North Carolina or Connecticut?? Some advice please.

[MamaT]

There is tons of acreage where we are, just north of Asheville. We are in the mountains and it is SO beautiful. We have creeks and streams running all through our property and we can see Tennessee from our front porch. Our property also has a big barn and trails up the mountain.

 

The people across the highway from us have lots of goats and chickens and my daughter goes over there to help them out from time to time.

 

It takes us about 15 minutes to get to downtown Asheville, 1 hour to get to Greenville, SC, and 2 hours to Charlotte.

 

There is a new Volvo plant coming in just down the highway from us. Job opportunity?

Edited April 24, 2009 by MamaT
needed to add something

[Ibbygirl]

Hi Jennifer,

EB = Electric Boat which is a big employer at the Groton submarine base.

 

If SIL is used to NYC traffic this will be a change for her. The only things to get used to in this corner are the dark usually winding roads off the beaten path & caution about deer bounding across the road. Congestion & traffic jams not a problem. Not at all like Hartford, New Haven, or going towards Stamford way. I commuted for six years before children from Cheshire to New Haven don't miss it at all. Population density on a whole is much sparser & density per square acre is less than the rest of the state, hence not as much traffic tie-ups.

 

When we were looking housing $ might have been a little inflated, but I would say on the whole this part of CT at least was somewhat insulated from that. Maybe $10,000 or $20,000, but nothing really dramatic like some parts of US. The first time we bought in CT was in Cheshire in 1991 & we paid $112,000 for 1.7 acres with a 1,800 sq. ft./3 bedroom ranch circa 1950's with 1 car detached. So for us we thought it was more, but it was a 17 year difference & we know got a steal for Cheshire which usually you can't touch anything for less than $250,000.

 

When we were looking last year we got onto this update thing that is what comes out to all the real estate agents when properties just hit the market. We got it through talking to some real estate guy & we still get it. If you go to www.cteasthometeam.com, go down the page that comes up in the center towards the bottom there it says MLS Pulse Sign up for instant daily alerts that is what we got. You just pick what towns you want to be alerted about & you get them as the real estate agents get them. Also Realtor.com I think is the central listing service most all of real estate offices link & post their properties on. I just got one this a.m. for Scotland which I could view all the particulars when I went to the site which was the agency that had it, it wasn't even up yet.

 

Also something to be aware of when looking at properties & square footage some listings seem like lower square footage because if the basement isn't totally finished from studs out to trim & carpet it's not counted as inhabitable living space. So for instance when we were looking the square footage in the lower level wasn't counted on the listing since we had to finish floor & some trim. We never would have given it a second thought because we thought it too small. Since finding acreage of usable land in our $ range at the time was sparse we only happened to take a second look at it when comparing room sizes to another listing to find out it was bigger. I don't know if this is nationwide or a local thing, just what we found out.

 

HTH All the best.

 

Oh thank you so much for the links. I will sign up for that. :) My brother told me about zillow.com where you can see listings, satellite photos and all kinds of stuff. I've been looking on there as well. :)

 

Thank you so much for all the great information. I really appreciate it. :)

[Ibbygirl]

There is tons of acreage where we are, just north of Asheville. We are in the mountains and it is SO beautiful. We have creeks and streams running all through our property and we can see Tennessee from our front porch. Our property also has a big barn and trails up the mountain.

 

The people across the highway from us have lots of goats and chickens and my daughter goes over there to help them out from time to time.

 

It takes us about 15 minutes to get to downtown Asheville, 1 hour to get to Greenville, SC, and 2 hours to Charlotte.

 

There is a new Volvo plant coming in just down the highway from us. Job opportunity?

