Spokane's Aging Population

According to Spokane's Journal of Business the number of Spokane County residents who are between the ages of 40 and 54 in Spokane County more than doubled between 1980 and 2005, far outdistancing growth in the number of residents in other age brackets.

In 2005, 34,200 people between 45 & 49 lived in Spokane County, 119% more than 25 years earlier. In the range from 50 to 54 the number of people was 31,300, roughly double that of 25 years ago.

Another trend that Spokane is experiencing is increased housing cost. With the average home hovering around $200,000, it is getting more and more difficult for Spokane's residents to find affordable housing especially after they retire and need something that is less expensive. Clearly, as we age we continue to have health challenges that affect the type of housing selected.

One solution, according to Dave Cecie of Select Homes Northwest, is to consider purchasing a manufactured home. Over the past 6 years, Select Homes which has developed land-home packages with manufactured homes has sold numerous homes. "Our most common demographic for these homes is the 55+ age group", says Cecie.

Last year, one of my own clients purchased a Select Homes package consisting of a manufactured home designed with the look and feel of a log cabin, a 3-car shop all on a 10 acre parcel. "This isn't your father's manufactured home", says Cecie. "These homes are built in a factory with the type of precision you would find in a cabinet shop. The lumber and other materials are not exposed to the environmental elements like rain and hot temperatures that cause boards to warp. The level of the production quality has to exceed that of site-built homes because these homes are exposed to high winds just in transportation from the factory to the site."

I personally visited a manufactured home factory this past winter and was amazed at the quality materials from companies like Owens Corning, Whirlpool, and others that go into the finished product. The walls were true 2x6 construction and the cabinets were as good as anything in the site-built homes being put up in Spokane county. Additionally, there were upgrades available like granite counters, stainless appliances and jetted tubs.

Finally, I went to a development in Sisters, Oregon built with one and two-level manufactured, factory built homes. The exterior of these homes when constructed with standard 2 car garages and dressed up with brick, cultured stone and cedar looked as good or in often cases better than their site-built counterparts. In fact, if someone hadn't told me they were manufactured homes, I would never have guessed.

Needless to say, my total perspective on manufactured homes has changed considerably over the past year. You may want to check out the virtual tours of the homes I visited yourself on the web at www.fuquahomesdc.com