Chapter 16: Conclusions

       A Consumers Union December 2002 survey found: (1) 34% of respondents were more dissatisfied than satisfied with their new manufactured home, (2) 17% were completely dissatisfied, (3) a whopping 79% had experienced significant problems. In the conclusion, I make several recommendations to remedy this situation. First, every state should have a State Administrative Agency, and they each should have a stronger mandate, and more of a consumer protection orientation. Salespersons and dealership managers should be held to a much higher standard than they currently are. All homes should be inspected for safety and quality – using the money levied from violations to subsidize the inspections. Second, longer warranties need to be mandated. A set up warranty for one year and a five year structural warranty would be much more equitable, and the trend for a few companies moving in this direction already is encouraging. Third, HUD needs to mandate the minimum lumber grade used in manufactured homes to be grade #2. Fourth, retailers should be forced to accept payments in installments rather than having 100% of the financing up front. They should accept one-third of the funds as a down-payment, one-third after the keys are turned over, and one-third when the SSA or other independent agent verifies any needed repairs are complete. The sooner they have the home properly set up, the sooner they will get paid in full. Fifth, manufacturer’s should not be allowed to force arbitration or insurance on consumers – especially not in the deceptive manner they do now. Finally, HUD needs to maintain a detailed history of complaints and violations broken down by manufacturer and dealerships which are open to public scrutiny. Even though the deck seems stacked against you, you can defeat the industry at their own game – if you know what to ask, what to look for, and how to deal with the system. If you are willing to exercise due diligence, purchasing a manufactured home is a splendid way to get a lot more home for considerably less money.

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