 

 

Oh that's sounds so lovely. What county do you live in?? I'll tell my husband about the Volvo plant. If they need computer people he can fit the bill. When is it due to open do you know? Thanks so much. :)

[MamaT]

They are just starting to clear the land for the plant, but there are other plants up here north of Asheville. We live in Buncombe County. Here is a listing of job openings in Weaverville (the town where I live) and two links to general information about the area:

 

http://www.job-search-engine.com/location/north-carolina/buncombe-county/weaverville/

 

http://www.visitweaverville.com/

 

http://weavervillenc.org/

[Ibbygirl]

They are just starting to clear the land for the plant, but there are other plants up here north of Asheville. We live in Buncombe County. Here is a listing of job openings in Weaverville (the town where I live) and two links to general information about the area:

 

http://www.job-search-engine.com/location/north-carolina/buncombe-county/weaverville/

 

http://www.visitweaverville.com/

 

http://weavervillenc.org/

 

 

Ah, God bless you!! :grouphug: You are just so nice. Everyone is so nice and helpful. It makes me want to leave Fla more than ever. People aren't like that here. hehe

[MamaT]

I KNOW! I lived there 38 years.

 

Feel free to pm me if you want to ask any more questions.

Edited April 24, 2009 by MamaT
added something

[Ibbygirl]

I KNOW! I lived there 38 years.

 

Feel free to pm me if you want to ask any more questions.

 

 

Thanks, Mama. :)

[TraceyS/FL]

Ah, God bless you!! :grouphug: You are just so nice. Everyone is so nice and helpful. It makes me want to leave Fla more than ever. People aren't like that here. hehe

 

Hey now - we are up this way! In fact, that is one thing that just shocks me still is how nice everyone is, and we have been here for 5 years! :tongue_smilie:

 

I consider South Florida to be very Los Angeles like (i'm a CA native). I"ve only been down there once, but it was soooooo different from my neck of the woods i couldn't wait to get home! (i'm in Lake County)

[Trillian]

You can get the small town feel & acreage just not in hitting the bigger 3 in that corner of CT being New London, Groton, or New London if you are willing to drive say 30 minutes or so it opens alot of towns up which ones depend on proximatey to major roads being I95, 395 or Route 2.

 

I'll give us for an example as it was helpful from the poster about NC. Dh works in Groton at the very tip on Long Point you can't go any further & you're in the ocean, we live in Scotland which if you have a map it's easier to get an idea of locations. It takes him 45 minute for commuting in the evening at the most taking into consideration that EB gets out at the same time & I think he has to pass it or at least mix with that traffic to get out of base or onto highway. We're five towns up off 395 all of the towns he passes through are small towns. The town we live in being almost the smallest in CT there may be one smaller we're at 1,500 people. We bought in 8/08 a little over two acres , 1st acre wooded on surrounding sides, & last acre more heavily wooded with brook just over 2,000 sq. ft. including finished basement, 3 bedrooms on main floor for $170,000 it is a modular ranch built in 1994 with a two car attached garage.

 

Salem, Bozrah, Colchester, Franklin on the left of 395 are all small. Franklin is very rural alot of dairy farms. On the right of 395 you have Preston, Ledyard (which I don't know if it has small town feel due to casino & taxes may be either + or - influenced because of it)Lisbon, Plainfield, Canterbury is definately small, & over from Canterbury us being Scotland very small & rural.

 

You can get small town with land easily if you have $100,000 as you say to hope to net with your house & say add a $100,000 or $150,000 to the $100,000 cash from your sale to have $200,000-250,000 buying power.

 

The main key I see it as where will dh be able to find employment easiest. If I remember corretly your dh is somewhat specialized in his field correct? Was it an IT spot -not sure, but need to look at big employers in that area of CT Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods, EB or Electric Boat, Groton sub base or Air National Guard base, Norwich State Hospital, & college. Some of the small towns although great to live in & get reasonable $ real estate have little to no business in those towns because they are so rural it's you & the cows with the farmers & some small Mom & Pop type things, unless you drive to the bigger 3 to work. If any one else knows bigger employers in that corner chime in & let her know, that's the ones I know of.

