Manufactured Homes Builders

Choose Your Favorite Manufactured Homes Builders After You Decide Which State to Live In

If you are buying into a community that already has a choice of homes from certain manufacturers, that is the easiest way to purchase a manufactured home. However, if you are buying or renting the lot alone in an over-55 active adult community, and need to know what major manufacturers market there, then this list will be helpful.

The reason for listing them by state here is that the cost of transporting your manufactured home from the builder is very high and, therefore, you want to minimize that cost by choosing a manufacturer located close to the site you will build on. See the dealers for details. Of course, you want to make that decision by comparing manufacturers and being well informed by visiting their dealers, reading books and doing your own investigation. I can recommend the "Grissim Buyers Guides to Manufactured Homes and Land."

Gather Important Information to Know

Each manufacturer is known for a certain syle of home and price range. It is a good idea to check on this information as well as their reputation when considering which manufactured homes builder to choose.

Very basic information to remember:

Manufactured Homes are built in a factory under federal building standards and administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Modular Homes are built in a factory and comply with State Residential Building codes, the same standards as site-built homes.

The medium price range is $55,000 to $70,000. You can go into a lower or higher price range.

Most manufactured home builders also build modular housing.

Also, some communities will also have all the above information for you. These over-55 communities may already have homes on the lot ready to go or have some standards for quality you need to meet. Check with your community before purchasing your home.

Important Side Note: The MHI makes the distinction between manufactured homes and mobile homes as follows: Any home built after 1976 is called a manufactured home and those built before that date are termed mobile homes. That is when the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) passed quality assurance standards and has upgraded them since then.

Today's Manufactured Homes

The manufactured homes industry works with states to improve manufactured housing.

Many manufactured homes of today are built to look like site-built homes. This has improved their acceptance and integration with surrounding communities. Federal legislation has opened up more areas to place these communities in and updated housing and construction codes. Also, manufactured homes builders are coming out with new designs to improve the appearance and be of interest to a larger segment of home purchasers.

Manufactured housing is a more affordable option and it is my opinion that manufactured homes will be very important for seniors in retirement for the future. I am currently putting together an article to show the features of manufactured housing that will apply to seniors.

The following list is of major well-known builders by the state their main office is located in. There are dealers in the state who will represent other manufactured homes builders who do not have plants in the state but do have sales centers. Very Important: Each manufacturer listed will have plants and dealers in other states as well as the home state listed. Not all manufacturers, however, are in all states. Some are strictly regional manufacturers while some are coast-to-coast.

FLORIDA MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Jacobsen Homes - Main Plant is in Safety Harbor. Since 1959. This builder is important to mention here because it specializes in retirees and mostly in Florida. Focuses on in-park sales. Midrange prices and excellent reputation. www.jachomes.com - 800-282-5389

Also marketing in Florida is Palm Harbor Homes, Fleetwood Homes, Skyline Corp. and others.

CALIFORNIA MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Karsten www.thekarstinco.com - Mid to low end featuring a site-built look. West and midwest states.

Fleetwood Homes Riverside - www.fleetwoodhomes.com - Riverside - Entry Level and Highend of low price range. Coast to coast dealers. Affordable and simple design. 951-351-3500

SOUTHWEST BUILDERS:

TEXAS MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Fleetwood Homes Round Rock - 512-255-1911

Palm Harbor Homes - Dallas - Builds, sells, finances and insures. www.palmharbor.com - 18 plants across country. Mid range prices - innovative designs - not the low end market - Now has a modular home line. Focuses on the high end. Model centers in 27 states. 972-991-2422

Fuqua - www.fuqua homes.com - Arlington - Mid price range - Site-built look. Customization. West and midwest areas.

ARIZONA BUILDERS:

CAVCO - www.cavco.com Phoenix, mid range and expanding into high. Largest in Southwest and Western states. Lots of innovation.

SOUTHERN AREA:

ALABAMA MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Sunshine Homes Red Bay www.sunshinehomes-inc.com - Mid price range. Mostly regional but also across US. Since 1971. 256-356-4427

Cavalier Home Builders Addison -www.cavalier-homes.com - Low and mid-range and some high end. Mostly in Southeast and Texas.256-747-1575

GEORGIA MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Horton Homes Eatonton Calif. - South and Southeast areas but will ship homes further but costs more. Low to low mid-range price. Cose to site-built in construction. 706-485-8506

General Manufactured Housing Waycross - www.general-housing.com - Very affordable price range. Low end to low mid range. Primarily markets in South, Southeast and Florida.

MISSISSIPPI MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Cappaert Manufactured Housing - www.cappaert.org - Low end - very affordable. Markets mostly in Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama.

NORTH CAROLINA MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Redman Homes - Sanford - 919-774-4439

Also see coast-to-coast dealers.

TENNESSEE MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Clayton Mobile Homes, Inc. Maryville - www.clayton.net Low end of mid range. 35 plants coast-to-coast. Received MHI Manufacturer of the Year Award six times. Over 1500 model home centers. 865-380-3000

Giles Industries www.gilesindustries.com Low end - mostly single wide in Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia.

MIDWEST REGION:

INDIANA MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Patriot Homes - Elkhart - www.patriothomes.com - Mostly mid to upper-end of mid range. Since 1972. 4 producing facilities in Indiana, Texas and Alabama. Classic styling.

Skyline Corp. - www.skylinehomes.com - Low to mid range. National company since 1951. Excellent reputation. 16 manufacturing plants. Simple plans.

Liberty Homes Inc - www.libertyhomesinc.com - Low end but some mid to high end. Strongest in midwest. 7 plants coast to coast.

Fairmont Homes - Nappanee - www.fairmonthomes.com - Over 35 years. Mid range to high end. Midwest, Northeast and North Carolina. Lots of options. Quality upscale home.

Southern Energy Homes www.soenergyhomes.com - Southeast and South Central but mostly Texas. 5 plants in Alabama and Texas.

MICHIGAN MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

Champion Enterprises Auburn Hills - Nationwide - represents several brands - they say they are the largest modular homes company for nationwide. www.championhomes.net

NORTHEAST MANUFACTURED HOMES BUILDERS:

New Era Building Group Strattonville - www.new-era-homes.com - Mid to high end - Competes with Patriot Homes and Palm Harbor Homes. High quality design. Mostly markets in Northeast and some Southeast and midwest. Good for modulars.

It is best to decide first which manufacturers you like. Once you decide what manufacturer you like, check to see the closest dealer of that manufacturer. The above does not represent all of the plants or the dealers of that manufacturer. There are many more dealers than can be listed here. This is a guide to help you access further information.

Disclaimer: We are not responsible for the accuracy of the above information even though we make every effort to be accurate. We also do not make recommendations. You need to make your own investigations of the locations and reputation of manufacturers and dealers.

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