Modular homes may be the wave of the future if Warren Buffett has his way.

The nation's top dog investor is pouring his money into the i-House, an ultra-affordable, ultra-energy efficient home that's built in pieces in a factory and later assembled onsite.

Tradition holds that most homes in America are stick-built at the worksite, rather than being prefabricated. But the current housing crisis means that tradition is being upset.

Modular factory-built homes can be far more interesting architecturally because they're built with computer-aided design. We're not talking about single-wide or double-wide mobile homes here; rather, modular homes are championed by thinking man's architectural publications like Dwell.

And talk about the savings on your monthly energy bill! You can heat and cool the i-House for around $30/month!

There have been so many attempts to do factory-built modular housing in the past. But most people have never gotten away from fears about local zoning. Buffett's support may help create a new day in cheap, green housing.