5 Manufactured Homes Myths

Manufactured homes, known to many as trailer or mobile homes, have evolved over the past 50 years. There are a few myths often associated with the manufactured home market which may have at one point been almost true.

Since construction standards were established in 1976 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, many of the negative remarks about manufactured homes are only myths. As the manufactured housing market continues to develop new concepts and designs, these homes have been purchased by more families than ever before.

1. Manufactured Homes Look the Same
Many manufactured home builders, like Skyline Homes and Karsten, offer basic floor plans with quality features such as a front porch and dual pane windows. However, they also provide a wide variety of customizable floor plans, design options, and upgrades to meet the client’s needs. According to SFGate on the subject of no variety, manufactured homes “provide consumers with a wide range of interior and exterior options” and “produce luxury models with hardwood floors, whirlpool baths, stonework fireplaces and walk-in closets”.

Alliance Manufactured Homes’ Design Room in the San Jose Office (2410 Monterey Rd.)

If you have never been inside a manufactured home before, try to visit one of the open houses in your area. Once you’re inside, it is difficult to tell the difference between a manufactured home and an on-site built home. With many homes designed for individual needs in mind or to meet a budget, many homes can be spacious and well-appointed.

2. Manufactured Homes Can Get Destroyed Easily
Manufactured homes sold after 1994 are built to the same HUD standards for construction, strength, fire resistance and wind resistance that are applied to site-built homes. A report published by the state of Florida indicates that no manufactured home built to these standards received any major damage during the severe 2004-2005 hurricane season. Another study published by Foremost Insurance Company came to a conclusion that manufactured homes are less likely to catch fire than site-built homes.

In fact, manufactured homes today are factory-built under climate-controlled conditions. This means that the building materials are not exposed to outdoor conditions, especially during the raining season, where moisture can cause expansion and mold in the future. Skyline Homes stated on the comparison between factory-built and site-built homes that “factory-built homes are generally stronger,” sturdier, and more efficient.

3. Manufactured Homes Are For Families W/ Low Income
It’s no surprise to that the housing market in the Silicon Valley is growing at a ridiculous pace over the past years. The supply of available homes are decreasing, yet the demand to keep the prices up is very high. Many tech companies are located in Sunnyvale, Mountain View, and San Jose; however, these cities are also home to multiple family and senior mobile home parks. LA Times reported that “there are tech industry workers who live in Plaza del Rey — employees of Apple, Google, Oracle and local start-ups.”

4. Manufactured Homes Are Hard To Finance
Manufactured homes were previously financed or purchased as personal property, making loans more difficult to obtain. Today, it’s easier to finance. Despite the fact that only a handful of lenders offer manufactured home loans, some of them are willing to provide financing options similar to those available for site-built residences. When properly financed, manufactured housing allows homeowners to build equity just as traditional site-built homes.

Mobile Home Brokers is our own in-house finance team capable of everything from checking your credit and handling your credit application, to securing you a loan with the best rate. They can provide you with quick updates on the status of your home sale through constant communication, quick turnaround, as well as competitive and hassle-free financing. Feel free to contact us at (408) 745-1000 for more information.

5. Manufactured Homes Lose Value
Unlike automobiles, manufactured homes can appreciate just like any other form of housing. According to Home First, other factors that help the value are the location of the land, age of the home, housing market, inflation rates, new upgrades/additions to the home, and availability of the area.

Manufactured home in Chateau La Salle (San Jose) with beautifully maintained curb appeal.

Want Fast Cash For Your House? We Buy Homes!

• Are you relocating or facing foreclosure?
• Have a home that needs extensive repairs?
• Did you inherit a home you want to sell?
• Looking for a quick guaranteed sale, with no hassle and no risk?

We got the solution for you.

Alliance Manufactured Homes buy homes “as-is”, with no commissions, no hidden fees, no inspections, no repairs, and no wait. In addition to handling the paperwork from start to finish, Alliance will give you a deposit the day the agreement is made and the balance when you are ready to move out.

Is a cash out for me?

A cash out is ideal for someone who needs a guaranteed cash sale and complete control over the timing of the transaction. While this option may not yield as much money as a listing, it requires minimal effort, absolutely no expenses, and 100% certainty, which gives you the freedom to move smoothly to your next living situation.

