(CHEROKEE LAKE REALTY WRITES A WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE GRAINGER COUNTY JOURNAL NEWSPAPER. THIS WAS A RECENT QUESTION ASKED BY A READER.)
Cost is one advantage of going with a manufactured home. “In December 2025, the median price for a manufactured home purchased along with land using a conventional mortgage was $245,000, per federal data. That’s a steep discount from the median price of all existing homes, which rose to $417,700 in April 2026, reports the National Association of Realtors.”
Now, the key is to own the land on which the home is located. And one of the disadvantages is to find land that allows manufactured homes. A good number of communities, specifically lakefront communities, do not allow manufactured homes on their lots. Even though manufactured homes are built in factory-controlled environments and must follow federal quality standards, they still carry the old-time reputation that they are mobile homes or trailers and are an inferior housing option. So, some communities believe that they will negatively impact the property values of their neighbors. Here is an interesting fact to counter that argument, a “Realtor.com report found that manufactured homes on owned land gained about 70% in value from 2019 to 2026, outpacing roughly 59% for single-family homes.” Still the reputation is hard to overcome. It is what it is. Take this into consideration when you go to resell the home. Manufactured homes typically stay on the market longer than single-family homes.
One more thing, if you are purchasing an existing manufactured home, make sure the home is permanently attached to the foundation on the land. In other words, home and land are one. Otherwise, getting a mortgage becomes a bit trickier. A home sitting on land owned by a manufactured home community (in other words, you are renting the land space even if you own the home) will require different financing options. The timing of your question is excellent as I just read a news article on the myths surrounding manufactured homes. I will be posting this article to our website, which goes into more detail about financing and some laws that are currently being debated that may affect the future of manufactured homes. Visit our website at www.cherokeelakerealty.com and go to the menu titled ARTICLES to read this interesting report.
