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Appraising Modular Homes – Boston

25 April 2014

Now that it is spring, more and more homeowners are reviewing their new home options. For many this includes considering building a new home. There are two options when it comes to new construction: traditional site-built construction or modular construction. When considering modular construction, the question often arises about how modular homes appraise compared to traditionally-built home. The answer is simple; the modular home appraisal process is the same as that of traditionally built homes.

In order to qualify for a home loan, the home you want to buy, or build, needs to be appraised. The appraisal is the estimated amount you can expect to pay for your new home. When building a new home, you need a licensed professional appraiser. But how is the home appraised if it is not yet built?

The modular home plans are reviewed by the appraiser to determine how much it should cost you to build your new home. Labor rates, materials costs, and local depreciation and appreciation are all figured into the appraisal. Also, sales comparisons, prices and values of local similar homes are also used to determine the current value.

Once this analysis has been completed, a report is put together and sent to the mortgage company in order to initiate the mortgage process.

All of the above will determine the current total value of the new property. Many modular home builders have relationships with mortgage companies who are familiar with the process. So if you are considering modular construction, your modular home builder can help you along with your mortgage initiation process as well as the appraisal process. For more information, contact Avalon Building Systems.


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Advantages of Modular Construction is Making it a More Popular Building Option - New York

11 April 2014

Modular homes are becoming more popular in New York and on Long Island.

Prefabricated homes that are assembled on-site but manufactured elsewhere have come a long way; these days, they’re often stronger and more energy efficient than traditionally constructed homes. Among their many time-saving advantages are electric, heating and plumbing systems already built in when the modules arrive at the assembly site.

Costs are lower too and there is a reason for it. For example, plumbers are only needed to connect modular homes to main water and sewer lines.

For a regular 3,000-square foot-home, with traditional construction it could be a $10,000 plumbing job. With modular construction it can be cut down to about $2,000 because only 20% of the plumbing job will be done on-site. This is an example of how the cost of modular construction is lessened.

The number of annual manufactured-home shipments has been rebounding nicely since it bottomed out in 2009 as a result of the housing crisis. The number of annual prefab shipments increased steadily from 2009 to 2011, and by 2012 represented roughly 10% of all housing starts nationally.

The number of people choosing prefab options is definitely increasing. They are clearly becoming greater in popularity. Some of that relates to Sandy issues and some of that relates to cost issues.

Modular homes, on average, don’t cost much less than traditionally constructed homes. The prices vary depending on the particular options each homeowner chooses to include and where the final construction takes place. But the time to build a home when using modular construction is significantly decreased.

Instead of price, many cite speed as the biggest factor behind the increased popularity of modular construction. Modular homes are especially appealing to displaced Sandy victims, who can have a roof over their heads again much quicker if it’s pre-fabricated.

The typical modular-home construction process takes about seven weeks – considerably faster than the 10 months to a year it takes to build a traditional house.

Traditional home-building is also subject to weather-related construction delays and other setbacks, while modular homes are watertight from the start. And while traditionally built homes run the standard storm-related risks, prefab houses have additional strength and stability that allow them to hold up much better in hurricane force winds of 130-mph.

For more information on modular construction, contact Avalon Building Systems.

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Modular Multi-Family Homes Make Good Business Sense for Investors – Massachusetts, New York

21 March 2014

It’s not quite like putting together Legos, but piece-by-piece, a new condominium development can be constructed.

Modular condominium projects, constructed off site, can be pieced together to form a multi-unit, multi-story community.

For many reasons including construction time and cost, modular apartment buildings are becoming more and more popular among developers. A number of modular apartment buildings were recently constructed in communities around Massachusetts and New York.

The range of benefits of modular construction run the gamut from cost to environmental.

Modular construction has a significantly smaller carbon footprint than the traditional footprint of traditional stick built framing of homes or apartments. Factory built home construction uses a lot less energy and is far more efficient than a typical construction site where everything is built on site.

Another benefit to modular multi-unit home construction; the labor costs and efficiencies are far better doing a project of that size in a timeframe that it can be done efficiently and where you are not going over budget.

