Today’s manufactured housing communities are the best kept secret for housing-starved Californians. People intimidated by the Southern California housing crunch should consider some of the thousands of homes in the area that are often 50 to 75% the cost of most area single-family homes. For about the same monthly payment as the average rent on a low end two bedroom apartment, a family can purchase a modular home.
Manufactured homes are built under federal code which is administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HCD), which went into effect June 15, 1976. This code covers single or multi-section homes and includes delivery to the site and installation. Therefore manufacturers must abide by many regulations, to include: design & construction, strength & durability, fire resistance, energy efficiency, transportability, & quality. Manufactured homes are built on a chassis and delivered to a land site on a several sets of axles; they are intended to be affixed to a permanent foundation. Modular Homes are built to state, local or regional code where the home will be located, so you can rest easy about your investment.
Because manufactured homes reduce labor, and due to the fact the factory environment also improves the flow of materials and reduces the amount of lost time or damaged materials that are common on site built construction sites, manufactured homes are a much more cost effective home to build. These savings are then passed on to you in the form of affordable housing. This is why modular homes are so desirable, especially considering the crunch on Southern California residents due to increased real estate prices.