Developing with Manufactured Homes

Book excerpt: The most completely finished variation of industrialized housing is the manufactured home. Many people still refer to these homes as mobile homes, even though they are rarely, if ever, moved. Developing with Manufactured Homes illustrates how the manufactured housing industry functions & how the homes are constructed. It explains how developers can make use of the industrialized approach to building, in lieu of the increasingly cumbersome "stick" building process. Elementary concepts in land selection, acquisition, the public approval process, development & construction are not covered in this book, except to the extent that the use of manufactured housing would dictate a significant variation in practice as compared to building homes on site. The primary focus throughout the text is on fee simple development-merging the house with the land to create a singular title of real estate. Although the emphasis is on subdivisions, planned unit developments & urban infill lots as opposed to the development of land-lease communities, many of the subjects covered are applicable to all of the above modes of land use. This book is an indispensable guide for any builder, developer or student interested in taking advantage of the opportunities in manufactured housing development.