Once the individual sections are constructed in the modular home factory, they are trucked to the building sire and lifted into place by a crane. Once that begins to happen, in just a matter of days, the majority the building can be put in place.

Once the sections are lifted into position they are locked together so that much of the inside work can then begin including the mechanical work inside the building, the heating systems, connecting the electrical; all of the HVAC and siding is also done once the modules are fully blocked together. Once this is complete, the roof trusses go up and the roof is completed.

The units can be sold as condos for individual buyers or owned and rented as an investment property.

Once completed, multi-family modular homes are high quality buildings that are much more economical. They makes good business sense for any investor.

For more information on multi-unit modular construction, contact Avalon Building Systems.

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Modular Home Construction is Now a Better Choice in New Home Construction – Boston, Hartford

14 March 2014

If you want to build a new home, you no longer need to wait for six months in order to move in. You no longer have to deal with changes to the budget, or have your project put on hold for materials, weather, or contractor delays. Why? Because now modular home construction is better than ever. You now have a choice.

Modular construction is now a viable and often better alternative method of construction. The modular construction process involves making prefabricated modules in a factory which are then transported to your building site where your home is then put together.

Traditional construction is done almost entirely on site, where weather and other issues can interrupt construction.  Traditional construction is weather and contractor reliant, which means that bad weather and no-shows can affect the construction schedule which can cause regular delays in the building process.

Modular homes are becoming more popular. Because the modules are built in a factory, the construction process can actually be up to 50% faster. Additionally, the modular process is intensely quality controlled, keeping construction above and beyond the standards of traditional construction. Modular homes meet and exceed all state and local building codes.

While your home is being built in the factory, your site work – foundation, water and sewage – is all being addressed on your building site, at the same time. This means that once the home is built and the modules are transported, it is only a few days away from being completed.

Modular construction means you can move into your custom designed home in just 6-8 weeks. Not possible with traditional construction. If you are in the market to build a new home, get the facts on modular construction and make an educated decision. For more information, contact Avalon Building Systems.


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Modular Home Construction for Those in the Market for a New Home – Massachusetts, Rhode Island

7 March 2014

'The housing market is rebounding', that is what they say right. If you have a home to sell, that is great, but if you are in the market to buy, this housing ‘recovery’ may not be working for you. With the number of potential buyers far outmatching inventory, any realtor will tell you there is a shortage of new homes. The result – those in the market are paying far too much for a ‘less than perfect house’.

Do you love your neighborhood, love your town, love your school system, but you need a new home? Or maybe you are relocating, and you can’t find the right home where you need it. Consider modular home construction. The modular construction process allows you to build a new home that is custom designed to meet all of the needs of your growing family.

Best of all, with modular construction you can start the process now because you don’t have to wait for the snow to melt or for the ground to thaw. Modular construction takes place indoors in a factory setting and is then transported to your building site and set on the foundation.

The demand for new homes is high, but you have an alternative to the lackluster home inventory: modular homes. There are time, quality and structural benefits to modular construction that are not available with traditional construction. Your new home can be ready to move into in 4-8 weeks. And modular home construction meets or exceeds all state, local and federal building codes.

As the public becomes more educated in modular and factory built homes, perception towards the industry has changed and modular construction has become more and more popular.

For more information on modular homes, contact Avalon Building Systems.


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See the Advantages of Modular Homes at the New England Home Show – Foxboro, MA

27 February 2014

If you are thinking about building a new home then you need to attend the 2014 New England Home Show at the Dana Farber Field House at Patriot Place in Foxboro, March 21-23.

Avalon Building Systems, a modular homes construction company, will be there to show you all the benefits and advantages of modular home construction. Our modular homes are superior in construction and quality when compared to traditionally built homes. Our modular homes meet or exceed national, state, and local building codes. This means that you get an exceptionally built quality home with significant savings in both time and cost.

Show Features

Mark your calendar for the 2014 New England Home Show, where you’ll be delighted at the wide range of home improvement ideas on display. From lighting to flooring to siding for your home, from techniques to tools, over 500 experts are on hand to answer your burning DIY questions. Bring the kids and enjoy live cooking demonstrations, furniture building zone and a craft and specialty food area.

