How to buy a new Mobile Home?

Alabamacoastie

Alabamacoastie

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My mom lives in Alabama. She needs to buy a new "mobile home" or "manufactured home" within the next 3 weeks... She wants it to be new, single wide, two bedrooms, around $40k or less.

I like to price shop before I buy anything, but I've never bought a manufactured home before. What's the best way to find the dealer with the best deal without going to a bunch of places in person?

I'd like to narrow the search, using the internet, then go with her to the best place and make sure she doesn't get hosed.

What should I do?

Thanks!
 
Forgot to mention... She already has the septic tank, electricity, water, and concrete foundation. She just needs to buy a trailer and have it delivered/ set up...
 
Majicmike said:
Try to find one that’s been repossessed in a park and try to cut a deal to have it move away.
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Not a bad idea...

My mom is with me, at my house in NC right now.

The week after 4th of July, I'm taking her back to Alabama. While I'm there, I'm going to help her buy a new trailer (I may need to cosign with her). I wanna make sure she doesn't get screwed over, then I will drive back to NC the next day...

That gives me 2 weeks to price shop trailer dealers, find the best deal, then help her sign the paperwork.

Without me, she will literally walk up to the first place she sees and say, "Sell me whatever I can get for $40k" and she'll get screwed over.
 
Alabamacoastie said:
Without me, she will literally walk up to the first place she sees and say, "Sell me whatever I can get for $40k" and she'll get screwed over.
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Tell her to use that exact line but change it to $50k. Then, when it comes time to do the paperwork, drop $40k on the desk. ;)
 
Jeppo said:
Tell her to use that exact line but change it to $50k. Then, when it comes time to do the paperwork, drop $40k on the desk.
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Too easy... Tell her to look at $50k, then pull out $30k. With security, of course.

Be prepared to walk so you won't have to (think about it). Lot's of them around.
 
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rdinatal said:
Too easy... Tell her to look at $50k, then pull out $30k. With security, of course.

Be prepared to walk so you won't have to (think about it). Lot's of them around.
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I know you and @Jeppo are right...

But she doesn't have cash. She will have to finance it, and there's a 60% chance im going to have to cosign with her...

When I want to buy a new truck, I can call dealerships and compare apples to apples. But there are so many different trailer manufacturers, I'm not sure how to make sure we are getting the best deal.

Is there one manufacturer that's better than another? If I could narrow it down to a name brand that would be a good starting point.
 
I lived in a 50x12 on the beach for 11 years. Cheapest living in my life!! The home I bought was a 1966. This was in 1981. It was set up with everything including spoons and paper towels..everything...matches to salt shakers. The lot rent was $65 a month and included water and garbage pick up. 11 years of Bliss!!!!
 
Get on the phone! They told us at Clayton homes in Shallotte it would take months for everything to come together. We were talking just pull ours out and slide theirs in.
 
My sister lives on the main drag in Murrells inlet for $400 a month lot rent. Walking distance to the marsh walk, bars and restaurants. She can't walk ten feet but if she could it would be walkin distance. Also her Covid-19 is over and it was gayest virus of all time.
 
Wow these things are High as Camel Cooter. My Gun Room is 460 square feet plus loft area is another 300 square feet. Central Heat and Air Unit all electrical with a 16x8 porch. The walls are 3 thicknesses of 5/8 inch T111. It is finished pretty nice inside as some of you can attest to. It was $17,000 all in...….it is Not plumbed.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
Wow these things are High as Camel Cooter. My Gun Room is 460 square feet plus loft area is another 300 square feet. Central Heat and Air Unit all electrical with a 16x8 porch. The walls are 3 thicknesses of 5/8 inch T111. It is finished pretty nice inside as some of you can attest to. It was $17,000 all in...….it is Not plumbed.
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Is it for sale?
 
DirtySCREW said:
Oakwood's are good from my research.

STAY AWAY FROM CLAYTON

DS
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That's going to be tough to do. Clayton (owned by Warren Buffett/Berkshire Hathaway) has bought up about all of the mobile home companies, including Oakwood, I believe. We just bought a Cavalier doublewide that we first looked at about a year and a half ago. By the time it was delivered the first of this year, it was "Cavalier by Clayton".

We found the home we liked, then went to an independent dealer that could get about any model we wanted. Downside was about 2 month delivery from the time we ordered it. If we had bought a model off the lot it would have just been a couple weeks to get delivered & set up.

Watch them, get everything they tell you in writing, or it wasn't said. And don't expect stunning service after the sale. We're still waiting on the factory to fix a couple of things that were not right with ours.
 
One other thing...

If you're financing, try to get a loan on your own through a bank or legitimate mortgage company. At least stay away from dealer financing through Vanderbilt Mortgage or 21st Mortgage I've heard they are Clayton's financing arms and have been reported to have some pretty shady practices.

Do a search on them.
 
I didnt read the whole thread, apologies if it's been covered, but where in AL?
I ask because my mom (stepmom really, but she's MY MOM) is from there and maybe knows people who can assist (her sisters and such are still there)
 
HMP said:
I didnt read the whole thread, apologies if it's been covered, but where in AL?
I ask because my mom (stepmom really, but she's MY MOM) is from there and maybe knows people who can assist (her sisters and such are still there)
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My mom lives in Troy, AL. But I'm willing to shop around any mobile home dealer in the state. I believe they will all deliver to her property.
 
Alabamacoastie said:
My mom lives in Troy, AL. But I'm willing to shop around any mobile home dealer in the state. I believe they will all deliver to her property.
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Do you have siblings/family there?
If not make her move to Siler City/Pittsboro.
Aquire a “Welcome to Alabama” and put in her front yard.
 
