So... If you're bored, Lisa and I are thinking of buying a house now...

Wayne

Wayne

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About a year and a half ago, Lisa and I ended up in Florida. Because of the circumstances behind the move (rapidity, pets, lack of $60000+ for a down payment), we ended up buying a mobile home in Largo, FL. It's cheap, it's nice, it's paid for and mobile homes in this area aren't treated like they are in the rest of the country, they're just small homes in a park.

That being said, we've been looking at homes for some time now. Not seriously, because anywhere around our local area, a 1200sf home built in the 1960's can cost $400,000 USD or even more, which is just completely and totally insane.. Since the area is land-locked and pretty built up, there aren't any new houses going up, and the few you can find can run into the 7 figures.

I had been chomping at the idea of simply buying a plot of land nearby and then buying a 3100 square foot (288 square meter) "modular home" (think mobile home but pre-fab and put together on-site without the trailer part) for around $275,000 all-in, land and home.

Then, like an idiot, I scrolled the map on Zillow.com (real estate site) to an area about 30 minutes south of us called Palmetto, FL which would be a 38 minute commute to work. There, you can find brand new houses or those less than 5 years old all day long, for around $300,000 for a new(er) 2600 square foot home, move-in ready..

So, to that end, Lisa and I are going back down today (and tomorrow for open houses) to view three homes and the probable truth is that by the end of the weekend, we very well may have signed for a new home...

Here is our top three list for today;

 
I thought about buying a prefab once. They are certainly much better than a trailer, but still not nearly as safe as a CBS house. After living through literally 10 direct hurricane hits, I'd not suggest buying anything other than a CBS home.

That 2 story house, make sure the second floor is CBS and not wood frame.

Also keep in mind, the higher the SF, the higher the electric bill.
 
Based on the images, I prefer the first one. There is nothing obvious to complain about with regard to the floor plan and furniture. You do not have much of a view, which is a downside, but you do have some privacy when you hang out in your backyard.

The second house has a floor plan that is a bit too quirky perhaps. I am concerned it might be impractical. Also, there is no privacy. On the plus side, I do like the views. Also, if included, the furniture looks fine too.

I would rank the third house between the first and the second one. Again, I like the views. I also like that you can sit outdoors without having to worry about insects. Also, the high ceiling in the foyer / living area should be nice in warm climates due to the improved air circulation. The lot size is decent too. However, I am not a huge fan of the arches simply because they do not appear to fit that well to the rest of the house. Also, the furniture is merely so-so.
 
redrumloa said:
I thought about buying a prefab once. They are certainly much better than a trailer, but still not nearly as safe as a CBS house. After living through literally 10 direct hurricane hits, I'd not suggest buying anything other than a CBS home.
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Good point.

" Palmetto, FL is in a high risk hurricane zone. 69 hurricanes have been recorded in the Palmetto, FL since 1930. "
 
redrumloa said:
I thought about buying a prefab once. They are certainly much better than a trailer, but still not nearly as safe as a CBS house. After living through literally 10 direct hurricane hits, I'd not suggest buying anything other than a CBS home.
Click to expand...

Modern modular homes are considered more durable than most site built homes, as they are designed to survive transport to the lot, without falling apart. The framing must be much more ridged and reinforced than a site built home, to be able to be transported
 
Ok. We just got home a moment ago.

Of the three houses, they panned out exactly like we thought. #1 was #1 for a reason, #3 (the two-story) is a no-go at all. Not only is it two stories and wood upper framed, they had some REALLY repugnant air freshener going which gave me a massive headache.

House number two had some weird things going. Bigger garage (3 bays but only 9 feet wider total, same depth) but much, much smaller rooms and a couple of weird things going on like the stacked washer/dryer combo, no place for a "pet corner", and the central air return was in the living room wall, meaning it would be noisy while we tried to watch TV.

The #1 house on the other hand, has one thing we want to do (screen in the back porch) but it's 100% move-in ready and damned near perfect for us with the fenced back yard, etc.

To that end, we are making an offer on #1. Waiting on paperwork now to begin the process.

@JoBBo

Where did you get that blurb on hurricanes for Palmetto Florida? It would be interesting to reference where we are now (Largo Florida) and also to note that there doesn't seem to be much issue since there are thousands of older mobile homes in Palmetto (we're actually a little north in Rubonia) that have been standing for decades...
 
