Genesis Homes can be built to meet the specifications of the Freddie Mac CHOICEHome Mortgage. This option offers conventional site-built financing for real property factory-built homes that meet the HUD Code with features similar to those found in site-built homes.
CHOICEHome provides homebuyers with sustainable, affordable, and high-quality homes that include impeccable designs, in-demand finishes, and a streamlined buying experience. CHOICEHome Mortgages feature financing terms for homebuyers such as:
- A down payment as low as 3% for Freddie Mac Home Possible® borrowers and Freddie Mac HomeOneSM first-time homebuyers.
- Fixed interest rates.
- Appraisals using comparable site-built home sales when no CHOICEHome sales are available.
What design features qualify a home for CHOICEHome?
The following premium features give factory-built homes the look and feel of site-built homes.
Roofs and Eaves
- A minimum roof pitch of 4/12, with eaves of at least 4 inches
Foundations
- Must meet HUD’s Permanent Foundation Guide for Manufactured Housing
- Engineer-designed and certified foundation for the specific dwelling and site
- Mortared masonry blocking wall set on a poured perimeter footer
Elevations
- Designed with a low-profile/ Residential finished floor set
- The elevation should not exceed 30 inches from bottom of the first-floor joist to the exterior grade for the front or entry (this is an installation standard, not a manufacturing requirement)
- Site topography or other considerations may affect actual placement and will not disqualify the property from its CHOICEHome classification
Design Features
Features must include one of the following pairs:
- Dormer(s) and covered porch (minimum 72 square feet)
- Dormer(s) and attached or detached garage or carport
- Covered porch (minimum 72 square feet) and attached or detached garage or carport
Exterior
- Siding materials may be any of the following materials: vinyl, fiber cement, stucco, engineered wood siding, hardwood siding, brick, synthetic stone
Interior
- Drywall finishes throughout
Other finishes:
- Bath and kitchen cabinetry with solid wood or veneer wood fronts (no paper-wrapped cabinet doors or stiles)
- Showers and tubs that are acrylic, composite, enamel/porcelain coated-steel, fiberglass, solid surface, or tile
Minimum Energy Efficiencies
- Each CHOICEHome must be built to exceed current HUD energy-efficiency requirements for the property location
The dwelling must have:
- Minimum insulation values of 33 (ceiling), 11 (wall), and 22 (floor)
- Low-E windows
- Programmable thermostat
What features qualify a home for CHOICEHome?
To qualify for CHOICEHome financing, a home needs to meet specific construction and installation requirements. Genesis factories that manufacture CHOICEHomes will certify the home structure, and the local builder and lender will need to assure the foundation, installation, and required site work meets or exceeds the guidelines of the program, including the following:
The following residential styling and construction features of a CHOICEHome provide an attractive alternative to costlier site-built homes:
- Site work normally provided for site-built homes, such as flatwork, including hard surface driveways, walks, porches, patios and steps (concrete, cement, pavers or brick)
- Finished grading, seeding and foundational landscaping
- The CHOICEHome meets HUD requirements for home construction, installation and setup
- Site improvements, like connections to public utilities or well and septic systems