13 Random Facts about Mobile and Manufactured Homes

June 5, 2020

Enjoy these fun and interesting particulars about factory-built homes.

  1. “Mobile homes” have not been built since 1976.  Factory-built dwellings conforming to the 1974 HUD Code are correctly called “manufactured homes”.

  2. Today, 82% of Americans still use the words “mobile home” when searching for factory-built housing online.

  3. Until 1972, Iowa mobile homes were required to display a license plate in the front window.

  4. Manufactured homes are built with the same construction materials as site-built homes.  They’re built indoors for greater production efficiency and less waste, and therefore less expensive to build.

  5. Folks in manufactured homes parks like Grand View and Summit View own their homes and lease the land.  They’re called “land-lease communities”.

  6. Property taxes on Iowa manufactured homes are based on square footage, not assessed value like real estate.  Property taxes on a 2000 square foot manufactured home are no more than $400 per year.  (Property taxes on the land is included in monthly home site rent.)

  7. Manufactured homes are titled like vehicles in Iowa, not deeded like real estate.  This means that manufactured homes can be purchased easier and faster with less paperwork. This reduces legal fees and abstract search expenses.

  8. Manufactured homes do NOT depreciate like vehicles.  The resale value of a factory-built home is based on location, condition, and market demand, the same as a traditional residential home.

  9. The largest double-wide mobile homes have 2432 square feet, with up to 4 bedrooms.

  10. Manufactured homes have no basements that flood.

  11. Most manufactured homes are built in Indiana.

  12. The Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame is in Elkhart, Indiana.  The public can view trailers, photos and memorabilia reaching back to the 1920’s and 1930’s.

  13. In Europe, manufactured homes are called “caravans”.

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At Hames Homes, we LOVE manufactured homes.  Let us match you with the mobile home for sale that’s right for you.  Whether it’s a single-wide or double-wide, new or used mobile home, our knowledgeable sales staff can help with selecting, financing and insuring your next home.  Contact us online or call us at (319) 377-4863 today!

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