The Tiny House movement has caught the media’s eye, has given rise to a cable TV show and has caused some to wonder why manufactured housing isn’t getting the same kind of love as Tiny Houses are? Well, Newport Pacific’s Modular Lifestyles division is tapping into the many green, off-grid and ‘back yard’ home opportunities.
Compared to residential construction costs in California, the back yard “granny flat” is amazingly competitive in price, and boasts the ability to be completely free of any electrical connections. This makes it a fine practical investment for those seeking such backyard or ADU (accessory dwelling unit) type homes.
The Fox40 report points out that back up propane gas is available if necessary to power the home in the event of a number of days without much sunlight.
The home was setup on the front lawn of the state capitol, so that lawmakers and the public could tour it. Sheila Dey, JD and Executive Director of the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association (WMA) was also on hand, touting the benefits of the home.
Mike Sullivan and Steve Lefler are doing far more than ADUs (accessory dwelling units). They are also producing full sized “near off grid” homes that are being placed in land-lease communities in CA. These ‘near off grid’ homes are at or near net zero energy, as this report linked here suggests.
While these are obviously more of an investment than a standard manufactured home on a cost per square foot basis, what Newport Pacific has showcased is an approach that has created waiting lists for homes shortly after the homes are installed and made ready for showing.
For MHCs looking for a new approach that simultaneously upgrades and improves the image of the property and industry, this has proven to be worth a good look.
We plan to feature a more in depth photo spread and videos of the Quest home on our ManufacturedHomeLivingNews site during the month of September. ##
