COLUMN: Law expands housing options

The pork industry used to advertise its product as "the other white meat." The manufactured housing industry should advertise its product as "the other affordable home."

On Jan. 1, 2000, a little-known law went into effect allowing manufactured housing to be placed on most residential lots in Nevada. SB323 was sponsored by Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, and Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.

"I agreed to co-sponsor the manufactured housing anti-discrimination bill because I believe the owners face unreasonable zoning barriers in deciding where to place their home," Buckley said. "Today's manufactured homes are much different than the old trailers people remember. They are beautiful homes that anyone would be proud to live in. If the homes fit in a neighborhood, they should not face arbitrary discrimination."

Gub Mix, executive director of the Nevada Manufactured Housing Association, said before deciding on a land purchase, consumers should determine if there are deed restrictions that might affect the placement of a new manufactured home.

SB323 requires manufactured homes to be at least 1,200 square feet and include more than one section; to be permanently affixed to a residential lot; to be no more than five years old; and to have exterior features that conform to its surroundings.

Mix said savvy lawmakers included compatibility standards in the new law that ensure existing neighborhoods will not be affected by the placement of these homes.

"A wide variety of architectural styles and interior dˇcor, along with quality construction standards, have helped elevate the reputation of the manufactured housing industry in the minds of many home buyers," he said.

Tom Warden, vice president of public relations for Summerlin, said the master-planned community has no regulations against manufactured homes. However, Warden said, a master plan has added layers of deed restrictions, CC&Rs, and design reviews that would have to be met by the home buyer.

Because most master plans have the same depth of regulations as Summerlin, most manufactured home sitings probably would occur in more rural areas.

"The passage of SB323 has opened up literally thousands of urban and rural area home sites for consumers seeking a new home at an affordable price," Mix said.

Even with design upgrades, manufactured homes will sell from 15 to 25 percent less than comparable site-built structures, according to Mix.

"The homes, when properly sited and maintained, will experience the same rate of appreciation as conventional homes in surrounding neighborhoods."

Buckley said most of the complaints about siting manufactured homes came out of the Carson City area, which is why Amodei signed on to the bill as a sponsor.

"The Legislature has ensured that the manufactured home must fit in with neighborhood aesthetics," she said. "Municipalities no longer can say no just based on discrimination. It seems silly for counties to discriminate against manufactured homes, when stick-built homes nearby are falling apart."

Mix said although most of the complaints locally came from Clark County, the commission was the first to pass an ordinance to comply with SB323 and has been the most cooperative.

Several town boards passed the ordinance in October 1999, and their model has been copied by other governments around the state, Mix said.

"Las Vegas was OK. It had an ordinance in place that was not far off from the Senate bill."

He said Henderson has yet to approve an ordinance, although the bill put a deadline on local participation.

Don't expect to see manufactured housing popping up on every vacant lot in the valley. SB323, however, provides a viable option to affordable housing.

Carmel Hopkins, real estate product manager for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Las Vegas Sun, can be reached at 380-4574. Her e-mail address is Carmel_Hopkins@ lasvegasnewspapers.com. Snail mail is P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.

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