Six months after Ann and James Kinser moved into their new home near Checotah, they realized they made a mistake.
So the Kinsers did what mail-order customers typically do when they order the wrong size-they shipped the house back and got a bigger one.
The exchange was eased by the fact the Kinser home was a manufactured, not site-built, house.
That first house had about 900 square feet of living space. The Kinsers thought that would be enough, since their five children were grown up and out on their own. The 16-by-60-foot home proved too small, however, so they sent it back to Home-Mart Inc. in Tulsa and ordered a 32-by-60.
“We do a lot of entertaining, so we needed more room,” Ann Kinser said. Home-Mart “just really took good care of us. They stand behind their merchandise.”
Within a few months, their new house was ready and rolling down the highway toward the Kinser’s lot, almost 75 miles south of Tulsa. The Kinsers were part of the caravan.
“That’s an odd feeling, going 65 mph and passing your house going almost the same speed,” Ann Kinser said.
Experts say changes in construction of manufactured homes has helped turn them into the fastest-growing segment of the housing industry.
Today’s mobile homes must meet federal building and safety standards and the architectural designs are similar to site-built houses. That means cities and towns that once relegated the homes to rural trailer parks now permit them in neighborhoods beside conventional buildings.
Because the houses are factory-built, buyers can save time and money compared with homes built on site. In 1993, prices ranged from $21,900 for a single-section home to $39,600 for a multisection home.
The Kinsers spent a year researching various options before they decided to buy a mobile, or manufactured, home. They paid $52,000 for their dream house.
Since 95 percent of buyers turn the mobile homes into permanent buildings, the industry calls them “manufactured.”
“It’s just like ordering a regular house, only it’s going to be delivered,” said Ann Kinser. Typically, the dealer takes care of inspections and installation so the homeowner does not have to deal with several contractors, she said.
Though many people think of manufactured homes as “tornado bait,” those who live in newer models consider them relatively safe, said Doug Gorman, owner of Home-Mart.
Very few buildings can withstand a direct hit from a twister, he noted. Mobile homes come with hurricane tie-downs and factory-installed steel straps to anchor the buildings. The Department of Housing and Urban Development allows homeowners to tie down the floor while some locales require the straps go over the roof, Gorman said.
Eighty percent of Home-Mart’s sales are special orders, he said. Extra features available include whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, dishwashers, frost-free refrigerators and decks.
Ann Kinser said she chose a kitchen floor plan that provided a view into the dining room and living room so she could chat with guests while she cooked a meal. The Kinsers opted for plusher carpeting than the standard that came with the house model they chose. They also replaced the 32-gallon hot water heater with a 50-gallon version.
“We have better insulation than most homes,” she said. “Our utility bills are half of what the other homes are.” The highest electric bill last summer was $105, she said. The Kinsers expect to get through the winter and a year’s worth of cooking on 300 gallons of propane.
Sheet rock walls covered with easy-to-clean vinyl is one of several time-saving features.
