So, with the housing market being as shitty as it is nowadays, it seems to me that one of my best bets of being a homeowner is buying a mobile home. And hell, the nicer ones look just like houses on the inside and the outside! Also I want to move out into the county anyway so I can have a garden and maybe some chickens! I realize that there's still stigma against mobile home owners but I honestly couldn't care less, as long as I have a home I'm satisfied with. My mom tells me though that I wouldn't be safe during a storm or tornado. I live in the south, so that's definitely a very real concern. If any of you have lived in mobile homes before, what are the pros and cons?
Really starting to think about looking at mobile homes when I'm ready to purchase a home. Your thoughts?
My wife and I bought 30, westward-sloping acres in California 20 years ago. It was bare land, so we had to put in the house pad 1/2 way up the hill, a long driveway, well, septic system, a grid-tied solar voltaic system, a propane tank, and a 2500 gal water tank on the hill above our house to gravity feed our water down to us.
We decided on a manufactured home, even though that's not what we originally intended. We had a good salesman who worked very hard with us on modifications I wanted. We even toured the factory.
Manufactured homes (like the one in the photo you posted) are built just like houses, but they are supported by steel I-beams instead of foundations. But once they are properly set on the house site, they are considered to be on permanent foundations.
I've heard them called trailers, but that's a joke.
I ordered 2"x6" framing and maximum insulation + lots of bells and whistles. It came fully equipped and the appliance were quite good.
It's a 1600 sq ft, three bedroom, two bath. We have a really nice master bedroom and bath. We stretched our dining room and made one bedroom extra large so that we could use it for an office. It has double doors. I had them customize the kitchen counter so that the living room, dining room and kitchen are an open plan. We later bought an island for the kitchen. The house feels light and airy. Big windows in the living room, 8' French doors, and skylights in the kitchen and master bath. Windows on two walls of our bedroom, including large, pop out windows.
We added nice front and back porches.
We don't need more space and are very happy with our comfy home and yard. We have a very large house pad and added a two story steel garage several years ago. We have a small, deer fenced orchard with 15 various fruit trees, including amazing citrus. We have raised beds for herbs and veggies. And we have pretty front and back gardens.
Thank goodness we don't have to worry about tornadoes or hurricanes. There is rock underlying our house, so we don't even have to worry much about earth quakes.
I wouldn't recommend against a manufactured home. We love ours. The only thing I'll say is, only certain mortgage companies will deal with manufactured homes, and the interest rates are a bit higher. I don't know why. I think they still classify them as mobile homes, as if you can hook up to one and drive away.
@Old_Golden. Way less than $0.5 mil all told to build everything, but who's counting? And the mortgage payments are way less than rent, and they are fixed. Plus you gain equity.
It was decades ago when I lived in a mobile home, so maybe things are different now. On the plus side, it's fairly cheap living. Now for the down side:
The insulation isn't nearly as good as a house, so you'll cook in the summer and freeze in the winter.
If you're lucky, you'll have your own property, but most mobile homes are in trailer parks, so you'll pay rent for a space, and you're subject to the trailer park's rules. One time they decided that all the mobile homes in my park had to have vertical skirting instead of horizontal skirting, so I had to pay to replace that.
If you're in the South, this may not be a problem, but if your temperature goes below freezing, you'll need a heating tape to go around your copper water tubing underneath. If your pipe breaks, you'll have to replace it.
Most trailer parks are located on the least desirable ground, so there's a good chance the park will be in a flood zone, next to an airport, next to a nuclear reactor, next to a prison, whatever. One trailer park I was in was in a flood zone, the other park I was in, the water had a high iron content, so my water would come out the color of beer, complete with a head on it. After running it a minute, the water would come out normal.
When I bought my mobile home, it was already furnished, but the furniture was super cheap quality, and the curtains would actually rip in half if you moved them to look out the window. I had to replace all that stuff.
Like I said, this was decades ago, and maybe things are different now, but this is what I experienced.
I’m considering getting a RTM (ready to move) home. But I know it will take ages especially with supplies still backed up. They’re not cheap though. Electrical, plumbing, appliance hook up; that’s all a separate charge. I still need to look into it though, but it could end up costing me as much as a house would depending on features and amenities, on top of the fact I either need a plot of land in the city or the country and that has property taxes as well as the fact land is relatively expensive now.
If I won the lottery I’d probably purchase land, build my home and build a single level for my mom in her aging years.
The one thing that no one mentioned here is that when you buy a manufactured home the manufacturer issues a title just like a 4 wheel vehicle. If you decide to settle down you must convert the title to a deed to have it classified as real estate. Depending on the state the commisioner of revenue may assess personal property taxes instead of real estate taxes. Do your research. FYI Dale Earnhardt, Jr in NC lives in one he has converted to real estate.
I have lived in two different mobile homes. Both were older ones. Many of the newer ones are much nicer. One that I lived in was out in the country (on a farm), the other was in a mobile home park that had a monthly fee and a lot of amenities like a pool, rec room, sauna. laundry, etc.
