Q:
Everywhere I go, I get a different name thrown at me to describe
different types of homes. What do they mean?
A: The
following collection of terminology contains the best descriptions
we can use after consulting housing industry experts. We’ve
queried countless manufacturers, experts, associations, and
publications to come up with the following simplified answers.
These are not necessarily legal definitions, but believed to
be accurate.
Manufactured
Home:
A
home designed and constructed in an off site fabrication
facility (a factory), inspected and certified under the
National Manufactured Housing & Construction Standards
Act of 1974, commonly known as the ‘HUD Code’, which
became law in mid 1976. Also called a HUD home.
HUD
Home:
This
term is often used to describe the manufactured home
as defined herein. HUD, when used in conjunction with
manufactured housing, has nothing to do with any government
subsidized housing or other programs. It is simply the
building code rule book used to define minimum required
building standards.
Modular
Home:
A
primarily factory built home designed, constructed, inspected
and certified by a state for use in that state. States
generally govern stick or site built housing within their
boundaries utilizing the same building code. These homes
may be several sections assembled to produce a home at
the building site.
Systems
Built Home:
Perhaps
the newest term on our list, it is being used today by
many modular manufacturers to describe their home.
Sectional
Home:
Homes
that come in sections, generally manufactured in a factory,
built to any of the applicable building code standards.
May include homes of 2 or more sections.
Doublewide
Home:
Started
off possibly in the 1950’s as two house trailer units
designed to be joined together to produce a larger home.
Evolved to include the joining of two mobile homes designed
to fit together. The doublewide continues to this day
as a conversational term among the general public and
is used to describe many types of factory produced homes.
Although the term may include any product that is in
two sections, it is primarily used today to describe
a manufactured home.
Mobile
Home:
Officially
a HUD Code home produced prior to 1983. Unofficially
it was the preferred term for what were house trailers,
into the early 1960’s or before.
House
Trailer:
Remember
the movie where Lucy and Desi hauled one behind a yellow
convertible back in the fifties? Today there are probably
recreational vehicles larger than that one was. Was the
movie called “The Long, Long Trailer”?
Factory
Built Home:
A
home built primarily in a factory.
Off
Site Built Home:
Describes
any home built anywhere else except on its site.
Panelized
Home:
Often
package homes available through larger chain type builder
stores, including pre-manufactured panel construction,
and alternative systems such as lightweight concrete,
foam filled panels, and foam blocks. May include pre-cut
homes.
Pre-cut
Home:
These
are generally pre-cut kits purchased from various sources
that you assemble yourself to come up with a home frame
Stick
Built Home:
A
home built on a site, ‘board by board’ or ‘stick by stick’.
Site
Built Home:
Synonymous
with stick built. Just another often used term.
Building
Code:
A
book of construction rules or standards governing the
construction of homes as required by law. The HUD (Housing
and Urban Development) or BOCA (Building Officials Code
Administration) or CABO (Council of American Building
Officials) One and Two Family Dwelling Codes are examples
of building code rulebooks that may govern the construction
of a home. Please note that all construction code rules
are minimum requirements, and may be exceeded if the
builder so chooses. This is an important consideration
when choosing a home.
Q:
How far away from Shipshewana are you capable of delivering
and setting up homes?
A: Our
standard home pricing includes your home’s installation onto
your foundation done to our specs without additional charges
within the following area:
Two
section ranch homes: 300 miles.
Two
story and cape cod homes: 100 miles.
Single
section homes: 300 miles.
Some financial or material
consideration is always available to our clients that are closer
to us than these free delivery limits. Deliveries to sites
outside these areas are available and require specific quotes.
We have delivered homes to 13 states over the years, so distance
is not a problem!
Shipments outside the
USA may be available, please e-mail us
with questions.
Q:
Is Shipshewana Homes a general contractor?
A: Yes!
With our “we work for you” approach, we can do as much or as
little of your new home project site work as you would like us
to within 100 miles of Shipshewana. When you purchase a home
from us, we may include a specific site plan based on your lot
survey drawing and generated with our computer drafting equipment
if needed. We may even help design your custom foundation, at
no charge! We utilize experienced local subcontractors that we
have known and dealt with for years and years. No one touches
any part of your project without current insurance and workman’s
comp certificates in our files.
Outside our normal work area, you may want to act as your own general contractor.
That’s great!! We will interact with your contractors, and if necessary, meet
them onsite and explain to them exactly what is needed in order to properly position
your foundation and grade to accommodate your home delivery and set-up. We will
supply your contractors with all necessary factory blueprints and specification
sheets providing information they need to complete your project quickly and accurately
within manufacturer’s specifications.
Q:
Does Shipshewana Homes have land/building lots available for
their clients?
