10k MISTAKE Buying Land For A Manufactured Home. 

2.7k views in six hours. People are looking for affordable housing, numbers don't lie.

Did exactly this 2 years ago. Cost me 250000 for the land and the home. This included all of the charges, a garage and 2 shipping container as well as a 2 1/2 acre half fence. Couldn't touch it now. 1900 sq feet, all the bells and whistles.

My suggestion is to look for unrestricted land. . .

That gigantic dog seemed like it still thinks it's a tiny puppy. I couldn't imagine forking over $10,000 because of a road being too narrow for delivery of a manufactured home. The land/home size requirements were another thing I didn't know about. Thank you for being THE go-to real estate whisperer.

Septic Tank - Have a percolation test done early in the process. It will determine if you can install a septic tank and if so, how much fill line you will need. I have been in home and commercial building for 50+ years. The number rule I follow is don't buy the property until you have all necessary permits in hand.

We have put a manufactured home on a city lot. And I was glad I knew these things. VERY important to make sure the property meets the zoning requirements, I was lucky - I have 2000 year home and right size to meet minium size for lot. I saved over 100 grand or more. ****RDIT**** Very important!!!! If buying a used manufactured home - Make sure it has the HUD Tag and the inside paper om the wall. I had to buy a new inside paper. Very important for when you take it to be recorded with the county.

Best advice when buying a manufactured home is, hold the dealer to their estimate. Most people just roll over when additional costs occur, and the dealer expects that. FWIW, I bought a manufactured home recently. I held the dealer to their estimate when unexpected costs popped up. They didn’t like it, but it was far better than eating the full cost of the home. Read every detail of the contract. Insist on accuracy. It’s their business, they know how to be accurate when $ is on the line.

Let this be a lesson to all of those who think they OWN the property they bought... YOU DON'T!! You buy a property only to be told by the county whether or not you can build a house on it or put a mobile home or container home on it... how you are to build it, what material you can use, whether or not you cna have a solar power or wind eletricity generating system, whether you can plant a garden/grow food etc etc. How is it you OWN THE LAND and yet someone else tells you what you can and can not do?!?!?!? And the costs and fees??.. Looks like nothing but a money grab from counties ans states.

Forget about it. After watching this video which was eye-opening, I don't wanna buy any manufacturer home too many restrictions. What a pain.

This is why people don't want to buy homes anymore. Way too many restrictions

Hint: if you do this in the state of Texas(aka Taxes), such homes depreciate on your property tax bill(aka RENT). The "appraisal districti" will then increase the valuation of your LAND to benefit them. Also, we put a metal perma roof(includes about 2" of insulation) on ours as the factory shingles are not the best.....lowered our electric bill in summers.

I wish we got into this sooner than we did but we only recently started to look for land to place a manufactured home on. I found this video by looking up manufactured homes.

Ms. Kristina, again thanks for that nugget of advice. I came REALLY CLOSE to purchasing a piece of land just under a half acre, which I thought was perfect. Only to find out, that the county doesn't allow manufactured homes on private property, but only in mobile home parks 😩; despite the home being brand new and complemented all the rest of the surrounding homes. Boy oh boy, how finicky they are here in upstate NY 🙄

I have land and have been trying to figure out what I can afford to put on it. I just read the rules for manufactured homes in the city the land is in. It can only be a few years old, it must be a double wide with minimum size restrictions listed and it must have a certain size garage, carport or storage building built to go with it. The city states it wants to promote affordable housing and see more manufactured homes mixed in the residential areas. But if you have to add a garage that meets their size and building codes that can add another $60,000. Then the manufactured home is no longer the affordable solution. I have asked the city for clarification, I want to make sure I read their code correctly and pointed out that if I did, it negates the affordable home policy that they want to promote. I am still waiting to hear back. Definitely check the zoning and building codes and then speak to someone in that department. I checked many things before buying the property and then was informed by city employees that there are different rules than what I read. Unfortunately I did not keep the name of the city official I spoke to before purchase who told me something different from what I was told after purchase. Research, research and research some more. Thank you Kristina about mentioning the streets and power lines. My street is okay, but how are the streets leading to it? Something else I need to look at.

Very true! A close friend of mine purchased a used mfg home After relocating And very expensive setup charges she could have purchased a new unit with delivery and setup included for less than the used one. Has had many problems with the roof and windows. Moving a older house is risky

My head's spinning. So much information in the blink of an eye. I don't think I want to do this after all. Way too complicated and way too many restrictions. I'd rather fix up an existing home. Whew. Thank you though, very helpful, informative video. Gave me much to think about.