 

So you live in the burbs or cow towns & commute to bigger cities/towns to work. How far or how bad your commute is depends on how big the city is. Really that corner isn't bad for traffic as long it's not I95 on the shore during summer & then it's not that bad. Also RI might open up more job opportunities for dh.

 

CT wouldn't be a place to not consider if dh could get a job within his field, you could get small town around New London for SIL commute. Also consider how real estate is or isn't moving in your area, which I'm sure you have already. We had to carry our previous home six months otherwise we could have had more buying power. I'm glad we factored carrying two places into the equation since it took six months to sell & we hope to have a closing by end of next week. Yeah!

 

Just didn't want you to think you couldn't get a small town in that corner of CT environment just need to go north a bit.

All the best

 

O.k., holy moly, I usually only lurk here, but you live in Scotland?! I grew up there! I'm a long way from home now (So Ca), but reading that was a trip. The internet is a small place.

[Ibbygirl]

Hey now - we are up this way! In fact, that is one thing that just shocks me still is how nice everyone is, and we have been here for 5 years! :tongue_smilie:

 

I consider South Florida to be very Los Angeles like (i'm a CA native). I"ve only been down there once, but it was soooooo different from my neck of the woods i couldn't wait to get home! (i'm in Lake County)

 

 

Oops you're absolutely right. I should have clarified my remark with "South Fla" not Florida in general. My bad. People in Central Florida/Gulf Coast and North Florida are super nice and alot of them are bend over backwards nice to strangers. God love 'em.

 

I love how the more north you go in Florida, the more Southern it gets. :) The more South you go, the more International it gets. ;) :)

[LizzyBee]

If we could find a house on some land for $200,000 or under that would be so wonderful. Do you think it's doable?? Does Wake have any hills/mountains?? Do you have a creek near your home?? Thanks so much to you and to all of the posters who are so kind to take the time to advise me. It means so much. I'm so grateful to you all. :)

 

Blessings,

Jennifer

 

I think it's doable in some areas of Wake Co, although it would be easier in one of the neighboring counties. You'd have to be careful to get into an area that is affordable but still has good schools. I can recommend a good realtor if you decide to try moving to this area.

 

We do have a creek behind our house, but it only has water in it when we've had rain. During dry periods, the creek dries up. I grew up in the mountains, so I think of this area as flat, but a former co-worker grew up at the beach and said she loves the rolling hills here. So I guess it depends on your perspective. :001_smile:

[Ibbygirl]

I think it's doable in some areas of Wake Co, although it would be easier in one of the neighboring counties. You'd have to be careful to get into an area that is affordable but still has good schools. I can recommend a good realtor if you decide to try moving to this area.

 

We do have a creek behind our house, but it only has water in it when we've had rain. During dry periods, the creek dries up. I grew up in the mountains, so I think of this area as flat, but a former co-worker grew up at the beach and said she loves the rolling hills here. So I guess it depends on your perspective. :001_smile:

 

 

Oh I could so do rolling hills. I think they are beautiful too, but to me the scene of rolling hills with horses dotting them in the dewy mist of the morning is just surreal. You guys are so lucky to be surrounded by such natural beauty every day. I'd love a link to your realtor if you have one. I am starting to check listings in the various counties in NC and Ct that people have listed here. I've been reporting to my husband my findings as you wonderful people advise me and he tells me to keep researching. So I thank you all so much and please keep the advise coming. Anything particular I should know about houses up there?? Coming from Florida, I'm not sure about how homes are up there and what the most important things to look for are. Down here, strong roofs and cement foundations and hurricane proof glass are the most important things. :)

[Ibbygirl]

Can anyone tell me about "pre-fab" houses? My husband specifically asked me to put up this question here because he has been very happy about all of the advice that you all are giving us. He wanted to know more about pre-fab houses. What are they exactly? What makes them different from a typical house? Are they as strong as a typical house? Is it a good idea to buy land and have a pre-fab put on it, or to go the regular route and buy land with an already existing house?