Location:

The Dana Farber Field House at Patriot Place Foxboro, MA
Dates & Hours:

Friday, March 21, 2PM - 9PM
Saturday, March 22, 10AM - 9PM
Sunday, March 23, 10AM - 6PM

Admission:

Adults: $10
17 and under: Free

For more information, contact Avalon Building Systems.


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Modular Home Construction For a New Home in New Jersey

21 February 2014

It is not easy to find a new home in parts of NJ that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.  But building a modular home is the perfect way to move into your dream home there. In fact, there are parts of New Jersey that are now filled with homes built through the modular home construction process.

Often people think that modular homes have different financing requirements than traditionally built homes. But, in actuality, the rules and procedures for financing a modular home are the same as for site-built homes. They can be approved for FHA loans, traditional bank and mortgage company financing, and VA loans.

There is an important difference between modular homes and manufactured homes. And, the banks finance the two types of homes differently. Modular homes are built in pieces that are built in the factory, which go through a rigorous QA process throughout the entire construction process. They can be custom designed or you can choose one of hundreds of floor plans. Modular homes appreciate in exactly the same way as traditionally built homes, and the layperson will not be able to tell the difference between the two.

Modular homes are beautifully designed and you can add all types of design details and amenities that are often only found in custom site-built homes. The modules are built off-site, including electrical and plumbing and are then delivered to the site for final assembly.  When modular homes are delivered to your home site, they are 80% complete. In fact, it takes only about two months for a modular home to be completed and ready to move in.

For more information on modular construction, contact Avalon Building Systems.


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Modular Homes ARE Higher Quality than Site Built Homes, Here’s Why – New Jersey

13 February 2014

Every modular home builder, every modular sales rep and every factory person says that their homes are third party inspected. This is true however not many people really understand what that means and how important and integral it is to building a new modular home.

Third party inspectors insure that the house you want to build meets and exceeds all the Federal, State and local building codes for the address of the new home.

In NJ it is very difficult to restore and replace the NJ’s homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. Getting a building permit in most NJ counties was not a piece of cake before Sandy but since it has become even more difficult trying to keep up with all the changes to building setbacks, mandatory height restrictions and municipality inspectors challenging just about everything they see.

Here are two examples. Inspectors approve an item before construction of a non-modular component and then change it during the actual construction. The approvals are biased based on the inspector.

The second example is house footprints. Replacing a condemned home with a new one using the same foundation size which meets the local code should be a no brainer. Both the old house and the new one have heat pumps with exchangers on the outside of the house. Now the exchanger must be above the flood level which means that it will have to be mounted to the house using a 4’ x 4’ platform which eliminates 16 sq ft of living space in the home. Another footprint problem occurs when the electrical meter has to be mounted above the flood elevation which in some cases could mean 16’ above grade. Power companies say they won’t do it because their meter readers can’t see the meter. Solution: build a deck for the meter reader to stand on along with steps. This deck area may be deducted from the living space in some municipalities. Some NJ counties have upward of 40 different regions each with their own inspector. A house built in one code area that passes all the building codes may not pass if built just a 100 yard away in a different code area and they share inspectors!

An inspector does not have to worry about a modular home being shipped from a factory because all the plans for the house meet or exceed all building codes, including the local ones. Third party inspectors have already looked over the plans submitted to them by the factory’s engineers and design staffs, made the changes necessary and stamped the plans “approved” for building the home. Site builders would not only have to hire someone to review their plans, they have to do a lot of the legwork themselves AND still have to contend with local inspectors about foundation and setback and living space problems. Modular home builders let the factory and the third party inspectors handle the home construction codes before it even arrives at the jobsite.

Another challenge is in the  fire separation and noise abatement assemblies in single and multifamily homes. Do not assume that a fire wall is a fire wall and there wasn’t much to talk about. As a builder, you have to know what a fire area, fire barrier and fire partition assemblies are. If you as a builder don’t know, aren’t you glad that a third party is inspecting that triplex you just ordered? What about Horizontal Assemblies and Impact Insulation Class. If you were a site builder, where would even go to find out about these things and how long would it add to your building time and how much extra would it cost both you and your customer?