With that cute overall outfit on, this video was like getting great advice from a genie!😁💜

Spot on. Advance preparations to avoid future complications are a great start to living in your manufactured home.

I bought 33 acres of “raw” land in southern Vermont over 15 years ago. Beautiful property. Cleared out close to an acre through the years. It’s off of a Class IV road and about 50 feet to a class town maintained road. Taxes have doubled. It will cost about 7k to get electricity moved in (originally it was almost 20k). No sewer or water. Low water table so it won’t be bad to get a well. Was planning on getting a home moved up here but now it will be too much. My primary home is in a very expensive state a couple hours away.

Delivery cost should be a binding estimate. If it's not a binding estimate, it's a license for theft. Are there any honest people in the housing industry? Seems like it's all wolves and thieves.

A brilliant analysis. Clear, informative, and necessary for potential manufactured home buyers. Thank you.

My grandfather purchased a double wide to put behind his machine shop that he worked out of for 40 years. But his shop was landlocked. Fortunately the UPS warehouse right next to him was willing to take down their fence so they could bring the double wide in through their parking lot. I wasn't even born when this happen but I remember my dad telling me the story. I looked at the location on Google earth and indeed it must have been an ordeal getting a double wide through that parking lot and maneuvering it into position behind his shop. And that lot is tiny to begin with. It had to have been a tight squeeze. Cheers!🙂

excellent advice,you must do your due diligence before buying a piece of land for your manufactured home.First and foremost check with your county first,don't take the word of the real estate agent selling the land,especially if it is in a flood zone.Visit the property after a heavy rain.

Your video was very timely. My dream is to put a manufactured home on a lovely 73 acres in the Sierra Mountains which has been in my husband's family for decades, and it's turning into a not-very-easy experience. So now I might just opt for having a traditional home built, or back away completely from that property and buy an existing home when or if the housing market decides to come to its senses... maybe late next year. By the way, I LOVED seeing you out in your overalls!

Thank you for this important information. It would seem that land zoned as agricultural might be easier but it would be neat if you could make some videos on what to look for with lands of various different zonings. Also would be interested in different alternative building methods.

You forgot to mention that not all manufactured homes are built with the same quality and fitment. Buyers must really do their research and comparison between makers and other buyer reviews.

Thank you Kristina, we purchased an older mobile home and in the next few years wanted it on our own land, I had no idea it had so many little thing's to consider outside of the cost of moving and assembling it.

Thank you for all the great information to check on before hand. Had no idea there was SO much! I love your videos and the humor in those 😊

Prefab modular homes are an alternative to manufactured homes that are built to local codes and delivered in sections that are assembled on site. Might be a better option in some situations.

YOUR FANTASTIC! best info and you dont skip a beat!

Thank you for the great info. Planning on buy some land in Paradise, CA. Camp fire burned down the town and there is a lot of land for sale. My plan is buying .34 acre lot for $45k and put a manufactured home.

I appreciate your great knowledge...😊

This goes for South Carolina too..A lot has changed

We have 2 pieces of land in the Cayman Islands and we are in the process of designing a prefab home to be shipped from Sweden. We are very excited!!! Your video is very helpful...thank you!

The company should of mapped the delivery out before telling someone a price!!then half way threw the delivery says it would be 10,000 dollars more... the should of honored there first quote it's not the owners falt things were different than what the delivery company seen in the first quote

We bought 5 acres of rural land last year in East Central Texas. Has 2 large shipping contains , Electric , Rural water supply company and a 532 sf tiny home. It's in an area where rural land has been in demand. Paid $135,000. 2 acres partially cleared with large oaks left in place. Probably going to purchase a 1200 sq ft Manufactured home. Still in the early phases of making it our retirement home.

The landowners next to me just put in electricity to their 28 acre tract, planning on putting in a doublewide mobile home and moving out here. Spent about $10,000 on getting an easement from neighbor on the other side (their power was closer than mine) and getting poles set. They plan on putting in a well next. But I really don't think they have thought this through. There is a tight 90 degree turn on the narrow one-lane county road (trees overhang a lot), and then another 90 degree turn right at the corner of my property as it turns into a private road. Semi tractor-trailers have been able to make the turns, but barely. And the tree limbs do a number on their rigs. They would need to get the county to do a lot of tree clearing to get a mobile home through. And it would need to be a shorter one, to get around the corners.

Some very old subdivisions have deed restrictions against certain types of manufactured homes, siding, size, etc. however research if the old HOA even exists anymore. Many do not. In addition, driving around and photographing the existing homes and manufactured homes will tell you if old restrictions are being enforced. Many times they are not enforced. Or they have been nullified by in state or federal laws. So due diligence is on the land shopper. Whether a particular site is appropriate is on the retailer.