 

A lot of questions I know. I'm putting them up here for his sake. Thank you to all who reply. :) You gals rule! :)

 

Blessings,

Jen

[KarenNC]

Can anyone tell me about "pre-fab" houses? My husband specifically asked me to put up this question here because he has been very happy about all of the advice that you all are giving us. He wanted to know more about pre-fab houses. What are they exactly? What makes them different from a typical house? Are they as strong as a typical house? Is it a good idea to buy land and have a pre-fab put on it, or to go the regular route and buy land with an already existing house?

 

This link might be helpful

http://www.modulartoday.com/

 

I don't know about whether there is a price differential in modular homes vs. stick built when it comes to resell value---you would want a realtor to answer that one. Personally, we bought land with an existing house because it's part of our overall philosophy of "reduce, reuse, recycle" *and* we were able to find one that met our needs (layout, price, size, location) when we needed to buy. We did look at the option for modular homes, however.

[vineyard]

Ours was already in place when we purcahsed and we actually couldn't tell it was a modular home until the inspection. The inspector was able to tell due to the type of truss system used in attic. I don't think it affects re-sale value, but it may in a higher upscale areas. Since we're out in a rural area I don't think it matters. Our next door neighbor I know has a modular also, the road is very, very long & spread out. It may be an issue if we were at the beginning of it next to some very old colonials it would look out of place. It just looks like a site built ranch home nothing that you could tell from the outside.

 

I have a friend who purchased one several years ago (3 I believe), she told me for the $ to have it built in factory vs. having to build on site it was cheaper in her case, due to the situation of acreage. Fees & packages vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. It was very hard to compare line by line to get direct comparison. Sort of like going to the grocery and trying to compare laundry soap, some have added this or that, different sizes, load amounts etc. Some have delivery added in/some don't, some have totally finished price/some you have to still outsource electrical, plumbing, & other connections of the two halves on site. Also flooring in the rooms joined together is finished on site as is siding & maybe some roofing. They basically ended up going with a company that had the layout they wanted. They had a building mortgage for the excavation, foundation, site prep, purcahse of modular, & finishing. They had purchased the land outright for a great deal from someone they knew. I could ask her if you had some specific questions.

 

HTH

[Ibbygirl]

This link might be helpful

http://www.modulartoday.com/

 

I don't know about whether there is a price differential in modular homes vs. stick built when it comes to resell value---you would want a realtor to answer that one. Personally, we bought land with an existing house because it's part of our overall philosophy of "reduce, reuse, recycle" *and* we were able to find one that met our needs (layout, price, size, location) when we needed to buy. We did look at the option for modular homes, however.

 

 

Thank you very much for the link. I bookmarked it for my husband. :)

[Ibbygirl]

Ours was already in place when we purcahsed and we actually couldn't tell it was a modular home until the inspection. The inspector was able to tell due to the type of truss system used in attic. I don't think it affects re-sale value, but it may in a higher upscale areas. Since we're out in a rural area I don't think it matters. Our next door neighbor I know has a modular also, the road is very, very long & spread out. It may be an issue if we were at the beginning of it next to some very old colonials it would look out of place. It just looks like a site built ranch home nothing that you could tell from the outside.

 

I have a friend who purchased one several years ago (3 I believe), she told me for the $ to have it built in factory vs. having to build on site it was cheaper in her case, due to the situation of acreage. Fees & packages vary widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. It was very hard to compare line by line to get direct comparison. Sort of like going to the grocery and trying to compare laundry soap, some have added this or that, different sizes, load amounts etc. Some have delivery added in/some don't, some have totally finished price/some you have to still outsource electrical, plumbing, & other connections of the two halves on site. Also flooring in the rooms joined together is finished on site as is siding & maybe some roofing. They basically ended up going with a company that had the layout they wanted. They had a building mortgage for the excavation, foundation, site prep, purcahse of modular, & finishing. They had purchased the land outright for a great deal from someone they knew. I could ask her if you had some specific questions.

