QUALITY SPURS MANUFACTURED HOME SALES

Today's manufactured homes have come a long way in terms of quality and design over the years. Today's homes are comparable to traditional site-built homes, say area dealers. The increase in quality, they say, is reflected by rising sales.

"If you put a home on a foundation and brick the bottom, it becomes real estate," said Tim Klund, manager of Ferrell Manufactured Housing in Cape Girardeau.

Lower costs are the prime selling point. According to U.S. Department of Commerce statistics for 1994, the average manufactured home sold for $33,500 while average new site-built homes, excluding land costs, sold for $115,575.

"The biggest advantage probably first and foremost is price per square foot," said Steve Ball, manager of D-Mart Homes in Fruitland.

Manufactured homes cost an average of $25.19 per square foot compared to $54.65 per square foot for site-built homes. Costs can be kept low, the dealers said, because all materials are purchased in bulk and assembled in a controlled factory environment.

"They use all the same materials used in a standard house," Klund said. "That is something a lot of people don't know."

The factory aspect also eliminates things like contractor and weather delays.

"Every home is built indoors in a dry, controlled climate," Ball said. "Even the roofs are put on indoors."

Also, virtually all manufacturers offer at least one-year warranties on everything in a home. Other individual items such as floors, roofs, appliances and fixtures also often have their own warranties, which last even longer, in some cases up to 20 years.

Although there is still something of a stigma associated with manufactured homes from the old "trailer" days of years ago, since minimum federal standards were introduced in the mid-1970s quality has improved.

"Construction-wise they are really comparable to site-built homes," said Monty Montgomery of Monty's Mobile Homes in Cape Girardeau.

Prices for manufactured homes range from $15,000 for a small single-wide to $55,000 for a large double-wide. Also, many other items can be added such as fireplaces, stereo systems and even big screen televisions and home entertainment systems, which can increase costs.

"You get what you spend," said Klund.

Finance packages can also be put together not only to cover the cost of the home but a plot of land on which to put it and even furnishings. Montgomery said monthly payments range from $200 to $400 -- much less than people usually pay for site-built homes.

"For site-built homes today, if you get anywhere under $400 a month, you are usually in an older and not very desirable home," Montgomery said.

Ball said people can get a $60,000 manufactured home for as little as $1,800 down. Montgomery said 5 percent down is all it often takes, depending on the cost of the home.

Without have to wait on construction, people can move in quicker. Financing approval takes only a matter of days and there are no closing formalities or costs.

"You can actually walk in the door and be living in a home in a week's time," Montgomery said.

D-Mart is involved in a subdivision in Fruitland consisting only of manufactured homes. Ball said such ventures likely will become more common since many people want their own bit of land.

"A lot of people would not mind living in a manufactured home but do not want to live in a mobile home park," Ball said.