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Subject: Why don't we just start using factory-made modular housing?

I mean, if we had automated factories create sections of houses that can be put together in multiple configurations, then we could have affordable, well made houses likely with less maintenance costs than normal houses.

Sure they might be rather boxy, but most people aren't rich enough to really deserve to be extremely picky in that matter.

Ideas Flood?

  • 12.20.2012 6:22 AM PDT

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Some companies do that. I remember some companies doing that after that hurricane hit Texas a year or two ago.

  • 12.20.2012 6:25 AM PDT

Life?
I have the internet and Doctor Who; i don't need a life.

IKEA make houses now

  • 12.20.2012 6:25 AM PDT
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Or, we can stick with what we have since even buying your own house is highly affordable for pretty much anyone.

  • 12.20.2012 6:25 AM PDT


Posted by: DarkestSeptagon
Some companies do that. I remember some companies doing that after that hurricane hit Texas a year or two ago.


I was thinking a more mainstream use of modular design and not just for natural (or otherwise) disasters.

  • 12.20.2012 6:26 AM PDT
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Posted by: Qbix89
Talking about Sweden is an ultrabannable offense.

Posted by: Achronos
Too bad being completely and utterly wrong isn't a bannable offense.

BECAUSE I PAY THE TAX AND I EXPECT THE MONEY OF THE TAX AND THE HOUSES THAT ARE FANCY

  • 12.20.2012 6:26 AM PDT


Posted by: Garshne
BECAUSE I PAY THE TAX AND I EXPECT THE MONEY OF THE TAX AND THE HOUSES THAT ARE FANCY


That's fine if you make a few mil. a month.

  • 12.20.2012 6:27 AM PDT
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Posted by: CultMiester4000
IKEA make houses now

That is about $120 a square foot - before assembly and paying to hook into water/electricity/etc (which is what the builder normally pays).

I'd say 80% of houses you can get in America for less than $100 a square foot.

  • 12.20.2012 6:28 AM PDT
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Posted by: Qbix89
Talking about Sweden is an ultrabannable offense.

Posted by: Achronos
Too bad being completely and utterly wrong isn't a bannable offense.

Posted by: A Good Troll
Or, we can stick with what we have since even buying your own house is highly affordable for pretty much anyone.
Not for first time buyers.

But, of course, tough -blam!-, right?

  • 12.20.2012 6:28 AM PDT

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Heros were born in the fire and bloodshed of the wars which followed and their names and deeds will never be forgotten

Like Levitt housing?

Those kind of houses sound like military Barracks made to conform people and stricken them of their individuality. No thank you.

[Edited on 12.20.2012 6:31 AM PST]

  • 12.20.2012 6:30 AM PDT
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Posted by: Garshne
Posted by: A Good Troll
Or, we can stick with what we have since even buying your own house is highly affordable for pretty much anyone.
Not for first time buyers.

Sure it is.

You can find plenty of starter homes in the US in most areas for $80k-120k.

$100k loan @ 4% interest for thirty years is $477/month. Anyone outside of single McDonald's workers can afford that mortgage.

[Edited on 12.20.2012 6:35 AM PST]

  • 12.20.2012 6:33 AM PDT
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Posted by: A Good Troll

Posted by: CultMiester4000
IKEA make houses now

That is about $120 a square foot - before assembly and paying to hook into water/electricity/etc (which is what the builder normally pays).

I'd say 80% of houses you can get in America for less than $100 a square foot.
and a 2nd floor.

OT: They build stadiums in factories and then build them together like lego, the problem with houses is that different companies do different styles.

Also if they did it like that then hundreds of people will be put out of a job, the roads in Britain will not be good enough to transport houses around on the back of roads either.

In the UK we can build houses within a few weeks on the site so why bother with a factory?

  • 12.20.2012 6:34 AM PDT
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Posted by: A Good Troll

Posted by: Garshne
Posted by: A Good Troll
Or, we can stick with what we have since even buying your own house is highly affordable for pretty much anyone.
Not for first time buyers.

Sure it is.

You can find plenty of starter homes in the US in most areas for $80k-120k.

$100k loan @ 4% interest for thirty years is $477/month. Anyone outside of McDonald's workers can afford that mortgage.
Not everybody is American mate, in the UK the house market is forcing people to live with parents until they are 30+.

It's horrible, I can't even get a job and people ridicule me for still being at home with my parents.

  • 12.20.2012 6:35 AM PDT


Posted by: Android Spartan

Posted by: A Good Troll

Posted by: CultMiester4000
IKEA make houses now

That is about $120 a square foot - before assembly and paying to hook into water/electricity/etc (which is what the builder normally pays).