Wayne said:
Where did you get that blurb on hurricanes for Palmetto Florida? It would be interesting to reference where we are now (Largo Florida) and also to note that there doesn't seem to be much issue since there are thousands of older mobile homes in Palmetto (we're actually a little north in Rubonia) that have been standing for decades...
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I strongly disagree with metalman here as a nearly lifetime FL resident. His view may work in states with earthquakes, but not hurricanes. In my lifetime I have seen winds over 200mph. Imagine a 2x4 launched at a thin metal wall opposed to it being launched at a CBS wall. Andrew was a chainsaw. We have no idea the highest speed because the gauges were destroyed.
 
redrumloa said:
I strongly disagree with metalman here as a nearly lifetime FL resident. His view may work in states with earthquakes, but not hurricanes. In my lifetime I have seen winds over 200mph. Imagine a 2x4 launched at a thin metal wall opposed to it being launched at a CBS wall. Andrew was a chainsaw. We have no idea the highest speed because the gauges were destroyed.
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I was talking about a Modular Home, which is prefabricated and then transported and the modules assembled on a foundation

I think you are talking about Mobile Homes, which are mounted on a steel frame with axles and are then towed to location and anchored to the ground with straps
 
metalman said:
I was talking about a Modular Home, which is prefabricated and then transported and the modules assembled on a foundation

I think you are talking about Mobile Homes, which are mounted on a steel frame with axles and are then towed to location and anchored to the ground with straps
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I believe Jim's talking about the propensity of hurricanes and tornadoes to simply rip through wood-sided houses like tissue paper, tossing objects like 2x4 lumber, cars, and even simple trash cans around at (in theory) 100+ mph. I cannot scientifically prove that cement block-based foundations are any better at withstanding such an event, but the theory is sound, based on simply the fact that cement is thicker and more dense than wood.

Houses in this general area run approximately $250 per square foot (versus $150 average in the US. This is because of both the requirements for wind abatement (hurricane winds) as well as simply the land-locked, overbuilt location where Florida is wildly overpopulated. There's no more open land, so if you want to build, you have to first destroy an older home/structure that's already there ($$$$)..

Initially, I wanted to buy a 47x80 modular home from a phenomenal manufacturer. (according to all reports)

www.deervalleyhb.com

Deer Valley Series / Briarritz DVT-7204B built by Deer Valley Homebuilders

The Briarritz DVT-7204B is a Manufactured, Modular factory-built home in the Deer Valley Series series built by Deer Valley Homebuilders. This floor plan is a 2 section Ranch style home with 4 beds, 3 baths, and 2670 square feet of living space. Take a 3D Home Tour, check out photos, and get a...
www.deervalleyhb.com www.deervalleyhb.com

If I were to stay in the Largo/Clearwater area, that would be an absolutely optimal option. The only issue being that cost for the modular home, installed per their display sheets inside the home was approximately $210,000 to $230,000 depending on location, processes, etc. But... By the time you purchase, bribes to the city for licensing, and prep the land around here, you could theoretically toss in another $75k to $100k for 1/4 to 1/3 of an acre (which is insane, btw), meaning you'd have more money in it than I offered on the house.

The ONLY drawback to the house I made an offer on is that it's 38 minutes from work, and it's (right now) what Lisa calls "in the boondocks" (out in the middle of nowhere) but within 5 miles of the house, there are no less than 20 new sub-divisions/allotments being built, along with 5 new shopping plazas, to include everything from grocery stores to movie theaters, to big-box stores. In essence, the "boondocks" will be "center of town" in quick fashion...

We bought in now on the gamble that the area is exploding in both growth and potential, meaning that if we waited, our $300k house would be $450k or higher a few years from now.

Yes, I am up at 4am because I can't sleep waiting on the response to the offer letter. I hate this negotiation phase. Just take my money and let me sleep.. :)

Wayne
 
adz said:
WOW, no fences?
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The house we're trying to purchase was the only one of those three with a 6-foot privacy fence already installed. It was a part of that decision. Otherwise, yeah, we'd have to install one at the other houses, which would be a little difficult because of both HOA requirements which define the type of fence (low 4-foot, wrought-iron fences) as well as the fact that the other two properties backed to the tree/shrub line.

Lisa joked last night that we based the decision to spend $300,000 on the needs of our spoiled dog and cat... :)
 
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Well, that escalated quickly.

Congrats. Beautiful house.
 
Good God this is terrifying and frustrating...
 
Wayne said:
Good God this is terrifying and frustrating...
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Just wait until the banks start crawling through every orifice ;) And I don't know about the US, but in Aus the entire process is strewn with hidden fees and taxes, you know, just to make sure the job is done properly :banana:
 
adz said:
Just wait until the banks start crawling through every orifice ;) And I don't know about the US, but in Aus the entire process is strewn with hidden fees and taxes, you know, just to make sure the job is done properly :banana:
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Yep. That helps, thanks... :)
 
Confession time: I haven't slept all night. Well maybe two hours. I honestly stayed awake wondering how we're going to pay for it all, and how life is about to change. We're going from a comfortable living with $650 rent on a place we own, to roughly $1800 to $1900 / month for a mortgage. My brain won't let me stop worrying that even though this is what we want to do (get a real home), this is a terrible idea.
 
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