Thanks for all the info. Made my head spin. LOL I think a lot of people have the same idea but the city, town and state BS is over whelming. I think it might be easier just to get a huge concrete pad poured, put a shell of a building on one side and a 5th wheel on the other side. In bad weather you can always back it in the shelter.

Wow, you read my mind, just what I need, my problem is having a big problem finding a home/land package, and any easier way to find out which counties allows such project? Thanks Kristina.

There is so much to know & remember. My head is spinning. 🤣 I'm taking notes. 😝

I did this last year. But I didn’t have any problems I feel like doing this again.

They’re not thin roads. They are narrow.

Things to think about: 1. Is there a road, can you drive on that road? Are you going to build something on that land that requires bigger vehicles that may not be able to either build the road or drive on the road. 2. Easements on the road, are you ok with someone else being able to use the driveway you just spent $8k on? Easements on your land and road. You can drive on the driveway but can businesses? 3. Land itself: shape matters, hills matter, watertable, flood zone, wetlands, endangered species, perc test, soil polution, and more are things you must consider. 4.Rights to land: rights to oil or any other resource, is it yours or the community's? 5. Neighboring lands rights, waste dumping, milk, cow carcasses, factory waste are all things that are allowed in all states in different areas. Check if your neighbor is allowed to make the whole place smell or polute. Flyovers, how low? Pest control sprays, how far? This smoke goes into hones and stays for weeks and kills people(yes, it is allowed). 6. Obviously, what can you build, but also where can you build? In some lots you can only build on one exact location and orientation, and that may result in you incurring more costs. Setbacks and ordaninces may restrict you. If you buy a bigger house and you keep poultry in the back? At times if you build too big or in a certain location, now you do not have the setbacks for the poultry. 7. Permits take 10 times longer than you think. Permits are done by the city or the county, depending on what we are talking about. Septic: health department, but city submits permits, sewage, city connects it, but county gets permits. Electricity: contractor has to submit permits and does the work. 8. Permits are the last thing you get: permits need some homework, and you need to make sure you can do what you are thinking about doing before you do it. 8. Have 3 times as much $dollars for the project as you think you need. Even if you are a great mathematician, you cannot predict the unpredictables. 9. After covid, prices have gone up, and research for prices online is almost useless. 10. Cert of occupancy: this a person who thinks they have the power of Uma Thurman, and your name was Bill. They may fail you and delay your move in by a month. You may need to spend more money to fix something. Save your trouble and invest $300 for his pocket protector. 11. Interior appliances and decor cam cost as much as a house. A fridge is $3k. Kitchen $15k, restrooms fancy faucets and cabinets $7k/per. Flooring $15k... it all adds up fast. Concrete looks nice to me. 12. Electric poles on your property have to sometimes be maintained by you. They will do the work and send you a bill. 13. Don't build a shed, build a seperate garage: in moat places building a seperate garage is more exonomical because the taxes will show similar changes. 14. Build a house that will last 75 years. Metal, copper, clay roof last the longest, pole barn homes have history lasting over 100 years in the mid west. Wind resistant is best. Build on elevated ground is important. 15. Lastly, do not accept a loan that has a higher interest rate than what the highest CD will give you. 4.5%

Your channel is GREAT! So informative and entertaining :) Thank you!

This is what my family and I want to do this year hopefully very soon

I just bought a piece of land in ga for a manufacturing home it’s called unrestricted here and I chose it rain water harvesting instead of well and electricity isn’t bad to much

I've been looking to buy a few acres (5-10) with a mobile home already in place. Perhaps you could make a video on why this is a bad idea. Maybe how there will be thousands and thousands of dollars in unanticipated expenses, miles of bureaucratic red tape, costly permits and inspections, etc..

If you’re doing a land/ home purchase at Clayton doesn’t the realtor get all this information about the land for you?

Kristina, there's a half acre for sale in my area that has a sales history of $360k, then $35k, and now for sale for $70k,. IRed flag???

Used be outside city limits you could get away with more. Single wide would be cheaper all way around. On foundation your trailer is golden.

Kristina, Great video! Can you make a video on buying a city lot for a manufactured home?

Depending on where someone wants to live, buying a manufactured home might not be an option. Building a home might be someone's only option depending on where someone wants to live. You mentioned about the narrow roads, so if the roads are too small to deliver a manufactured home then whoever buys land can always try to build his, or her home. Regarding mobile, and trailer homes, these are considered as homes that move, so if you were talking about homes that normally don't move then I don't think it's considered to be the same thing.

