Living in a mobile homes is one option you can consider when planning for your future housing needs. In the past, mobile homes typically were considered starter homes. But today, many people are choosing to make mobile homes their permanent dwelling.

"Factory-Built Home” is a generic term that refers to any home that has been predominately designed and constructed in a controlled factory or plant environment. Factory processes are extremely efficient with materials and, thus, are considered more environmentally friendly. In addition, the factory environment can provide a much greater degree of quality control, compared to on-site construction.

Manufactured Homes are the buildings we have, in the past, referred to as mobile homes or trailers. While other factory-built homes are built to the codes of the area where they will be installed, manufactured homes are built to a special HUD-code and installed in accordance with HUD guidelines. Thus they are sometimes referred to as HUD-Code homes.

For those who need fast, affordable and reliable solutions for their housing problems, modular homes might be the best solution. In contrast to what many people think, modular homes are quite different than manufactured or trailer homes. In fact, they are very similar to site-built homes.

Thousands of older and historic homes in New Orleans were affected by Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed. But that does not mean that every material with mold on it needs to be discarded

Factory built homes are nearly undetectable from the street and, often, people cannot recognize, from appearance alone, the difference between a factory built home and a site built home. In New Orleans, manufacturers have been dedicated to creating stock designs that are specific to the New Orleans region. The architectural style of a typical New Orleans “shotgun” style house has been adopted and modified to create new home styles that fit seamlessly in their environments.

When calm returns after the storm, it’s time to assess the damage and begin repairs. A number of factors should be considered, and the following information may be helpful.

Hiring a qualified contractor for mold remediation is not required, but is generally safer and more effective than a “do-it-yourself” approach.

Although it is uncommon in most homes, toxic mold, also known as black mold, has become a major issue for some home builders and homeowners in the United States. The effects have run the gamut from disposal to litigation. An understanding of the mold issue from these points of view can aid private companies, public policy makers and extension professionals in developing and disseminating unbiased, useful information to these and other groups.

This list of home improvements to increase wind resistance is divided into cost categories. You can tackle these projects one at a time, but remember – the more you do, the stronger your home will be against hurricane winds. The material below is from the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). Prices are pre-Katrina.