What if your home requires thousands of dollars in repairs that needs to be corrected before you can sell it, and you don’t have the cash? Putting your home on the market in disrepair will likely result in low-ball offers or ward off qualified buyers altogether.

What if you secure a new job that requires you to leave the area immediately, but you have not yet thought about putting your home on the market? Can you afford the stress, expense, and uncertainty of paying for two living situations for as long as it takes to sell your home? Most people can’t, which is why a cash-out is perfect for certain homeowners.

All you have to do is call an Alliance agent to evaluate your home. You will receive a cash-out price within 2 days. At your request, you can receive your proceeds in as little as 14 days. Take everything with you, or leave it all behind and we will clean it up. Our goal is to make your sale as convenient as possible. This option is not ideal for everyone, but if you are thinking of selling, it is worth evaluating a guaranteed offer.

This can save you $10,000 to $20,000 – depending on the condition of your home. The housing market is hot in the Silicon Valley; therefore, we currently have a waiting list of buyers looking for new homes in various manufactured housing communities.

Quick Run Down of Cashing Out:

• Know exactly how much money will end up in your pocket
• Decide when you want to close, move out, and receive your money
• Avoid the stress of showings, open houses, and negotiating with buyers
• Dodge the expense of repairs, commissions, inspections, and closing costs
• Leave unwanted items behind – you don’t even have to clean

What sets us apart from other companies is that we do more than just buy and sell homes. We provide trade-in programs for those who love where they live, but need to upgrade their living situation from a 1970’s home to a brand new 2018 home!

If you are considering selling in the near future, now is the great time to explore your options. Our manufactured home specialists are professional, helpful, and will deal with any concern you may have with this process.

Your home may be worth more than you think! Call today at (888) 874-8692 to speak with an agent for a free quote!

Advantages to Living in a Mobile Home Community

Casa De Amigos; 1085 Tasman Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

What are the first things that come to mind when you hear “mobile home community?”

Do the words, “attractive”, “secure”, or “luxurious” come to mind?

Modern mobile home communities in the Silicon Valley are not what you may think. There are many benefits associated with living in a mobile home community ranging from lifestyle to social benefits. These include minimal maintenance, great location with convenience, home ownership perks, and community amenities such as club houses, swimming pools, fitness centers, and a playground!

Adobe Wells; 1220 Tasman Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Take for instance, the Sunset Estates Mobile Home Community in Mountain View, CA is a peaceful and comfortable senior community. As you drive through the park, you will notice the properties have relatively large yards, which is a rarity with mobile home living and dramatically increases curb appeal.

Casa De Amigos, for example, is the ideal community for raising a family. Mobile Home Living provided a reasonable statement that when a park is managed correctly, with proper background checks and safety protocols, the entire community become a safety net for the children within the park. There are also neighborhood watch programs and a wide array of activities and amenities such as clubhouses, pools, tennis courts, and walking trails. It is noted that most communities in the Silicon Valley are well-kept and maintained by the professional community managers.

Enjoy the lavish landscape with a pond and extensive grassy areas at the family community of Adobe Wells or the quiet neighborhood with an expansive and elegant club room at the Chateau La Salle.

Chateau La Salle; 2681 Monterey Hwy, San Jose, CA 95111

Living in a modern mobile home community offers much more than the average apartment complex and offers the same comfort and amenities much like a site built home. You also have the flexibility to customize your home on a much more spacious floor plan!

One of the advantages for living in a mobile home community, according to Mobile Home Maintenance Parts, is that it is much cheaper than buying or renting a traditional housing unit. Depending on the size of your family, it is possible to get some very spacious living quarters in an MHP, competing favorably with any living quarter you may get in a different setting.

Willow Ranch; 1111 Morse Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

If you would like more information on any of the communities we serve, do not hesitate to ask our experienced professionals – or you can click on this link here!

Whether you’re look for that perfect home or looking to sell, Alliance is here for you! Call today at (888) 874-8692 to speak with an agent for more information on our manufactured homes and communities in your area.

Sources:

Some Interesting Pros And Cons Of Living In A Mobile Home Community. Mobile Home Maintenance Parts. 25 Feb 2018. Web. 19 Mar 2018. http://mobilehomemaintenanceparts.com/pros-and-cons-of-living-in-a-mobile-home-community.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Mobile Home Parks. Web. 19 Mar 2018. https://mobilehomeliving.org/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-mobile-home-parks.

