If you’re a prospective first-time homeowner who wants to take advantage of the government’s $8,000 tax credit, we should remind you that time is running out.

Many people assume they have until the end of the calendar year to make their purchase, but the deadline for the free money is actually November 30. That means you’ve got a little more than two-and-a-half months to close on the house of your dreams (and yes, that includes new modular homes).

Whether or not you can choose a design and close on a new modular home within that timeframe is debatable, but if you’re looking at existing homes, you’d better get on the ball. Due to recent changes in the mortgage industry, it can take several weeks or months for some lenders to wrap up the entire process. If you have any questions about the timing of your efforts and the likelihood of qualifying for the tax credit, contact your local lender or real estate agent. You do already have a real estate agent, don’t you?

The very modern and cool design on the right is the product of a Norwegian “innovation company” called Lovetann. Using a series of eight modular cubes, one can design a custom made Lovetann home in no time at all.

According to the Lovetann website, their homes are designed to be fully energy independent, fully customizable, extremely affordable, and fully recycled. Green construction is a big part of the Lovetann formula, which is not unlike Excel Homes and many other modular home manufacturers.

At left is a photo of a Lovetann structure being built in Norway. The house is modular only in the sense that it uses modules or blocks during the design process. It doesn’t use modules that are made in a factory and then shipped to the final location. Instead, the structure is built on-site, but like traditional modular construction, it takes very little time to complete a home. The photo on the left shows day three of the construction process. The home was completed (bottom) in just 10 days.

Last week, we wrote about the research phase of the modular home buying process. It’s one of the most important steps. Luckily, there’s no shortage of information available online, but if you’re a more traditional learner, you’ll be happy to know that there are several books available that will shed some more light on the modular home buying process.

One of those books is “The Modular Home” by Andy Gianino. Andrew is the president of The Home Store, which is the largest modular home builder in New England. (Many of the homes they build are Excel Homes, but that’s not why we love this book!) 

The best thing about The Modular Home, aside from the wealth of information included in it, is how the information is presented. Andrew goes into an incredible amount of detail in each chapter, but he does it in a way that is clear and understandable for those who might not know much about modular homes or the building industry in general. To make his point, Andrew uses checklists, sketches, hints and even throws in some “what not to do” case studies.

The book includes 11 chapters, such as “Why Build Modular,” “Selecting a Dealer,” “Finding and Preparing a Building Lot,” and “Financing a Modular Home.”

We’ve read a lot of books about modular homes over the years, and whether you’re a home builder or a potential home owner, Andrew’s is by far one of the best resources out there. In fact, we like the book so much, we’re going to purchase three copies and give them away here on Modular Musings to three commenters chosen at random. If you can’t wait to get your hands on a copy, they’re also available on Amazon.com.

After Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) studied the performance and strength of various buildings and found that modular homes stood up to hurricane-force winds much better than standard site-built homes.

The secret to modular homes’ strength lies in the manufacturing process. To help the modules withstand the demands of the transportation process, modular homes are built with an average of 20 percent more materials than regular homes (and often at less cost!). These materials include bigger, stronger wall studs and floor joists, which means a sturdier frame overall.

The stricter inspection process behind each home also contributes to modular’s superior staying power. Not only is each module is inspected prior to leaving the factory, but the home is inspected again by independent local inspectors after it arrives and is placed on the foundation at its final destination.