In September 2011, I started Mobile Home Living.

I bought the domain name, published through a free blogging platform called Blogger, and had no idea what I was doing.

Looking back, it’s hilarious how naive and uneducated I was about the manufactured housing world and blogging in general. How this site eventually found its footing and gained popularity will always be the 8th great mystery of the world (at least to me).

Mobile Home Living was born when my husband and I bought a 1978 single wide in 2011. It needed an update, so I searched online for mobile home remodeling and decorating ideas. There were only a few legitimate results and the idea to create a site that offered mobile home remodeling and decorating ideas, along with mobile home repair help, was born. You can read more about it here.

I figured if I was looking for this information others were as well. I guess I was right.

The Errors of My Way 

By Mobile Home Living’s first anniversary I had already been contacted by a few people with the same complaint: I was committing a faux pas of epic proportions – I was using the term ‘Mobile Home.’

The nerve of me! 

By our fourth anniversary, I had been contacted dozens of times about my choice of words. The complaints usually came from an over-zealous salesman or someone working within the industry (but they never associated themselves with any one company).

The argument was always the same; The words ‘mobile home’ conjured up negative opinions of the factory-built housing so the term must never be used again.

New Rules = New Name?

1976 is a very special year in the factory-built housing industry. You could even call it their rebirth. Though it would have been their second since they had a rebirth in 1954 after the term ‘trailer coach’ was changed to ‘mobile home.’

July of 1976 is when a new federal law went into effect across the nation that regulated the construction and installation of ‘manufactured’ homes. HUD, the government department that oversees housing and urban development, had worked with the industry to come up with a minimum set of standards that all homes had to meet.

Prior to these new regulations, the factory-built housing industry had basically run amok.

Poor construction and terrible safety issues plagued mobile homes. Of course, there were a few companies that offered a superior home along with good customer service but there were far more companies that only cared about profit and their greed disgraced the reputation of the homes and the industry.

These new guidelines significantly increased safety and construction standards for all factory-built housing and gave the industry an opportunity to shed their poor reputation. They were producing a completely different product from mobile homes, and that required a completely different name. Factory-built housing was to be called ‘Manufactured Homes.’

Using the term ‘manufactured home’ was so important to the industry that they advocated to have the name change written into federal law!

The Housing Act of 1980 states that mobile homes were to be reclassified as buildings instead of vehicles and that all mobile homes produced after 1976 were to be referred to as manufactured homes. Literature created or released by the federal government were only allowed to use the words manufactured home. The term mobile home was no longer allowed to be used in legislation.

The reputation of mobile homes as poorly constructed homes of yesteryear would be forever vanquished with this new term!

Related: How the Mobile Home Stigma Began

 So, Is It a Mobile Home or a Manufactured Home? 

It’s a mobile home if the home was built before July 1, 1976.

It’s a manufactured home if it was built after July 1, 1976.

And if you wanna get real technical, it’s a trailer if it was built before 1954 when the association of trailer coach builders of America decided they wanted to be called the mobile home builders of America.

The industry loves to change names!

Oh, look, a very nice mobile home…oops, I mean manufactured home…..I mean trailer. 

Nevermind, I’m confused, again. 

You can see more of this beautiful manufactured home here. 

So, What’s the Big Deal? 

There’s no big deal really. I’m just taking a stand against all this silliness.

I’ve been told that no builder or dealer would ever want to advertise on my little blog because they would not be associated with the term ‘mobile home.’ I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t accept ads (or any money at all) from builders or dealers directly (I have no say about third-party ad placement).  I want to remain neutral and honest about my opinions. The goal of this site is to be the voice of the people, not the industry.

I have seen articles on industry sites that actually have rebuttals for salesman and employees to use if they hear the words ‘mobile home’ used.

Once I learned about this name stuff, I tried to play well with others. I made an effort to use the term ‘mobile home’ when referring to a home built before July 1976 and ‘manufactured home’ for homes built after that date. I even changed the name of this blog from ‘Mobile Home Living’ to ‘Mobile and Manufactured Home Living.’

Another Email? Oh, Joy……

Here’s the latest communication that I received just a couple days ago:

Your site is very interesting. Great site!

But….. you really need to drop the term “Mobile Home”. The reason is, it gives people the view that these are “Trailers” and not homes.

HUD changed it in 1976 to Manufactured Homes. If we as owners of these homes want to change all the misconceptions about these homes, the term “Mobile Home” must be eliminated across the board. It gives inspectors, insurance companies, banks, home buyers, etc. a total misconception of what these homes have become.