 

HTH

 

 

Was your house built on site do you know?? I wonder how they do the plumbing and all that. It's amazing to me how these houses are made. What type of foundation does your house sit on?? Thanks so much for answering so many questions. I look forward to your reply. :)

[ClassicMom]

I would like to say that this thread has been very helpful to me as well. We have been thinking seriously of moving to NC and also have an autistic child. I've bookmarked a lot of this information!

 

:lurk5:

Edited April 29, 2009 by ClassicMom
Meant to post North Carolina not South Carolina!!

[LizzyBee]

Ibbygirl, I sent you a pm with the link to our realtor.

[Ibbygirl]

I would like to say that this thread has been very helpful to me as well. We have been thinking seriously of moving to SC and also have an autistic child. I've bookmarked a lot of this information!

 

:lurk5:

 

 

Do they have good Autism Schools in SC?? Thanks. :)

[Ibbygirl]

Ibbygirl, I sent you a pm with the link to our realtor.

 

 

Thanks a bunch LizzyBee. I appreciate it. :)

[vineyard]

A modular home generarly comes in two halves that is entirely plumbed wired etc. individually. It is brought to site & the two halves or more if it's really big are joined together, i.e. wiring, plumbing, finish flooring, siding, & roofing to cover the seams so to speak. Basically plugging part A into part B. The foundation is a normal poured concrete foundation in our case. In some parts of the country they may even do with out a typical basement foundation & prepare site differently depending on soil etc. if it's not possible to dig a true basement. Just think a normally built house in a factory, transported like a mobile home, brought to site, joined together, & finished where needed.

 

The only differences we can visibly see is in the attic instead it being open there is a zig zag pattern of cross joists to support it as it was two sections in transit. Also all of the wiring is mostly underneath as in the space between first floor & basement ceiling.

 

Ours was moved to site in 1994 as we just moved in August 2008 I can't tell you much more about movement of it. I only know what my friend spoke of who ordered hers 3 years ago so it was built for them. Just that when she compared $ there was alot of differences as to what bottom line price included. She could have used their people or contracted out her own to finish. She did a little of both. Just that the bottom line didn't include everything, they had to outlay more to truly finish it.

 

The plumbing in ours is all on the back of the house as the bathroom & kitchen are in the back, we have electric heat upstairs, but we have a wood stove in the basement & primarily heat with that. The garage was added on after.

 

You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a site built home & it being built in a factory. Although I do remember the inspector saying 2' x 6' s were used instead of 2' x 4's in framing. That's about all.

 

No difference in layout of a normal ranch. Front door to living room, onto kitchen, with door into garage, the bedrooms are 2 on the front, master & bathroom on the back side. Nothing fancy in our case. They do offer many open concept modern ones & they can get quite large. My friend has 2,000 square' with a full basement. So if she finishes it for a total of 4,000 square'.

[KarenNC]

I would like to say that this thread has been very helpful to me as well. We have been thinking seriously of moving to SC and also have an autistic child. I've bookmarked a lot of this information!

 

Services for folks with disabilities are going to vary dramatically from state to state, so don't base your assumptions about levels and types of available services in SC on what is available in NC. It may be similar, it may be better, it may be worse, and it may vary more or less in terms of rural/metropolitan areas. I'm not very familiar with the SC system, I'm afraid.

[Ibbygirl]

I would like to say that this thread has been very helpful to me as well. We have been thinking seriously of moving to SC and also have an autistic child. I've bookmarked a lot of this information!

 

:lurk5:

 

 

:) :) I'm so glad it's helping you. It's helping me immensely as well. :)

 

What schools are you looking at in SC??

[Ibbygirl]

A modular home generarly comes in two halves that is entirely plumbed wired etc. individually. It is brought to site & the two halves or more if it's really big are joined together, i.e. wiring, plumbing, finish flooring, siding, & roofing to cover the seams so to speak. Basically plugging part A into part B. The foundation is a normal poured concrete foundation in our case. In some parts of the country they may even do with out a typical basement foundation & prepare site differently depending on soil etc. if it's not possible to dig a true basement. Just think a normally built house in a factory, transported like a mobile home, brought to site, joined together, & finished where needed.

