Certification Assures the Homebuyer
Before leaving the factory, each home must have a numbered certification label affixed to the exterior of each section of the home. This label certifies to the homebuyer that the home has been inspected in accordance with the HUD enforcement procedures and that it complies with the HUD building code. Only when all inspection parties are satisfied that the home complies with the code will the certification label be affixed to the home. A consumer seeing the home for the first time will have the assurance that the home has been thoroughly tested and inspected from the design stage through final construction and found to be built according to the approved design.

In the last several years, the manufactured housing industry has seen rapid growth in the aesthetic variety of manufactured housing, helping the homes appeal to a broader market than ever before. The addition of new plants and the introduction of new transportation technologies have enabled factories to increase interior ceiling height up to nine feet on many homes. Also, “hinged roof” systems allow designers to produce homes with roof pitches of up to 12:12, so that manufactured homes can blend seamlessly into existing neighborhoods.

The single most important advancement in the industry over the last seven years has been the development of two-story models. Until recently, engineering and materials technology, the physical constraints of many factories, and transportation issues made the possibility of multi-story manufactured homes seem like a pipe dream. However, the development of innovative chassis and transportation systems have enabled manufacturers and developers to work together to produce attractive and affordable two-story units. While multi-story models are still a small percentage of the overall manufactured housing market, the tremendous consumer interest in the concept will translate into more and more manufacturers adding them to their housing lineup in the near future.

Successful builder-developers have discovered that manufactured housing can help them:

• Effectively expand their current market
With a minimum of time, labor and cost, builders can add substantially to their annual production by using manufactured homes.

• Provide a high-quality product at a lower cost than site-built housing
Factory building maximizes efficiencies and takes advantage of economies of scale to produce a comparable product at significantly less cost.

• Meet pent-up consumer demand for entry-level, single-family detached housing
Rising costs have made it difficult to build for the entry - level home buyer.  Manufactured housing makes it possible for the builder-developer to meet the needs of this growing market.

• Produce housing using significantly less on-site labor
The factory essentially functions as one huge subcontractor on the structure of the house itself. This makes the builder-developer less vulnerable to the problems of a shrinking construction labor pool.

• Secure long-term income
Land-lease communities in particular offer an attractive long-term stream of income that you can depend on - something almost unheard of in single-family residential 
development.

• Utilize property that might otherwise be financially or technically difficult to develop
Manufactured homes can help builder-developers build new homes in cost-sensitive markets, take advantage of difficult or environmentally sensitive home sites, and make the most of lots in areas where security is a concern. Many builders also like the ability to additionally customize the house on site by adding such features as garages, porches and decks.