11:11 PM
  • Elitist Snob; I live in a 40 yr old double wide manufactured for the northern zone, easy to clean cheap to heat , o course i live out in the woods ya see the woman & the dog & me...

    -- Posted by rockman54 on Sun, Mar 15, 2009, at 11:13 AM
  • Not all pre-manufactured homes are created equal. This Old House recently aired a project home featuring a pre-assembled, high quality, energy efficient home by this company: http://www.bensonwood.com/.

    Pre-manufactured homes have a stigma (justifiable in the past) but are now becoming more mainstream and much better quality.

    Perhaps the city of Cape should stay current with the times and review their pre-manufactured home guidelines.

    -- Posted by truth_be_known on Sun, Mar 15, 2009, at 2:31 PM
  • [Actually Elitist, I think the zoning ordinances hearing often work the opposite way.]

    No, you're wrong about that. They are open to people who are for or against the idea of this guy putting a trailer on his piece of property. Just because the people opposed showed up and were vocal about this issue doesn't mean that supporters can't do the same.

    [In this particular case, Mr. Farrar’s neighbors were given the opportunity to comment, and they didn’t. If they had been vocally against his request, I would respect that, but so far they have been mum.]

    Are you kidding me, Brad? Come on, bro. His neighbors didn't show up to support his request because they didn't want to. That means that they don't want a trailer next to their home. The people who showed up and vocalized their opposition were exercising their right. Why should one guy be allowed to lower the home values of his neighbors just so he can have a mobile home placed on a piece of land he owns? I think the zoning ordinance is working here, Brad. Why do you think it's not?

    Lets say the guy goes to sell the trailer in a few years. Here's the deal, bro. That structure is going to sell for less than the homes around it. That sale will reduce the values of the homes in the vicinity. Talk to an appraiser about that if you don't believe me. Would you want your home devalued because someone was allowed to put a trailer next to it?

    I'm all for the guy owning a mobile home. Just don't put it where it's not supposed to be.

    [While they have all the provisions listing what is required for a manufactured home to be granted a special use permit, I found no details on valid reasons for rejecting the permit. It seems to be a very arbitrary decision based on the whims of the zoning commission.]

    Whims? I don't think so. That doesn't even make sense. If the ordinance says a mobile home can't be there, then it can't. I think you're bias is clouding your thinking. You're clearly against the zoning law the way it's currently written and you're not making a whole lot of effort to see the other side of things. At least it doesn't look like it to me.

    What's next, Brad? Where do we go from here if that guy is allowed to put a trailer on his land? Are we going to start allowing people to tear down their homes and park RVs there if they so choose? Why not? It's their land and there's no valid reason not to. The commission already allowed a mobile home to be placed on a lot where it shouldn't have been so why not fight for this too? How about this, ask your neighbors what they think. Ask them if they'd mind if you did that. Call an appraiser or two and ask them how a trailer affects the values of stick built homes around them.

    By the way. The weird characters that Just_Me was referring to are the same ones that I have above.

    To the guy living in a trailer in the woods. Great. I'm happy for you. I live... "in a van down by the river."

    I can't believe people are actually taking this guy's side. If my neighbor tore down his home and put a trailer in I'd set the thing on fire and run him out of town, all in the middle of the night. Because I'm an elitist snob, I have the money and connections to buy a legal dream team and wouldn't serve a day in jail. That, of course, is if I'd even be charged for a crime. Because I'm an elitist snob, people would thank me and come wash my van as a way of showing their gratitude.

    The paragraph above is a joke. So don't get your panties in a wad, people.

    -- Posted by ELITIST_SNOB on Sun, Mar 15, 2009, at 3:04 PM
  • truth_be_known, maybe they should but that doesn't mean that a trailer should be allowed to be put in a residential area where a bunch of stick built homes already are. Talk about opening up a can of worms...

    Cape's neighborhoods will start looking like the city of Jackson. That town has crap everywhere. Look at the place that used to be the Branding Iron. It's built so close to the highway that I could spit in someone's food while driving by. They have so many buildings in weird places that the town has become ugly.

    Zoning laws serve a purpose. Mobile homes, trailers, manufactured homes, whatever... don't belong in residential neighborhoods that are made up by stick built homes.

    Now, because I'm an elitist snob, I'm going to call Schnucks and demand that they deliver some ice cream and potato chips to me.