There is so much wrong information given to people by so called, “people in authority”, because they think these homes are “trailers”, and the term “Mobile” is part of the reason….along with those people not knowing or caring to know what is fact and what is a myth.

We as owners, need to start changing the misconceptions that has plagued these homes for many years. It is time to get the truth out about these homes, and helping our selves at the same time… just my opinion.

The Issue With All this Silly Name Changing…..

My issue with all this name changing is simple – you cannot change how people talk and you cannot change a product’s reputation by calling it a different name.

I’ve called these awesome adobes ‘mobile homes’ my entire life and I’m not stopping now.

My ‘Official’ Reply

Here is my official reply to all this silliness about the two small terms that has caused so much controversy:

The misconceptions of mobile homes are mostly true: some of the homes were junk, the buyers were preyed upon, and the industry was an unregulated nightmare.

It is what it is. Own it and move on…

The only thing that can remedy the industry’s reputation is to make better homes and have better customer service.

The industry needs to focus on improving themselves and offering the best product at the best price possible and stop worrying about a term used by the people living in them or buying them.

We only want to enjoy our homes. If you build a good home and create a good buying experience and stand behind your product, all 8 million or so owners living in mobile and manufactured homes across the nation will advertise for you better than any name change ever could.

So, This is My Stand…..

This is me, the founder of Mobile and Manufactured Home Living, saying to you that I love my home and everything it has offered me. It has completely changed my life for the better.

A 1978 single wide has provided my family and me a better life! With no house payment, I have been able to give my daughter experiences I never had and that is a wonderful feeling.

I don’t care what you call it…I call it home. 

Thank you so much for reading Mobile and Manufactured Home Living.

Retirement is something we all look forward too. We work hard for 30+ years to support our families and the reward at the end of all that hard work is retirement – it’s the icing on the cake of life!

Unfortunately, a lot of us aren’t quite as ready as we need to be for retirement. The cost of living has increased significantly but income has stagnated. It takes every penny we have to live in the present so how are we suppose to put away for the future?

An Aging Population 

A large percentage of Americans are getting older and we need affordable housing more than ever. Heck, we need affordable housing for every age group but especially our aging baby boomers.

RuralHome.org states:

“….the senior population is expected to more than double in the next 40 years. Rural America is “older” than the nation as a whole and more than one-quarter of all seniors live in rural and small town areas. A rapidly aging population will significantly impact nearly all aspects of the nation’s social, economic, and housing systems. Most seniors wish to remain and age in their homes as long as possible, but rural elders are increasingly experiencing challenges with housing affordability and quality…”

Retirement Isn’t Easy for the Average American

If you are a working American living paycheck to paycheck, retirement may be difficult. The average middle-income earner will be expected to work till they are 65 before they can start getting a return from their social security.

Retirement statistics are alarming. USA Today reports:

“….About 36% of workers have less than $1,000 in savings and investments that could be used for retirement, not counting their primary residence or defined benefits plans such as traditional pensions, and 60% of workers have less than $25,000, according to a telephone survey of 1,000 workers and 501 retirees from the non-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald and Associates.”

Related: Hey, It’s OK to Live in a Mobile Home

Manufactured Homes are a Smart Retirement Option

With an aging population and an affordable housing crisis across the nation it’s important that we find solutions.

Manufactured homes are a smart solution for many retirees. Here’s why:

Manufactured Homes are Affordable

Manufactured homes are an extremely affordable housing option for any age group. Cost per square foot is almost half that of a site-built home!

It’s no secret that a lot of retirees sell their larger site-built home and buy a smaller manufactured home. Often, they move south to enjoy the warmer weather in the process. Profit made from the sell of their site-built home can allow them to pay cash for an older mobile home and have money left over to pad their savings account. It’s a smart choice for many people.

Smaller Homes are Easier to Maintain

Most retirees don’t need a lot of house. Maintenance and cleaning for larger homes is more expensive. There’s also an increased chance of needing costly repairs in larger homes.

The more you have the more upkeep you have to do!

Retirement should be as simple and as easy as possible which is why people chose mobile home parks and condos that include lawn maintenance into the monthly rental costs.

Manufactured Homes are Predominately Single-Story Homes 

Steps can be difficult for retirees which makes the average single story manufactured home a great choice.

You can have manufactured homes built to work with your specific needs. Many wheelchair bound homeowners order their homes with wider doorways and hallways , lower counter tops, and little to no overhead cabinetry.