How about the cost of connecting water and sewer? Is it even available, or will you need to have a well dug and septic system installed?

So much great advice in video you're offering a lot of value here

It would be an awesome idea you make a video on step by step guide where to look on City websites. Looking on government websites is soo frustrating and confusing.

they make your life impossible to have one !!!

Appreciate this info!

I don't understand. What exactly did the extra 10k pay for? Either they could deliver the home or they couldn't??

TOO MUCH HOGWASH!! If they co.e at me with all these restrictions after purchasing the land, I'll put up a tent and live like the Natives.

Kristina, how well are the newer manufactured homes designed? Will they hold up as well as traditional stick-built homes? In the manufacturing process, are the materials safe and nontoxic?

@8:54 It should be pointed out that the article continues with "But climbing values are where the similarities stop." So this paragraph may have been taken out of context.

I just inherited 16 acres from my grandma's passing. My sister an I are going to get it zoned and throw manufactured homes on it for each of us

My trailer went up 100 percent in value.

As long as you maintain your home and property it will go up in value

Thank you I found some land want to get a foreclosure mobile home I really needed this video

There will always be unexpected setbacks and expenses in projects of this size. In any project cost of quarter million and up, 10k is negligible.

great buying tips , thank you so much . :)

Another great video, glad i came across your channel. Did I hear you state that you were based in Louisiana, I live in NOLA, cheers. Here a home depot home prolly wouldn't work for me cause I'd wanna put it 20 feet in the air(raised)😆Still traumatized from 2005.😭

Great Video!

Thanx so much; this info is saving me time and money!😉

@ 10:10 , that sound scared the out of me. ESP having headphones on. 😆

What if you tell them you decline the $10k fee? Are they really going to take it all the way back?

Another reason why affordable homes should be built not delivered. "Size can matter" when building your own investment dream vs investing in someone else's idea of a 'manufactured' dream. Building your own 'affordable' home will always provide more house for the buck. The build is not only more affordable, it has far fewer limitations as manufactured homes and sites. It's cheaper proposition, easier to finance, insure and permit. Building your own 'small home' is a win-win when investing in 'affordable' housing. Affordable homes are always "tricky" when dealing with biased land/home size requirements that favor McManisons. Manufactured housing is no longer affordable or sustainable.

Interesting well I got my own land but my area is the desert and no homes all around just dirt road yes I checked those restrictions

Thanks for the heads up, but why isn't the modular home company at fault when they sent out a surveyor? Seems like they dropped the ball.

This country wants to country everything

$10,000 dollars for delivery??? Is that normal?

A friend of mine ? Wants property !!!! So she can put homes for family… I told her? You need to talk with Kristina……..

So basically in a nutshell- it's impossible

Ok just patent your land and after that the state and so called County will have no say what your do with your land what so ever. All So you will need no building permit ever to build on your land. But no one will tell you that or how to patent your land.

my manufactured home value has more than doubled in the last decade. time to sell it and learn how to put another one down!

And what about when it’s already there, can you negotiated with the lot owner about buying both?

I like your MC Hammer pants.

I am looking for unrestricted land so that will give me time to decide type of housing, shed to house, tiny, mf home, yurt, rv; my choice. . . . .

Deed restrictions too

You’d think they would have estimators to see if the delivery is doable

My county tried (and succeeded for 12 years) to outlaw all mobile/manufactured homes until someone finally brought a lawsuit. They also tried to plaster religious quotes in public spaces like schools and athletic fields until recently someone, again, filed a law suit. When buying land, due to it's nature, it's most likely to be in a rural or semi-rural area where they think they can do whatever they want and no one will notice. So be wary.

If only I could afford to get land where I live.

imagine being a first-time buyer in california. you can't find an empty (residential-zoned) plot for under $250k. that's because rich people move here and build their multi million dollar mansions on it.

Manufactured homes are a nightmare to own. Poor quality construction and sub par designs. You'll save a lot of headaches by not buying a manufactured home.

If it's your land, why do you need permission from the state what you do with your land? Can someone explain?

First time watching your channel, great information Do they have thos available in NY?

My brother gave me 1.6 acres in Mt Airy Georgia, what should I put on it, for getaway/ income. 4 person minimum occupancy.

Wow. This is insane. Restriction Restriction Restriction

Great info 👍

Great information I will need ur service soon.

If they don't allow to have manufacturer home why they still allow to have company to build them. ?

THIS LADY, EXCELLENT.

Have seen GEODESIC DOME HOUSES ?????