    -- Posted by ELITIST_SNOB on Sun, Mar 15, 2009, at 3:14 PM
  • Come on, John in Jackson. You can't tell me that driving into Jackson from Cape that the sight is a beautiful one. The city itself is nice but I was referring to the drive into the city. I should have been more clear about that. Cape has some ugly places, too. I just stay away from them because I'm an elitist snob. Just kidding. I'm really a smart-aleck just trying to make a point. So don't be offended.

    Now, because I'm an elitist snob, I am going to watch my Direct TV. After all, I'm the only one with Direct TV in a place where everyone subscribes to Charter. Has anyone even heard of Direct TV? If not, you should check it out. It's great to watch and I get to see pretty much what I want to. Here's the link: www.directtv.com.

    -- Posted by ELITIST_SNOB on Sun, Mar 15, 2009, at 4:21 PM
  • Im afraid that you have been misinformed about home appreciation/depreciation - But dont feel like your alone. "Many Americans have been victimized by an outdated conception of manufactured homes—one which has been perpetuated in the news media... IN FACT, manufactured homes held up well, even when compared to site-built homes. That this was be the case should not really surprise anyone: since 1999, manufactured homes have been built and installed to standards tougher than any but the most recent codes for site-built structures." (http://www.builtstronger.com/myths.html)

    For a point of view from the Lakeland Florida area, where there are more manufactured homes per sq mile than any place else on earth, take a look at this article from LEN BONIFIELD. He tells us "As with all real estate, location and maintenance of the home play a huge role in determining the rate and extent of appreciation. In a community setting, location equates to amenities, location in the state, proximity to rivers, lakes coastlines, etc. In most average communities, homes that are 25 to 30 years old can be found selling for $15,000 to $30,000, when they sold new for under $10,000. It's not much, but it is some, appreciation. A recent newspaper article related a manufactured home for sale for more than $250,000 in Broward County. It is common to see 30-plus-year old homes sell for more than $100,000 in the Fort Myers area." He tells us "If you go to Natalie Estates in Stuart and hundreds of other good communities in Florida, you will find 1970's parks where housing has appreciated greatly. California is another classic example of selling prices several times more than they sold for originally." Read the entire article - Factory-Built Homes Appreciate

    Consumers Union also has point of view different than yours http://www.consumersunion.org/pdf/mh/Appreciation.pdf Read it and learn that "average appreciation rates of manufactured homes packaged with owned land are statistically in line with the site built market, and there are few inherent reasons that a home built in a factory should perform differently than one built on site"

    "For many years, people have assumed that the value of manufactured homes depreciates. This is not so. Studies conducted at two Universities revealed that the determining factor of appreciation in both types of homes was their location. Maintenance also plays a major role. If a home of any kind is built or setup in a bad neighborhood or area it will probably depreciate no matter what. In a good area or neighborhood they will generally appreciate in value depending on the local housing market and economy. In the case of a manufactured home, if it is setup on a permanent foundation with a concrete pad, blocked properly and anchored properly, with good drainage so water does not sit under the home and if one buys from a reputable dealer who uses good setup people, the home will be no different than a site built home. It would appreciate in value at the same rate as a site built home in the same area. The cost of manufactured homes is significantly lower than the cost of site-built homes. This gives them an instant appreciation between what the home actually cost the homebuyer and what its market value is. In some cases, a multi-section manufactured home has sold for more the second time than the first. Properly setup and well taken care of, you are talking about a fantastic investment potential." (http://www.rebelhome.net/myth.html)

    Here are a few more opinions - lifted from the MHI web site:

    Manufactured Housing Research Project

    University of Michigan, 1993

    Dr. Kate Warner and Dr. Robert Johnson

    This study is divided into six sections dealing with various questions surrounding manufactured housing: Quality, Costs and Finance, Values, Impacts on Adjacent Property Values, Manufactured Housing and the Senior Population, and Alternative Ownership and Innovative uses. Findings included:

    - Manufactured housing quality has become essentially equivalent to that of conventional housing

    - Manufactured housing compares favorably with site-built housing as an affordable housing option

    - Manufactured housing, like site-built housing, can be viewed as an investment with probabilities of appreciation and equity accumulation

    - Manufactured housing has no impact on the appreciation rates of surrounding properties, putting to lie the myths of negative property value impacts.