 

The only differences we can visibly see is in the attic instead it being open there is a zig zag pattern of cross joists to support it as it was two sections in transit. Also all of the wiring is mostly underneath as in the space between first floor & basement ceiling.

 

Ours was moved to site in 1994 as we just moved in August 2008 I can't tell you much more about movement of it. I only know what my friend spoke of who ordered hers 3 years ago so it was built for them. Just that when she compared $ there was alot of differences as to what bottom line price included. She could have used their people or contracted out her own to finish. She did a little of both. Just that the bottom line didn't include everything, they had to outlay more to truly finish it.

 

The plumbing in ours is all on the back of the house as the bathroom & kitchen are in the back, we have electric heat upstairs, but we have a wood stove in the basement & primarily heat with that. The garage was added on after.

 

You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a site built home & it being built in a factory. Although I do remember the inspector saying 2' x 6' s were used instead of 2' x 4's in framing. That's about all.

 

No difference in layout of a normal ranch. Front door to living room, onto kitchen, with door into garage, the bedrooms are 2 on the front, master & bathroom on the back side. Nothing fancy in our case. They do offer many open concept modern ones & they can get quite large. My friend has 2,000 square' with a full basement. So if she finishes it for a total of 4,000 square'.

 

 

Thanks so much Vineyard for your post. All your posts are so informative and have helped me a lot. Thank you.

 

I had a question about your friend's house. When you were talking about the comparisons that she did and that she had to put out more money, was that a comparison of modulars to standard houses or modulars to modulars? The extra money that she had to pay, was that extra over what the estimate was or extra over what a standard price home would cost? I'm just trying to clarify. Thanks for your time. :)

[Catwoman]

So... now that you've had a bit of time to wade through all of the wonderful information you've gotten... are you leaning toward CT or NC?

 

Or is it even more confusing now? ;)

 

Cat

[Ibbygirl]

So... now that you've had a bit of time to wade through all of the wonderful information you've gotten... are you leaning toward CT or NC?

 

Or is it even more confusing now? ;)

 

Cat

 

 

LOL Oh boy!! Well, fortunately it's not my decision to make so I don't have that burden completely on my shoulders. There are still so many variables to take into consideration that it is going to be some time before we know for sure. We have to be able to sell our house in order to move anywhere and we all know how the market is right now. In South Florida there are so many homes for sale it's not even funny. Then there's schools for my son that we have to consider, and a job for dh etc. Ultimately, I think it's going to all come down to the job. We can want to live anywhere, but we won't be able to live anywhere without some funds coming in.

[ClassicMom]

Do they have good Autism Schools in SC?? Thanks. :)

 

 

I actually meant to post NC instead of SC...I'm following this thread with you! :001_smile:

[vineyard]

My friend that had her modular built had a hard time comparing company 1 to comapny 2 etc. all were modulars, but prices were all over the place on what their (price of model # such & such) covered. Some included delivery, final finishing costs, etc. Some didn't so it was a lot of reading fine print what services were included & what would be an extra charge. It wasn't a cut & dry company A, 2,000 sq.' vs. another with the same square footage & figure whatever a square foot, pick what layout with square footage you like the best & go with them.

 

All sight prep, excavating, getting services to house location were done by them before the house showed up. As was having the foundation/basement poured. They had to do leg work in trying to price out things to get an idea if they could do better to finish things like flooring & electrical on their own or go with modular company, but over the base price of some. I know these are things she hadn't considered right off the bat. For instance in her great room/family room area it's hardwood & the joint where the two halves come together so most of the hardwood was installed on both halves, but the final flooring on the joint couldn't be laid until on sight & sides were permanently joined so had to wait to stain & poly floor. It was things like that, so if it was going to be carpeted it couldn't get done in some rooms until on site also.

