manufacturedhomelivingnews.com Manufactured Home Living News
There are surging numbers of Americans looking to live debt free or for substantially reduced monthly costs. The causes of this situation are many. Let’s start with some background before sharing a compelling solution available today for millions in the U.S..
Buccaneer Homes model on display at the Tunica MH trade show
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Incomes are Down. Pulitzer prize-winning reporter David Cay Johnston says most Americans are worse off today than 6 years ago. The WashingtonsBlog summarized for MHLivingNews elements of Johnston’s findings. Quoting from a June 2014 report,
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“the average hourly pay of $20.13 last year was smaller than in 1972 and 1973.
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In 1972 and 1973 the average private sector worker was paid for 36.9 hours of work per week, but in 2013 this was down to 33.7 hours because a growing share of people can find only part-time jobs.
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Combine lower pay with fewer hours, and the average weekly gross pay in the private sector dropped by 14 percent in four decades.”
Champion of TN, on display at Tunica MH trade show
2) Retirees relying on Social Security.
The Social Security Administration says that:
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53% of married couples and 74% of those unmarried receive 50% or more of their income from Social Security.
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23% of married couples and about 46% of unmarried seniors rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their income.
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The overall average of all Social Security benefit payments is $1,186.60. The breakdowns are shown in the chart below.
Quality Affordable Housing is a Key Part of the Solution
Modern manufactured homes (MH) offers an option that millions are already enjoying, and millions more could benefit from too.
Residential style Hi-Tech Housing single section
model home in a Chicago suburb that was sold for cash.
Recent reports by CBS News suggest that even the wealthy are finding a manufactured home to be “trendy.”
NBC’s Today Show dramatically demonstrated that modern manufactured homes are far more durable than many thought, when the lowest cost single-section manufactured home outperformed a many times more costly conventional house in a hurricane wind test.
Buccaneer Homes model on display at the Tunica MH trade show
New, entry level manufactured homes can be purchased for under $40,000 in many U.S. markets. The entry level home shown below features 3 bedrooms and two full baths, and is approximately 1166 square feet.
Add in the cost of a home site – which in thousands of towns and counties could be $40,000 or less for an improved site – and you could own a home and land for a lower monthly payment that rent might be in those same areas. For those who may have equity in a current home, savings or investments, they could buy a home outright and live debt free.
Mother Living News recently reported on a couple that purchased a modest pre-owned manufactured home, did their own improvements and upgrades and had a home free and clear for under $10,000 that was more than double the size of the Tiny Houses that are getting media attention.
U.S. Census Bureau statistics tell us that a new multi-section home in the U.S. can be purchased for around $77,000. Residential style homes, like those shown in the photos above, might be 25% or more under the cost of a similar sized conventional home.
Thousands braved cool, wet weather last May to attend the
Eastern Ohio public Home Show, which featured
single as well as multi-sectional homes, like the ones above and below.
According to CNN Money, in 2014, the average net worth for the following ages are:
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$9,000 for ages 25-34,
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$52,000 for ages 35-44,
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$100,000 for ages 45-54,
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$180,000 for ages 55-64, and
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$232,000+ for 65+.
What these facts tell us is that for those age 35 and up, there is a manufactured home (MH) they could own that would be about the cost of their net worth or less. By eliminating the single largest expense for most Americans through the purchase of a MH, living debt free becomes a very real possibility. For those who are financing a home, having a lower purchase price makes it possible to pay a home off faster, which leads to those wonderful words, “Paid in Full.”
Yes, enjoying qualilty, debt free living in America is possible for the young, those like me with a touch of gray and all those other households, singles and other groups too. ##
