Today’s manufactured homes can deliver outstanding quality and performance at prices ranging from 10 to 20 percent less per square foot than conventional site-built homes. These savings allow more and more Americans to own their own home, even in the face of an ever-widening housing affordability gap.

The affordability of manufactured housing can be attributed directly to the efficiencies emanating from the factory-building process. The controlled construction environment and assembly-line techniques remove many of the problems encountered during traditional home construction, such as poor weather, theft, vandalism, damage to building products and materials, and unskilled labor. Factory employees are trained and managed more effectively and efficiently than the system of contracted labor employed by the site-built home construction industry.

Much like other assembly-line operations, manufactured homes benefit from the economics of scale resulting from purchasing large quantities of materials, products, and appliances. Manufactured home builders are able to negotiate substantial savings on many components used in building a home, with these savings passed on directly to the homebuyer.

Manufactured Homes

Today’s manufactured homes have experienced a major evolution in the types and quality of homes being offered to buyers. Technological advances are allowing manufactured home builders to offer a much wider variety of architectural styles and exterior finishes that will suit most any buyer’s dreams, all the while allowing the home to blend in seamlessly into most any neighborhood. Two-story and single-family attached homes are but two of the new styles being generated by factory-built innovation. As a result, today’s manufactured homes are offering real housing options for the neglected suburban and urban buyers.

At the same time, greater flexibility in the construction process allows for each home to be customized to meet a buyer’s lifestyle and needs. Interior features now include such features as vaulted ceilings and working fireplaces to state-of-the-art kitchens and baths, giving the homebuyer all the features found in traditional, site-built homes. Enhanced energy efficiency in manufactured homes, achieved with upgraded levels of insulation and more efficient heating and cooling systems, provide another source of savings for homeowners, especially in this era of rising energy costs. Smart buyers are turning to Energy Star-labeled manufactured homes for substantial savings in many aspects of owning and operating a home.

Technological advances, evolutionary designs, and a focus on delivering quality homes that families can afford are the driving forces within the manufactured housing industry. That’s why more people are turning to manufactured housing to deliver homes that fit their needs and wants, at prices they can afford!

The post Manufactured Homes appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

Today’s manufactured homes can deliver outstanding quality and performance at prices ranging from 10 to 20 percent less per square foot than conventional site-built homes. These savings allow more and more Americans to own their own home, even in the face of an ever-widening housing affordability gap.

The affordability of manufactured housing can be attributed directly to the efficiencies emanating from the factory-building process. The controlled construction environment and assembly-line techniques remove many of the problems encountered during traditional home construction, such as poor weather, theft, vandalism, damage to building products and materials, and unskilled labor. Factory employees are trained and managed more effectively and efficiently than the system of contracted labor employed by the site-built home construction industry.

Much like other assembly-line operations, manufactured homes benefit from the economics of scale resulting from purchasing large quantities of materials, products, and appliances. Manufactured home builders are able to negotiate substantial savings on many components used in building a home, with these savings passed on directly to the homebuyer.

Manufactured Homes

Today’s manufactured homes have experienced a major evolution in the types and quality of homes being offered to buyers. Technological advances are allowing manufactured home builders to offer a much wider variety of architectural styles and exterior finishes that will suit most any buyer’s dreams, all the while allowing the home to blend in seamlessly into most any neighborhood. Two-story and single-family attached homes are but two of the new styles being generated by factory-built innovation. As a result, today’s manufactured homes are offering real housing options for the neglected suburban and urban buyers.

At the same time, greater flexibility in the construction process allows for each home to be customized to meet a buyer’s lifestyle and needs. Interior features now include such features as vaulted ceilings and working fireplaces to state-of-the-art kitchens and baths, giving the homebuyer all the features found in traditional, site-built homes. Enhanced energy efficiency in manufactured homes, achieved with upgraded levels of insulation and more efficient heating and cooling systems, provide another source of savings for homeowners, especially in this era of rising energy costs. Smart buyers are turning to Energy Star-labeled manufactured homes for substantial savings in many aspects of owning and operating a home.

Technological advances, evolutionary designs, and a focus on delivering quality homes that families can afford are the driving forces within the manufactured housing industry. That’s why more people are turning to manufactured housing to deliver homes that fit their needs and wants, at prices they can afford!

The post Manufactured Homes appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

When looking to buy land and home together, many people will ask a common question?

“Should I find my land first?”

Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a variety of answers. Here is a process that we have seen work well…

Step 1) Consult with a Housing Specialist.

You’re going to have questions. LOTS of questions. Seeking the advice of a housing specialist you trust can really work wonders. A good housing specialist will be knowledgeable about houses for sale, and have some insight into land costs in the area you are looking.

The housing consultant will also talk with you about your budget, to ensure you are getting the most house for your money.

Step 2) Find a house that fits ALL of your needs.

Your housing consultant will take into account your housing needs, including your budget, and show you a list of homes that may work for you. You may see a large number of homes, so find the one that fits your family the best.

Tip: Resist the urge to ask for customization to your floor plan. When you ask for a special change from the manufacturer, you are basically asking for a home that is a prototype. And prototypes are always riddled with problems. The builder engineered that floor plan for a reason, so stay within the options list available.

