Customer Reviews

Buying a Manufactured Home: How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck in Today's Housing Market (Old Edition, 2002) (Home Resources Book)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Aloha,If you are in the market for a manufactured home you *must* get this book. He tells all the ins and outs of the manufactured home buying process written from the perspective of a guy who is simply trying to tell you the truth. He is sincere and *very* knowledgeable and will save you significant money and hassle.As one reviewer noted, this is not the best editing job. There are a number of grammatical errors, careless things like a missing pro-noun or mispelled words. But you don't buy a book like this looking for pulitzer prize level literature. You buy it to arm yourself with information. Mr. Burnside does a very good job of doing just that, arming you, and does so in an easy to read/understand fashion. I read the whole thing in about 4 hours.He gives tips on all aspects of buying a manufactured home and setting it up on your property. But the primary focus is how to handle the home dealers and how to get the best deal with the right options. In that light it would be wise to have this book as but one book in your home buying collection. A great book that covers other important areas like finding and buying land (etc) in a more comprehensive way than Mr. Burnside's book is "Finding and Buying Your Place in the Country" by Scher & Scher (husband wife team). This is also a *must* have book. Do not as much as set foot inside a manufactured home dealer without reading this book.Good Luck! It is a best seller for a reason.

Kevin Burnside does a good job of covering the comprehensive subject of "Manufactured Housing"; what we used to call mobile homes. He reveals the secrets of the dealers and arms the buyer with the tools needed to make a good deal and avoid the scams of high pressure salesmen. The author also details the best options and features to order along with those features to decline. He reveals the type of construction that is desired and the type of contruction that is not desired. He includes real life dollar figures to guide the prospective buyer and provides the needed help particularily for first time home buyers who lack the knowledge and experience to distinguish between a good price and a bad price. This book is long overdue and brings the author's expertise to the table. There has been much written on car values and how to get a good deal on a new car. This book is one of the few written for mobile home/manufactured home buyers. I recommend this book to anyone looking to buy a new factory built home. I would have liked to seen the "Consumer Reports" article reprinted in the book instead of merely mentioned; and I would have liked some attention to used or older homes not just new homes. Perhaps that will be Mr. Burnside's next book?

When Mr. Burnside first got this book published back in 1999, it was probably the best book on the subject, and helpful to consumers. The truth is, though, it is embarrassing by almost any standard today. The editing is non-existent, and that just shows the lack of thought that went into this. It was thrown together, and omits more than it conveys. There are far better choices now; most notably Wes Johnson's "The Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook" that just came out. The latter is an outstanding book, well-researched, far more thorough, and much easier to read. It will also save you more money than any other book on the subject that I've read. If you're thinking about buying a manufactured home, do yourself a favor and buy "The Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook" instead. You'll be glad you did before the ink on the contract dries!

This book did a good job of explaining the sales office process, but skipped over the really scary things, like buying the lot, lot upgrades, working with contractors, water, sewer, septic, etc...If Mr. Burnsides wanted to be really thorough, he would have given us better statistics, like the Consumer Guide info he refers to, but does not elaborate on nearly enough. A manufacturer list or customer service survey of manufacturers would be nice too. Last but not least, the author's credibility was not helped by all the mis-spellings and errors. Didn't anyone edit this book for him?

This book is amazing! I picked it up and opened to the middle, where the story of 'Travis and Tara' sounded way too much like the encounters my wife and I have had over the past few weeks. Same salesmen, same variety of attitudes, same approach to calculating how much money they can get from you. The information on construction and recommended options is excellent too. We haven't bought our home yet, but when we do, this book will have made a difference.

This book should be required reading for anyone considering a manufactured home. A few evenings spent with this book will not only save you thousands of dollars it will result in you getting a much better home. Be sure to make notes and take them with you when you visit the dealers and the manufactured home factory (something you really must consider doing before you sign). Buying a manufactured home isn't like buying a car - so don't treat it that way.

Very good, eye-opener book if you are considering buying a manufactured home. Lots of behind the scenes information on how dealers operate when they sell you a home. Many good checklists to go over and plenty of tips on how to save a lot of money and headaches when purchasing. I read the book in three hours and wished there was more on what it's like to live in one of these homes. It would have been nice if he had provided a list of reputable or even just all home manufacturers in general with website links. Glad I bought the book.

This book was delivered just as I was going out the door to visit a dealer. What a God send!

I read a few chapters while my wife drove... I could not believe the details involved. It opened my eyes.

Some info is common sense. Other is insider information that you can use.

I definitly recommend this book.... Can't wait to read the rest!

I was interested in purchasing a used manufactured home.
This book had no information on that.
It was all about new homes.

Now in its third edition, "Buying a Manufactured Home: How to Get the Most Bang for Your Buck in Today's Housing Market" is a guide to the world of manufactured homes, more commonly known as mobile homes, which can be a solid choice for having a place of one's own when houses can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Guiding readers through every step of the process, "Buying a Manufactured Home" is a must read for anyone considering this venue for their future.