I'd say 80% of houses you can get in America for less than $100 a square foot.
and a 2nd floor.

OT: They build stadiums in factories and then build them together like lego, the problem with houses is that different companies do different styles.

Also if they did it like that then hundreds of people will be put out of a job, the roads in Britain will not be good enough to transport houses around on the back of roads either.

In the UK we can build houses within a few weeks on the site so why bother with a factory?


The government could make building codes that restrict the houses to include and exclude certain things.

Also, jobs in said factories would be available as well as more jobs for actually getting the resources needed for construction.

There is also the matter of welding the modules together and making sure they are perfectly aligned when on the ground.

As for transportation, 2 or 3 helicopters could probably carry a module on industrial ropes.

  • 12.20.2012 6:39 AM PDT

I agree that all presidents should serve 2 terms. 1 in office and 1 in prison


Posted by: A Good Troll

Posted by: Garshne
Posted by: A Good Troll
Or, we can stick with what we have since even buying your own house is highly affordable for pretty much anyone.
Not for first time buyers.

Sure it is.

You can find plenty of starter homes in the US in most areas for $80k-120k.

$100k loan @ 4% interest for thirty years is $477/month. Anyone outside of single McDonald's workers can afford that mortgage.


That is just the mortgage though, throw in house insurance, and property taxes depending on where your purchasing location is. Granted that is maybe 200+ a month extra. Then bills. And flood insurance if you live around my area. If you budget right it should still be fairly easy.

[Edited on 12.20.2012 6:40 AM PST]

  • 12.20.2012 6:39 AM PDT

Posted by: Recon Number 54
Use your head. The one on your shoulders. No really, just try. Please?

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Posted by: A Good Troll
$100k loan @ 4% interest for thirty years is $477/month.

That's all fine and dandy, but you also have to pay property sometimes township taxes, you have to have insurance, you have to do your own maintenance and upkeep. Plus you have to consider that your $100,000 starter house is going to be about 2-3 hours away from your job if you work in a big city. Plus the utilities on such a house are expensive as hell.

  • 12.20.2012 6:40 AM PDT
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Posted by: Android Spartan
Not everybody is American mate, in the UK the house market is forcing people to live with parents until they are 30+.

Lots of problems in UK and Europe that force that really. You could write a novel on those issues.

But yeah, average property values are much higher in Europe and average wages are lower. The situation is different.

  • 12.20.2012 6:41 AM PDT
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Posted by: spartanfornow
Posted by: A Good Troll
$100k loan @ 4% interest for thirty years is $477/month.

That's all fine and dandy, but you also have to pay property sometimes township taxes, you have to have insurance, you have to do your own maintenance and upkeep. Plus you have to consider that your $100,000 starter house is going to be about 2-3 hours away from your job if you work in a big city. Plus the utilities on such a house are expensive as hell.

Sure, and I don't ignore that. But buying is still cheaper than renting in most of America.

A local listing. You're about twenty minute commute to city center. $400 a month mortage, $100 for property taxes/insurance, and $100 for utilities still puts you way, way below average rent in this area.

  • 12.20.2012 6:43 AM PDT

I agree that all presidents should serve 2 terms. 1 in office and 1 in prison


Posted by: A Good Troll

Posted by: spartanfornow
Posted by: A Good Troll
$100k loan @ 4% interest for thirty years is $477/month.

That's all fine and dandy, but you also have to pay property sometimes township taxes, you have to have insurance, you have to do your own maintenance and upkeep. Plus you have to consider that your $100,000 starter house is going to be about 2-3 hours away from your job if you work in a big city. Plus the utilities on such a house are expensive as hell.

Sure, and I don't ignore that. But buying is still cheaper than renting in most of America.

A local listing. You're about twenty minute commute to city center. $400 a month mortgage, $100 for property taxes/insurance, and $100 for utilities still puts you way, way below average rent in this area.


Very true, my GF just bought a house and her mortgage is 720 a month and within walking distance of our city center. It has 6 bedrooms and the basement 2 bedrooms is a separate apartment with a kitchen. So that person could pay half the mortgage and they would still be getting an awesome deal. Rent around my area is ridiculous considering a low standard of living. finding anything better than a dumpy studio is going to cost you big time.

