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Last I heard you could get a lot of house for the money in Texas but you’d be SOL if you decided to sell it as the real estate market is totally stagnant. I gotta assume low cost of housing is also partially due to a lot of cheap (migrant) semi-skilled labor and lower wages in general.
Not sure what you mean by “4/2.5/2.” Does that mean bedrooms/bathrooms? “Lot big enough for a golden retriever.?”
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Tell me I'm worng. On page 50 of the current issue of FHB is an article on a "next generation" modular building. It sure lokks like one of the second floor windows is upside down.
They claim that the cost to build 1,880 sf was $90k not incl land. That's $50/sf. Is that good for that part of the country?
*Ed,Quite simply, you get what you pay for.
*Ed:Your question about the building costs is pretty much answered in the very sentence you quoted from: "In an area where the median cost of housing approaches $200,000, the total cost (not including the land) to build this 1,800-sq.ft. house was only $90,000." Unless they built a 90K house on a 100K lot! Further, in my area, I'm gonna say that a comparable site built house couldn't be delivered for less than around $70 a sq. ft. So that we are all on the same page, notice that the house has single hung windows, no overhangs on the gable ends, 8' ceilings and no garage. My main issue with all the factory built housing I have seen is that it is so boxy looking. Still, as long as it's built strong (2x4 16" O.C. walls etc.), doesn't come with wheels, and is built to last, I think manufactured housing is fine for those who are OK with the box look, those who don't know the difference, or those whose housing goals are purely $ per sq. ft. driven. Personally, I'd like to see FHB do an article on some "FHB grade" manufactured housing - if there is such a thing.As far as the second floor window, It's my guess that the window's screen is slid up, rather than down, like the other windows. Either way, considering the house was built with site installed scissors trusses, if the window is upside down, the mistake was made during the site built part of the project.What kind of sq. ft costs do builders deliver where you live?
*S. Texas, 'custom' homes, $160-180k gets you 2,500 sf on a lot big enough for a golden retriever. Not tract houses, but not truly one-of-a-kind custom either. 4/2.5/2 all brick.I don't have the article in front of me, but I think I rememeber reading that the roof trusses were 'unfolded' after delivery.
*Last I heard you could get a lot of house for the money in Texas but you'd be SOL if you decided to sell it as the real estate market is totally stagnant. I gotta assume low cost of housing is also partially due to a lot of cheap (migrant) semi-skilled labor and lower wages in general. Not sure what you mean by "4/2.5/2." Does that mean bedrooms/bathrooms? "Lot big enough for a golden retriever.?"
*Cost of living is a little cheaper here. You're right - unskilled labor working in a tourist town, lots of hotels and reataurants. Actually, the resale real estate market is not bad here. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 car (usually attached) garage. The point on the lot size is that it's not a garden home on a postage stamp lot. My big buddy has plenty of room to chase the squirrels.
*Ed,"Quality" and "Modular Building" have no place in the same sentence.Ed. Williams
*I don't think the article was saying "this is fine homebuilding." I think the article was saying "modular construction is getting better and is a viable option in some markets." Lets face it, we all use modular materials in our projects. Kitchen cabinets are an example. Not so long ago they were made on site. Almost nobody does that anymore. The readymades are cheaper and offer more style. Roof trusses, precut studs, uniformly thick 4'x8' sheathing materials, fiberglass shower stalls, and split jam pre-hung doors are all examples of "modular" building components that have been accepted in contemporary light construction. We may not like it, but the trend is going to continue.