Used Manufactured Homes

Buying used manufactured homes is becoming a lot more popular in tough economic times, mainly due to the benefits you receive over tradition brick and mortar, or timber framed homes. Manufactured homes, or mobile homes, can be moved around at ease. While it may get expensive to relocate over and over again, you do have the option.

Traditional houses, however, require substantial work in order to move them to a new location, and usually only performed when the house has historic value. Finding the right home for you can be as easy as venturing to your closest dealer.

Much like an auto dealer, mobile home sales companies will have different models on display. You can take your time browsing through each particular model to determine the perfect arrangement for your family. When you first walk into the dealership, the salesperson is going to want to direct you to the new homes.

Your goal is to save a lot of money, so you want to make sure that they know you’re only interested in used models.

As you’re browsing through the used homes, take a look around at any upgrades that have been performed. This will help you judge the value of the home against others that the dealer may have for sale. It also helps when you take the extra time to compare different dealer’s prices.

Additions to the home will help increase its value, such as decks, porches, a garage, or even room additions, but you have to understand that mobile homes still depreciate fairly rapidly. Even with the added upgrades, the home may still not be worth what the dealer is asking for it, so try to keep your eyes open while you’re shopping, and avoid jumping into the first home that catches your eye.

One of the best ways to get a true value of the home, if you aren’t certain for yourself, is to hire an appraiser and an inspector. This is usually the case when you’ve decided on your final one or two homes, and want to know for sure that you’re not getting into a lemon. The inspector will determine if there are any serious conditions existing within the home, while the appraiser can give you a rough estimate of what the house is worth compared to other used manufactured homes in your local market.

Use an inspector, and appraiser that you personally choose. The dealer may have one they recommend, but you have to trust these guys (or girls) advice, and want someone completing the job that doesn’t share interests with the dealership.