 

Initially when she first started looking she thought finished & model $ were one in the same the more she researched the more it became clear you had to really know what the model $ covered, not always what you thought.

 

In the end it turned out since they got the land at a good $, were able to do some site prep work themselves as dh knows what to do & had friends with equipment, & they bought modular rather than building on site they got a brand new house that would have cost at least $100,000-$150,000 more based on prices in our area before the "housing inflation boom". Also a factor to consider is things such as demand for lumber & plywood. When they first started to excavate their land in the fall until the time their modular was delivered in the spring due to Hurricane Katrina the housing industry saw a 25% increase in lumber product $ due to the demand, fortunately for them they had already locked into a purchase $ and put down their down payment so it didn't affect them.

 

They also weren't able to get a conventional home loan since they had to pay for the modular before it was delivered to the site. They got a building loan which they had to figure what it would take to get from start to getting a Certificate of Occupancy from town to move in. Basically the bank gave them a lump sum amount & they paid all of the bills associated with house from it, whatever they didn't need they gave back & that final amount is what their loan was. I believe the bank had a stipulated timeframe that they had to get a C.O. & be in by or the loan repayment would have been the full amount they gave them.

 

All the best in your journey of job searching, selling, & potential moving.

[Ibbygirl]

My friend that had her modular built had a hard time comparing company 1 to comapny 2 etc. all were modulars, but prices were all over the place on what their (price of model # such & such) covered. Some included delivery, final finishing costs, etc. Some didn't so it was a lot of reading fine print what services were included & what would be an extra charge. It wasn't a cut & dry company A, 2,000 sq.' vs. another with the same square footage & figure whatever a square foot, pick what layout with square footage you like the best & go with them.

 

All sight prep, excavating, getting services to house location were done by them before the house showed up. As was having the foundation/basement poured. They had to do leg work in trying to price out things to get an idea if they could do better to finish things like flooring & electrical on their own or go with modular company, but over the base price of some. I know these are things she hadn't considered right off the bat. For instance in her great room/family room area it's hardwood & the joint where the two halves come together so most of the hardwood was installed on both halves, but the final flooring on the joint couldn't be laid until on sight & sides were permanently joined so had to wait to stain & poly floor. It was things like that, so if it was going to be carpeted it couldn't get done in some rooms until on site also.

 

Initially when she first started looking she thought finished & model $ were one in the same the more she researched the more it became clear you had to really know what the model $ covered, not always what you thought.

 

In the end it turned out since they got the land at a good $, were able to do some site prep work themselves as dh knows what to do & had friends with equipment, & they bought modular rather than building on site they got a brand new house that would have cost at least $100,000-$150,000 more based on prices in our area before the "housing inflation boom". Also a factor to consider is things such as demand for lumber & plywood. When they first started to excavate their land in the fall until the time their modular was delivered in the spring due to Hurricane Katrina the housing industry saw a 25% increase in lumber product $ due to the demand, fortunately for them they had already locked into a purchase $ and put down their down payment so it didn't affect them.

 

They also weren't able to get a conventional home loan since they had to pay for the modular before it was delivered to the site. They got a building loan which they had to figure what it would take to get from start to getting a Certificate of Occupancy from town to move in. Basically the bank gave them a lump sum amount & they paid all of the bills associated with house from it, whatever they didn't need they gave back & that final amount is what their loan was. I believe the bank had a stipulated timeframe that they had to get a C.O. & be in by or the loan repayment would have been the full amount they gave them.

 

All the best in your journey of job searching, selling, & potential moving.

 

 

Wow!! Thanks so much for the information. That really is a lot to consider. So even with the various prices for the different models and the things that were extra above the model price, it was still a lot less for her than buying a typical home? But the key to that was the price of the land more than anything right?

[vineyard]

The land was definately a boon at an unheard of $. I want to say they only paid $45,000-60,000 for 16 acres. Granted some of it is considered wetlands & couldn't be sub-divided & built on separately anyway, but an acre usually goes for $90,000-$100,000 around here. The person they bought it from they knew & he was just looking to get what he paid for it fifteen years ago.

