seriously, we just took almost an entire day to hook ours up. We currently had aluminum ductwork that leaked lint and the flapper was probably original to the house, and didn't close due to the lint holding it open. Hence lots of flies were entering the basement laundry. I had went to lowes and bought everything possible for this new chore, hoping we wouldn't have to make a trip to the local hardware store. But, guess what, trip to Ace was in order. We had the darndest time getting the semi-rigid hose connected to the duct work, and finally gave up on that because it kept unwinding. Then we used the aluminum flexible hose, which still wouldn't connect because some idiot decided that a 4 inch opening won't fit into/over another 4 inch opening. Why don't they make these a bit smaller so they will fit together correctly!!! We ended up buying a adapter that had 2 female ends. If we have to ever do this again, I am definitely going to check into the mentioned gadgets below.

Once more I must agree with Christopher. Land prices, construction prices, laws, regulations, permits, etc. vary widely state to state, and sometimes even county to county, or city to city. Similarly, stick built, modular, and manufactured homes all vary considerably in price, quality, and finance-ableness. Does anyone remember the movie "The Money Pit"? If I remember correctly, it starred Tom Hanks and Shelly Long. The comedy revolved around the trope of a naive couple who think they're getting a killer deal on a beautiful home--a stick built home. But once they move in, the house starts falling apart and they have to sink more and more money into it. It's funny because it's true--most of us, if we haven't experienced it ourselves, know someone who has. In the last stick built home I bought, in 1995, I think it was, we had multiple problems after moving in. I was cleaning a bathroom one day and my son started pounding on the door yelling, "Mom, it's raining in my bedroom!" Turned out there was a length of pipe completely missing! None of the roller drawers worked correctly. The sprinklers in the front yard watered the sidewalk rather than the grass (the contractor put in the front yard as part of the purchase price). And about ten more things. We had to sue the contractor to make him fix it all. That, along with holding back $2,000 in escrow, was the only way to get him to make things right, and that's the only reason we didn't end up with a "money pit." My point is, no one can state categorically that one type of home is always better than another. There are examples of very shoddy homes in all three types of houses, and there are examples of beautifully built houses in each. People buy manufactured homes for many reasons. I see in this thread that some people only see it as a stepping stone to a "real house" as one poster called it. Many people who are retiring sell their stick builts and buy a manufactured home for several reasons: they can pay cash for the MH and have money left over to travel or to live on. A smaller home needs less maintenance. If they put it in a 55+ park, the park may take care of the lawn. And some seniors enjoy the social activities of such a park. Where I live, in eastern Washington state, MHs indeed have been going UP in value. This is because wages are low, and unemployment is high. Many people can't afford a stick built, thus demand has risen dramatically for MHs, even used ones in a park. And when demand rises, prices do too. I bought my MH because of my somewhat unique situation. I bought a junker, an old 1979 SW for $2,000 cash. Over the next three years or so I'm going to sink around $30,000 into it and refurbish it from top to bottom. I have an academic grant whereby I get several thousand dollars three times a year. So I'll do a major project three times a year and pay for it with cash. I'll continue to live within my means on my fairly meagar income. My house will be beautiful and strong and will last at least fifty more years. I don't care about getting my money out of it, because I'm going to live in it for the rest of my life and then leave it to my daughter. I liked the advice from bus_driver. The OP actually DID ask for his advice, not in the original post, but in a follow-up. He laid out his monthly budget, then asked, "How am I supposed to save money on this budget?" Therefore, it was entirely appropriate for him to respond to the question that was directed to him. He, and a couple of other respondents were correct in stating that he (along with a substantial number of Americans) need to increase income and decrease expenses. I've never had a car loan. I drive a 1999 Ford Windstar minivan. I will drive it until it drops. Then I'll buy another car for cash. And drive it until it drops. I currently live in a house on my university's campus with eight other