Related: Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Home Parks

A Popular Housing Choice 

Manufactured homes are best known for being a perfect housing option for retirees and young families just starting out.

Close to 20 million people currently live in a mobile or manufactured home. They enjoy the comforts of modern living at a reduced cost. Don’t let the stigma turn you away from factory-built housing – they serve an important function in our society!
Thank you for reading Mobile and Manufactured Home Living!

Additional Resources:

4 Ways to Go Broke in Retirement

Retirement Pulse

10 Things Retirement Communities Won’t Tell You

Image Source: Flickr, George, 1963 Bell Gardens, CA., Dee’s MH Park

The world has changed a lot in the last 30 years. There used to be a set path we were supposed to follow. We were supposed to graduate high school and go to college. Then, we were supposed to graduate from college and get a job in some huge corporation with an IRA, health insurance, and two weeks paid vacation.

A short time later, we were to get married and buy a home.

This home would be our life’s largest investment. Our financial stability wrapped up nice and neat in rolls of warmth, blocks of stability, and boards of beauty.

We’d work for that same huge corporation for a decade or so, get a raise, and maybe even dream of buying a bigger house that would hold our growing family.

We wouldn’t worry because our beautiful home, that we so lovingly improved and maintained with pride, would increase its value. We would sleep soundly knowing that our family and our future was going to be OK because our financial foundation was cinder-block strong.

We’d raise our children and then send them off to college so they could follow the very same path we did and after 30 years of loyalty, we’d retire from that huge corporation. Cash out our IRA and retire in peace.

All was well and the middle-class life was good but that’s no longer the case.

Today, the path is different…

In today’s world, struggle is a common denominator among us. A good job, with good benefits and opportunity to advance, has vanished.

Now, it takes two adults working full-time to afford the bare necessities.

The middle class is shrinking at a drastic rate. Cities are too expensive for us to buy a home and when we can buy a home our investments are gaining equity at a slower rate, if at all. 

In addition to higher housing costs, utilities and groceries are rising at an astounding rate while wages are staying stagnant.

So What Do We Do? Simplify and Unlabel

Since the infamous McMansion is out of reach for most of us we have to choose a different path.

We have to choose our own path – our own way.

For many of us, living in an affordable mobile home allows us to even the score out a bit in this poor economy.

Paying less for living expenses allows us just enough extra money to travel, pursue hobbies, and provide for our families just a little bit easier.

It’s OK to live in a mobile home because it allows us a better quality of life.

Stop Letting People’s Labels Define You

Those of us living in a mobile are all too familiar with labels. Our homes have many labels associated with them, but in this day and age, and in this economy, we have to put them aside and do what’s right for ourselves and our families. It’s OK to Live in a Mobile Home!

Living in a smaller, more affordable home makes a lot of our lives a little easier.

Read about manufactured home discrimination here. 

Marc Ecko wrote a book called Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out. It’s about the labels that we use to describe ourselves and others. He makes a great argument that we need to stop letting these labels impact our lives and that we need to unlabel ourselves. Here are his own words:

My philosophy is simple: unlabel.

Not “un” as in the nihilist or negative sense of the prefix, but in the “refuse” sense of the meaning. Refuse to be labeled.

Fight their labels.

Ignore their labels.

Peel off their labels.

Oprah.com has a great article called How to Stop Letting Other People’s Labels Define You. The essence of the article is how to let go of negative labels.

The ending paragraph:

If you’re holding negative definitions of yourself, question them—I assure you, they are lies. The more you learn this, the less you’ll suffer the hell of self-loathing. People may tell you you’re crazy. That’s okay, child. It isn’t true. Now run along and play.

 

We must refuse to be labeled. Those of us that have chosen to live in a mobile home are adapting to an ever-changing economy. We are doing what makes sense for us and that’s all that matters.

It’s OK to live in a mobile home! 

When you’re gone, what will people remember most about you? If it’s the type of home you lived in then you’re probably doing something wrong.

A home is a home; a place that protects us from the elements, provides a safe environment for our families, and gives us a space to be ourselves.

It doesn’t matter if it’s on wheels, cement, or steal. It doesn’t have to cost a lot and it doesn’t have to be in a fancy zip code. All it has to do is give you a place to be you and a mobile home does that remarkably well.

Honestly, it’s OK to live in a mobile home!

As always, thank you so much or reading Mobile and Manufactured Home Living!