I have also built houses and worked on mobile homes, including building an addition to one.
Yes, you can add an addition to them if you want to expand in the future. But building codes might be very different than they are for regular houses, so you need to check that first. If you own the property, you can even live in the mobile home, with the possibility of building a house on the property in the future.
There are mobile homes with garages, two stories, and even basements.
A mobile home will never be as strongly built as a regular house. Nor will it last nearly as long. In my opinion, even the newer ones still have a mobile home feel to them. However they can still be a good option if you want to get a home.
And yes, they will be more vulnerable to tornadoes and severe weather.
Own land or trailer lot⁉️ Part of Loan approval process goes as follows…and you will be inspected by both loan officer and lot provider. Trailer Park Trash 101: —Peacock cowboy hat with Farrah Faucet Charlie’s Angels long feathered hair (My Dad has poster)…silver metal snake by feather is optional. --Appropriate thin large round or dangling horseshoe or dangling Texas or NC earrings. —Crop top with body wrap around jewelry. —Cowgirl long or half boots with leather shag dangling off rim. —pictured proof of one car up on blocks at current resident
if you can do all THAT I’ll buy you a house and we will rent the double wide.
Oh I definitely don't want to live in a trailer park. 😭😂 I want to buy some land and have a nice one built. I was doing a bit of research earlier and it seems as though I could have one similar to the image I included for around 50 grand. I'd have to sit down with someone and talk about my options though. I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to what all goes into buying a home. And for know this is just an idea I'm entertaining, I still have a few more months of school before I graduate and still then I have to find steady work and save up.
Modular homes have worked best for me…even in Thailand.-they are smaller and different but modular too. Trailers are passé. I had 4 modular homes place 1.5 acres with one road off main road. At that time the 4 buildings were 325,000. Tax value, in county now, is 210, 000 each…well and septic. You are no stoplight country ⁉️
Yep and that’s exactly how people end up buying in mobile home parks. To be able buy water/sewer land outright…. you must do quite well for yourself. My first time I had to get a roommate in my modular… 🤷🏻♂️
Not currently I don't, but once I finish school and start working in healthcare I should be able to make a decent living for myself. I don't need or desire anything fancy, I just want to be comfortable lol.
No doubt and post covid dental hygienists to Nurses are making a killing. I know people who headed to NC in Raleigh area. One neo-natal intensive care at Duke University Medical Center. The number of adult carer facilities built in that area over the last five years exceeds 75,000 units. I am real estate Unit guy... CNA do quite well there too giving they under cut the Nurse salary etc... My parents are 80 and eldest brother is 52... I was an oops !! Anyway 3 year wait on one-level home like basically "pretty step-down hospital subdivisions". Banks are looking 20% down and more for rental property...
I've never lived in one, but I HAVE driven a school bus route that went through one, so my first not-very-helpful-to-you thought is "driving a school bus through those SUCKS". Even one of the short ones. However, if you can handle not having much space, and maneuvering your car in and out being a pain in the butt, it doesn't seem to be a bad way to live. I'm not sure where the stigma against it comes from.
I DO think that they typically have lousy insulation, though; depending on where in the South you are, that might be a serious issue.
The new mobile homes are often made as good or better than many traditionally made houses. The problem is depending on which state you live in, it may not be legal to place one on land you own. Or there are other requirements first. If you are somewhere that allows it though, you will get a MUCH better and larger home for less money by getting a new mobile home.
Some advice though.
1. Don't get one in a mobile home park because lot rent is high and never ends.
2. Don't get a "Tiny Home" because they are small and cost MORE than a good mobile home.
I would think living in the South where there are chances of bad storms is something you need to consider but if you could move to an area that is closer to a City setting that might be better for you who knows I could be wrong, I know this guy got a mobile home after his wife passed away and he lived in the Mountain settings and never had a problem but course he lived in Pennsylvania too, so it's got to also do with the State you live within too but there are Counties in Pennsylvania you got to watch moving too I live in Southwestern PA and there is Counties get hammered with bad storms.
If they insulated highly enough to cope with the climate your in then they are fine, the quality control is better than a standard home because they are built to a defined standard. Your other alternative is a kit house over here in the UK Two story houses are available as a two part kit and once assembled on site a brick skin is laid around it as a weather skin, or you can buy a kit from Huf Haus GmbH as a bungalow or two story to the footprint you need, I'm not sure if they are available in the US.
i've thought about them too.. but just remember you gotta pay for the space and the house too. so it might be deceptively cheap until you realize you gotta pay for both things. make sure you do your homework and try to see the actual price you'll be paying for.
Also i head the upkeep on those types of homes is a lot more than others. so be aware of that too
They don't hold their value. They're depreciating assets. If that's not an issue for you then that's fine.
I have friends whose first home was a trailer when they got married. They both had good jobs and they lived cheap in the mobile home and were able to save a lot of money very quickly. They've now bought their first "real" house.