women. My rent is $365 per month. And I don't buy stuff. I buy food, gas, toiletries, and medication, and things necessary for my work. I rarely buy clothes--I haven't bought new clothes in the last 15 months. And when I do buy clothes, 90% of it is from thrift shops. I have to buy special shoes due to my disability, but I wear them for a very long time. I go out to eat maybe three or four times a year, and I never, ever buy fast food. I don't have cable TV (or a TV). My daughter and I go to a movie on Christmas. But if you think my life is squalid and empty, you're wrong. My university has tons of lectures, concerts, dance performances, athletic events, etc., that I can get free tickets to. In the last couple of years, I've seen Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Dahli Lama, Jane Goodall, President of Liberia, Mrs. Greenleaf Sirloff, and David Brooks, among others. I've been to champion basketball games, and musical performances, plays, etc., that would knock your socks off. And I recently returned from a year in Zambia, where the experience of another culture was life-changing. Universities all over charge the public nominal fees for outstanding events and performances. And many cities have science centres, museums of history, and other events that are free or low cost. When Neil DeGrasse Tyson had his mini-series a couple of years ago, our local science centre hosted a viewing each week, followed by a short lecture and Q&A session with scientists who are experts in whatever the theme of the show was--and it was free. Check out your local high schools for plays and musicals; okay, they may not be up to Broadway standards, but they are still a lot of fun for a fraction of the cost. And don't overlook your public library! Besides being able to check out everything from the latest bestsellers to very technical stuff, you can check out movies, use the Internet for free, and print stuff out for free (at my library I can print out 75 pages a week free!). They also often have free events of all kinds. My point is, you can save a lot of money but still have a lot of fun and interesting things to do. I recently read that 75% of American families eat out at least three times a week. That's fine if you have no debt and the income to do that and still save money. But that is not the case for most people. And the worst part of it is that most of them put it on a credit card! I don't believe in credit cards. If you only make the minimum payment every month, you could end up paying $500 for that $70 dinner! i have tons of great friends and we get together all the time. We just don't do it at restaurants. I can cook at least 25 meals for my friends for the cost of taking them out once. And we go out, but to the types of events listed above. And back to the OP's original question. Mobile/manufactured homes are a little tougher to finance, especially older ones, for all the reasons other posters have delineated. But the OP's problem isn't that MHs are somewhat difficult to finance. His problem is no one will finance him for anything other than a vehicle because of his current (or current at the time of his OP) financial situation. A poor credit rating and his debt to income ratio, and not having anything to put down on it, are the triple whammy. I would advise him, and anyone in his situation, to take a second job if possible, trade in the truck and buy something for cash, and get his credit rating up over time. I don't live in SoCal, so I don't know if his rent is reasonable, but if he could find something even $100 a month cheaper, that's still safe, I'd advise him to do that too. Anyway, these are things that have worked for me. Each person's situation is unique, and I recognise that some things that work for me may not work for you. And you may have some money saving ideas I haven't thought of. I would not presume to tell anyone how they should spend their money. I have no moral judgement on that--spend it however you want, as long as you adequately provide for your children. I'm only saying, in response to the OP, if your goal is to buy your own house, then this is the advice I would give you, or anyone else who asked. You are perfectly free to take it or leave it with no offence whatsoever taken on my part. And, of course, many buyers of MHs are far more well off financially than I am, although everyone has to live within her or his means. And everyone should have a savings account, in my personal opinion. But not all MH owners or want to be owners have the limited resources I have, and more power to them! I'm definitely not trying to perpetuate the myth, and it is a myth, that all MH owners live in poverty. That is certainly not the case! In fact, I would dare say the majority of MH owners are in the middle to upper middle class, and some are in the upper class.

