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Modular Homes for Under $50k

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Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#261

Post by h2odragon »

jmcgough wrote: post #121

How does this compare to mobile homes in terms of price and use case? Many mobile homes are only "mobile" in the sense that it's delivered and installed somewhere - 90% are never moved again, because it's costly and complicated to do so. The modular idea is neat, but I'm not sure how practical it is, and there are laws in many states that prevent you from moving homes without a licensed professional.

Dunno if the "mobile home industry" is actually useful to compare against anymore; they seem to be dedicated to selling the cheapest possible crap as an excuse to rope people into horrible financial schemes. "no down payment with land" is pushing some deals that'd make payday lenders feel moral qualms.

Not that mobile homes were ever a place to find quality construction, but now it feels like outright fraud.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#262

Post by orthecreedence »

chrisseaton wrote: post #171
gwbrooks wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since they're very up front about referring to them as Accessory Dwelling units, the primary market is likely people who want to quickly put an ADU in place alongside a traditional single-family home for extra living space or rental income. About one-third of the cost of new multifamily development is typically tied up in zoning/permitting/planning processes. Against that backdrop, ADUs -- particularly if the city pr…

'Accessory Dwelling Unit' is the most depressing way to talk about a home I've ever heard.

Great for people who work in Human Resources.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#263

Post by thesausageking »

citboin wrote: post #92
thesausageking wrote: post #4

This house is 375 sq ft and uses low end materials, and it doesn't include setup, so it's going to cost ~$100k, or $266 / sq ft. Most new home construction is more like $150 / sq ft. And with this system, you're very limited in what you can build. Who's the target customer for this?

“ Who's the target customer for this?” People who otherwise could not afford to buy a house, I assume.

A single wide mobile home, which is x2-3 as big as this, is cheaper than this costs. And, in most parts of the country, you can buy a full home with land for less than this costs installed.

Their advantage seems to be how quickly they can deliver and install them. Digging into their website, it sounds like they're targeting temporary housing for natural disasters, etc. which makes sense.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#264

Post by wbl »

jiggliemon wrote: post #199
hellbannedguy wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you can get this contraption on your property (foundation, plumbing hookup, electric, all permit fees.) for under 100k in a desirable area, like the Bay Area, it's a great deal. If I had a flat lot that was accesssble, I would look into this further. In my town, even with the protections Gov. Neusome provided, getting an ADU is still a hassle. In my town, rich people are using ADU's to add square footage to their…

I looked into building an adu a few years back, and I can backup most of what you said. At least in California, in an incorporated city. We worked out that it would cost us $30k in fees, and required spending before we could even dig the footers. Things like a soil test, inspections, variance’s etc. You can always build an ADU, but it’s a rich mans game. And not really accessible to most people. We calculated our uni…

There are no variances for ADUs. The town is breaking state law. Talk to CaRLA about your options.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#265

Post by turtlebits »

monkeynotes wrote: post #185
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looking at this primarily on a cost per square foot basis seems like the famous slashdot mistake of 2 decades ago of dismissing the iPod because it had less memory than a shitty competitor. I mean, it's an ADU, designed to be small, but would basically have the same fixed costs (appliances, plumbing, electrical) of a house twice the size, and I'm sure the manufacturers could make a house twice the size with only a ma…

The headline touts cost, I think it's fair to look at the actual cost benefits. If Apple designed the iPod and promoted it based on cost Slashdot would have had a point. Apple never says 'hey look how affordable our product is'. This headline caught my eye as I'm interested in how the fuck people are going to afford homes in the near future. I am disappointed. The "home" is not somewhere young people can raise a fami…

Why is this not a home? This kind of mentality is what is wrong with the US housing market. People have to have houses bigger than they actually need, maximizing square footage, with tons of features don't provide additional living space (fireplaces, walk in closets, mud rooms, giant master baths). ~400sf can be perfectly fine for a small family.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#266

Post by stickfigure »

coderintherye wrote: post #30

I imagine the margin isn't there for it, but I wish someone would target the I'd have to guess the market just isn't there for it, maybe everyone else just doesn't mind dealing with the building codes and permit requirements for larger units?

Look for wood cabin kits, something like this:

https://bzbcabinsandoutdoors.net/log-cabin-kits/escape/

Not well insulated but cute and cheap and makes a cozy little spot you can escape to. Obviously not for living, but what do you want for 120sqft?

Those Bunkies are all well under 120sqft and wouldn't need permits here in Solano county. Actually they could be a bit bigger; I'm looking for literal 12' x 10'.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#268

Post by stickfigure »

lovich wrote: post #47
coderintherye wrote: post #30

I imagine the margin isn't there for it, but I wish someone would target the I'd have to guess the market just isn't there for it, maybe everyone else just doesn't mind dealing with the building codes and permit requirements for larger units?

There’s only going to be two types of customers for that. The Uber rich who can afford spending multiple thousands of dollars in what’s effectively a private hotel room you can install wherever you have land, and the extremely poor who will live in them because it is the maximum they can afford. The negative PR from the latter set of clients can’t possibly be worth how much margin they can get from the former, especi…

> The Uber rich who can afford spending multiple thousands of dollars in what’s effectively a private hotel room

In the vast majority of the US, these are called "cabins" and it is very common for people with very modest means to build them for recreation. Outside of urban areas, you don't have to be rich to own land.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#269

Post by jws »

thesausageking wrote: post #4

This house is 375 sq ft and uses low end materials, and it doesn't include setup, so it's going to cost ~$100k, or $266 / sq ft. Most new home construction is more like $150 / sq ft. And with this system, you're very limited in what you can build. Who's the target customer for this?

Tiny houses have a large cost per square foot. One of the early forces in tiny houses remarked that his house was simultaneously the smallest in his city and the most expensive per square foot.

Part of it is the cube square law's little brother, the "square linear law?" You have proportionately more wall for the enclosed area. On top of that you still have the expensive bits… bathrooms and kitchens.

Re: Modular Homes for Under $50k

#270

Post by lovich »

ctdonath wrote: post #177
lovich wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think providing an adu of What am I pointing out is how you phrased your statement like the lower class has other options than the cheapest option available, whether or not it’s sub standard. If you are unaware the mythological story around Marie Antoinette is that when she was told the peasantry could no longer afford bread responded with “let them eat cake” because she did not understand that going above th…

This is part of an ongoing attempt to create quality affordable housing - just as other products have done over time. If the product weren’t there, the option wouldn’t be there - and your reasoning functionally favors driving down lower classes by denying them steps up. No, there is not some grand capitalist conspiracy to subjugate multitudes into poverty to seize their paltry holdings. Capitalism raises the poor by…

I feel like no one responding to me in this thread is capable of understanding how the tone of your wording changes how it is received by others.

I understand how capitalism works and that this provides an option that wasn’t available before.

Telling people who have next to nothing that they can simply choose another house if they think this one is sub standard, while factually accurate, makes you sound like a complete asshole who doesn’t understand that they don’t have the resources to pick other options

That’s the entire point I’m making. Any response about capitalism or ADUs is ignoring my point and talking past me

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