There are Definitely more than 10 Steps...but here is an overview of the process involved in building your new home:
1) Lot Selection
You can't really build a home without a lot.
Many of our customers already have lots, others are
in the process of acquiring
a lot, and some are in the earliest stages of researching manufactured
homes as an option. With manufactured homes, we look for level or relatively
level lots with reasonable access. Remember the home is pre-constructed,
making access a key issue.
2) Obtain Setback, Snowload
and Fire Information
The County and City have what are
called setback requirements determining what is the buildable portion of a
lot. One
of the first things Mountain Ridge Homes does is ask you for the APN (Assessor's
Parcel Number) so that we can obtain the official setbacks for your lot
.APN's
are easily found on tax or title documents, or your real estate sales
agreement.
There is no exact formula regarding setbacks. Experience has shown us that rear setbacks are normally 15'. Front setbacks can be as little as 15' and as much as 35'. If the lot is a corner, be prepared to lose footage on both sides. Side setbacks vary. In the City of Big Bear Lake, the side setbacks are 20% of the width of the lot not to exceed 15'. We highly recommend that you either ask us to check for you or that you contact the appropriate building departments directly. This is also a perfect time to ask for snowload requirements and to check with the fire department (only Big Bear City will do this) to see if anything, such as sprinklers will be required. The more information you have about your lot the easier the process will be. Knowing your “Building Envelope” is essential before proceeding to step 3.
SURVEYS: By law a current survey (within 1 year by a licensed surveyor) with identifiable corner markers must be in place before any construction can take place. Surveyors are often booked weeks to months in advance. We highly recommend that a survey be scheduled at the earliest possible date. We are happy to assist you in obtaining a surveyor.
3) Floorplan Selection
Between our four manufacturers, we have hundreds
of floorplans to choose from. Additionally, there is a great deal of flexibility
within those floorplans. (stretch, flop, move walls, etc) Most
of our clients come to us with floorplans they have either downloaded from
the internet or seen at
a dealer's lot. We find the most effective way to
select a floorplan is to have an idea of what is important to you. Whether
it is a living room window location, because you want to enjoy the view,
a walk-in pantry or a master retreat, this “wish list” will help
us guide you towards floorplans which will meet your needs. We usually
find after reviewing the many floorplans, most clients are able to narrow
it down to one or two. They may want modifications, but the basic layout
is selected.
4) Selecting Options/Pricing
Once you have narrowed down your floorplan choices,
we will discuss the options and upgrades that are important to you. We will
review the most popular choices suggesting items which will enhance both
the aesthetics and livability of your home.Once we have compiled a list,
Mountain Ridge Homes will create a formal written quote itemizing each option.
One of the things we didn't like when were were customers of dealers, was
the practice of a price written on a xerox of the floorplan. They rarely
included any kind of breakdown, leaving us unclear as to what was included
in that price. We believe the best way to keep a customer is to help them
make an informed choice. If you are unclear about any of our pricing...please
don't hesitate to ask for clarification.
One of the most commonly asked questions
is what is the average cost per square foot and what are the associated costs
of building. Click here for some general answers to this question.
5) Financing
This is the least favorite step. Ultimately the
home must be paid for. Like any new construction,
it is a multi-step process. Basically you are looking at : Planning, Site
Preparation, Foundation, Set-Up, Utility Installation, Finish Work (Decks,
Stairs, Landscaping). If a garage is to be included that has to be coordinated
into the process as well. All of these areas are a part of the construction
phase.
If you aren't paying cash or using an existing line of credit, a construction
loan must be obtained. The good news is that the construction process with
a manufactured
home is
relatively
short.
(usually 3-6 months) and generally money is released as needed
(on a draw basis),
meaning you will only pay on the money as it is loaned. As with any loan, there
will likely be points and fees appropriate to your particular loan. Most lenders
will include the purchase of the land in the loan as well as considering land
(if you already own it) and any improvements you have done to the land
as equity which can be applied to/as the required
down payment.
Before Mountain Ridge Homes proceeds with construction, we look for both a construction loan and the final “Take Out ”loan to be approved. Although there are many options available, we have had the best luck with mortgage companies who specialize in manufactured home loans. There are a variety of programs available some allowing as little as 10% down and most willing to loan 80% loan to value. Obviously your credit history, debts and assets will come into play and we find it is best for you to speak directly to one of the lenders we recommend. We are happy to assist you in the process, but prefer to leave the details to the experts.
6) Plot Plans & Plan
Check
While some kind of pre-qualification
regarding how the home will be financed is being obtained, Mountain Ridge
Homes will do a physical evaluation of the lot, and begin the measuring process
required
to create
a plot plan. This process includes locating utilities, identifying all trees
over 6" in
diameter, and measuring existing structures both on and adjacent to the property.
We
will create a preliminary plot plan, drawn to the proper scale and make it
ready to submit first to the fire department for approval and ultimately
to the building department as part of the plan submission process. Please
be aware that our measurements and plot plan in no way replace
the necessity
for a survey to be performed by a licensed surveyor.