    The Future of Manufactured Housing

    Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies, 1997

    Kimberley Vermeer and Josephine Louis

    The Harvard Joint Center report is essentially a survey of previous academic studies of manufactured housing. It draws from earlier Joint Center studies, particularly Residential Property Value and Mobile/Manufactured Homes: A Case Study of Belmont, New Hampshire," which is Thomas Nutt-Powell’s 1986 examination of property value impacts of manufactured housing, as well as the Manufactured Housing Research Project abstracted above. The Future of Manufactured Housing points out some areas that the industry needs to address (many of them dealt with in the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act, such as installation) and the conclusions that it draws are generally very favorable for the industry.

    The Impact of Manufactured Housing on Adjacent Site-Built

    Residential Properties in North Carolina

    East Carolina University, 1997

    Dr. Richard Stephenson and Dr. Guoqiang Shen.

    The first examination of property value impacts of manufactured housing that draws on real-world spatial relationships via GIS data, The Impact of Manufactured Housing on Adjacent Site-Built Residential Properties in North Carolina dispels the twin myths that manufactured housing automatically depreciates and drags down surrounding property values. The most telling findings were:

    - Manufactured homes with a fixed foundation or listed as real property appreciated at comparable rates to site-built residential properties

    - There is no clear negative correlation between the overall appreciation rate of site-built residential properties and the presence of manufactured housing in close proximity

    Manufactured Home Life, Existing Housing Stock Through 1997

    Iowa State University, May 1998

    Dr. Carol B. Meeks

    An update to an earlier study conducted when Dr. Meeks was with the University of Georgia, this study takes a more comprehensive look at the manufactured housing stock to determine the life expectancy of manufactured homes. Manufactured Home Life, Existing Housing Stock Through 1997 finds that the life expectancy of manufactured homes is comparable to the life expectancy of new site-built homes.

    Code Comparison Study - MHCSS vs. CABO One- and Two-Family

    Dwelling and Model Energy Codes

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture, January 1998

    Jeffrey Gordon and William B. Rose

    Compares the applicable requirements of standards for construction of a home built to the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (HUD Code) with the CABO One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code and Model Energy Code. The comparison concludes that while in some areas the HUD Code requirements are more restrictive, and in other areas the CABO code are, on balance the two codes are comparable, resulting in houses that perform similarly.

    Identification and Measurement of Zoning Barriers Related to Manufactured Housing:

    A Location and Accessibility Analysis East Carolina University, 1999

    Dr. Richard Stephenson and Dr. Guoqiang Shen

    The 1999 ECU Study examines what impact zoning has on manufactured housing placement and it’s proximity to "positive" versus "negative" public facilities. For the purposes of the study, "positive" facilities included environmental, health and emergency rescue services; cultural, recreational and education services; and auto, food, shopping and other business services. "Negative" facilities include landfill and solid waste sites and other similar uses. Findings include:

    - Manufactured housing is located farther from "positive" community facilities, which is especially significant in the area of life safety services

    - Manufactured housing is located closer to "negative" public facilities such as landfills and solid waste facilities

    - Zoning districts where manufactured housing is a permitted use have a higher percentage likelihood of being located in flood zones

    The general conclusion is that many of the negative perceptions of manufactured housing are in fact self-fulfilling prophecies perpetuated in part by the limited placement opportunities created through local government zoning actions.

    The Impact of Manufactured Housing on Adjacent Site Built

    Residential Properties in Two Alabama Counties

    Auburn University - Montgomery, 2000

    Charles E Hegji and Linda Mitchell

    This study used property valuations from Montgomery and Lee Counties in Alabama to assess the impact of proximity to manufactured housing on site-built property value. Using a methodology similar to that use by East Carolina University in their earlier study, including a spatial analysis using GIS, the Auburn University - Montgomery study concluded that:

    - The appreciation rates of individual manufactured homes in both counties were comparable to those of site-built properties

    - Proximity to manufactured housing did not appear to be a significant determinant of property values of site-built residential housing (www.manufacturedhousing.org/)

    "The appreciation in value of manufactured homes comes back to the old real estate axiom -- location, location, location. When properly sited and maintained, manufactured homes will appreciate at the same rate as other homes in surrounding neighborhoods" (http://www.mhao.org/myths.asp)

    -- Posted by mfdhousing on Mon, Mar 16, 2009, at 8:44 PM
  • Oh, you've gotta be kidding me. You're giving us information from mfg housing trade associations & rags? You've gotta do better than that. I don't have a problem changing my opinion but it's going to take a lot more than trade rags for me to make the change.

    Better luck next time.

    -- Posted by ELITIST_SNOB on Mon, Mar 16, 2009, at 10:33 PM