[Edited on 12.20.2012 6:46 AM PST]

  • 12.20.2012 6:46 AM PDT
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Posted by: Picklesandgravy
Very true, my GF just bought a house and her mortgage is 720 a month and within walking distance of our city center. It has 6 bedrooms and the basement 2 bedrooms is a separate apartment with a kitchen. So that person could pay half the mortgage and they would still be getting an awesome deal. Rent around my area is ridiculous considering a low standard of living. finding anything better than a dumpy studio is going to cost you big time.

Very true, and probably an extremely smart buy if given time.

I'd recommend anyone who can afford a mortgage and has the job stability to think they'll be able to not sell for five years to buy at this point. You're going to see price appreciation in most areas, especially with mortgage issuers starting to loosen credit restrictions.

i.e., cheaper to buy than rent in 98 out of 100 metro areas.

[Edited on 12.20.2012 6:49 AM PST]

  • 12.20.2012 6:49 AM PDT

It gets better

>automated
>less maintenance costs

If you have any building experience, you'd know that in order to build a house faster and cheaper corners will be cut.

  • 12.20.2012 7:26 AM PDT

Posted by: Recon Number 54
Use your head. The one on your shoulders. No really, just try. Please?

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Posted by: A Good Troll
i.e., cheaper to buy than rent in 98 out of 100 metro areas.

That is highly suspect. From personal experience, my parents bought a townhouse in Las Vegas just during the very peak of the bubble. Everyone was drinking the coolaid of how it was going to be a great time to buy. They ended up selling before the bubble burst, like 8-10 months after the purchase. The townhouse lost 68% of its equity over the next 2 years.

1/4 of all mortgages are for homes that are now worth less than what people are paying for in their mortgage. There is no way to get rid of these properties, except letting the home go into foreclosure/short sale. If you rent and want to get out, you can sublet and get away with very little hassle. If you own a house that has greatly depreciated, you're stuck in it, potentially for the full duration of the mortgage.

The housing market continually rises and falls, which is why it is very risky to get involved with. If you rent and your apartment building burns down, you're fine if you had some renter's insurance which is like $120/year. If your house burns down, you're facing financial ruin even if you had insurance.

  • 12.20.2012 7:37 AM PDT
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Posted by: spartanfornow
That is highly suspect. From personal experience, my parents bought a townhouse in Las Vegas just during the very peak of the bubble. Everyone was drinking the coolaid of how it was going to be a great time to buy. They ended up selling before the bubble burst, like 8-10 months after the purchase. The
townhouse lost 68% of its equity over the next 2 years.

Las Vegas was hit hard during the housing collapse. Townhouses were hit hard during the collapse. But that area is also one of the areas rebounding quickest off of the housing lows.

The median sales price there has 20% year over year increases - $130k median. Are you going to see it shoot back up to where it was? Of course not. Should it anytime soon? Of course not. But it is also one of the areas where buying especially made sense when average rents hover around $1,000 a month. Why pay $1,000 a month for a rental when you can pay $1,000 a month, build equity, and have more control over your own property? All things equal, people prefer to buy than rent - which is why buying properties where renting was more expensive than buying was the easiest real estate play you could make in the past few years.

Posted by: spartanfornow
1/4 of all mortgages are for homes that are now worth less than what people are paying for in their mortgage. There is no way to get rid of these properties, except letting the home go into foreclosure/short sale. If you rent and want to get out, you can sublet and get away with very little hassle. If you own a house that has greatly depreciated, you're stuck in it, potentially for the full duration of the mortgage.

Are a lot of homes underwater? Sure if you bought at the wrong time at the peak of the market. And yes, the road to principal forgiveness/short sale/loan modification is not the easiest one. That doesn't change the fact of the situation of how good a deal houses are now, versus how good a deal houses were five years ago.

Posted by: spartanfornow
The housing market continually rises and falls, which is why it is very risky to get involved with. If you rent and your apartment building burns down, you're fine if you had some renter's insurance which is like $120/year. If your house burns down, you're facing financial ruin even if you had insurance.

Yes, markets undulate. And houses really shouldn't be viewed as a wealth builder - if anything, they should be viewed as an inflation hedge. That was part of the problem.

But why do you say you face financial ruin? That is the point of housing insurance - you will be fine provided you have adequate coverage and understand the policy you have.

[Edited on 12.20.2012 7:52 AM PST]

  • 12.20.2012 7:50 AM PDT

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There is a company that is turning old cargo containers into houses. The cost is about $10k per container, plus the labor to join them up in your desired configuration, and utilities and such. If you don't need a lot of space, this is a inexpensive way to get a house built.

  • 12.20.2012 7:54 AM PDT

Online ID: GriffGraff15

They do have houses like that. They're modular "green" buildings

  • 12.20.2012 7:56 AM PDT

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