Manufactured homes tend to lose value fast, so you won't be able to sell it for much once you pay off the mortgage and you may have to rent land which could cause you to end up paying the same each month as you would a traditional house of a similar size
Well even here mobile homes are going up in price but don't get it in a park because you just wasting your money when you have to pay that space for it put it on a piece of property or buy it on a piece of property and if it has a foundation it's worth way much more so if you can find one without a foundation and you put one underneath it here they're going up to at least 300,000 with a mobile home with the foundation and higher
If they’re on your property it’s not bad. I didn’t pay much for mine. I live in California though so know nothing about tornado safety Lmfao they DO however get extremely hot in the summer and freezing ass cold in the winter cause the insulation sucks. Also they need to be replaced
They are not a very good investment You do not own the land it sits on so you pay a monthly fee When you sell it you probably won't get what you paid for it. The big advantage is that it is relatively inexpensive to purchase and it still can be a deduction on your federal income tax
In CA or at least in the mobile home park nearest me ( not too many in one of the wealthiest counties in the country/world- there is only one and I know one person who lives there. He only ones the mobile home and not the property on whichit sits. If that is the case countrywide I don't know if it's a great investment. On the other hand, investing in any real estate in CA has rarely been a poor investment
look at how much the fees are and the lot rental. Sometimes they can be fairly pricy. And yes, the bad thing is that tornado magnets do not have a basement, or a safe place in them. So, depending on how many bad storms you get that can be a concern. You won't get as much for one as you would a house, but plenty of people live in them.
Certainly a mobile home is inexpensive and there is rental value if you want to hold it and move out later. The problem is many of the neighborhoods where MH's are allowed are often not the best and most jurisdictions have strict regulations about where you can put a MH. If you can find a newer community you might find a great deal.
I lived in a trailer park in Tennessee for a while and had some of the nicest neighbors I’ve ever had. If you’re financing, keep in mind they depreciate like cars and you might be upside down quickly.
I bought a surplus FEMA trailer for $4,000, lived in it for about three years, and gave it to a battered women’s shelter when I moved out. I save a fortune in rent.
Been living in one for most my life so far in the south too most of the cons are just from having bad neighbourhood owners, animals can go under the house and die so your need a good skirt, walls are kinda thin, as for pros its just like living in a house
They’re usually built solid enough, the issue is the financial side. They’re depreciating assets like a vehicle rather than a traditional house. And it’s not as bad if you own the land, but typically they’re gonna be a trailer park which means paying lot fees as well. The lower initial purchase price doesn’t really save in the long run when you do the math on the whole package
Where in the south are you? I haven't lived in one, but from a value standpoint, especially if it's your first buy, I'd opt for a regular home. You're definitely subject to bad weather conditions in a mobile home, so why risk it?
North Alabama. So we get some pretty intense storms. Don't know if you ever heard of the 2011 Hackleburg-Phill Campbell tornado but it was one of the deadliest in US history and that's only like an hour away from where I live.
I'm not sure which direction you live, but I did a quick scan of houses in all directions. There were some nice starter properties (from the looks of it) for $95-130k. I'd be thinking about those.
Mobile homes and van life in general seem pretty dope. I don't know that I would want to invest in anything more substantial than a camper, myself, because I don’t see myself getting into that lifestyle, but it sounds pretty cool.
The only problem, mobile homes do not hold their value like a home will. Some mobile homes cost $90,000, I don't know where you live but where I live you can buy a pretty nice house for 90 grand
Some double-wides are pretty nice these days. The good ones have permanant foundations and all the utilities of a regular house. When they're finished properly its hard to tell that its a trailer.
They don't age well. Check out the value over time/equity. That will probably change your mind. Most are cheaply built with inferior materials. Many zoning laws prohibit them from most neighborhoods.
I think they're a good option. A hell of a lot cheaper than a traditional house. Unless you're buying it for an investment, there's really no reason not to.
I live in a manufactured community. My home is paid for so my only expense for living there is $437 a month. That's for over 900 square feet two bedroom two bath. You can't even rent a room for that much.
If you own the property and it doesn't get extremely cold there, mobile / modular might be okay. If you have to lease the lot I'd say no unless you can get a long, like 20 year, lease.
If I do decide to go this route I would definitely have a storm shelter built. It's just an idea for now. I still have a good ways to go before I'm ready to look for a home.
Wind is extremely noticeable. I was in ince for a while in Nebraska and on the windy days, we could feel it rocking back and forth. Thstbthing easily weighed over 400 lbs.
They are great. I suggest you buy one thats easy to sell if you wanna move out again. There are so many nice places to see that will make you wanna stay longer. As for chickens also buy a dog to guard them. Take care
I live in one but wait till the housing bubble breaks. I am have a 2k 3 bedroom and 2 full baths I have 42k 20 years ago now they are right now $185,000 and that just making the seller millionaires.
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Anonymous
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My best advice to you is be wary about the mobile home park you choose if you do.
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