Buying A Manufactured Home: Easier Than You Think!

You may be wondering if you’ll ever be able to buy your first new home. It’s definitely not as easy for this generation as it was for their parent’s generation! 

Still, there are solutions in the industry that allow for you to have a beautiful new home at prices you could have only imagined. I’m talking about the wonder of manufactured homes. Haven’t considered one yet? 

Well, let’s talk more about what they are, and some of our tips and tricks on things you need to know to get on your way toward buying a new home.

What is a manufactured home?

First things first. A manufactured home is not the same thing as a mobile home. A mobile home (sometimes referred to as a trailer) does not have a permanent foundation and can be moved from its location. Manufactured homes (factory-built homes) have stricter building requirements, such as stronger framing and better insulation for heating and cooling cost savings. In addition, they look just like the type of onsite-built home you’re used to seeing.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, here are some reasons why manufactured homes are just as good, if not better, than an onsite-built home:

• Manufactured homes are made in a factory (hence the name!) with exacting, efficient home building standards that take much less time to produce. Manufactured home sellers are then able to pass the savings in labor and time along to you, the buyer, in the form of a cheaper price tag. That said, these are not inferior homes – they are just more efficient to build.
• Manufactured homes offer modern features that today’s homeowners really want to see, such as open floor plans, large kitchens with energy-efficient appliances, and fancy bathrooms.
• Manufactured homes are just as safe as an onsite-built home, contrary to what you may have thought. The materials used to build a manufactured home are the same exact materials used to build an onsite home. And they are anchored into the ground in such a way that they will withstand winds, hurricanes, and tornadoes as well as an onsite-built home.
• Often, you’ll find manufactured home communities containing amenities you could have only dreamed of for your first home, including fun things like:
  • Community swimming pools
  • Basketball courts
  • Onsite maintenance assistance
  • Playgrounds
  • …and more!

Ok, now you’re armed with the facts about manufactured homes and understand why they may be perfect for your first home. Next, let’s talk about the ways you need to get ready for your new manufactured home purchase.

Come up with a monthly payment you can afford

This is an important first step for any new homeowner - deciding how much house you can afford. If you haven’t already, build out a monthly budget of all of your household expenditures, both bills and things like daycare, groceries, gas, etc. Make sure you leave some extra money in your budget for unexpected expenses and some savings for a rainy day. 

Now, subtract that from your monthly income. This is the most you could pay monthly for a home. However, that does not mean this is how much you have to spend on a home! This would be the max you can spend, but leaves you with options for any homes below that amount. You don’t want to be “house poor” and not be able to spend money on vacations or fun indulgences for you or your family.

Check out your credit score 

You’re going to want to see what your credit score is before you start your home buying journey. There are plenty of free apps out there that can help you learn what your credit score is and what affects it. Credit Score (FICO) is taken into consideration during the loan process and the residency application process for a manufactured home community, so it’s best to get ahead of it.

Consider a manufactured home community versus private land

A manufactured home community will already be set up for you to live in much more easily than private land. With a manufactured home community, you won’t have to worry about things like whether or not the land is suitable for a manufactured home, zoning laws, or whether or not you’ll have to run electricity or gas to your home. 

Plus, living in a manufactured home community provides you with cool social opportunities not found on private land. Beat a buddy on the basketball court in a game of HORSE, meet other moms at the community swimming pool, and take your best dish to a community barbecue bash. These are just some of the neat community amenities you’d find at a manufactured home community such as Bayshore, which has communities all over the United States. 

Ask for bonuses and incentives

Sometimes, companies selling new manufactured homes will give you incentives such as community wide sales on home prices, a few months of free site rent, or referral bonuses. Don’t be shy – step right up and ask your manufactured home seller what they have to offer. 

In addition, many manufactured home communities will already have relationships with lenders and can assist you with financing your home in their community, especially if it is your first new home purchase. Sometimes they can even help you with things like finding a reasonable but reliable moving company, or getting money knocked off the site rent of the house for just doing a tour; you get the idea. It doesn’t hurt to ask for all the bonuses you can get! 

Bayshore manufactured home communities answer “YES!” to the question, “Will I ever be able to buy my first home?”

We understand you’re excited to move your family into a new home. At Bayshore, we do everything possible to make this dream a reality. 

We want to help you get your first home, and we invite you to take a tour of our beautiful manufactured homes! Call Bayshore at (888) 855-1818 to find a Bayshore community in the location you want today!