Image Source: Double Wide by way of Steven Scott in a FB group called I Love Manufactured Homes (a great group!), Labels Illustration

When I was in elementary school I had a favorite house that set right outside my hometown. This home was regal and fancy. It was a two-story brick home with three white columns and to a middle-class coal miner’s daughter that had always lived in a manufactured home, this fancy brick house was my idea of a true dream home. (I didn’t even know placing a manufactured home over a full basement was a possibility at the time)

This isn’t the home but it’s close:

In high school, while riding with a friend we drove by that house and I mentioned how much I loved it and how I dreamed of owning it.

Before I continue, I should mention that as a teen I was a bit embarrassed about living in a manufactured home, even though we lived in a very nice double wide, and my closest friends knew it. I didn’t take kindly to being associated with ‘trailer trash’ and even though I don’t think anyone ever called me that, I was still scared of being labeled with such a derogatory term. 

Immediately after I shared my thoughts about the home my friend laughed. It was a deep, almost sinister laugh that took me by surprise. A laugh that you can’t help but ask, “WHAT?”

She grinned and said, “Crystal, that is nothing but a double wide setting on a high basement. The homeowners own Southern Homes (the local manufactured home dealer). Of all the nice houses around here your favorite one is a manufactured home – how ironic is that?”

I probably learned a very important lesson that day though I can’t tell you exactly what it was. Maybe that was the day I learned that manufactured homes are what you make of them. Or, maybe I learned that I was destined to live in a manufactured home and I was absolutely okay with that. Maybe I didn’t learn anything at all but should have.

Placing a Manufactured Home Over a Full Basement

The very true story above came about because I wanted to share a video with you that shows how a double wide can be placed over a high foundation and turned into a beautiful home.

Basically, you get the site-built look at a manufactured home price!

While the video states the home is a modular, the same can be done to a manufactured home. There are a few differences between manufactured and modular. While both types of homes are built in sections in a factory and transported to the lot for assembly, a modular home must pass local and state codes whereas a manufactured home only needs to pass a national code.

A manufactured home is only limited by the restrictions we put on them.

Manufactured homes can be turned into a two-story brick house with fancy white columns if that’s what you want! They can become huge ranch houses or small southwestern abodes.

The sky is the limit and that’s one of the most beautiful things about factory-built homes; they allow us the freedom and the unlimited potential of a site-built home, at a fraction of the cost. Placing a manufactured home over a full basement is just one of many options for manufactured homes.

Thank you so much for reading Mobile and Manufactured Home Living!

Image Source

The manufactured housing industry has seen many great innovations over the last century. Since the first mobile home rolled off the assembly line we’ve seen homes get longer, wider, and more structurally sound.

New companies with better ideas, using modern materials and more efficient methods of building, have allowed factory-built homes to become the well-built, energy efficient family dwellings we have today. All it took was one company to lead the way and show the other builders that there was a better way to do things and prove that the idea was profitable and I think I’ve found one such company!

Related:  Another new manufactured home concept: The Clayton’s Gen-Now Concept Home.

Evergreen Eco Homes: The Future of Manufactured Homes?

Evergreen Eco Homes is a home builder out of Florida that seems to be a doing a fine job of paving the way for new building techniques for manufactured homes.

(Note: I’m not affiliated with the company in any way and have not received any compensation for this article. I simply like what I see and wanted to share it with you.)

I found Evergreen Eco Homes on Twitter a few months ago and have been keeping tabs on them. From what I’ve read and seen, these homes have some really great benefits and are available for purchase today at a seemingly reasonable price considering the material used and benefits achieved from said material.

Evergreen Eco Homes Create Concrete Manufactured Home

The Evergreen Eco-concrete home is built in the company’s Florida factory using a special reinforced concrete called FLEXXOWALL.

One of the many benefits of FLEXXOWALL is that the material, combined with an intelligent floor-plan, allows the homes to have a panic room that can withstand tornado and hurricane force winds. That’s a feature you won’t see associated with factory-built homes often!

The company’s website shares the advantages of FLEXXOWALL:

Versatility

• Fits any structural design and incorporates electrical and mechanical systems in the same formwork.The interior dividers are installed according to distance or separation requiring steel (rod) horizontalThe steel (rod) is vertically unobstructed by the separators, since they have a thickness of 1/8 inch and a spacing of 12 inches horizontally.Electrical boxes can be installed at the factory or in the field, screwed into the mold at the cement board panels.

Resistance

• FLEXXOWALL mold systems withstand lateral pressures concrete during pouring, without the need for external reinforcement, (see installation manual).