Pink_Vapor said:
Do you have siblings/family there?
If not make her move to Siler City/Pittsboro.
Aquire a “Welcome to Alabama” and put in her front yard.
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Yep. Multiple times I have asked her to come here. But she refuses to leave Alabama where she's been her whole life...

She's already got a slab poured, electricity, water, and septic tank installed at my sister's house in Alabama.

Im just trying to help her not get screwed over while buying the trailer. My mom has been making bad decisions her whole life. She would love to run to the first trailer place she sees and sign her life away.

Im trying to prevent that...
 
DirtySCREW said:
Oakwood's are good from my research.

STAY AWAY FROM CLAYTON

DS
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What’s wrong with Clayton. My son is looking for one and he saw the same home at Clayton and Oakwood and it was cheaper at Clayton by $17K.
 
Hammer21b said:
What’s wrong with Clayton. My son is looking for one and he saw the same home at Clayton and Oakwood and it was cheaper at Clayton by $17K.
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Probably cheaper for a reason... OSB flooring, less insulation, cheaper hardware, etc.
 
Hammer21b said:
What’s wrong with Clayton. My son is looking for one and he saw the same home at Clayton and Oakwood and it was cheaper at Clayton by $17K.
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There's a saying....you get what you pay for....

Everything I saw online saw RUN away from Clayton.

If you have a good product.... people tell people tell people you have a good product.

If you have a BAD product... people tell people that even more!

DS
 
On the subject of Clayton...

My wife and I just bought one. A $160k doublewide, and basically they're flagship model. We moved in the end of January.

The complete lack of pride in work (from factory workers) is painfully obvious.

Above the kitchen cabinets, there's probably 30 holes where the cabinets were mounted in the wrong spot. Holes weren't fixed at the factory.

Drawers in cabinets were poorly installed.

The mixing valve on the tub in the master bath was set to full cold. While *I* was fixing that, I noticed that none of the tubs feet were touching the floor... So *I* fixed that myself. Then I noticed the drain wasn't right and was leaking.

Gutters got clogged quickly due to how many trees around my house (my fault, not theirs). Didn't have a ladder tall enough to get up there, so paid a handyman to clean them. While he was up there, he found 30 nails exposed or nail holes with no nail. He caulked over them. Waiting on Clayton to fix.

We spec'd the steps/decks to meet code, and nothing extra...we had a deck built after the fact, out of pocket, and planned such to begin with. Which was a good thing as the contractor they used, I wouldn't let build a dog house. Worst garbage I've ever seen for steps/deck in my life.

95% of the problems were/are factory problems. Excluding the contractor that did the steps, I am extremely happy with them. One of which, I used again to bring me in a load of gravel, and will likely use to clear a bunch of stumps.

The local dealer, I'm mostly happy with. They seem willing to fix everything and seem to want us happy.

With all that said, I love my home. Likely has to do with my new location more than the house itself, but I am happy overall.
 
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Found this list of mobile home manufacturers, their subsidiaries, and what states each serves at https://mobilehomeliving.org/27-manufactured-home-builders/

Here's what they list as subsidiaries of Clayton Homes:
  • Shult Homes
  • Crest Homes
  • Karsten Homes
  • Marlette Homes
  • Golden West Homes
  • Southern Energy Homes
  • Norris Homes
  • Oakwood Homes
  • Cavalier Homes
  • Giles Homes
  • Buccaneer Homes
Not sure how complete this is. I know you can add TruMH and Luv Homes to the Clayton list. We looked a Tru single-wide and it was the cheapest thing on the lot and looked pretty cheaply built - the dealer said that was one their "economy" lines.
 
TRaGiK said:
On the subject of Clayton...

My wife and I just bought one. A $160k doublewide, and basically they're flagship model. We moved in the end of January.

The complete lack of pride in work (from factory workers) is painfully obvious.
Click to expand...

We just had pretty much the same experience. Ours was a Cavalier (subsidiary of Clayton) that was delivered in February. The setup people were great, did a good job setting it up and finishing everything where it went together. But there were several obvious factory defects that just showed they get built in a hurry. It had a smaller water heater than we ordered, one sink in the master bath was installed about 10-15 degrees out of square, one of the exhaust fans doesn't work, some cabinet pulls were crooked, some bad joints in the trim, and the posts under the kitchen island weren't fastened to anything at the top, and a few other minor things. The factory guy that came to fix them has done a good job so far, but it took several weeks for him to even come do the work. And he has to come back to finish because he didn't have everything he needed. So we're still waiting.

He did tell me that he used to work in the factory on the line, and they get better pay based on production, so if you get behind and the line has to stop, everybody gets mad at you because you're getting into their pockets, too. So people that start to get behind just throw whatever their part is in to try to catch up. I believe it based on what I saw.

But, having said all that, we're very happy with the home.
 
Alabamacoastie said:
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Maybe your sister should cosign.
If something happens and mom loses the trailer at least it would already be on her property.
If she loses it and you have signed, than you have a highly depreciated object that you’ll be stuck paying for in another state.
 
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Tailhunter said:
Maybe your sister should cosign.
If something happens and mom loses the trailer at least it would already be on her property.
If she loses it and you have signed, than you have a highly depreciated object that you’ll be stuck paying for.
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I agree with you, but my sister and her husband are refusing to help, other than let her put the trailer on their property.

I've asked my mom to put the trailer on my land here in NC, but she refuses to leave Alabama.
 
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