What is a Trade-In?

Ever thought of upgrading to a new manufactured home? Simply put, now is the best time to buy a new home. The recession has really impacted the housing industry, which has not only driven prices down but also provided the motivation for innovation and great design improvements — a perfect combination for buyers. At Alliance Manufactured Homes, we offer a trade-in program to help you on your path towards owning a brand new, energy efficient home.

A trade-in is a transaction in which a homeowner sells their home to Alliance, and subsequently applies the proceeds of that sale toward the purchase of a brand new home to occupy the same space. In addition to designing and installing the new home, Alliance also removes the old home, thereby completing the transaction from start to finish.

A trade-in is ideal for someone who owns an older 60’s or 70’s mobile home. This option is especially attractive if the home is in need of repairs such as leaky roofs, rotted porches, termite damage, and so on. Rather than use all the time, effort, and money into improving your older home, use its equity to help you purchase a brand new home and start fresh!

Here are other amazing benefits to choosing a trade-in:

• Design your new home to fit all your needs
• Increase the value of your home
• Reduce maintenance costs
• Reduce utility costs
• Tax deductible
• Stay in your current space; keep your friendly neighbors, and your address!

So if you love your neighbors and your community, but would like the comfort and lifestyle that comes with a new home and value that is unrivaled on the market for any type of residence, now is the time to trade up!

Call us at (888) 874-8692 and see how easy it is to customize your brand new home!

Does Your Manufactured Home have Earthquake Bracing?

California, specifically the Bay Area, felt quite a rumble in January. The New Year started with a 4.4 magnitude in Berkeley along the Hayward Fault, which lasted about 10 seconds. An estimated 9.8 million people in the Bay Area felt the aftershocks of the quake, leaving them to question whether they are ready for when the “big” earthquake hits California.

The quake was a reminder that there is a one-in-three chance that a 6.7 or greater earthquake will hit the Bay Area in the next 30 years, according to the United States Geological Survey.

While the state of California’s Residential Mitigation Program offered grants of up to $3,000 for seismic retrofits of older homes, one of the most asked questions regarding manufactured homes are whether they are safe from earthquakes.

“Manufactured homes fair very well during earthquakes,” said Ara Sarkisian, a partner in Alliance Manufactured Homes. “They are built with a high percentage of shear walls, which offers great structural support during any shaking or rattling from an earthquake.”

Compared to on-site built homes, manufactured homes are lighter in general, an advantage in the context of earthquake ground motion, as seismic forces are proportional to the weight of architectural structures. These factory-built homes are built to resist the severe forces and shaking when transported on a permanent chassis from factory to site. The seismic performance of manufactured homes depends largely on the condition of the foundation and particularly on the connections between the home and the foundation, in accordance with Arash Nasseri, Ph.D. and Ehsan Kianirad, Ph.D. of ‎AIR Worldwide.

With Pier Approval by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development, manufactured homes are installed onto a series of steel support piers, one of the most used earthquake restraint bracing systems (ERBS).

The piers offer structural foundation and seismic bracing for any lateral forces caused by earthquakes. It is also important to secure the piers to their footings and main beams of the home. These connections will prevent the home from jumping off the pier or footing during an earthquake.

Figure 1. Secure piers to their footings and to the main beams of the home.

Alliance Manufactured Homes Installations has installed 75% of the new manufactured homes in the Greater Bay Area, accredited with over 5,000 new home installations.

For more information on the safety of our manufactured homes, call (888) 874-8692 to speak with an agent today!

Sources:

Cabanatuan, Michael et al. No damage reported as 4.4 Berkeley quake rocks Bay Area. SFGate. 4 Jan 2018. Web. 26 Jan 2018. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/No-damage-reported-as-4-4-Berkeley-quake-rocks-12472837.php.

Lin II, Rong-Gong and Serna, Joseph. Bay Area earthquake rattled 9.8 million people — and offers a preview of something much worse. LA Times. 4 Jan 2018. Web. 26 Jan 2018. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-earthquake-bay-area-20180104-story.html.

Lochner, Tom. Here are the Bay Area communities eligible for state earthquake retrofit grants. East Bay Times. 23 Jan 2018. Web. 26 Jan 2018. http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2018/01/23/homeowners-in-several-east-bay-communities-eligible-for-state-earthquake-retrofit-grants.