A: We
try to keep a few building sites available exclusively for our
clients. These sites are not listed for sale anywhere and will
be sold only to our clientele. In addition, we try to keep abreast
of available sites from other sources in our area.
Please E-mail us , or give us a call for more information on building lots that could
be available to you.
Q:
Do factory built homes appreciate in value?
A: Yes!
When placed on a permanent crawl space foundation or a basement
foundation on private property, a factory built sectional home
will appreciate just like any other home given comparable neighborhoods
and care. In fact, because of the lower initial investment, and
the quality of our products, we have had clients close the original
construction loan on their project, and obtain an instant appraisal
ten to twenty percent higher than their expenditure. This may
translate into instant equity for you, and has prompted investors
to utilize this type housing in subdivisions all over the country.
Q:
What kinds of construction materials are used in the outside
walls of your homes?
A: At
Shipshewana Homes, all of our product lines (except one single
section home line) in every price range are framed with real
2 X 6 wall studs spaced 16” on center. The 2 x 6 adds obvious
structural advantages, allows for R-19 insulation in the sidewalls
of your new home, and gives you the seldom mentioned advantage
of a level of quiet inside your home unobtainable with conventional
2 X 4 construction. Depending on which product line you choose,
a 7/16” OSB (Oriented Strand Board) exterior wrap may be standard
on your home, or you may choose to option in an OSB wrap when
it is not a standard feature.
Q:
How long can I expect the building process to take from start
to finish?
A: Most
homes we build today are on private property and involve complete
construction from possible demolition of an existing building
to breaking ground to moving in. Once financing and permits are
in place, our ‘normal’ on site time is in the 4 to 8 week range.
Some factors that effect ‘normal’ are:
- Building inspector schedules.
- Utility company schedules.
- Mother nature effects deliveries, utilities, septic installations and more.
- The type of home you have chosen. Complexity effects site time.
- The amount of work you chose do do yourself.
- Financial institution approval/inspection/payment/closing schedules.
- Current manufacturer building backlog.
Q:What type of homes does Shipshewana Homes
sell?
A: Our concentration
is primarily on factory built housing, modular and manufactured
(HUD) homes, with additional site built modifications
when needed. We have chosen factory built homes for many reasons…
Considerations:
If you put a nice straight board in the yard through a couple of rainstorms,
you know what will happen to it. Do you know that HUD approved home manufacturers
are required to measure the moisture content of their lumber before it can be
used? Have you noticed how long it takes for a site builder to get the structure
of your expensive new home ‘in out of the weather’? How much material lays out
in the yard night after night subject to weather and thievery?
Factory inspections by HUD field people are required and unannounced, these
inspectors are rotated and have the authority to close an entire factory & send
everyone home if a recurring problem exists. How’s that for authority?
Compare the purchasing power of a factory vs. that of a site built contractor.
As an example, many factories buy appliances in quantities that allow them to
pay less than most appliance stores, carpet for less than carpet stores and the
like. When you spread that savings over the incredible list of materials that
go into a home, the money saved is substantial.
Consider the ability of a factory to work every day through
all types of weather without builders slipping and sliding
through mud and ice, assembling clean dry
materials during the heaviest downpours, and the resultant effect of these
efficiencies on your pocketbook.
While a home is under construction, you are paying interest on your construction
loan while living elsewhere. A factory built home significantly reduces
your expenses during construction and gets you into your new home sooner.
Sections of every home built in a factory travel down the highway. Imagine
the engineering standards and overall strengths involved to accomplish
such a feat!
Imagine what would happen to most conventional homes under the same circumstances.
We offer both modular and manufactured homes in order to provide a wider
variety of price ranges, appealing to discriminating as well as budget
minded clients.
We have found that by offering you a wider range of choices, you can make
an intelligent decision that brings together your dreams and your pocketbook.
All manufacturer’s homes that we offer are built within 20 miles of our
sales center. We consider immediate access to decision makers at the manufacturing
level critical to our success, and to your satisfaction.
Our Modular Homes:
After years of searching we have found a very flexible modular manufacturer.
Many manufacturers limit what they will build for you in order to maintain
higher production levels. The result may be a nice home, but a ‘cookie
cutter’ attitude
limits your choices to what is offered, with few modifications available.
When we order a Hi-Tech Housing home for you we are limited only by architectural
and shipping size considerations for each section. We have even been able
to
quote for production roughly 75% of all of the custom site built designed
plans we have been given.
Hi-Tech is a privately held local builder that exists primarily to supply
their own large metropolitan development with custom built homes. They
live with their
own products on a long term basis, and actually purchased their own factory
after being unable to find anyone to build homes that combined their standards
of quality
and flexibility. Their controlled production levels produce an incredible
product and we are privileged to have been chosen to be one of their first
‘street dealers’.