Step 3) Get an approval from a lender.

This is where most people mistakenly start shopping for land, and it’s a common misstep. Before looking for land, have your housing consultant submit your offer to buy your home to a lender for approval. This is wise for several reasons:

• a) You now have a land budget: The lender will tell you how much they are willing to lend you for your land purchase up front. It will look something like this:

          Land / Home Loan Value:    $150,000
          Home Price:                        $109,000
          Land Allowance:                   $41,000

Now that you know you have $41,000 available to buy land, your land search has become much easier!

• b) You now have buying leverage: Land owner get offers to buy their land all the time from people with no real ability to buy. When buyers show up with an approval from a lender proving their ability to buy, land owners take them more seriously, and are far more likely to cut a deal to get their land sold!

• c) You are not locked into anything: An approval from a lender is not a binding agreement just yet. The lender is merely giving you their terms to issue you a loan for the house you have chosen. You are not required to accept those terms if they are not attractive enough to you, and any deposit money you have made to start the buying process is fully refundable.

Step 4) Shop for land!

Now that you have your lending offers squared away, it’s time to go out there and find your land that will become your homestead. Happy hunting!

Image Credit: Richard Nolan

The post Should I find my land before I buy my manufactured home? appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

When looking to buy land and home together, many people will ask a common question?

“Should I find my land first?”

Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a variety of answers. Here is a process that we have seen work well…

Step 1) Consult with a Housing Specialist.

You’re going to have questions. LOTS of questions. Seeking the advice of a housing specialist you trust can really work wonders. A good housing specialist will be knowledgeable about houses for sale, and have some insight into land costs in the area you are looking.

The housing consultant will also talk with you about your budget, to ensure you are getting the most house for your money.

Step 2) Find a house that fits ALL of your needs.

Your housing consultant will take into account your housing needs, including your budget, and show you a list of homes that may work for you. You may see a large number of homes, so find the one that fits your family the best.

Tip: Resist the urge to ask for customization to your floor plan. When you ask for a special change from the manufacturer, you are basically asking for a home that is a prototype. And prototypes are always riddled with problems. The builder engineered that floor plan for a reason, so stay within the options list available.

Step 3) Get an approval from a lender.

This is where most people mistakenly start shopping for land, and it’s a common misstep. Before looking for land, have your housing consultant submit your offer to buy your home to a lender for approval. This is wise for several reasons:

• a) You now have a land budget: The lender will tell you how much they are willing to lend you for your land purchase up front. It will look something like this:

          Land / Home Loan Value:    $150,000
          Home Price:                        $109,000
          Land Allowance:                   $41,000

Now that you know you have $41,000 available to buy land, your land search has become much easier!

• b) You now have buying leverage: Land owner get offers to buy their land all the time from people with no real ability to buy. When buyers show up with an approval from a lender proving their ability to buy, land owners take them more seriously, and are far more likely to cut a deal to get their land sold!

• c) You are not locked into anything: An approval from a lender is not a binding agreement just yet. The lender is merely giving you their terms to issue you a loan for the house you have chosen. You are not required to accept those terms if they are not attractive enough to you, and any deposit money you have made to start the buying process is fully refundable.

Step 4) Shop for land!

Now that you have your lending offers squared away, it’s time to go out there and find your land that will become your homestead. Happy hunting!

Image Credit: Richard Nolan

The post Should I find my land before I buy my manufactured home? appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

What Are Low Emissivity Windows?

Low Emissivity windows (commonly referred to as ‘Low-E’ windows) are windowpanes that are covered in microscopic layers of metallic oxides. This coating is invisible to the naked eye. By design, the coating protects your home from unwanted UV rays while allowing natural light to pass through it. The reflection of UV rays into your home helps prevent the burning of skin and the fading of carpet and furniture.

Low-E windows also helps to keep your house warmer in the winter (by reflecting certain sun rays back into the home), and cooler in the summer (by reflecting similar rays outside the home). This can dramatically lower the costs for both heating and cooling your home.

The science behind Low-E Windows is fascinating. And, as technology behind the windows advances, they will become more and more common in new home construction.

But are they worth the investment? According to HomeAdvisor.com, “Low-e windows are definitely worth the investment…these glazes can save you some serious money down the road”.

Got Questions!

Click here and we’ll get in touch with you right away!

Image Courtesy of VitroGlazings.com

The post What Are Low-E Windows? Are They Worth Having? appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

What Are Low Emissivity Windows?

Low Emissivity windows (commonly referred to as ‘Low-E’ windows) are windowpanes that are covered in microscopic layers of metallic oxides. This coating is invisible to the naked eye. By design, the coating protects your home from unwanted UV rays while allowing natural light to pass through it. The reflection of UV rays into your home helps prevent the burning of skin and the fading of carpet and furniture.

Low-E windows also help keep your house warmer in the winter (by reflecting certain sun rays back into the home), and cooler in the summer (by reflecting similar rays outside the home). This can dramatically lower the costs for both heating and cooling your home.

