(STACKER) – A manufactured home is a path to homeownership that is often overlooked. Offering both quality and value, a manufactured home could be an affordable option to get you into a home of your own. Freddie Mac crunched the numbers on how manufactured housing prices have changed in Illinois using 2024 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Illinois new manufactured housing sales price trends
– Average sale price of new manufactured homes: $114,000 (7.5% lower than the national average)
— Single-section: $84,000
— Double-section: $159,100
– 1-year sale price change: +3.1%
– 5-year sale price change: +65.2%
– 10-year sale price change: +90.3%
States with the least expensive new manufactured homes
#1. Alaska: $80,200
#2. Louisiana: $98,900
#3. Arkansas: $99,200
#4. Kansas: $102,400
#5. Indiana: $102,600
What Is a Manufactured Home?
Manufactured homes are houses built in a factory rather than on the land where you’ll live. They are constructed using the same building materials as site-built homes but take less time to build and are typically more affordable because the efficiency of the factory building process lowers costs.
The home may consist of a single section or two or more sections that are built on a permanent steel frame in a factory and transported to your property. Once it arrives, it will be placed on the land that you own or lease, or in a manufactured housing community.
Modern manufactured homes offer attractive design options that are nearly indistinguishable from site-built homes. For example, modern factory-built homes such as CrossMod ® homes are a particular type of manufactured home that have the features and aesthetics of site-built homes, such as pitched roofs, permanent foundations, porches and garages.
To make sure that manufactured homes are safe, strong and durable, they are inspected to meet or exceed standards set out by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards, commonly known as the HUD Code. The safety standards include:
- Design and construction.
- Strength and durability.
- Fire resistance.
- Heating, plumbing and air conditioning.
- Thermal and electrical systems.
- Energy efficiency.
- Overall home quality.
With the HUD Code seal of approval, manufactured homes also meet regional standards for roof load, wind resistance, thermal efficiency, safety and durability, which vary depending on where you live.
Manufactured homes differ from other factory-built homes. They aren’t recreational vehicles or mobile homes*, which are built on wheels. And they aren’t modular homes, which are permanently installed on your property and certified to meet or exceed state, local and regional building codes rather than the HUD Code.
The Benefits of Purchasing a Manufactured Home
There are several advantages to buying a manufactured home.
Manufactured homes are typically more affordable than site-built. The average price of a new, single-section CrossMod home today is around $200,000 including the land, versus more than $500,000 for a new site-built home.
Manufactured homes are energy efficient. The HUD Code ensures that manufactured homes achieve a certain energy efficiency standard, which can save you money on your monthly utility bills and help keep your home environment comfortable. Manufactured homes are required to have insulation within the walls and under the home around its base, energy-efficient windows and high-efficiency water heaters. Inside, kitchens and bathrooms have energy-saving appliances and lighting, as well as water-saving plumbing fixtures and faucets.
Another consideration is the long-term value of manufactured homes. According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency house price index, a manufactured home appreciates in value similar to a site-built home.
Home Loan Options for Manufactured Housing
There are mortgages designed for buyers of manufactured homes, such as Freddie Mac’s CHOICEHome mortgage that offers financing for CrossMod homes with a down payment as low as 3% of the purchase price. This includes financing for CHOICEHome-certified single-section manufactured homes, which can be even more affordable than multi-section homes.
When considering buying a manufactured home, be sure to confirm the availability of land, access to utilities and any zoning restrictions in the area where you plan to place the home.
Speak with your lender about the financing options available to you and which may best suit your needs.
If you are in the market for an affordable, well-built housing option, a manufactured home may meet your needs and provide you with the wealth-building benefits of homeownership.
* A recreational vehicle or travel trailer is built to the recreational vehicle code, which may not be suitable for year-round living, and is designed to be moved frequently.
This story was produced by Freddie Mac and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
