FAQs | Smart Homes

Smart Homes™ Frequently Asked Questions

Our initial focus is on Sonoma and Napa counties with a particular emphasis on fire rebuilds (from the 2017 Tubbs fire). There are still many cleared and cleaned lots that have not had homes rebuilt on them, and we think we offer the market a high-quality home at reduced costs that can be built and occupied faster than traditional, stick-built homes.

Yes, customers don’t have to hire energy consultants prior to designing, permitting and building their homes. The benefits for home owners include larger windows, more natural light with no loss of energy consumption or inefficiencies. And of course, with our roofs being made with industry standards, homeowners can add solar and the solar company of their choosing at any time.

Generally speaking, our finished homes cost about 30% less than finished stick-built homes are costing at the moment. This varies somewhat from contractor-to-contractor building in the Santa Rosa area at this time, and also the number and variety of upgrades our customers choose. We do want to mention, however, that our standard-level appliances and finishes are of high quality, contemporary in design, look and feel, and are made from brand-known appliance and materials manufacturers. Our standard homes are very livable and nice, and the cost of the home is only about half of the total finished price, which is determined once we are engaged with a customer and we go through the options and process with them. A substantial advantage of buying a manufactured home, and this certainly is the case with Smart Homes, is there are no change orders and no additional costs during construction, as is the case for nearly everyone that rebuilds using traditional, stick-built home building methods.
The finished home price is established using this process:

Home Cost
Upgrades & Options
Site Due Diligence
Engineering (for soils and to design an appropriate foundation for each property – standard requirements in the rebuild areas of Sonoma and Napa counties)
Site Work
Shipping
Sales Tax (The State of California, like almost all states, imposes a sales tax on manufactured products, including homes; homeowners having their homes built with traditional construction similarly pay sales tax on all the materials purchased for their jobs, for windows and doors, appliances and fixtures, etc.)
Total Cost to Consumer:

Traditional lenders extend mortgage loans to manufactured home owners all across the country. In fact, manufactured homes have been one of the fastest growing sectors in home building in the U.S. in recent years. Recently MH Advantage was introduced as a new standard for manufactured homes. Manufactured homes are appraised at the same value as a conventional built home and some lenders offer lower rates.

The home construction phase is only 15 days or so yet before that happens there are a number of steps that have to occur before the factory starts with your order. In addition to the obvious – the customer already owns a property lot, buyers must determine lot suitability, decide the model, upgrades, do the site preparation and secure a homebuilding permit from the city or county.

Lot remediation (mostly clean up), grading, dirt and debris removal, trenching the property to carry water, utilities and sewage from the home to the street, and stem-wall construction, preparing for and then building the garage comprises this scope of work. We have a due diligence process that we provide to our customers once engaged in the process of buying a Smart Home and selecting upgrades and preferred finishes.

Champion Enterprises builds our homes and they are only offered to buyers through Smart Homes. Champion Enterprises owns and operates the factory – it’s the closest one to Santa Rosa. Founded in 1953 and based in Troy, Michigan, Champion Enterprises is part of Skyline Champion Corporation and traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SKY). It’s one of the largest home building companies in North America and employs approximately 6,600 people at the corporate office and in 38 manufacturing plants. In 69 years of business, the company has built over 3 million homes. Learn more: https://www.championhomes.com/

HUD VS MODULAR FAQs

While Off-Site Constructed homes are more affordable than most other types of housing, the reasons lie in the inherent advantages of any on-going production process. Manufacturers purchase their building materials in volume, allowing the homes to be built with the highest quality materials and components. Because they are built in a controlled environment utilizing a systems-engineered production method, there are no costly weather delays in the construction process. Off-Site Constructed homes are less labor-intensive and require a shorter production time than site-built alternatives.

Many types of financial institutions and service companies including banks, credit unions, mortgage companies and consumer finance companies offer loan programs for Off-Site Constructed home buyers. These companies can offer a number of types of consumer, conventional and government-insured financing, such as the FHA and the VA USDA/Rural Development and other loan programs. As for their investment possibilities, Off-Site Constructed homes can retain and gain value when placed in the proper environment, installed and maintained properly and treated as a long-term housing investment.

MH Advantage Mortgage for Manufactured Homes
Finding an affordable home is challenging when supply is low, prices are high, or available properties need renovations. Manufactured homes are an option offering significant cost savings over traditional homes. There are a variety of modern, attractive models built to high standards with today’s sought-after amenities. The main difference is they’re built indoors in efficient state-of-the art facilities, then delivered and installed on your chosen home site.

So if you’re feeling limited by the types of homes in your price range, consider adding the manufactured option for more choices at prices you can live with.

What is MH Advantage?
MH Advantage® is a mortgage loan for manufactured homes that have features typical of traditional single-family homes. It offers traditional 30-year fixed rate financing with benefits that exceed standard manufactured home loans. When you buy an MH Advantage-eligible home, you’ll get:

Quality and Style – Homes can include custom amenities like attached garages, upgraded kitchens and bathrooms, energy efficient appliances, and architectural features that help them blend seamlessly into traditional neighborhoods.
Affordability – MH Advantage offers down payments as low as 3%, interest rates lower than most traditional manufactured home loans, and cancellable mortgage insurance. Plus, it may be combined with a HomeReady mortgage for additional benefits.
Homeownership Advantages – You may benefit from the financial perks of homeownership, like the potential for tax benefits and building equity. That could mean extra money in your pocket at tax time or if you ever decide to sell the home.