Mobile home on land - guidance.

[jjohnisme]

So my wife and I are looking to purchase a (minimum) 1 acre plot of land and throw a super-nice mobile home on the property (factory expo homes is the only manufacturer we've visited with quality mobile homes, we're open to suggestions...), and build us a detached 2-car-wide, 4-car-deep garage. Our goal is to keep everything under 100,000.

Now my problem is two-fold:

We can't find any reasonably priced land ANYwhere. Our desired locale is the west side of Indy, roughly a 30 to 45 minute circle around Avon, and there just isn't anything available (that we've seen through our family realtor). I have yet to branch out to a big business like Carpenter or Tucker, due to an assumed "push" to get a cookie cutter home in a housing addition, so i figured i'd come bug my favorite community first.

We also have had trouble with financing. Wife and I have ~700 credit score each, so no blips there, and we're preapproved for 105k for a existing home loan. What that means is no land purchase, and no mobile home purchase.

Don't get me wrong, if i found a nice 4BR/2BA with a garage on an acre plot of land in the area we want, we'd jump at the chance, but it just doesn't exist - hence the build-your-own-homestead idea.

Has anyone out there done something similar to this and can you lend some advice or wisdom? For, against, pro, con, we need to see if we're just being too picky or if we're just impatient (we've only been looking for about a year, and only got preapproved a few months ago). If you don't feel like divulging anything via comment, PM me and i'll shoot you my e-mail.

Thanks in advance!

 

[karl77]

will local zoning permit a double wide?

 

[rlspach]

IMHO you're making a poor financial decision with the mobile home idea because any sort of mobile home will not hold value. It will actually reduce the value of the land it sits on.

Here's a stick built house just down the street from me. It looks to be on about an acre. It's listed at only $75k. Google says its 42 minutes to Avon.

I bought my property out here a couple years back at $2,700/acre and it came with two barns and an old farm house (I bought several acres though). We're only 35 minutes to downtown Indy.

7974 S County Road 825 East, Cloverdale IN - Trulia

 

[jjohnisme]

The point with the mobile home isn't to retain value - this is the place my wife and I will live out our lives in. We can't find a stick home with what we want for less than 175k, and that's out of our league (in the area we want). I didn't think about Coverdale, I must be a slow driver, i thought it was an hour away.

And to answer the double wide question: I want a double wide, and I was not aware there existed zoning restrictions to limit the size of mobile homes...
My dream is to be far enough away that zoning doesn't matter because noone cares. That won't be the case with this purchase, so when we find land I'll take that into account.

 

[rlspach]

I think this should give you a map of all properties in that circumference around Avon with > 1 ac but < $100k. There's a few good ones in here.

Plainfield, Viewable map area Real Estate & Plainfield, Viewable map area Homes For Sale — Trulia.com

 

[rlspach]

We have a Cloverdale mailing address, but we're actually in Jefferson twp which is east of Cloverdale. Once you get on 70 at the little point exit, Plainfield is only a short 20 minutes.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Look at these folks for a housing option, too. All American Homes - New Home Builders - Custom Homes - Modular Homes

Modular homes - very well made (but be sure to do your due diligence on hiring a builder. Build quality is everything)

-J-

 

[Hammer]

Check here, Real Estate, Homes for Sale, Recent Sales, Apartment Rentals - Zillow

Lots of places listed here within your parameters.

Look in Monrovia, mooresville, clayton and cloverdale

 

[upalot]

IMHO you're making a poor financial decision with the mobile home idea because any sort of mobile home will not hold value. It will actually reduce the value of the land it sits on.

Here's a stick built house just down the street from me. It looks to be on about an acre. It's listed at only $75k. Google says its 42 minutes to Avon.

I bought my property out here a couple years back at $2,700/acre and it came with two barns and an old farm house (I bought several acres though). We're only 35 minutes to downtown Indy.

7974 S County Road 825 East, Cloverdale IN - Trulia

Listen to what the man said. If you are a young couple, say below the age of 35, you will outlive the mobile home. During the time you do live in it many problems will come about and you will find it isn't as simple as going to the home depot to get what you need to make repairs. Sinks ,odd size, faucets-odd size, water heater-inlets different location than regular house. Get the idea.
An older stick built home you can modify to your liking and everything is standard.

 

[mrjarrell]

Search MIBOR, they have practically everything listed in the metro area.

Resources For You - Find a Property - MIBOR | Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of REALTORS®

 

[jjohnisme]

Listen to what the man said. If you are a young couple, say below the age of 35, you will outlive the mobile home. During the time you do live in it many problems will come about and you will find it isn't as simple as going to the home depot to get what you need to make repairs. Sinks ,odd size, faucets-odd size, water heater-inlets different location than regular house. Get the idea.
An older stick built home you can modify to your liking and everything is standard.

The manufacturer we visited (actually toured the factory on a Saturday they weren't making anything) and that was a question we had. There are regulations now that didn't exist back in the early 90's. I wouldn't buy an older mobile home at all, it would basically be a manufactured home built in two segments.
I would almost rather have a mfg home,due to the more things you an customize.

 

[rlspach]

We looked a bit at modulars when we bought out land. We have a relative who bought a "higher end" modular. It started falling apart just a couple years in.