Durability

• Very good cement board, which meets all the parameters of degree and strength required by code. (See technical specifications Plycem).

High quality finishes

• Due to the type of surface, traditional masonry is removed and the final finish is cement board.

The image below shows an employee pouring concrete into reinforced forms to create an Evergreen Eco Home:

Evergreen Eco Home Floor Plan Options

The Eco home is available in 2 and 3 bedroom models though rooms and wings can be attached to create a larger home.

It appears that these home’s prices start at $69,678.00. Since their 2 bedroom home has 591 square feet that equals out to around $117 per square foot – a little high compared to today’s manufactured home prices but keep in mind that these homes may have a greater ability to gain equity.

The 2 Bedroom Eco Home Layout

The 3 Bedroom Eco Home Layout

Visualization of an Evergreen Eco Home Being Installed

A Youtube video produced by Evergreen:

 The Eco Home is Eligible for HUD’s Title 1 Loan Program 

The company seems to have covered all the bases, making it as easy as possible to buy their homes.  Their financing page states that the homes qualify for HUD manufactured home financing under the Title 1 program insured by the FHA. That’s an important aspect to remember because it looks like the company actually priced the homes in relation to the Title 1 maximum amounts. On their Financing pag,e it plainly states that prices for the homes start at $69,678.00 and that just happens to be the maximum amount one can borrow through the loan program.

Related: You can learn more about loans and grants for manufactured homes here. 

The Title 1 loan can be used to purchase or refinance a manufactured home, a developed lot to place a manufactured home, or a combination of both home and lot. Below are the maximum amounts available:

8 Reasons to Consider the Evergreen Eco Home

The company has been very careful to create an energy efficient home with a pleasant modern aesthetic. It certainly appeals to my design tastes. Here’s 8 reasons the company wants you to consider their home:

1. Re-enforced concrete with insulation makes it an eco friendly four seasons housing unit.

2. Solar panels that can decrease both reliance and cost of your electricity bills.

3. Water cistern gathers rain water for gardening, automobile washing.

4. Panic Room to protect families against tornadoes or hurricanes, up to category 5.

5. Built with lite concrete providing durability, strength and protection.

6. Built using construction steel & aluminum forms making the structure monolithic for maximum strength.

7. Leed lighting system to lower utility bills.

8. 100% financing for 20 years through the Title 1 Loan Program.

Summary

The Evergreen Eco Home is paving the road for concrete homes that can be easily transported. While it’s still early for the Evergreen Eco Home, it’s a pleasure to see companies trying new things in home design! If we can build a beautiful, environmentally friendly home such as the Eco Home for less then 100k now, imagine what we can do a few years down the road!

You can learn more about the Evergreen Eco Home here. All photos and videos property of Evergreen Eco Homes.

I applaud Evergreen for their home and hope to see many more great homes hit the market!

As always, thank you so much for reading Mobile and Manufactured Home Living!

To celebrate Earth Day, we created this info-graphic that details all the great ways manufactured homes are earth friendly.

Related:  Are Evergreen Eco Homes the Future of Manufactured Homes?

Manufactured Homes: Affordable, Energy Efficient Homes

Since the beginning, manufactured homes have been leading the way energy efficient housing. Their dedication to green technology and environmentally friendly building techniques are undeniable and on-site home builders have used concepts and techniques that began in a manufactured home factory.

Manufactured Homes are Earth Friendly

Manufactured homes are earth friendly in several different ways, particularly in their construction. They are named such because they are built, or manufactured, in a factory.

Related: Mobile Home Facts and Frequently Asked Questions

Advantages of Factory Building 

Building in a centralized factory provides higher efficiency, greater precision, and improved craftsmanship. It also significantly reduces the environmental impact that often occurs on a construction site such as noise pollution and erosion issues. Imagine what damage is done to the earth while building a home!

Computer Aided Planning = Reduced Material Waste

Computer-aided planning and production line efficiency allows for more precise material handling.  A huge advantage to this is reduced material waste.

For example, a piece of plywood can be precisely planned out to use every inch of wood. Less material waste is not only better for the buyer’s wallet but also for earth.

Related: Building Better Manufactured Homes and Cars with Green Technology

Bulk Material Purchase and Storage

Because everything is based in one place and most often a covered building, materials can be purchased and shipped in bulk. This is both more cost effective and better for the environment due to reduced transportation needs.

In short, manufactured homes are earth friendly, they always have been and will continue to be.

Happy Earth Day!