In 1904 the Village of Owen incorporated, with 315 people. In 1906 the Owen Company started the Owen Box and Crating factory and the Woodland Hotel. In 1907 the Owens organized the State Bank of Owen, headed by J.G. Owen.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimated the typical interest rate for a manufactured home loan in 2012 at 6.79 percent. By contrast, the average 30-year fixed rate on a conventional mortgage that year was 3.6 to 4.2 percent, according to HSH.com, a publisher of loan information.
Interest rates on chattel loans range from 7 percent to 12.75 percent, says Ken Rishel, founder of Rishel Consulting Group in Chicago. The loans are usually for 15 or 20 years. In contrast, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate loan has been well below 5 percent for all of 2014. Rishel, whose company makes chattel loans of at least $5,000, says the interest rates are risk-based, and chattel loans are often the only choice for borrowers with poor credit. Chattel loans are the main option for owners whose mobile homes are not permanent foundations.