Mobilehomes and manufactured homes are no longer considered glorified trailers. They come in all shapes and sizes, have a myriad of floor plans and exterior designs, and can be a very economical alternative to a "stick built" home. They range in size from singlewides of generally 10 ft. to 14 ft. widths to triplewides and quadruplewides. They can be as short as 40 ft. or as long as 66+ ft. in length. When ordering a manufactured home, unless it is already on the sales lot, you can usually choose the carpeting and flooring, wall texture and color, exterior finish, floor plan, etc. It is fun to create your own home from the choices available. If you like the log cabin look, even that can be included in a manufactued home.

The difference between a mobilehome and a manufactured home is how and when it was built. New regulations came into affect in mid June, 1976, making the manufactured home more like a "stick built" home, including better structural, electrical and plumbing requirements. Anything built prior to June 15, 1976 is considered a mobilehome, anything built afterwards had to meet the new building guidelines and is called a manufactured home. Most lenders go by that date when considering giving a loan to purchase one of these units.

You will need to contact the Kern County Building or Planning Departments to get information about regulations. A good mfg. home sales company can help you with regards to permits, grading, drainage, cement slabs, steps and decking, temporary power pole, etc. And they know the best driving routes to bring the individual units to this area. I would be wary of any new business that does not have all of the "bugs" worked out yet or one that has a poor track record. Anyone with enough money can open a sales lot, but it takes time to get to know an area, to learn about the permits and regulations, have a good working relationship with the various county departments, and to know reputable sub-contractors to recommend for all of the work involved. Don't just find a mfg. home you like and figure that the company must know what they are doing. Ask around and get recommendatons. You will be spending a lot of money for the home and the process needs to be done correctly, not redone and redone, wasting time and money, until everything is finally correct and within code regulations -- or never gets done correctly. If that occurs, you will be spending more money with another company to correct all of the mistakes, taking even longer to enjoy your new home.

As a suggestion, you might consider putting the home on a permanent foundation from the start. Actually, the County may require a permanent foundation for new manufactured homes. Most lenders won't give a loan on a mfg. home unless it is on a foundation, anyway. You may not think it will matter, but you never know when your situation may change and you will have to sell or refinance your mfg. home. A foundation can be a good investment and could be a big help during an earthquake. This is California, after all!