Minimizing damage and repair costs to manufactured homes during an earthquake. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Web. 26 Jan 2018. http://www.huduser.gov/publications/pdf/pdrbrch.pdf.

Nasseri, Arash and Kianirad, Ehsan. Understanding the Seismic Vulnerability of Manufactured Homes. AIR Worldwide. 23 Oct 2017. Web. 26 Jan 2018. http://www.air-worldwide.com/Publications/AIR-Currents/2017/Understanding-the-Seismic-Vulnerability-of-Manufactured-Homes.

Sunnyvale is the #9 Safest American City

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Sunnyvale rates as 2017’s 9th safest city in America. Sunnyvale is a part of the larger Silicon Valley area, with large tech companies and smaller startups headquartered in the city.

Population: 148,178
Annual violent crimes per 100,000: 104
Annual property crimes per 100,000: 1,545

For more information on other highly ranked safe cities in America visit, http://www.businessinsider.com/safest-cities-america-us-2017-8.

Sunnyvale is the #32 Safest City in California

Sunnyvale is considered the #32 safest city in California. From great school districts to beautiful local hiking trails and family-friendly events, Sunnyvale is a great location for any lifestyle!

For more information on other highly ranked safe cities in California visit, http://www.safewise.com/blog/50-safest-cities-california.

6 Items Every Household Should Have

Did you know most families are not prepared for an emergency? According to a Columbia University survey in 2011, respondents didn’t have basic emergency items such as water and flashlights. Below are recommended items any household should have to keep your family safe when faced with common hazards:

1. Risk Detectors – Risk detectors should be installed to alert for smoke and carbon monoxide. Don’t forget to replace them as they may lose their sensitivity over time.
2. Fire Extinguishers – Every household should have a fire extinguisher to control small fires in an emergency.  Not only is it important to have one in accessible locations, but learning how to use properly one is key.
3. First Aid Kit – A first aid kit is a must for any emergency. Each kit will include basic supplies such as wound-dressing and antiseptics, but you should add extra medications specific to your family members.
4. Battery-powered Flashlights and a Radio – In an event where the electricity is out for a long period you will need flashlights and a radio. Flashlights will aid in navigating through the dark and allow you and your family to travel to a safe location. Make sure to keep an extra set of batteries. A radio will all give you access to any important local and government updates.
5. Food and Water Supplies – It is recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to have at least one gallon of bottled water per family member per day. In addition, there should be enough nonperishable food items for your family (including pets) for at least three days.  Be sure to check your emergency food and water every six months for expiration dates.
6. An Emergency Game Plan – Did you know most families do not have an emergency plan? Planning in the event of a fire, earthquake, or any other emergency will ensure each family member is aware of the proper steps to take and where to meet in case of an evacuation.

Source:

Roberts, Amy. 6 Must-Have Safety Items for Every Home. Liberty Mutual. Web. 25 Oct 2013.
http://www.libertymutual.com/safe-and-smart-living/home-articles/home-emergency-response-plan

5 Great Reasons People Purchase Manufactured Homes

1. Manufactured homes are built in controlled environments under the factory roof and shipped in weatherproof wrapping.
2. The costs per square foot is typically much less than site built homes.
3. Manufactured homes can be completed faster than site-built homes.
4. Manufactured construction is typically greener because building in a factory environment reduces a great deal of waste.
5. Most manufactured home companies permit you to design your own home. Design and build a brand new home for less than your rent!

Breakthrough in Bay Area Housing Sales

According to a recent report the Bay Area’s housing marketing reached the highest level of sales in nearly seven years.

Realtor’s president, Errol Samuelson said, “You’re seeing the marketing start to stabilize, which is a really good thing”. While sellers are benefiting from the large yearly gain in sales prices, buyers are finding it easier to move into the market.

David Chung, a recent home buyer in Walnut Creek said, “We timed it well… These are incredibly low rates. I couldn’t be happier”.

Furthermore, Kevin Kieffer with Keller Williams in Danville states, “There’s enough owner-occupy buyers coming in to fill the gap, and they’re getting a better price”.

Source:

Carey, Pete. Bay Area Home Sales Hit Seven-Year High.  San Jose Mercury News. 15 Aug. 2013. Web. 26 Aug 2013. http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23869987/bay-area-home-sales-hit-seven-year-high.