Modcoach Calls Out Misleading Headline: Disappointed by Realtor.com’s Outdated ‘Trailer’ Label on Hamptons Home

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The article’s headline — “You can own a near‑oceanfront Hamptons home for less than $3 M because it’s a trailer” — does an immediate disservice to the reader. By labeling the home a “trailer,” it evokes outdated, derisive images of mobile homes, even though that term lost its technical meaning decades ago. HUD officially replaced “mobile home” with “manufactured home” in 1976 under federal HUD Code standards. Calling something a “trailer” today not only reflects ignorance, but also contributes to persistent stigma against factory-built housing.

Even more concerning is the failure to clarify whether this Hamptons listing is a HUD‑regulated manufactured home or a modular home. These are not interchangeable categories: manufactured homes are built on a permanent steel chassis, built to HUD’s national code, and retain a chassis after installation. Modular homes, on the other hand, are constructed to the same local and state building codes as site-built houses, delivered in sections, sit on permanent foundations, and usually lack any chassis . The article doesn’t offer any documentation or descriptions—like HUD data plates or chassis details—that would allow readers to correctly identify the type of home being sold.

Ultimately, the article’s loose use of “trailer” not only misleads, but also perpetuates outdated assumptions. Without proper context—mentioning HUD’s code change in 1976, explaining the structural and regulatory distinctions between manufactured and modular homes—it fails to educate. A marketer might try to spin “trailer” as quirky or budget‑friendly, but anyone familiar with modern factory-built housing will recognize that this labeling is inaccurate and dismissively vague.

CLICK HERE to read the Realtor.com article referred to by Modcoach