My wife and I are thinking about moving. We're trying to get rid of our credit card debt and move to a cheaper place and closer to my work and be more in the country and out of our nice new house with a small lot in a subdivision.
We found a place on 2.5 acres in the woods for a really good price, and it's RIGHT ON THE SNOWMOBILE TRAIL!!!!

Only thing is, it's a manufactured home (two sides, seamed together). It's only 5 years old, has one more bedroom, but no basement, it's on a crawlspace, and has a low roof-line, One large shed, but we'd be able to get a polebarn up by winter for the cars and sled and other storage.
It's also VERY close to state land for hunting.
Living on the trail and being able to ride out my 'barn would be Awesome, but not sure about the manufactured home thing.
What do you guys think? *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif
Thanks for any of your input, I appreciate it.

sounds to me, like you already decided.

Moving Sucks, but it might be worth it, for what your getting.

FishHog

to me, a manufactured home is a lot more solid cause it has to travel to get to destination, and all the material they use to build it is stored inside. Just think at what your house would look like if you moved it down the street ? chances are it would not make it ! *i know alot of people who bought them and are verry satisfied with it ! I say go for, sledding out of your back yard is the best thing....

I think it sounds great! *Dan made a good point to on the house being well built or "sturdy". * http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif

Sounds good, *Good luck what ever you decide. *Ps they make the double wides a lot better then they used to. *I believe they use 2by 6 walls.

We have quite a few neighbors here in ND that have premanufactored homes. *They have all really liked them. *Then one neighbor you would never guess it was a premanufatored home looks like it was built on site.

There are many types of prefab homes. A maufactured home is built just like a trailer home. When you are in the crawl space you will see steel frame rails, just like a trailer, and it is built to the same standards. It will also mimic a mobile in interest rates and value. A modular home is similiar in the respect it comes in sections but is very different in construction. Modular homes are built to the UBC code just like stick built homes. They financed and valued just like conventional construction. It pays to do a lot of research when it is time for such a large purchase. If it seems to be a great deal it may be, or there may be a reason it is priced so.

Being from Elkhart Indiana, (the home of RV's, modular homes, and pre-fabed homes) I would say dont do it. *Ive worked as *a purchasing manager for a couple of the larger manufactures and let me say "They are crap". *9 times out of 10 the material isnt stored outside, the craftmens ship is that of a 18 yr. idiot and quality is not of the greatest concern when manufacturing, its the # of units produced in a week. *To me it would not be in your best interest. *Manufactured homes have the life expectancy of a mobile home and their built the same way. *I'd say within 7-10 years there will probably be more things wrong with that house then good.

Look at it this way, the home has to be trucked in, if something was going to go wrong, (i.e. weak wall), it would have gone wrong already. *I have a manufactured house on my property and I love it even though it is older. *And dude, it's on the trail and you can hunt from your back door, what more do you need. *ha ha

Buy it,
* I'm a mortgage broker and here in the state if it's put onto a permenent foundation as you say it is then it would have a home deed. And the interest rate would'nt be any different. They do only allow a 80 to 90% *loan to value on re-finances but no difference on a purchase. And they gain value all the same here. I have a uncle that sells them for 60 to 80k. There are modulars which are two trailers for all purposes, and there are BOCA modulars which are true stick built homes.
* *My uncles clients usually gain 20 to 40K in equity the moment there homes are place on there foundation and the water,septic,and gas is hooked up. *They are built very well in recent years. Most have reguler windows also. *Many people are selling there stick built homes for them out west also.
Caleb

My step-dad put in a double-wide 6 years ago and the house is still perfect so far.

Double wides are built very good today, with the 2x6 construction compared to 2x4 stick built, they are pretty tough. The quality of siding, shingles and wall board have something to be desired.
As far as living ON the trail, sounds great, but you will soon get tired of hearing noisy sleds 18 hours a day ripp'in buy, that's probaly why the house is for sale and at a cheap price.

mikadoo makes a good point.how close to the trail are you going to be?I would not get closer than say a 1/4-1/2 mile.there are to many loud sleds for me to be any closer than that.

Mikadoo and Dooman,

Both of you guys have been to my house, *right? * I am only 65', *yes, *that's 65 Feet off the Main Trail. * That is why I moved here!!! * I love living driving out my garage and I am on the trail. * I sure don't need a trailer!! * * Living on the trail, *is just like the guy who lives on the railroad tracks, *or the Expressway. * *After the first two days of snowmobile season, *you don't even notice the noise! *

Besides, *those loud pipes are Music to my Ears!! http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/inlove.gif

ZMachMan

All sounds great to be close to trail...but as far as the home deal, "if it came in on wheels it's a trailer" in my opinion. *We were right directly in the path of the tornados that came through northern Indiana last October and I'm so glad my house is made of bricks. *We sustained some roof and gutter damage in addition to uprooting a couple of our 25' plus pine trees, but house remained complete intack. *My riding buddy a few miles away had a sheet of plywood knock a hole completely through his bedroom wall in his modular, but it stayed on the ground, some others didn't. *It's all a matter of what you're comfortable with and willing to compromise. *Being a diehard sledder, I can understand the trade-offs to being close to the trail though. *My $.02

Well, Here's what's going on.
We ended up looking at some other houses and we found another one. This one is an old farm house that the bank owns and has updated. All new electric, plumbing, drywall, kitchen, light fixtures, newer roof, vinyl siding, has central air and a seperate 3+ car garage! It's also ON THE TRAIL! The trail runs along the back of the acre parcle - I think.
So... We made an offer quite a bit lower than what the bank is asking,but in our price range (contingent on us selling and closing on our house). Hopefully the bank wants to get rid of it and will take our offer, or if not, we can't go too much higher. Nice house though.
I'll keep you updated on what happens! *I hope we get it!

you should try to get some pics for us *but sounds realy nice they always say things arent built like they used to so a old farm house would be strong;)

Here's a pic of the farm house. The garage sits back behind the house, you can't really tell that in the picture, and the trail runs about 30 feet behind the garage!
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That dosent seem like a small house ! *I bet you fell in love with that 3 door garage *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/inlove.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/inlove.gif *http://www.snowmobileworld-s2.com/forums/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/inlove.gif *Looks in pretty good shape ! *How much were they asking ?

It's just got 3 small bedrooms, but that big 3 season porch on the front with all the windows and two baths, one really big one downstairs, and a decent sized laundry room. It's just over 1400 sq. ft.
They were asking $139,000 in April, but it didn't move, so they had an appraisal and it appraised and is listed at $124,000. We are hoping the bank wants to get rid of it and offered $100,000.
That garage sure is nice! Plenty of room for 3 cars plus a sled or two! We only have two vehicles, so maybe there's room for the trailer too!
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</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">As far as living ON the trail, sounds great, but you will soon get tired of hearing noisy sleds 18 hours a day ripp&#39;in buy[/b][/quote]

If I lived on the trail the only problem would be that every time I heard a sled go by I would be itching to be out there too.

When we moved last fall, one place we looked at and really liked was 150ft from the trail. *It was just a bit out of our price range, tho.

zmachman,I would say your a lil&#39; farther than 65 feet from the main trail,but not much.the main traffic does not come near your house really does it ?because grooming turned off the road and into the woods about 1/4 mile from you right? I would say I am in the same boat as you seasonal road is only 200 feet south of my lot,groomed trail is about 1300 feet behind me(east),with power line easment right out front.