Doodle, you should have said... no woman in her right mind would marry a man who is the sole support of his ex! Sure, there are lots of guys that pay spousal support and it's a foolish woman that relies 100% on her ex's support... to be financial dependent on someone else is taking a risk that they won't lose their job, lose their assets, or die without providing for her. Then where would that leave her? Well, look at my DH's ex for example. She married at 24 & split from hubby #1 at 25... divorce is still not final but he's been paying support for 12 years. Some of it is temporary spousal support so if he decides to no longer pay it, he will likely get it stopped since it was a short marriage & she's been a student for at least 5 years.... plenty of time to get a degree (though she hasn't) and she's had 12 years to get a job, though she hasn't. She has relied on his money for 12 years.... she is now working just enough to keep DCSS from suspending her license for support she owes for SD. She works 20-25 hrs a week @ $8 an hour, not a living wage in my opinion. Well, she is 36... 37 in a few months and has NEVER held a real job! She has not finished her AA degree, though she's called herself a student for 12 years. Her older daughter is 13, almost 14... so she's got another 4 years in child support, which I would almost guarantee her husband will want to finalize the divorce and stop the spousal support too. What is she going to do? She's lived with her 70 year old mom until she moved in with her current BF who has said he has no intention of marrying her... well, besides the fact he can't marry her since she's married already, he is seeing her as a financial burden. He was after her to get a job for a while because his things were being repossessed but she wouldn't work until DCSS was going to take her license. So, in 4 years will this guy still be her BF? Her mom will be 74-75 on a fixed income & she will be 40 with no work history or education. That's what can happen when you do nothing with yourself but rely on someone else to support you all your life. and even if your ex is wealthy and he does provide for you in his will or you have a legal agreement... who's to say he will be ABLE to fulfill the agreement or that there will be anything left to will? The stock market crashing, the housing market taking a dive, or maybe a few bad business decisions can ruin someone. It is shocking how little Michael Jackson had at the time of his death... you never know what will happen and to tie your financial future on what someone else does, well that is foolish.

Thank you for your advice. He does have a VERY complicated past, but has taken anger management classes, and is getting back to working now. (after his kids got taken away he didn't work for 3 years, severely depressed) So on those things, he HAS changed. I thought things would get better because with time I would understand that past is past, and that his future is with me. It is very unlikely that he will see any of his kids before they turn 18, so the only way I will have to deal with them is court dates about child support and pictures on the wall. But even with these things I feel upset, and no matter how many times he assures me that he loves me, it doesn't seem to help. I also have problems trusting him, but he's swore never to lie again. Most of the lies he made was not to scare me away, and I can understand that, but I cannot forgive it. I tried to go several times before we got married, but he got so upset, didn't want to live anymore etc etc. I do know how much he loves and needs me, and I love him so much! He does everything he can for me, is very affectionate and always shows me how much I mean to him. But it seems like nothing is going our way. I don't have work status, he hardly makes the rent so we stay with his family, I don't know anyone here and no one in my family has met him. I can't go home for a visit because of the immigration process. I feel completely isolated, all while I have the most caring and giving husband. I do feel inferior to him, and I do know that he wasn't a model father. When I first met him, I had just ended my first serious relationship (4 yrs), with someone who had never been with anyone else, and was the same age as I. Maybe that's why I'm so resentful, I never had to deal with any of these things and was very naiv. Everything happened very fast, because of the distance (couldn't be with him unless we got married). It just feels like where he before would listen to my opinions, now just throws it away saying I'm only 23, I don't know this and that. It's probably true, but it hurts having my own husband say that. He's also very loyal, but can be pretty controlling. He even claims that taking the bus is too dangerous, and gets very upset if I want to go somewhere without him. These things are not the main issue though, that being his past. As long as you know someone needs you and loves you, and you love them, how can you just forget about the promise to be together for ever, and for sure ruin their whole world. He needed a new start and a second chance in life. I gave it to him, but am so full of regrets. People have mistreated him his whole life, and he's doing EVERYTHING he can. How do I find it in my heart to step up to the commitment I made when I married him, and not just think about him having four kids and how that complicated my life. I do love him so much. Sorry for writing so much, just needed to get it out.