The Complete Buyer's Guide to Manufactured Homes and Land: How to Find a Reputable Dealer and Negotiate a Fair Price on the Best,New

Product DescriptionAt lastthe definitive, comprehensive guide to manufactured homes and purchasing land or leasing a home site. Exhaustively researched with extensive input from both industry insiders and consumer advocates, this new guide, published in the Spring of 2003, is an indispensable resource to help you find a dealer worthy of your trust, make the right home selection, and, as important, be an informed, empowered, and swindleproof consumer.Destined to be the standard authoritative reference work for manufactured homes, the guide Includes the Top 25 manufacturers rated, many helpful charts and diagrams, 66 illustrations, and essential information that retailers, even the good guys, don't want you do knowand which can save home buyers thousands of dollars.Written by veteran journalist and author John Grissim whose plain spoken observations have made him a respected advocate for the home buying consumer.Review'...outstanding research...jampacked with information and advice...Fair and balanced...Will save money, effort and frustration.' St. Petersburg Times, October 16, 2004'Finally, a detailed map of the manufactured home marketplace....Extensive uptodate information...With this solid book [consumers] have their tool.' Shelterforce Magazine...a guide no manufactured homebuyer should be without. Carson City Appeal...tells home buyers everything they need to know about shopping defensively and with confidence. Peninsula Daily NewsA definitive, souptonuts buying guide to manufactured homes, a comprehensive work. Marin Independent Journaloffers detailed information on every aspect of planning, purchasing and siting manufactured homes....plus information about the top 25 manufacturers. Sequim GazetteFrom the Back CoverThe Complete Buyer's Guide to Manufactured Homes and LandThe Definitive Buying Guide to Manufactured Homes and Purchasing Land or Leasing a Home SiteForget everything you've thought about 'mobile homes.' Manufactured homes (as they are now called), have come a long way from their trailer house origins. Constructed in climatecontrolled factories using topgrade materials (and built to exacting federal standards) today's manufactured homes offer a wide range of styles and floor plans that can meet the expectations of the most discriminating mainstream home buyer.Many models are indistinguishable from conventional homes, although they can be sited and readied for movein in far less time than a comparable sitebuilt dwelling, often at a great savings.Yet for all their advances, manufactured homes are still sold like cars: through street dealerships, most of them still focused on selling lower end models to consumers unable to qualify for conventional home loans. Along the way the industry has attracted more than its share of predatory dealers and finance companies.Most retailers are reputable but until now no comprehensive resource guide has been available to consumers that explains how the manufactured home industry operates, how to find a dealer worthy of your trust, how to make the right home selection, and, as important, how to be informed, empowered, and swindleproof. This buyer's guide is that resourceand it could save you thousands of dollars.Exhaustively researched, and with extensive input from both industry insiders and consumer advocates, this guide contains much information that retailers, even the good guys, don't want you to know. Whether you are in the market for an affordable first home or a vacation getaway, or a larger residence, or you're thinking about moving to a landlease community, this guide gives you all the information and tools you will need to successfully find and purchase the home of your dreams.Topics include:The top 25 manufactured home builders ratedPros and cons of manufactured homesThe 19 warning signs of an untrustworthy dealerThe 19 encouraging signs of a reputable dealerTrapped entrances, up rotation, writeups,