When touring the i-house model...

According to my SURVEY, many of you have never been to a dealer of manufactured homes. When going to see the i-house, I have a few suggestions.

If you are seriously considering a purchase of this home, especially if you have a long distance to travel to see the model, ask many questions of the salespeople at Clayton headquarters by phone, in advance of making your trip. Write down their answers.

It is not that the local dealer will not know enough about the home, but it is a new model, and if you have some more unusual questions, you may as well ask them of the people in Knoxville.

Look at some of the other homes on the lot for comparison, including the least expensive, homes about the same price, and ones that cost more. If the lot where the i-house is displayed has some lower end homes, you will notice the thinner walls, cheaper looking windows and fixtures, seamed paneling instead of drywall, and lower ceiling on single-wide homes.

The tour of the i-house will probably begin with a salesperson. It will allow you to ask questions. Spend some time in the house alone, to get a feel of the space. The salespeople know everyone needs to do this.

If you are nearby, come back on a different day, at a different time, to take a second or third look at the house if you want. It is a big decision and thinking it over and seeing it again can often help you feel more certain.

When viewing a home on a lot, visualize what it would be like on your property, the solar orientation, the views out the windows. This is one thing that makes the experience different from buying a house already on land. The dealer in Albuquerque has several homes set up about 60 feet from the interstate, so people driving by can see them. (The i-house won’t be there until June 15th.) Most dealers locate a lot in a high traffic area where their homes can be seen by passers by.

Having a front porch just feet from a highway would be the ultimate nightmare for me, and it can be distracting having the noise, so take time, relax, and visualize the way the home would be on your property.

Your first instincts are important, when entering a house, but also, this is a modern house and give yourself a few minutes to take in all that is new.