As part of their Prefabricated Housing—Global Strategic Market Report, researchandmarkets.com states the manufactured homes segment of the industry accounts for ten percent of housing starts in the U. S., and contributes significant revenues to the entire housing industry, especially since shipments began rising in 2011. While low housing costs particularly for singles, young marrieds and seniors are currently driving the demand for manufactured homes, lack of retail financing is the greatest challenge to the segment, as MHProNews knows. Similar to other industries, the prefabricated housing market is moving in the direction of low carbon footprints, with solar energy, water cachement devices and energy efficient windows and insulation as it also seeks a “greener” identity. Currently the U. S. and Europe have the lion’s share of the prefabricated housing market, although Australia and New Zealand markets are growing. In the future, burgeoning demand for affordable housing is expected in China, Korea, India and Taiwan as the compounded growth rate reaches 4.4 percent through 2017, according to the report.
