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Strategies & Market Trends : The Residential Real Estate Crash Index -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bentway who wrote (23736)	9/8/2004 11:12:45 AM
From: Jim McMannis	Respond to of 306849

RE:"It seems to me there's two ways to go in Florida. Cheap, disposable housing, like trailers and outright bunkers that can ride out the hurricanes. Anything else is just a major economic loss waiting to happen. Have any architects come up with hurricane proof designs for Florida?" Mobile homes are like aluminum cans. OTOH, people USED to know that and pretty much took in stride what happened. Since a lot of people used them only in the winter it took them out of harms way. The logical replacement would be a manufactured home. They can easily be built to withstand say 140+ mph winds since they are built under quality controlled conditions...much better than conventional "on the lot" construction. Unlike mobile homes, people wouldn't get the property tax dodge but they would fit on the lot. RE:"Have any architects come up with hurricane proof designs for Florida?" Sure, homes can be built to withstand over 200 mph winds. Unfortunately the building industry is LOW TECH. Most contractors only know OLD methods of construction and if you want something custom you either do it yourself or pay through the nose for it. Roofing is notoriously LOW TECH. I have friends in the Bahamas that simply fiberglass their roofs, tie them down well and they have made it through 200 mph winds no problem. During Andrew, the roofs that stayed on were built in the 40's and 50's...not the shoddy construction that came later. As far a concrete block vs frame construction. If you look back in history you'll find that frame, built properly, withstands heavy winds as well or better than block because it has some give to it. Block is much better when you pour it with solid concrete with reinforcing rod, even if you pour only selected walls.