Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook [Paperback]

Wes Johnson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786422092 | ISBN-13: 978-0786422098 | Publication Date: September 30, 2005

This handbook details the steps the shopper must follow when buying a manufactured home. It offers advice on choosing a dealership, negotiating with sales people, understanding mortgage options, avoiding common trouble spots in setup and delivery, and customizing the new home. Included as an appendix are the addresses of the state agencies dealing with consumer concerns about manufactured housing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Outstanding...read this well researched guide...packed with useful insights and hindsights that follow personal experience.” --Sandy Skipper-Lopez, National Director, Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings, Inc.

“The most remarkable, intelligent, informed, and honest accounting I’ve read anywhere...well worth the price for the consumer.” --Kristen Zehner, State President, Wisconsin Manufactured Home Owners Association, Inc.

From the Author

I believe that The Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook is the definitive book written to date for the potential consumer in this field. It's not written by industry insiders or overly optimistic like its predecessors â€" it was written by a consumer for consumers and tells it like it is. It has been endorsed and greeted warmly by consumer advocates in the housing field: “Wes Johnson combines personal experience with extensive research in a powerful 'must read' for anyone considering buying a manufactured home or currently living in one. The Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook really is a wealth of information.” -- Peter Tabak, Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings.There you can view the Table of Contents, read the Preface, and much more. This book will save new home buyers thousands of dollars, countless headaches, and help to insure that the consumer doesn’t purchase a defective home. Learn what may be hidden inside your home that can spell disaster that other writers seem unaware of. The Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook also emphasizes extremely important elements that other authors have omitted entirely like the home's physical set-up. The best manufactured home can be ruined by a poor set-up. Financing and insurance for manufactured homes often differs drastically from that of site-built homes; learn how to avoid the common predatory lending techniques. Knowledge truly is power, and The Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook gives you the information you need to get an excellent price on a good home!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (September 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786422092
• ISBN-13: 978-0786422098
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #967,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Wes Johnson lives in the scenic Piedmont area of South Carolina. Dr. Johnson served as a Contributing Editor to both the Charlotte Metro Computer News and the Palmetto Computer News, writing how-to articles and reviews (both book and software reviews) for each of these regional newspapers. Dr. Johnson also owns and operates a computer business in York, SC. AAA Computer Services is a Member of Rock Hill's "Clean and Green" business community, and has worked for several Fortune 500 companies. Dr. Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, from Winthrop University, and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, from Columbus University. He was presented with the Tillman Award, Winthrop's highest academic honor. In addition to writing in the field of psychology, he also writes other non-fiction and poetry. In his spare time he volunteers at a psycho-social rehabilitation center and a children's home. At one social rehabilitation center, Dr. Johnson trained group members in computer and newspaper skills which enabled clients to produce their own newsletter, thus enhancing both their social and job skills.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read Guide Written for Consumers, by a Consumer, January 27, 2006

By 

Kelly Garbato "www.easyvegan.info" (Kearney, MO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook (Paperback)

Currently a renter, I am starting to think about buying a home in the next few years. As such, I'm in the beginning stages of examining all my options, including manufactured, modular, and stick-built new home construction. I've pored over a number of home buying and construction guides over the past six months, but unfortunately, there are few books that deal solely with manufactured homes. Thus, I was ecstatic to learn of THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK by Wes Johnson. Given the lack of consumer guides to manufactured housing, THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK truly does fill a void in the existing literature.

THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK is a must-read consumer's guide to the ins and outs of buying a manufactured home. The author outlines the process of purchasing a manufactured home from start to finish. He covers every facet imaginable, including shopping around for the right home; selecting a reputable dealer; customizing your home to order; bargaining for the best price; financing your purchase; overseeing the construction and setup of your home; and dealing with any problems that may arise along the way. Throughout the book, Mr. Johnson maintains a good-natured but cautionary tone, resulting in an informative and enjoyable read.

Unlike many comparable books, THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK is written for consumers, by a fellow consumer. Wes Johnson doesn't work in construction, nor is he a salesperson for a manufactured home dealership. Rather, his knowledge of the industry comes from his experiences shopping for and purchasing his own home. As a result, he doesn't sugarcoat the shortcomings of the manufactured home industry. Not all of his experiences were pleasant, and Mr. Johnson is frank and open about the obstacles he faced - as well as the ways in which he triumphed over dishonest salespeople, sub par construction, and careless setup crews. While some of the information in THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK might discourage consumers from investing in a manufactured home, this is a good thing - manufactured homes aren't for everyone. Instead of trying to push a particular product on readers, the author offers ALL the facts, good and bad, to help you make the choice that's right for you. This is perhaps the book's biggest strength - Wes Johnson is an advocate for you, the consumer, as opposed to home manufacturers or dealers.

THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK is divided into fourteen chapters, each of which deals with a different aspect of the process: Doing Your Homework; Custom Ordering Your New Home; Illustration of a Customization; Dealing with Salespeople; The Devil Is in the Details: Responsibilities and Contracts; Cases from the Manufactured Housing Board; Who Owns the Bank?: Financing; The Walk-Through(s); Solid Foundations; The Setup; Final Analysis; When Things Go Wrong; Indoor Air Quality; and Making Your House a Home. The author also includes several appendices: Sample Requirements List; Sample Wish List; and State Administrative Agencies for Manufactured Housing. In each chapter, the main focus is on getting the most bang for your buck, whether it's wheeling and dealing with the salespeople, selecting the right mortgage for your situation, or doing some of the less complicated work on your own.

While many of the issues raised in THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK are common to most home buying guides, I was happy to see that the author also talks about a few oft-neglected topics. For example, he devotes a good deal of attention to energy efficiency. As an environmentalist, this is of course a subject that I'm greatly interested in. Yet, building an energy efficient home isn't just the eco-conscious thing to do - it's also easy on the bank account! An energy efficient home, while more expensive to build up front, will also save you money in the long run, a point that Wes Johnson covers in detail. Since this is an issue that, too often, is glossed over in home buying guides, I was delighted to see the author point out the many benefits of energy efficient planning and materials throughout the book.

Along this vein, Wes Johnson also spends a good deal of time explaining how to examine your new home and determine whether you really did get what you paid for. Much of this was news to me, despite the volumes of research I've already done. For example, he advises climbing up on your home's roof and checking to see if the manufacturer provided the correct amount of insulation in the ceiling, as this is one of the many corners manufacturers have been known to cut when building new homes. This can only be done before the home's marriage walls are joined together, so it's crucial that you do so when you have the chance. Ditto for checking the wall insulation, the laying of the home's foundation, and the studs in the marriage walls. The chapters outlining the walk-through, foundation, and setup are well worth the price of the book on their own; it's impossible to underestimate their money- and headache-saving potential!

Finally, THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK addresses the issue of air quality, which can pose a problem in newly built homes (particularly new manufactured homes). Wes Johnson offers a wealth of advice for curbing this potential health hazard, and also includes advice from relevant experts.

Although I found most of the suggestions to be helpful, pets are listed as a source of allergens in several studies, and the sources the author cites recommend keeping pets outdoors. This is perhaps the only advice in the book that I disagree with. "Outdoor" pets are at risk; in addition to extreme weather, predators - of both the animal and human variety - can prove dangerous to pets kept outdoors. Also, many pets are social animals, and they do not thrive in isolation. Dogs in particular are pack animals, and they prefer the company of their "leader" - you! If you're unbearably allergic to certain animals, the easiest - and most humane - solution is to either live without, or else choose an animal that won't aggravate your immune system.

Whether you're just thinking about buying a manufactured home, or you're already negotiating with a dealer, THE MANUFACTURED HOME BUYER'S HANDBOOK is well worth your time and money. It is, by far, the most helpful book available on the subject!

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Investment You Can Make, December 5, 2005

By 

Dan the Man (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook (Paperback)

If you're shopping for a manufactured home, The Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook is absolutely the best book investment you'll ever make in your life. Don't set foot on a dealer's lot without it! It will walk you through the entire process, and tells the real story behind the manufactured housing industry and HUD. It also goes on in detail about how financing and insurance differs from that offered by traditional housing. What you don't know really CAN hurt you! Without this thorough and well written guide, my wife and I would have probably made the biggest financial mistake of our lives. With it, we got a really great deal on a good home. We estimate we saved over $15,000 on the price of our double-wide, and by the time financing is considered (not only are we saving the interest we would have had to pay on that $15,000, but because of the book we also found a lower rate) we easily saved over $50,000 altogether. I can't recommend The Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook highly enough!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Saved Our Bacon!, December 27, 2005

By 

Jim Curtis "homeowner" (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manufactured Home Buyer's Handbook (Paperback)

Saving our bacon is the nicest way I know to put it. This handbook told how to check your marriage wall studs before your home is assembled, and we found our support studs were broken in half! Our new home was seriously defective despite all the promises about wonderful quality. Thanks to this
book, we were able to get a replacement home ordered! Without it, we wouldn't have even caught most of our problems until it was too late.