The science behind Low-E Windows is fascinating. And, as technology behind the windows advances, they will become more and more common in new home construction.

But are they worth the investment? According to HomeAdvisor.com, “Low-e windows are definitely worth the investment…these glazes can save you some serious money down the road”.

Got Questions!

Click here and we’ll get in touch with you right away!

Image Courtesy of VitroGlazings.com

The post What Are Low-E Windows? Are They Worth Having? appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

What Are Low Emissivity Windows?

Low Emissivity windows (commonly referred to as ‘Low-E’ windows) are windowpanes that are covered in microscopic layers of metallic oxides. This coating is invisible to the naked eye. By design, the coating protects your home from unwanted UV rays while allowing natural light to pass through it. The reflection of UV rays into your home helps prevent the burning of skin and the fading of carpet and furniture.

Low-E windows also help keep your house warmer in the winter (by reflecting certain sun rays back into the home), and cooler in the summer (by reflecting similar rays outside the home). This can dramatically lower the costs for both heating and cooling your home.

The science behind Low-E Windows is fascinating. And, as technology behind the windows advances, they will become more and more common in new home construction.

But are they worth the investment? According to HomeAdvisor.com, “Low-e windows are definitely worth the investment…these glazes can save you some serious money down the road”.

Got Questions!

Click here and we’ll get in touch with you right away!

Image Courtesy of VitroGlazings.com

The post What Are Low-E Windows? Are They Worth Having? appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

Price Increase Delayed to Sept 22nd

In response to demand for housing to aid those affected by Hurricane Harvey, Oak Creek Homes has decided to delay price increases on new manufactured homes.

As #HurricaneHarvey approached the Texas coast, many industry leaders feared a price increase from building material suppliers. Sure enough, within hours of the storms passing, Oak Creek Homes was notified of a price hike for lumber, steel, sheet-rock, and other materials used in hour Heavy Homes.

In an effort to keep new homes costs as low as possible, Oak Creek Homes implemented a retail program, delaying the price increase for all new homes to September 15th.

That date has been pushed back ever further, and is now set at September 22nd, 2017. All homes ordered by September 21st will be spared the price increase.

Chuck Carney, President of Retail Operations says, “We (Oak Creek) cannot control the market prices of our building materials. What we can control, to a degree, is our ability to insulate those higher prices from our coastal residents for as long as we possibly can.”

The estimated price increase, when enacted, will add roughly $1.90 per square foot to home prices.

*Some exclusions apply. Contact your local Oak Creek Homes center for more details.*

The post Despite Materials Price Increase, Oak Creek Delays Price Hike. appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

Oak Creek Homes – Hurricane Harvey Update

Thankfully, we are OK and are working to get back on our feet! Oak Creek Homes is a League City- based company (just south of Houston), and extreme weather is nothing new to us, but Hurricane Harvey is truly unprecedented in its strength.

The safety of our employees is a top priority. Rest assured, all are safe and accounted for, but many have been kept away temporarily due to flooding. To any customers in the coastal areas, we are wishing you the best and are happy to help in any way.

Our Texas manufacturing plants are located just south of Dallas and in Fort Worth. They are unharmed by Harvey and are operating at their regular production rate. This leaves us prepared for our usual role in the Government’s storm-recovery programs.

We have already been told by a number of suppliers that prices are about to increase due to storm demand. Whatever window we have at buying materials (and selling homes) at existing prices may close quickly. This is an unfortunate reality after any major storm.

Business in non-storm affected areas is normal. Our operations in the rest of Texas as well as Oklahoma are selling and delivering homes as usual. We are day-to-day in coastal Texas and South Louisiana.

We appreciate your business and patience! We will keep you posted on our progress and wish you all the best. We know from our 47 years in business that you can’t keep Texas (or Texans) down!

The post Oak Creek Homes – Hurricane Harvey Update appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.

Oak Creek Homes – Hurricane Harvey Update

Thankfully, we are OK and are working to get back on our feet! Oak Creek Homes is a League City- based company (just south of Houston), and extreme weather is nothing new to us. Hurricane Harvey, however, is truly unprecedented in its strength.

The safety of our employees is a top priority. All are safe and accounted for, though many have been kept away temporarily due to flooding. To any customers in the coastal areas, we are wishing you the best and are happy to help in any way.

Our Texas manufacturing plants are located just south of Dallas and in Fort Worth. They are unharmed by Harvey and are operating at their regular production rate. This leaves us prepared for our usual role in the Government’s storm-recovery programs.

We have already been told by a number of suppliers that prices are about to increase due to storm demand. Whatever window we have at buying materials (and selling homes) at existing prices may close quickly. This is an unfortunate reality after any major storm.

Business in non-storm affected areas is normal. Our operations in the rest of Texas as well as Oklahoma are selling and delivering homes as usual. We are day-to-day in coastal Texas and South Louisiana.

Oak Creek Homes appreciates your business and patience! We will keep you posted on our progress and wish you all the best. From our 47 years in business, we know that you can’t keep Texas (or Texans) down!

[Original Image Credit: kut.org]

The post Oak Creek Homes – Hurricane Harvey Update appeared first on Oak Creek Homes.