MANUFACTURED-HOME SALES ARE ON A ROLL

Manufactured homes are not so mobile these days, but the manufactured-home industry is on a roll following a letdown in 1991. U.S. sales that year dipped below the $5-billion mark for the first time since 1982.

"About 95 percent of mobile homes never shift once they've been trucked from the factory to the consumer," said a spokesman with the Manufactured Housing Institute. "Wheels and axles are used simply as a built-in means of transportation to the home site," said the spokesman.

Mobile homes aren't called mobile homes any more; now, mobile homes, modular housing, paneled homes, log and kit houses are grouped under manufactured homes. In fact, Congress changed the name to manufactured housing in 1980 in all of its laws and publications.

Call them what you want -- and many do still call them mobile homes -- but the early 1970s were boon years for the manufactured-home industry. As many as 575,000 units were sold nationally in 1972 at an estimated retail cost of $4 billion. This marked the first time that sales had passed the $4 billion mark.

During the five-year period of 1969-1973, more than 2.4 million homes were delivered to buyers.

Sales continued well through the 1980s, until 1989, when they fell to a low of 170,730 in 1991.

"Mobile-home sales have been great the past two years," said Monty Montgomery, who owns and operates Monty's Mobile Sales, 602 S. Kingshighway. "Actually, they've always been pretty steady here."

Jeff Dalton agreed. "Sales have been steady in this area over the past few years," said Dalton, manager of Ferrell Mobile Homes of Cape Girardeau, 890 S. Kingshighway. "They've been especially good the past two years."

Manufactured-home sales in Missouri are up 30 percent this year over last year, said Joyce Baker of Missouri Manufactured Homes, which tracks sales. "And 1992 sales were up 20 percent over 1991," she said.

Manufactured homes represent an important segment to the nation's economy. Approximately 15.4 million people -- 7 percent of the U.S. population -- live in more than seven million manufactured homes across the U.S., showed the 1990 census.

Since 1980, some three million manufactured homes have been built, representing 17 percent of all new single-family housing starts and approximately 27 percent of all new single-family homes sold.

In Missouri about 335,000 people live in a total of 165,000 manufactured homes, said Baker.

"The number of manufactured homes nearly doubled in Missouri during the past decade," said Baker. "The number of homes built in Missouri has also increased. Manufactured housing made up 4.8 percent of the housing starts in the state in 1980, but by 1990 the proportion had risen to 7.5 percent."

More than 4,000 people live in more than 3,000 manufactured homes in Cape Girardeau County, representing about 7.7 percent of the population. In nearby Scott County, more than 5,000 people -- about 13 percent of the population -- live in more than 3,000 manufactured homes.

The Illinois Manufactured Housing Institute reports about 309,000 people living in 151,000 manufactured homes.

Florida, California and Texas have the most manufactured-home owners. Florida is the leader with 1,290,000 people living in 762,000 homes. Texas has 1,198,000 people living in 547,000 homes and California has more than a million people live in 555,000 homes.

"The manufactured homes are affordable, attractive and much stronger than mobile homes of the past," said Dalton.

Federal codes established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the mid-1970s regulate design and construction of manufactured homes. Today's homes are also energy efficient.

The old myth that all manufactured homes depreciate has been invalidated. Recent studies show that some manufactured homes, when properly sited and maintained, experienced the same rate of appreciations as conventional site-built homes in surrounding neighborhoods.

There are more than 100 companies building manufactured homes in more than 300 factories throughout the U.S. The average manufactured home factory has 64,000 square feet of space, and it takes about 250 hours to build a home. There are more than 10,000 home retailers in the U.S.

Manufactured homes are relatively maintenance free. They include wood and stucco siding, bay windows, vaulted ceilings, split-level floors and other amenities.

"Homes are not only sold as the long, rectangular single-wide units but as two sections -- double-wides -- and multiple sections that are joined at the site," said Montgomery.

There are also "expandables" with extra rooms that can fold in case a change of sites is desired. Also available in various units are jacuzzis, saunas, skylights and wood-burning fireplaces.

Affordability is a big plus for the industry.

The average cost of a new manufactured home sold in 1992 was $28,000 without land. The price range of a new manufactured home sold during 1992 ranged from $14,000 to $75,000. Single-wides range in prices from $10,000 to $25,000 and the multisection homes can be obtained at prices from $17,000 to $75,000.

A double-wide home can contain three bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, den and living room. Many buyers add screened-in porches, patios, or both.

Manufacturers have mastered the art of utilizing every inch of space in the homes. Even a single-wide may have three bedrooms with plenty of space for a dining area and kitchen and large living room, with a couple of baths.

Manufactured homes are often placed on the purchaser's land or in mobile-home parks.

Nowadays, manufactured home communities are environmentally attractive and appealing. Many of them provide recreation areas, swimming pools and, or, lakes.

Most spaces in area mobile-home parks are filled.

"We have five or six vacancies," said Vicki Brown, manager of Parkwood Lake Estates along Route K near here. Parkwood, which has 126 spaces, offers a swimming pool and fishing ponds.

Pioneer Mobile Home Court along Bloomfield Road has 133 spaces and "all are filled," said Shirley Beggs, who manages the facility with Bill Beggs.

Star-Vue Park has only one vacancy among its 70 spaces.

Of the more than 700 spaces in area parks, more than 600 are filled at any time.

The rental sites are planned developments ranging in size from as small as 15 sites to communities of several hundred. Site prices vary from $50 to as much as $300 for a double-wide.

"Many mobile-home owners place homes on property they have purchased," said Montgomery, who urged that people planning on placing a home on their own land seek the counsel and service of the retailer. "He can check or help check on any zoning ordinances applicable and suggest how to prepare the land for siting," Montgomery said.

Manufactured Homes

Annual Manufactured Home Shipments

Year Units to dealers Retail sales

1992 210,787 $5,480,000,000

1991 170,713 $4,728,000,000

1990 188,172 $5,231,000,000

1989 198,254 $5,392,000,000

1988 218,254 $5,483,000,000

1987 232,598 $5,512,000,000

1986 244,660 $5,480,000,000

1985 283,489 $6,180,000,000

1984 293,993 $6,342,000,000

1983 285,079 $6,197,000,000

1982 238,808 $4,705,000,000

1981 240,907 $4,794,000,000

1980 221,616 $4,388,000,000

1979 277,871 $4,882,000,000

1978 275,871 $4,286,000,000

1977 267,289 $4,796,000,000

1976 246,120 $3,796,000,000

1975 212,690 $2,254,000,000

1974 329,300 $3,063,000,000

1973 566,930 $4,406,000,000

1972 575,940 $4,003,000,000

1971 496,570 $3,297,000,000

1970 401,190 $2,451,000,000

1969 412,690 $2,496,000,000

1968 317,950 $1,907,000,000

The chart here follows the progress of mobile/manufactured home sales for the past 25 years. Prior to 1968, production of the homes varied from 1,300 in 1930 to 46,200 in 1949 to 240,360 in 1967.