Don't Wait for the Storm: Replacing an older, outdated home is the key to peace of mind for many homeowners. By Mark Gibson For many, the lifestyle offered by the many 55+ manufactured home retirement communities creates the perfect combination of affordable living and a carefree and comfortable lifestyle. With many waterfront and golf course communities, the Southeast offers some of the finest manufactured home living opportunities in the country. And yet, with all of the cost, convenience and amenity advantages offered by these communities, many home owners are concerned about the safety and security of their homes. The year 2004 and the names Charlie, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne forever impacted the lives of homeowners. Now, the idea of surviving a hurricane has become a permanent part of life for many families. Living in a manufactured home, particularly an older one, makes the concerns over hurricane safety even more important. Many older homes are uninsurable, putting the homeowner at significant risk. Replacing an older, outdated manufactured home with a new, safer and more secure home is an easy solution. Manufactured homes offer many significant advantages over site built homes including the speed of construction, cost and quality control. Many 55+ communities were developed at a time when real estate prices were more reasonable. As a result, there are communities, developed many years ago, that boast incredible locations and amenities that would be unavailable to newer developments. Increasing real estate prices and rapid development have also caused a significant decrease in new manufactured home community development. Because of these advantages, many manufactured home residents absolutely love where there they live. However, they wonder how their older manufactured home will fare when another storm season comes. Meteorologists predict an active storm cycle for the next several years. While the manufactured home industry has made significant strides, many older homes in these communities were built many years ago leaving the strength and security of their homes in doubt. And while insurance may replace a destroyed home, you cannot put a price on lost and destroyed personal belongings. So, what makes newer manufactured homes better? While 2004 was a year that forever changed the mindset of many homeowners, 1992 and Hurricane Andrew changed the quality and durability of today’s manufactured homes. Due the devastation caused by Andrew, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) changed the national building code in 1994. Today, all manufactured homes must comply with this new code. In addition to the 1994 HUD code, the State of Florida revised set up requirements in 1999 creating the strictest tie down standards in the country. Other states are considering adopting the Florida standard. Did the new 1992 HUD code and 1999 Florida tie down codes work? Yes! While there is no question that the devastation caused by the four storms in 2004 was unprecedented, the performance of manufactured homes built after 1994 was remarkable. In fact, while many manufactured and traditional site built homes were destroyed, the Florida Manufactured Home Association reports that not one single home built after the 1994 revised building codes was destroyed. The new codes worked very well indeed. The same advantages that make new manufactured homes such a popular choice also make replacing older homes a quick and relatively inexpensive option for homeowners looking to improve the safety of their home. After just a few days to remove the old home, a new manufactured home can be set up and installed in just a few weeks. The result -- a new home built in a quality controlled environment, to the toughest national standard, at a low cost per square foot -- and best of all, peace of mind for the homeowner. Better yet, today’s newer manufactured homes are built with many new and improved design features that make them more comfortable and attractive than ever before. Taller interior walls, more attractive décor packages, improved kitchens, appliances and significantly improved energy efficiency are just a few of the improved design features. If you are one of the thousands of residents living in an older 55 plus manufactured home community and love the location and neighbors -- most of them, anyway -- and your home was built prior to the 1994 and 1999 code changes, you may want to investigate replacing your home. The first place to start is a visit to a reputable manufactured home dealer to discuss your options. Your old home may have trade-in value and with the improved energy efficiency of newer homes and potentially fewer repair costs, it may make buying a new home more cost effective than you imagined. In the end, the real value is the peace of mind that will come from living in a safer, more comfortable and more secure manufactured home. So don't wait for the storm.   Mark Gibson is Chief Operating Officer of Sun Ovation Homes, a network of franchised manufactured and modular home centers with locations throughout Florida: www.sunovationhomes.com. Mark can be contacted vie email at mark.gibson@sunovationhomes.com.