Clayton Homes are very durable. The one in Sylva I was in with Vissy was a Clayton Houdini that was bought in 2001. It didn't have anymore repairs than a normal home but it was much cheaper to get done and they were mostly minor. Its still standing today perfectly fine....never had an issue with roof, electricity....some clogged pipes and a floor repair from one of the cats digging it up but that's pretty much it.
Also, these homes are not made of cardboard...they are stick built homes on a foundation of American Steel I-Beams. The cost difference is simple....they are built indoors in a controlled enviroment so there is never any delays, you can't customize or design the floor plan, and they are much smaller as is my singlewide and waste is very minimal preserving the . They use the same insultation, same wood, same plumbing, same wiring, same siding, same roofing, etc because Clayton Homes also builds modular homes and site built homes. Here's a video of one being made if you need a reminder
As far as my reason for buying it....I simply wanted to reduce my bills as I spend a lot of money having an apartment in addition to having my own private place and something that I own. I didn't wish to spend 188k on a home that I would never have a need for and would spend forever paying off and I wanted one with very little maintenance. This is my first home I've ever bought so I'm very pleased at my decision to get one as well as being able to get out of Greenville and enjoy the peaceful countryside.
