If seeing is believing, I am now a true believer in the quality and design of single-wides that truly meets the needs and desires of a broad spectrum of Smart consumers.
I had never shopped for a trailer home before, but never really been in one either. So I decided to take a road trip with my daughter through many parts of Nevada and Maryland to better educate myself about the manufactured housing manufactured home companies.
The trip was a real eye opener. We saw both good and bad home displays. Of course the bad is what hurts our industries pic, but the good was actually great in a real testimony to the value, quality and benefit of manufactured housing.
First up was a small retailer in Texas
let’s just say it was not picture-perfect. As we drove into the gravel driveway with various spotty grass, we noticed how poorly the structures were displayed and there were broken down, discarded vehicles in the art. A salesperson stepped up the office, said hello and told us to take a look around and come back if we had questions. With that he disappeared
We went into a multitude of homes and met a couple, Ray and Sandy Hunter from Warfield, South carolina, who were looking for their first home to buy. We’re renting right now and it costs us $700 a month. We can get one of these and it will cost us only 400, said Ray.
These are pretty nice, we have a multitude of land we can put it on and hook it up to electricity, said Sandy. We have many family living in manufactured housing and they suggested we take a look.
We spoke with the salesman who said we’re looking more people wanting to purchase now that the economy is down. Most people coming through here want to go into a community, he said. Well I asked how long he had been with the company he said, five months, just walked in, I didn’t need any training to sell these, it’s pretty simple.
But, simple things be overjoyed new signage, cleaning the place up, better exterior and interior displays and customer service we learned make and a norm is different.
Next up was a larger retailer. Wow, what a difference. Paved lots, landscaping, meticulously maintained, a wide range of quality structures at each place and all handsomely decorated.
The structures we saw ranged from $40,000-$300,000 or more. No matter what the price every home was skirted, landscape and the interiors were professionally decorated.
The salesman were extraordinarily cordial and professional. They walked us through every home and described the features included in the home as well as the number of upgrade options that were available.
While they indicated that fabricated and modular houses were feeling the houses pinch, they were still getting customer traffic — mostly those in their 20s or those looking to retire. While 80% of their customers have a land where they want the home located, the sales staff will help customers either learn that land to bid on or lease, including a community setting.
My experience is a perfect example of consumers turning their heads, just as they do on a Lamborghini goes by. It’s the wow factor.
Consider Maria Qunitero of Virginia. I never wanted to be in a mobile home, but the rent on apartments here is high and they are small, I got here and was surprised how nice they were, she said.
Qunitero was planning to work with the retail center to purchase a 2000 ft.?, three-bedroom, two bath home to live in with her three small children.
Also pleasantly surprised was Nina Buhl. I literally grew up in a trailer home, and there was no way I was going to look at them again, Nina told me.
I had no Nina casually for short time and she told me the story of her experience without knowing that I work for the manufactured and modular home manufactured housing companies.
My sister called and asked if I would go look at structures with her. I said I was not at all interested in ask her how she could even consider a trailer home after growing up in one as kids, she said.
It turned out her sister cajoled her into going to many retail centers and as she grumbled about it all the way to look at some structures, she said her eyes caught a glimpse of a wide variety homes on a lot in the distance and was shocked by what she saw.
Wow, I couldn’t believe how nice they were. I had no idea that they came that far since I lived in one, now they look prefer real structures. And, when we walked through, I was even more impressed. Who knew you could customize, who knew they had Jacuzzi baths or granite countertops if he wanted them and they are or for double dwellings, Nina exuded. They even have garages now in the kitchens are fantastic. They are amazing.
Nina’s sister wound up purchasing a home and Nina says she would definitely consider a modular home in the future.
I would bet good money that there are many more Nina’s out there.
Hartford, SD trailer house