The real estate market is likely to show more listings for property containing manufactured housing units in rural and suburban settings. Using his state as an example, Harris says according to the 1990 Census of Housing, manufactured housing comprised almost 13 percent of the Texas housing stock.
Price is the primary reason for the increasing popularity of manufactured homes.
Manufactured housing is becoming more acceptable to home buyers and their neighbors because the quality is changing. It is now standard to make units look more like traditional houses rather than like travel-trailers. With a life expectancy of 55 years and an improved appearance, manufactured units should hold value as well as comparable site-built units. However, a North Carolina study in the 1980s found that site built homes located near manufactured units were as likely to sell for a price greater than the appraised value as those without the presence of such units.