| With soaring real estate prices, many | | | | modular builder. After the floor plans and |
| Americans are looking to alternative home | | | | options have been approved, a state-approved |
| options. Modular homes are one of the popular | | | | third party reviews the plans to guarantee |
| affordable housing options. | | | | they meet the code for the state where they |
| | | | will be built. Moreover, a third party |
| Modular Homes | | | | inspection agency licensed by the state |
| | | | conducts inspections at the plant while the |
| Modular homes represent almost 8% of all new | | | | home is being manufactured and assembled. In |
| U.S. home sales, with nearly 43,000 of them | | | | the interim, a local builder lays the home's |
| built in 2004 alone. In the Northeast today, | | | | foundation. |
| 10% of the houses constructed are modular. It | | | | |
| is primarily the states of North Carolina, | | | | Once manufactured, the home's sections are |
| Michigan and New York that make up the most | | | | shipped to the site on flatbed trucks, and |
| popular locations for modular construction. | | | | lifted onto the foundation by crane. |
| | | | Construction can take as little as a day. |
| Modular homes are manufactured in several | | | | Final completion may require another few |
| sections at a factory. The factory | | | | weeks. The overall process, from the first |
| environment allows protection against harsh | | | | order to move in, normally lasts about 90 |
| weather and vandalism during construction. | | | | days, compared to site-built homes, which may |
| The quickness of the process also | | | | need from six months to a year. |
| significantly decreases building costs. Even | | | | |
| though these homes are factory built, it is | | | | Its estimated a homeowner can save up to 25% |
| possible to have these homes customized. | | | | on their house by going modular. That is a |
| | | | sizeable saving in our economy. |
| Typically, modular homes are bought through a | | | | |