The hidden costs with new construction grading, mechanical, and foundations can blow that 150/sqft to 250 and up (hard cost) I dont know if you dug through many of the Western States existing modular companies, but I never saw much below 250/sqft with quality finishes (especially for a community like Pasadena would expect).

I have done this a couple times in Western WI where I bring 5% down, seller carries 20% as the second mortgage and bank finances 75%. 

The good: you can buy a $50k house that rents for $600 - $700 (which is, for the most part, better than western Washington on a cap rate or price/rent ratio).

There are some cool apps out there that help like propstream, etc. but in the end some good old fashioned research is where it's at.   

They would rather have a smaller space that is decorated fashionably than grandmas house with furniture purchased new in 1968.  

As I am writing this I just thought about another option being Little Italy in Cleveland which is walking distance to University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University.  

If you are absolutely against buying in Williamsburg, maybe Western Branch or somewhere on the Penninsula closer to the population centers will be worth looking at.

In which case, if he hasn't notified his insurance company and then reports it and they are asked to investigate and/or defend him against a possible suit, he could jeopardize his entire claim to be denied for coverage as he would have failed to report the loss in a "timely" fashion, and also muddying the waters by offering money (which they would NOT want you to do, as a lot of people take that as an admission of guilt, even if that is NOT the case).It is a tight rope and while we all want to be humanitarian and sympathetic, our society has not made it easy; especially with a large proliferation of people oftentimes simply suing just to sue...that's just my .02.Regardless, I hope this can be reasonablly resolved for the OP (with little to -0- out-of-pocket on his behalf).

Most are in the western part of Hancock County near McCordsville and New Palestine.

While "upscale vs old-fashioned" would be a subjective option, it would be great to aggregate data around a timeframe when "big items" were updated, i.e. cabinets and flooring were updated in <1 year, or roof is <3 years old, etc.