Manufactured Housing (MH)

What is ‘Manufactured Housing – MH’

A housing unit constructed primarily off-site prior to being moved to a piece of property where it is set. The cost of construction per square foot is usually considerably less for manufactured housing than for traditional on-site homes (stick-built homes). In the 1990s, this style of housing accounted for nearly 25% of new home sales for families in the United States.

This type of housing also includes “modular homes” – homes divided into multiple sections that are constructed off-site, then assembled like building blocks at the property.

Explaining ‘Manufactured Housing – MH’

Financing a manufactured home can be different than financing a stick-built home. If the manufactured home is purchased separately from the land on which it will sit, a personal property loan is the most common type of financing. Personal property loans carry a higher interest rate than traditional mortgages. If the manufactured home and the land are purchased together, a traditional mortgage might be available. Loan terms and programs vary from lender to lender. The Federal Housing Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs have manufactured-housing loan programs.

Further Reading

  • The contribution of manufactured housing to affordable housing in the United States: Assessing variation among manufactured housing tenures and community types – www.tandfonline.com [PDF]
  • Overcoming barriers to placing manufactured housing in metropolitan communities – www.tandfonline.com [PDF]
  • The impact of manufactured housing on adjacent residential property values: A GIS approach based on three North Carolina counties – onlinelibrary.wiley.com [PDF]
  • The Value of Manufactured Housing Communities: A Dual-Ownership Model – papers.ssrn.com [PDF]
  • Review of the thermal energy standards for manufactured housing proposed by the Manufactured Housing Institute Consensus Committee – www.osti.gov [PDF]