Imagine a manufacturer that uses primarily # 1 grade lumber for structure,
rarely using # 2 in less critical areas, when their modular design certifications
only
require # 3 grade! Imagine a manufacturer that uses a moisture meter on
their drywall sheathing to monitor consistency. We’ve got it in Hi-Tech
Housing ---
and it can be yours. Features and options are almost unlimited! We think
you’ll be surprised at the affordability.
If you are looking for a meticulously crafted modular home, we will help
you choose and modify an existing plan, or we will help you design what
you want
with our own in house computer drawing, or build from your plans - even
if your plans are a sketch on a napkin!
Our Manufactured Homes:
Our criteria are simple: we want to offer you the best built, best backed
home available for your hard earned dollar. Manufactured homes are generally
lower
priced than modular homes, often built on higher speed production lines,
with even more purchasing power. We try our best to present you with products
that
offer you more. It’s serious business when we talk about spending your
money for the next 30 years, or what you’ve earned in the past 30 years.
Our products
won’t be the lowest priced out there, but they will provide the most value!
We are proud to offer you homes from Four Seasons Housing and some lines
from Patriot Homes. Sectional homes from 20’ to 32’ wide and in lengths
up to 80’.
Sidewall heights from 7’ to 8’, cathedral or flat ceilings. Roof pitches
from 3/12 up to 7/12. Wall coverings from panelized sheet rock to finished
drywall
throughout. Living rooms, family rooms, computer rooms, 2 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms,
4 bedrooms, 5 bedrooms, office rooms, nurseries, kitchens and baths from
the efficient to the incredible. Single section homes from 14’ x 40’ up
to 16’ x
80’ are available. Every one of them built within 20 miles from our offices!
The evolutionary state of today’s manufactured homes will astound you if
you haven’t seen them recently. These homes are specifically designed for
permanent
crawl space and basement installations, and some can still be installed
in communities if you prefer. We cordially invite you to visit us and our
homes (and our cool
little town). Our displays aren’t the largest available, but we try to
keep a cross section of various products and options that our manufacturers
offer.
A:
Emphatically
no!! Even given a thorough understanding of modular vs. manufactured
differences, most people we talk to are surprised to learn
that homes on the market today can be very different. Our
favorite comparison of overall quality and price considerations
is today's automotive industry. We are all quite knowledgeable
about various vehicles available in countless combinations
of quality, size, amenities, and prices. From the infamous
Yugo to the handmade Rolls Royce we have a pretty good idea
of where a specific model belongs in the overall scheme of
things. A comparable scheme of things exists in factory built
homes. Your contractor/dealer should be instrumental in helping
you establish which homes will meet your expectations while
staying within your budget.
Q:
I like a home I've just seen, but the manufacturer refuses
to build that floorplan with 8' flat ceilings, even when
the same manufacturer has built the home right next door
that way!! Why?
A: Some
manufacturers build several different price/quality range homes
in different division facilities, limiting the number of floor
plans and options available from each facility to reach a targeted
price range niche. Other manufacturers offer every option they
build in every floor plan they build to provide wider price
range and significantly more floor plan choices. We prefer
this latter more flexible approach because we can offer you
more
options, like 8' flat ceilings, in a wider variety of price
ranges.
Q:
What should I look for when choosing a contractor/dealer
for my new home?
A: Credibility,
experience, stability, longevity, reputation, service, attitude,
ability, dedication, knowledge, consideration, honesty, integrity,
helpfulness, attention to detail, a toll free phone number,
flexibility, and a willingness to listen to you are all critical
areas worthy of your scrutiny.
Q:
What should I look for when choosing a manufacturer for my
new home?
A: Since
you probably won't spend years learning the ins and outs of
our industry, we think it might be advantageous for you to
know what we consider when choosing a manufacturer. We look
very carefully before offering you a product line because our
future reputation depends heavily on homes we sell and how
they perform. Some of the criteria we've developed over the
years include:
Quality, consistency, flexibility, and pricing of homes
Homes built to live in not just sell
Stability and reputation in the marketplace
Speed of production lines
Attitude toward service and service compensation after
the sale
Measure of commitment to our dealership and our mutual
clientele
Accessibility of decision making management
Manufacturing facilities and management within 1/2 hour
of our sales center
More
Questions and answers are coming soon, please check back often!!
For more information regarding
Shipshewana Homes, give us a call, write, fax, e-mail, or browse thru our Stock Homes section of the
site.
Nobody
builds like Shipshewana Homes!
Shipshewana Homes
P.O. Box 516
725S Van Buren Street
Shipshewana, IN 46565