Once we compared everything, quality for quality, there was really an insignificant difference in price vs. stick built. Plus we didn't get the stigma depreciation - whether it is real or not. There's weird little things like particle board subfloors (watch what happens when those get wet) or sub-par door handles or too small plumbing lines that get you crappy water pressure. A lot of these you just don't see until it becomes a problem. The savings come from somewhere and it really isn't the manufacturing labor.

We ended up with a new build. But we found out that new builds are dramatically more expensive now than resales, probably due to the market crash. Had I not already purchased the property, which was a dream deal, we would have for sure bought an existing.

 

[HavokCycle]

We looked a bit at modulars when we bought out land. We have a relative who bought a "higher end" modular. It started falling apart just a couple years in.

Once we compared everything, quality for quality, there was really an insignificant difference in price vs. stick built. Plus we didn't get the stigma depreciation - whether it is real or not. There's weird little things like particle board subfloors (watch what happens when those get wet) or sub-par door handles or too small plumbing lines that get you crappy water pressure. A lot of these you just don't see until it becomes a problem. The savings come from somewhere and it really isn't the manufacturing labor.

We ended up with a new build. But we found out that new builds are dramatically more expensive now than resales, probably due to the market crash. Had I not already purchased the property, which was a dream deal, we would have for sure bought an existing.

the life span of manufactured housing is about 20 years or so. they start falling apart soon after they leave the factory. they're drafty, full of holes, poorly built, and parts that are proprietary to that industry. ive refurbished a couple and its a PAIN to find parts, because they dont take kindly to remodeling. IE, sinks, fixtures, plumbing, theyre all not stuff you find at home depot.

not to say that the typical suburban slab home is much better, but significantly so. i lived in one for a couple years, on a gravel road, and the dust constantly permeated the joint.

 

[upalot]

It's your choice, but I would bet a months pay that after 10 years you will be kicking yourself in butt for not buying a stickbuilt home. Another thing a new buyer forgets to look at is the cost of insurance, the % rate for a morgage. Look beneath the pretty and see how it is really built. Interior walls, are they 2x4 studs, the sheetrock is ony 1/4", pull a cover off of an electrical outlet- bet its nothing like you have seen in a home. The cheapness of the way they build is bone deep. Kitchen cabinets, doors made of paneling. measure the counter tops and see if any of the building suppliers have anything in that size (they wont).
If you are looking for long term living, be very careful on what you will be paying for the next 30 years.
Good Luck with what ever your decision is, after all it is your choice.

 

[jjohnisme]

Thanks for the advice, guys. It's a step in the right direction, I'm sure. I'll definitely have to do some discussing with the missus about a few of these points. Just curious, if any of you have a mobile home, when was it built an how long have you been in it?

 

[rlspach]

jjohnisme; We went out to eat tonight and passed by that house I initially mentioned on CR 825. First off, it isn't the one pictured on Trulia oddly enough but it looked ok. You can see the right house on google street view. My wife said she saw the people leave it just recently, looks like a repo.

It's definitely got an acre, and I thought I'd mention that it looks like it has a detached barn/garage at least as large if not substantially larger than what you mentioned. There's only large farm fields abutting the property.

Plus, you'd have 25k+ left over to gut it; chances are it would need it.

I have no idea why I'm taking such an interest here but...maybe I just want an INGO neighbor lol.

 

[Hammer]

Thanks for the advice, guys. It's a step in the right direction, I'm sure. I'll definitely have to do some discussing with the missus about a few of these points. Just curious, if any of you have a mobile home, when was it built an how long have you been in it?

I don't have one now, but I did own one in 99 that was built in 93. It was not a bottom tier home either. But you can tell it was starting to show it's age and parts were a pain to find and replace. Try changing a lime filled water heater that is 4' off the ground with no room to get your hands in there to turn a wrench. It was real close to a "remodel" job with a Stihl chain saw.

 

[jjohnisme]

jjohnisme; We went out to eat tonight and passed by that house I initially mentioned on CR 825. First off, it isn't the one pictured on Trulia oddly enough but it looked ok. You can see the right house on google street view. My wife said she saw the people leave it just recently, looks like a repo.

It's definitely got an acre, and I thought I'd mention that it looks like it has a detached barn/garage at least as large if not substantially larger than what you mentioned. There's only large farm fields abutting the property.

Plus, you'd have 25k+ left over to gut it; chances are it would need it.

I have no idea why I'm taking such an interest here but...maybe I just want an INGO neighbor lol.

I sure do appreciate it, it looks good from street view, and the farmland abutment is a plus. This is one ill be discussing with the wife for sure.

 

[rlspach]

No prob. You should know that they don't let folks out here subdivide land less than 10 acres now, so that adjacent farmland shouldn't end up cut up any less than 10 acres for the foreseeable future.

 

[SSGSAD]

Thanks for the advice, guys. It's a step in the right direction, I'm sure. I'll definitely have to do some discussing with the missus about a few of these points. Just curious, if any of you have a mobile home, when was it built an how long have you been in it?

I used to live in a Mobile Home Park, and my neighbor, bought an acre, or two, with the intent of moving his Mobile Home out there..... The local, whatever, City - County Council, or whoever has CONTROL, told them NO, NO, NO..... So please check, with whoever in the area you want to live ....