 

They priced building on site & for this neck of the woods & modulars came out cheaper for them at the time. Alot of variables go into pricing such as economy, delivery of supplies, how accessible your site is (do you really want to have to take down trees to get heavy equipment in, when you have a great tree lined long drive, things like that), demand for supplies, & other things. There's variables that can change from location to location in U.S. also.

 

Some pro's of modulars are that since they are built in factory things like weather aren't a factor in contractors working, ability to get done on time, things are on spec since these are being produced multiple times i.e. wood is laser cut etc.

 

Happy researching!

[Ibbygirl]

The land was definately a boon at an unheard of $. I want to say they only paid $45,000-60,000 for 16 acres. Granted some of it is considered wetlands & couldn't be sub-divided & built on separately anyway, but an acre usually goes for $90,000-$100,000 around here. The person they bought it from they knew & he was just looking to get what he paid for it fifteen years ago.

 

They priced building on site & for this neck of the woods & modulars came out cheaper for them at the time. Alot of variables go into pricing such as economy, delivery of supplies, how accessible your site is (do you really want to have to take down trees to get heavy equipment in, when you have a great tree lined long drive, things like that), demand for supplies, & other things. There's variables that can change from location to location in U.S. also.

 

Some pro's of modulars are that since they are built in factory things like weather aren't a factor in contractors working, ability to get done on time, things are on spec since these are being produced multiple times i.e. wood is laser cut etc.

 

Happy researching!

 

 

Thanks again, vineyard, for such wonderful informative posts. You give me alot to think about. :grouphug:

[Catwoman]

I don't know if you saw this thread, but I thought I'd link it here, because if you look at any newer homes (or those that have been recently remodeled,) this toxic drywall issue is something to watch out for:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97458&highlight=drywall

 

Cat

[ClassicMom]

I saw something about that on TV. People having to leave their brand new homes because of it. Horrible. Yes...something to definately watch for.

[Ibbygirl]

I don't know if you saw this thread, but I thought I'd link it here, because if you look at any newer homes (or those that have been recently remodeled,) this toxic drywall issue is something to watch out for:

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97458&highlight=drywall

 

Cat

 

 

Thank you so much for thinking of me and letting me know. You rock, Cat! :grouphug:

[Catwoman]

Thank you so much for thinking of me and letting me know. You rock, Cat! :grouphug:

 

You're very welcome -- although I've probably just added a whole new layer of stress to your househunting... ;)

 

Cat

[Ibbygirl]

You're very welcome -- although I've probably just added a whole new layer of stress to your househunting... ;)

 

Cat

 

 

LOL I just keep telling myself, "Just take it one thing at a time, Jen. One foot in front of the other and I'll get where I'm supposed to go. " ;)

 

 

Well, just to give an update. I dont' remember in the very beginning of this thread how much detail I got into about my hubby's job, but he works for the Clerk of Courts for Broward County. The judges have introduced legislation into Florida's House and Senate in essence asking that the Clerk be fired and all 9,000 of his employees laid off and then they would have to reapply as an employee of the state. We wrote all the senators and representatives and did what we could do but my husband informed me today that the Senate bill officially passed and the House bill probably will too soon. The clerk managed to balance his budget and be profitable inspite of not having any tax money at all and the judges want to put their hands in the pot and share the wealth. :rolleyes:

 

I know it's not going to pass one day and then he will be laid off the next. I know it's going to take a couple of months before the transition takes place and in the meantime we are trying to get our plans together.

 

Does anyone know about unemployment benefits?? I've never had to use unemployment before so I'm pretty clueless. Would my husband be eligible for unemployment when he gets laid off?? How long will they give you support while you look for work? DH has 20 years on his job btw.

 

Thanks again ladies for all the wonderful helpful advice. You guys are just so awesome! :grouphug: