Latestarter's ramblings/musings/gripes and grumbles.

[misfitmorgan]

I was talking about MY manufactured home... that I'm living in right now... with paneling etc... I was saying that a modular home (new purchase) was out of my price range. At least for what I want it is. I priced them and for what I want they start around 150K, and that's just the home, no land/foundation-basement/installation-moving/well/septic/fencing/barns/animals... When it was all said and done, the total cost to be move in ready would have been in the 250K range just for the home.well hope you see what I mean... I'm all about downsizing and for those who can live in one of those "tiny houses" (closet on wheels), more power to them. I need SPACE... I'm in a 1480 square foot place now, and that was a downsize from my large home which was in the 2400 range. I'd really like something somewhat north of the middle ground there.... 1900-2000 square feet. 3-4 BRs 2.5 bath with decent sized bedrooms. OK, so if I won the lottery I'd buy a 5000 acre ranch and build a mansion log home; something I could get "lost" in.

As for moving from Michigan, family is great and all, but you have to do what works for you and yours. You can always visit them and vice versa...

I see what you mean. Atm we live in a 750sqft 1970 trailer and it sucks! The house we put up will be someplace in the 1800-1900sqft range since we only have the two of us to house. The modular i love is 115k so i know what you mean, i did the math and with the land purchase and all the other jazz it would be around $180,000 and that just is not gonna happen. Besides im pretty sure we could build a similar styled stick built for less then 115K as its only approx 1850sfqt, one level with a single roof line...ranch style 3 bedroom 2 bath. We shall have to wait and see.

I lived out of state for 10 years and even out of country for a short while. I just hardly ever saw my family that way, maybe 2-3 times a year. A big part of me moving back was my dad, he has a lot of problems from agent orange and his health is quite bad now so i will stay close until the time comes to say our goodbyes at the least.

I'm sure wherever you decide to move you will find someplace/house/farm/land that works for you.

 

[babsbag]

Manufactured homes are "trailers". Used to be called mobile homes.
Modular homes come in panelized kits that you put together on your property. The look just like a stick built home and are considered one by the banks.

I live in probably the most expensive state in the US and 7 years ago our 1700 sq ft manufactured home was l08,000.00 with no upgrades and no installation. That is only 63.00 a sq ft. The cost of building a home averages 150.00. By the time I got done and had it placed on the land, the foundation built, and the septic installed I was up to 190,000.00 so that was still only 111.00 a sq ft. Couldn't beat the price or the time line. From the date I ordered to move in was about 6 weeks.

 

[Mike CHS]

Our home was a bank repo that was reduced to just the value of the land since the house was considered worthless. We considered tearing it down and building new but we changed our minds after seeing how good the "bones" of the house were. It took a lot of work but it is exactly what we want now.

 

[Ferguson K]

Haven't had a chance to read but here's that listing.

http://www.har.com/536-glendale-holly-rd/sale_14844924

 

[Latestarter]

Thanks Kate. I'd actually seen that one on Zillow. It's a little further south than where I'm concentrating, but thanks for sharing it.

 

[SheepGirl]

Wow, land and homes are cheap everywhere else but Maryland! My fiance and I have been looking at homes since February... most places with land are hard to come by. We even thought about purchasing land and building a home, but even just two cleared acres is $100k. (And we would still need a well and septic.) Wooded lots are a lot cheaper, but they are up on the mountain out of the way of everything. We finally found a place 10 minutes from town (though about 50 minutes from my parents and 40 minutes from his) with a little more than 7 acres and a nice home with a pool (but no fencing/buildings) for a little less than $300k. We settle in 3 weeks. We went with a USDA loan, no down payment (which is great because the money we've saved up for a down payment can be used to build a 4 car garage for him to paint cars and renovate the kitchen). So maybe if you find a property the VA loan won't cover, you can go with a USDA loan. We have a fixed 3.25% 30 yr rate. Good luck in your home search

 

[Latestarter]

Well, The rock has been moved and has begun to roll. The realtor the neighbor recommended stopped by today and I walked him around and through the place. He said he'll be swamped the next couple of days but will do a work up and get back to me Wednesday or Thursday. He said RE has slowed down some from the hot and heavy May/June time frame. He specializes in homes with acreage, so he's not a sub division guru. So now we wait and see what he thinks.
he asked my time frame and my net goal. I told him no huge rush, and what I wanted to get out of it.

Glad you were able to find something @SheepGirl As for expenses, yeah, MD comes in #6 as least value for a dollar. I've been concentrating on KY which is the 7th best, or TX which is more or less right in the middle. (link below graphic - Love the stuff on the tax foundation site!)

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/money/the-10-most-and-least-expensive-states-america.html

 

[misfitmorgan]

Manufactured homes are "trailers". Used to be called mobile homes.
Modular homes come in panelized kits that you put together on your property. The look just like a stick built home and are considered one by the banks.

I live in probably the most expensive state in the US and 7 years ago our 1700 sq ft manufactured home was l08,000.00 with no upgrades and no installation. That is only 63.00 a sq ft. The cost of building a home averages 150.00. By the time I got done and had it placed on the land, the foundation built, and the septic installed I was up to 190,000.00 so that was still only 111.00 a sq ft. Couldn't beat the price or the time line. From the date I ordered to move in was about 6 weeks.

i know that they are trailers lol..here modular homes do not come in a panelized kit of any sort, not sure what kind of home that would be called here. Here a modular is a house that comes in two halves on trailers and they set the house then take the trailers with them. Manufactured/trailer come the same way but they leave the trailer permanently on the home as the "foundation." We also have sectionals that come in 3 or more parts on trailers and are put together on site and then the trailers are taken back.

Our foundation, well, septic, drain field, and driveway will be 10k to put in. Tenching in electric and having the propane tank set will be the another 5k give or take. The property is 45k.

Here to build a nice higher end house(large kitchen, upgraded appliance, flooring) 1836sqft its $83/sqft for everything well/septic/driveway/electric/full basement, etc. To build a basic house around 1836sqft its $52/sqft driveway, septic, tc included. The modular i love is $63/sqft for the modular only...no septic, well, driveyway, etc. So i would say yes its very costly for what it is and i could build a stick built in my area of the country for less.

i love Cali but i can only visit even then it costs so much more, i would ntever be able to afford to live there. i hate snow

 

[babsbag]

Our manufactured home came in two pieces and the wheels and axles were removed. It was slid onto a perimeter concrete foundation with jack stands in the crawl space to support the steel floor joists. We had a taller roof put on too so they did part of that on our site as well as it was too tall to tow. Funny how the same things are called differently in different states.

@Latestarter...interesting chart and I knew that I lived in an expensive state, but the salaries are probably a little higher too so that helps. Also it varies greatly from county to county. I can buy 16 acres of land for 80,000. There is some fencing but no well, no septic, and probably another 2-3,000 to get power depending on where a person put a house. Then I can go 3 hours away and that same land would 150,000 minimum. It is all driven by job availability.

 

[Mike CHS]

Land prices are all over the place in Tennessee. You can get a parcel of 20 acres here for right around $2,000 an acre but go 30 miles north (toward Nashville) and you are are looking at $10,000 an acre if you can find anything. Small parcels (10-30 acres) are fairly rare anymore.