There are so many different things to consider when it comes to protecting a home from both fire and sound that it takes a third party inspection company to handle all this for the builder. What local building inspector knows all the little in’s and out’s of the codes so that they can pass or reject a project. If they don’t know this stuff, aren’t you glad you build with modular construction and all those things are built in the factory to the appropriate codes. Another plus for modular homes.

Additionally, simple strapping is not enough anymore to satisfy all the building codes. Not only do you, the builder, have to know how many nails, what size nails and what kind of nails or screws to use when attaching strapping and bracing, the factory also has a ton of different straps, holders and bracing to use to build the modules before it arrives at the job site. The site builder, especially the tract builder and site builders in areas that have labor shortages are probably not paying as close attention to strapping and bracing as they should. At the factory, it is expected that every strap and brace will be properly secured with the right nail and with the right strapping.

Hopefully you have a better understanding of what goes into building a modular home in the factory and why it just makes more sense to have your next home built as a modular than to leave it to the site builder working out of his truck.

For more information on modular construction, contact Avalon Building Systems.

Modular Home Builders Newsletter


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Modular Homes: Faster Construction and No Wait – Stoughton, Canton, MA

7 February 2014

It is the middle of a very snowy, very cold winter. Even still, people are still considering moving and buying homes. But, with new home inventory as low as it is in Massachusetts, the spring buying season may not be fruitful for all. What about building a new home? Modular construction promises faster construction time, and right now there is no wait. Get in now and choose your custom designed modular home. Or, you can choose from one of hundreds of modular home floor plans which can be customized or modified.

Modular home construction is a fast, economical and efficient way to build a new home. And, if you start the design process now, we can start building and you can move in the spring. Homes built with modular construction takes just a few weeks to build. With traditional construction, it could be the end of the summer before you are moved in.

If you are in the housing market, don’t struggle with the existing home inventory. Consider building a modular home. Why not design a home that you need with the rooms and features you want?

Modular homes are built faster than a traditionally built home. But now, in the middle of deep winter, home construction has slowed down. Get in the front of the line and begin the design process now. In fact, we can start construction as soon as the design process is complete, because modular homes are built in factories where the materials are protected from the elements. Once built those modules are brought to your new home construction site and assembled. You can move in the spring into a newly built custom home, contact Avalon Building Systems.


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Multi-Family Homes are in Huge Demand in Greater Boston

31 January 2014

You keep hearing about it, and if you are in the market for an investment property then you are living it. New home inventory, both single and multi-family is woefully low. Many of the homes that are available for sale are inadequate, or not what you are looking for. Here are the facts.

  • Up to 435,000 new housing home would need to be created in the Metro Boston area by the year 2040 to keep the region's economy growing.
  • The units would comprise mostly multifamily homes and be located, primarily, in urban areas
  • The aim of the additional units is to attract younger workers to the region from elsewhere in the country to keep the economy growing in the Greater Boston area.
  • The 435,000 new units are greater than the 305,000 new units needed in a "status quo" scenario
  • Attracting more young people to the region with the kinds of housing they prefer could potentially result in a "stronger region" with a total population increase of 12.6%.

As you know the real estate market has rebounded recently. That rebound has been mostly driven by real estate investors who are buying up inventory for rental and investment properties. If you are a real estate investor, or if you are interested in becoming an investor, consider modular multi-family home construction.

There is a significant need for new multi-family housing if we want to attract young people and families and grow our population in the Boston area. In fact, multifamily housing, both for-sale and rental units, will make up at least 48% and as much as 62% of demand. And, even in suburban municipalities, demand for multifamily units will make up between 28% and 37% of total demand.

Right now the market and need for multi-family housing is huge and growing. Modular construction for multi-family homes ensures high quality, faster construction that meets and exceeds state and local building codes.

For more information on multi-family modular homes for investment properties, contact Avalon Building Systems.

Statistics from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) Report


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