The current economic downturn has been bad for the housing market in general, but it could present an opportunity for upturn in the manufactured home industry. The main reason for this is affordability. Home owners can get into a manufactured home with a monthly mortgage as low as $250 a month. That’s less than a person could rent a home for! However, sales in the factory-built industry have been steadily declining in recent years throughout the nation and it’s not entirely due to the economy. It’s a decline that began years ago. Shipments of manufactured homes last peaked in 1995.