General Shelters: because YOUR building matters!

Tag: Bryan College Station

  • This Tumbleweed is ready to roll!

    Right onto your ranch! Delivery in as little as two weeks, this 2018 stock model Tumbleweed is perfect for whatever you may need it for. Part of the Efficiency Series by General Shelters, it embodies everything great about their cabins: durable, efficient, and inexpensive.

    While a custom cabin is only four months away from being delivered, this cabin is immediately available from its location in Longpoint TX to your property statewide. The cabin is no longer needed by the current owner, which creates a terrific opportunity for you!

    General Shelters describes the Tumbleweed perfectly: “Premium compact living designed for ultimate versatility. Boasting a rustic aesthetic, a welcoming porch, and a fully equipped kitchen and bath, this 364-square-foot cabin maximizes every inch of space. Whether deployed for workforce housing, utilized as a backyard guest suite, or placed as a peaceful nature retreat, it delivers comfort without compromise.”

    This is excellent for a weekend getaway, guest house, or even a well equipped office. At 14×26 (364sf), if you want full-time tiny living, the Tumbleweed is an ideal fit. Here is a short walk through:

    As an Efficiency model, it has CV flooring, gypsum ceiling, formica counters, and a wall unit air conditioner. It has 30RF ceiling insulation, and house wrap on the side walls, but no floor insulation. Wood framed and wrapped in steel, our cabins are made to be moved multiple times. The forty year warranty on the steel is transferable to the buyer.

    The seller will unhook plumbing and electricity, while the buyer will pay for standard delivery to their property. A new custom stock Tumbleweed sells for $38,442 before taxes and delivery (about $41,000 after taxes, before delivery costs). This cabin is on sale for $35,000 before delivery, so this is available for about $6,000 off a new build, which is still before freight.

    Let us know what questions you may have or would like additional information! Not sure how long this will last so if you are interested, act soon! Here is a price list of General Shelters’ current collection.

  • The Panoramic Windows in the Bluewater are Next Level

    I have talked about our custom Bluewater in a previous post, but thought that mentioning it again would be good.

    What makes the Bluewater unique are the four 36×66″ windows that wrap around the living room area. Double paned with vinyl casements, they swing open from the bottom toward the inside for easy cleaning.

    I thought this was a good thing to emphasize because in the Youtube video that we posted there was not a good, lingering view that did it justice. And here is that video; titled “Could You Live in this 800 sqft Cabin?,” the answer is YES!

    Another reason for this post is to emphasize how close we are to Brazos County. If you are in the College Station/Bryan area, we are right down the road. Because Brazos County is within fifty miles of our location, the sale price of any cabin will include standard delivery, blocking, and levelling.

    This would be perfect for your college student, or even for renting out on game days and for Round Top visitors. Built at a fraction of the cost of built-on-site, with a far shorter turnaround time, General Shelters is the go-to company.

    This is the detailed floor plan for the cabin. It is available for viewing and sale as of this writing, but we will always have a cabin or two to see in person. Make plans to visit us at Trees of Central Texas over here outside of Brenham in beautiful Washington County.

  • A Word about Financing

    When we drive by mobile home or trailer home dealers, it is a strong tell that what they are selling is the financing of their buildings and not necessarily the quality of the buildings. When the main message from their signs is 0% down and low payments, we suspect they are selling cost and not value.

    Having said that, few want to or are able to pay outright for their building. So what are the options?

    Bank Financing

    Depending on the bank, they may need to be educated on what they are financing. Their immediate reaction will probably assume the General Shelters building is a trailer or mobile home. We have collaborated with local banks to ensure they understand when our customers approach them for loan service, they are talking about pier-and-beam structures, rather than trailers or mobile homes.

    Even though they are designed to be successfully moved numerous times over the years, once installed on your property they are considered permanent structures.

    The amount of the loan may vary based on whether one is moving the building to an unimproved location without services or not.  Electricity, septic, and well/water service are all costs that can rolled into one convenient payment mortgage payment.

    Standard credit requirements will then determine down payment and interest rates, as with any other mortgage. Obviously, we are able to provide any information a loan officer would need to evaluate.

    General Shelters Financing

    We do not receive any compensation or incentive if a customer finances directly with General Shelters. The chief difference between General Shelters financing and bank financing is that General Shelters will finance the cost of the building and delivery only, so this would work if one is able to pay separately for utility costs,

    General Shelters financing typically asks for 15% down payment, and shortens the loan to ten years. There is a $150 credit application fee.  At the annual dealer seminar, this was another topic of discussion.  If a customer is having problems having the bank understand the product or hesitant to loan, the customer can pursue the loan with General Shelters and then refinance for a longer period with the bank; once the building is set on the land, some banks find it easier to understand what  they are being asked to loan for.  This approach has been successful for several buyers.

    The main point of this post is to offer a general review regarding financing.  Key to this process is thoroughly educating the loan company on the differences between a General Shelters building and trailer and mobile homes.  For more information call us at Trees of Central Texas. email. or visit our contact page.