I build and sell tiny homes – there are five common myths to watch out for when buying

MANUFACTURED and “tiny” homes offer some of the best deals on the housing market for a fraction of the price of sited homes.

But many people fear that manufactured homes – previously referred to as mobile homes before 1976 – are not ‘real homes’ and do not provide the same type of benefits that homeowners of more traditional houses are able to enjoy.

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The ‘Real Estate Whisperer’, youtube star Kristina Smallhorn, has dispelled five myths that many people mistakenly believe about manufactured homes, such as popular tiny homes.

An estimated 5.6 million Americans live in manufactured homes, according to the video posted on Smallhorn’s YouTube channel.

She spoke with manufactured home expert Gary Millet, a state commissioner for housing and owner of a manufactured home business for over 40 years, about the five most common myths people mistakenly believe about manufactured homes.

Smallhorn said that one of the biggest misbeliefs about manufactured homes is that they attract tornados,

The safety and stability of a manufactured home depends on its anchoring, Millet explained, which should be as strong as any sited home.

“The house weighs 70,000 pounds,” he said. “I promise you, this house will withstand more wind than a house that’s built on pillars.”

Many people also incorrectly believe that manufactured homes are built of low quality.

Manufactured homes come in three categories, almost like choosing between a “Chevrolet, Cadillac or Mercedes,” Millet said.

The materials put into the home depend on your budget, like with a car, but are always government-approved materials you could find in any site-built house.

“So don’t tell me about inferior – there’s no such thing in our homes,” he said.

Potential buyers sometimes worry that manufactured homes have bad insulation too.

The costs associated with heating or cooling a manufactured home or prefab tiny house are no different than a sited home, he said.

But insulation must be installed during the time of manufacture, Millet said.

Smallhorn added that some people seem to think that only undesirable people live in manufactured homes.

“People are people,” she said. “You should never judge a book by its cover” or assume that manufactured homes are only for a certain type of people, Smallhorn emphasized.

“I would never ever say that a customer of mine was a deplorable,” Millet added. “They cannot afford to go out and but a site-built house, and that’s why they come to me.”

And this points to another common misconception about manufactured homes: that they are poor investments.

“It 100% is a real home,” Smallhorn said. “It is an asset and it can be resold if it’s taken care of, at a profit.”

Home shoppers should also know that manufactured homes don’t attract more insects or pests than sited homes, she said, and normal pest control measures work well.

Tiny homes are popping up across the country at affordable rates – grab one for under $10,000 from national retailers like Home Depot, Walmart, and Amazon.