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| February 10, 2012 |
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 Texas Law Neglects Manufactured Housing
by Broderick Perkins
Unlike Arizona, California and Florida, where manufactured housing is also popular, Texas law does not fully protect home owners who rent space in rental communities from improper installations, unrestricted rent increases and other financial hardships. According to the American Association of Retired People, 58 percent of all manufactured home owners rent the lot where their home is located leaving most manufactured home owners in the Lone Star state with few consumer protections. That's prompted the Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, to recommended the Texas legislature fill the legal void with consumer protection measures. Recently testifying before the Texas House Urban Affairs Committee, Consumers Union recommended: "We recommend the law be amended to require 100 percent of installations receive an inspection," said Janee Briesemeister, senior policy analyst for the Southwest Office of CU. "Providing a proper inspection of every installation is essential to making manufactured homes a safe and long-term affordable option for consumers." Briesemeister also said Texas' state housing programs could help provide manufactured housing loans with interest rates more in line with interest rates on mortgages for site-built housing. Interest rates on manufactured home loans are typically several percentage points higher than the prevailing rate on residential mortgages. A Consumers Union survey showed that lenders and retailers in Austin's tight housing market were charging rates between 9 to 14 percent on a 30-year loan for manufactured home purchasers with good credit. Mortgage rates for site built housing are below 9 percent. "Problems such as costs associated with improper installations and the unpredictability of costs in rental communities must be tackled," Briesemeister said. Published: July 20, 2000 Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws. 
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30 Year Fixed: 3.87% 15 Year Fixed: 3.16% 1 Year Adj: 2.78% (U.S. Weekly Averages) Today's Headlines 07/20/2000
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At a time when housing is at a premium, Texas law offers little legal protection for many consumers who can only afford manufactured homes.
A journalist for 35-years, Broderick Perkins parlayed an old-school daily newspaper career into a digital news service offering editorial content and consulting services. Perkins' San Jose, CA-based DeadlineNews Group includes the flagship news site,