Buy a home and stretch your hard-earned dollars: 4 benefits of off-site built housing

(BPT) – Paid content by Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc.

If you’ve been house hunting, you know firsthand how few affordable options exist. According to Statista, the average sales price of a new home in the U.S. in 2021 reached $453,700. Even with hard work and careful saving habits, buying a house may still be out of reach for many Americans.

With the current state of the U.S. housing market, potential homeowners are seeking alternatives to traditional site-built housing. One growing popular option is manufactured homes, also known as off-site built housing. Off-site built homes are designed and built in protected and climate-controlled facilities and then transported to a residential property.

In January 2022 alone, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that there were 91,000 manufactured homes shipped in the country. Off-site built housing is becoming increasingly popular as more families become aware of the benefits they offer.

“Manufactured housing has the opportunity to bring the dream of homeownership within reach for even more people,” said Eric Hamilton, president of Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance. “Off-site built housing provides an excellent option for homebuyers looking for affordability without sacrificing design, style and value.”

There are several benefits to off-site built housing including:

1. Affordability

Manufactured homes can be more affordable and therefore more attainable than site-built homes. The average price point of a manufactured home is around $112,000 without land according to the U.S. Census Bureau, which is about a quarter of the cost of a traditional, site built home. Off-site built homes can give you more bang for your buck and allow you to enjoy the fruits of your hard-earned money.

2. Quality and Flexibility

Manufactured homes are typically constructed with quality materials and often meet or exceed the building specifications of site-built houses. Off-site built homes can look just like traditional site-built homes and are more easily customized to fit your family’s needs and style. You can typically customize the layout, flooring, cabinetry, fireplaces, countertops and other features of an off-site built house so your dream home can become a reality.

3. Sustainability

Off-site built homes are typically built in a controlled environment, which can allow for them to better monitor the use of materials and reduce home-building waste. These sustainable practices translate to lower building costs.

The homes themselves are precision built and often include energy efficient features, which means they have the potential to save you money on utilities.

4. Appreciation value

Manufactured homes appreciate at a similar rate as a site-built home. According to the Urban Institute, manufactured homes appreciate 3.4% annually while traditional homes are at 3.8%. This means you can potentially spend less on buying your home and rest easy knowing its value will increase over time.

Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance offers a variety of manufactured home finance programs. Their team can walk you through the process of financing your manufactured home. Apply today or visit VMF.com to learn more.

All loans are subject to credit approval.

Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., and its dba Silverton Mortgage, 500 Alcoa Trail, Maryville, TN 37804, 865-380-3000, NMLS #1561, (http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/), AZ Lic. #BK-0902616, Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Financing Law License and Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance, Licensed by PA Dept. of Banking, Rhode Island Licensed Lender.

Equal Housing Opportunity.