Most Are Permanent Structures; They Meet National Standards For Quality & Energy Efficiency
(NC) Manufactured homes in land-lease communities are a more affordable purchase option in today’s high-priced housing market. But they also carry a stigma that is a throwback to the days when manufactured home communities were known as trailer parks, and the homes themselves were “mobile homes” or trailers.
That is no longer the case. Today’s manufactured homes are a far cry from yesterday’s trailers. And trailer parks have evolved into land-lease communities – typically called MHCs – that can offer residents more than just a place to live.
Here are four facts about manufactured homes and MHCs:
1. Today’s manufactured homes are mostly permanent structures.
Current manufactured homes no longer have wheels or hitches of “mobile” homes. They also differ widely in size and shape. Some manufactured homes are simple one-storey structures that, once built, can be moved whole to the land-lease site where they are placed on a pad. Others may be large and complex and constructed offsite in pieces and stitched together on the home site.
Manufactured homes are built inside climate-controlled factories to a national building code. Their construction is carefully supervised, and the end product must meet strict national standards for quality, energy efficiency and durability.
2. Manufactured homes are less expensive than freehold homes.
Homes in manufactured home communities are generally less expensive – up to 30 per cent less – to purchase than freehold homes because residents buy the home but not the land on which it sits. As a result, they can be an attractive financial alternative to traditional home ownership for those without the $500,000 to $1 million needed to buy a traditional freehold home or condo.
3. Community standards protect your investment.
Today’s land-lease communities also bear little resemblance to old trailer parks. Owner-operators invest in the community’s infrastructure, and homeowners must abide by community standards that support the upkeep of their homes. These measures ensure that the community continues to be an attractive place to purchase a home and build equity.
4. Manufactured homes are popular in many provinces.
Despite any lingering stigma, manufactured homes in land-lease communities are a popular choice in many provinces, particularly in the west. For example, the Manufactured Home Park Owners Alliance of B.C., a non-profit business association, says the province is home to about 1,000 manufactured home communities, providing housing to over 60,000 households.