Next the plot plan is given to the foundation, site preparation and utility sub-contractors for bidding purposes. Once the bids come in, Mountain Ridge Homes will be able to provide you with pricing for the many phases. At this time a contract will be drawn up, a designated deposit will be paid and an escrow will be opened. All monies paid to Mountain ridge Homes will actually be paid to escrow and distributed according the the sales agreement by escrow, protecting all parties involved.
7) Placing The Order/Requesting
Plans
Once the Purchase Order Agreement is signed,
Mountain Ridge Homes and the manufacturer consider the home ordered.
Technically because Big Bear has a detailed plan check process,
we do
not actually
order the home to be built until we obtain approval from the local building
department.
The local building department has jurisdiction
over the site preparation, the foundation and the utility hookups as well
as site built garages and any decking or stairs over 30" from the ground.
The home itself is inspected at a Federal level before it leaves the factory.
The local building department doesn't have jurisdiction over the home itself.
The home will however, need to comply with local fire department requirements.
Once the order is placed
with the manufacturer, the order usually requires a visit to the manufacturers
engineering department to make certain the foundation
prints for the required snowload are approved by the appropriate agency as
well as having the plans reflect any changes requested by the client. Once
those prints are ready, the manufacturer will provide Mountain
Ridge
Homes with
the set
up
manuals
and
plans required
for
submission.
Mountain
Ridge Homes then packages the plans, highlights the detailed information
as it applies to your specific home, prepares the required erosion control
plan along with the necessary fire dept approval letter, utility will -serve
letters, etc.and proceeds with plan submission with the appropriate building
dept.
(The City of Big Bear Lake requires things a little differently, but
ultimately our job is to walk you through the process).
When the home is ready to go into plan check the required fees must be paid to the building department. From here...we wait for the plans to come back as “Approved” or with “Revisions”. Once any revisions have been addressed and approved, the remaining fees are due and a building permit is issued.
8) Time to “Rock & Roll”
We have a building permit and this is
the time where things really start to move. By now the financing/money
flow should be
in place, and we are ready to activate our order placing the home into
the manufacturers production schedule. The order is verified one final
time to make certain everything is correct. (Don't skimp here. Going
over the order at this point is serious business. You will live with
oversites
here, like it or not!) We schedule the foundation contractor for site
preparation, utility runs and foundation
footings.
Funds are released for Utility hookups, as well
as temporary utilities
and the process of coordinating everyone's efforts begins in earnest.
Sub-Contractors
think
of a project
as “Real”, once the building permit is issued. They have
all had enough scheduling snafus caused by optimistic builders to know
better.
In most
cases the home will take approximately 4-7 weeks to build. Each manufacturer
will
differ
and we/tthey will provide an estimated delivery date once the order
is put into production.
9) Foundation, Set-Up
& Utilities
The footings are in and inspected and the home
is ready to ship. The home must be paid for before it leaves the factory.
In
the event
monies
are not released quickly, the factories will charge storage fees which are
prohibitive. Once the funds are released, we schedule our transporter to
bring the home to the building site. The home is parked over the footings
and the set crew temporarily raises the home using jack stands to allow room
to build the foundation.The set crew will also join the sections of the
home, assuring protection from weather. The foundation contractor will
then (as quickly as scheduling allows) continue the process, building the
foundation
to fit the home exactly.With a stick-built home the foundation is built
first and you frame from there...fit is not a real issue.This is one of the
biggest differences between
stick-built homes and manufactured homes. There is very little leeway when
building the foundation for a manufactured home. The house already exists
and a foundation that fits, will make all the difference in the structural
integrity of your home.Once the foundation is complete and inspected, it
will need to cure for approximately 7-10 days. The set crew will then return
to lower the home onto the foundation and attach the home according to the
exacting specifications provided by the manufacturer. Utilities will be hooked
up and the set crew will schedule an inspection for the set-up. From here
the Belly Band (the aesthetic solution to cover the area between the home
and foundation) is done (many clients choose to do this themselves or have
it done. The drywall crew comes in and finishes the marriage line and corrects
any inconsistencies in the drywall. Decks and stairs are built in addition
to any other site related projects being permitted. Once
there
are
stairs
from
all
exterior
doors and the final inspection is completed,
the
home
is green-tagged, gas and permanent electricity goes on line.
10) Final Walk-Through
From the time the home arrives on site, Mountain
Ridge Homes will be chasing the loose ends and details. Once the home is
green-tagged, we walk the client through the home, taking a careful inventory
of anything that may not be up to an acceptable standard. Since it is new
construction, there will be small things in the first months that
may
require
adjusting. We
suggest our clients keep a note pad and list anything that
is a problem. Most of the items will
be small adjustments and either Mountain
Ridge Homes or the manufacturer will send a service rep to resolve them.
Health and Safety issues are responded to immediately. Other items are reported
to the dealer and resolved. We encourage you to be patient knowing
that with any new construction there is a settling period. The one year warranty
assures you that these issues will be resolved. After the home is finaled,
a certificate of occupancy is issued, the proper forms are recorded, the
home converts
to real property any remaining funds are dispersed and the
escrow
is closed.
