Mobile Home Parks

**Darlene** · 10-19-2011, 01:19 PM

Since losing our home Jack and I are brainstorming on where to go next. It looks like our home (what's left of it) will sell in Spring at the earliest. We could do an apartment but living with noise above or below me would drive me nuts and that has me wondering pro's and cons of a mobile home park. With the mobile I'd own something (know it won't appreciate in value)and have a little space around me. I know there is lot rent, what else should I look for?
Any other housing ideas? Right now I don't even know when or if our house will ever sell so I can't count on that money. Almost any option would have me finding new homes for Daisy & Riley and that just adds so much to the "loss" feeling we've already got going on.

Ideas? Thanks for your help.

**fernykins** · 10-19-2011, 01:44 PM

I live in a mobile home park. We have to maintain the lot. You need to drive thru at different times of the day and see what the kids are doing, and adults. Talk to people in the park that are outside, Ask them about the park. Watch for animals. Some parks you can only have indoor animals or small ones. Some won't let you have a cat except if you keep them indoors. Look at how everyone takes care of the outside of their home.(the mobile it self) Talk to management. Ask about space rent. Where I live they can only raise the rent 1% a year. Rent control.
Fern

**bonnotsm9** · 10-19-2011, 02:45 PM

Do you live in an area where you get tornadoes on a regular basis?

**frugal is fun** · 10-19-2011, 02:50 PM

what about just renting a small house? I know in my area I could have rented a small house for the amount of rent I was paying for a first floor apartment.

We have alot of condo's in our area for rent that allow pets. you don't have neighbors above or below you but they are on each side. Sound proofing seems to be better in condo's rather than apartment buildings or multi family houses.

I had very loud neighbors above me so I totally understand your resistance to that but finding an temporary inexpensive place may be a good solution since there are so many unknowns at the moment.

Good luck Darlene!

**krbshappy71** · 10-19-2011, 02:54 PM

I'm sorry you are having to go through this. Are Daisy and Riley cats? Small dogs? A friend of mine has just moved into a mobile home park and is allowed to keep his small dog. You can have cats or dogs that are under 20 lbs. in his park.

Could you do a townhome or duplex so you would only have a neighbor on one side instead of all sides? Those can be "homey" feeling. I lived in a duplex, had a yard, loved my duplex neighbor and could have pets.

**Josephhgoins** · 10-19-2011, 03:45 PM

You may want to check with the folks that you get your trailer from, sometimes you can actually buy a lot to put your it on for not much money.

I know in this area for 20-30K I can get a small lot for a trailer with no problem.

Then you at least could own what you have and not have to worry about rent upping or trash moving into the trailer park.

**JustMegan79** · 10-19-2011, 07:11 PM

I manage a mobile home park (well, I do for the next 3 weeks until my layoff) and we allow 2 pets per, as long as they do not live outside. If you buy the home, you do have the lot rent, but usually the water, sewer and trash will be included in that. Here we are required to maintain our own yard. I have found after living in mine, that even though it is new, and is touted as energy efficient, it is not. Only reason I can come up with is that the home is skirted and the cold gets under the house and comes in that way.

I can definitely understand your hesitance on an apt. I am over those years myself. Around here you can rent a small house or a trailer for about the same as an apt anyway. Are you looking to rent or buy? Either way, I wish you much luck, and blessings. Keep your pets with you, they make your home feel like yours and you dont need anymore loss. Lots of rentals allow pets and most mobile home parks allow house pets.

**Trishagirl** · 10-19-2011, 07:39 PM

See if you have to pay taxes on the lot & ask how much.

**MissSeetonFan** · 10-19-2011, 08:44 PM

We lived in Upstate NY a few years ago. We lived in apartments (complexes as well as duplexes), and a mobile home park. The newer mobile homes are much better built and you can do a lot about the insulation. It is true about the skirting and cold getting in that way but that can be managed.

With mobile homes, you would want to check out what heating oil is used. Is it propane, kerosene (usually only older ones), or could it even be done with natural gas. That will make a difference in utility costs.

Apartments, especially some we looked at in Upstate (Capital Region), sometimes only had one furnace and one thermostat for the entire building. Maybe 4-6 units controlled by one apartment or a master control in the furnace room only the manager can touch. These were usually older buildings built as an apartment complex post 1900. A remodeled duplex of the sort that was built in the early 1900's as a duplex might be the best where sound and utilities are concerned.

I would look around and view as many types of places as possible. Talk to neighbors and check out the neighborhoods. It isn't fun having to find a new place. But maybe don't settle on one type right off. Rent first to see if you can stand it, then look into buying (especially a mobile home).

Pets issue is something I can't comment on since we never had any.

**frugalfranny** · 10-19-2011, 10:53 PM

I agree on the apt. thing. Don't think I could do that again either.

Maybe a small multi-unit type thing...........duplex...tri-plex, etc.

I too, have been giving thought to a mobile. The thing that kept me from making an offer on one.............they were too close together in the park............so watch that.

I really don't want to be able to hear my neighbors 'bodily functions'............and in a park, around here, they seem to CRAM them pretty close together.

**outnumbered** · 10-19-2011, 10:54 PM

We owned a mobile home for 4 years. Honestly, with what we paid in mortgage and lot rent, if our credit had been better, we should have just bought a small home. There are some nice mobile home parks, and some not so nice. Our mobile home was gorgeous....I loved that place, but it cost over $200 month in the winter to heat it (electric)--they are not insulated well. We did a lot of upgrades to it, and ended up having a hard time selling, because it was nicer than most places within the park---and the price reflected it. Do your homework on the park---don't just ask the management office, but look at crime statistics and reports also. You may find out a lot of things you never would have by visiting your local online gossip mongering site (topix usually). While a lot of it is pure gossip, if the park you are interested in living in has a thread on that site, you can bet that some of the gossip you read on their is true. Between that site, and investigating the local court records online, I discovered that several of my neighbors had been incarcerated for drugs previously, and that the suspicion of meth production onsite was true.
When it was time for us to sell, we ended up having to do a land contract, because even with mobile homes, the market is tight. If you can afford a plot of land over a park,I think you would be happier. If we had it to do all over again, I don't think we would have bought in a park, even though our mobile home was incredibly beautiful.

**Nana2two** · 10-20-2011, 11:40 AM

My sister owned a very lovely mobile home where Ferneykins lives It was a gated community and very nice. She said she wishes she still had it. But she said she would do it again. Drive around and check the area. Some areas are a only adult community.

**Darlene** · 10-20-2011, 01:13 PM

Wow, lot's of food for thought. To answer a couple questions...not tornado prone area & Daisy is an indoor & outdoor cat, Riley's a dog and he's about 75lbs, so not small. I am amazed by apt, duplex, condo prices. 2 bedroom apt is around $750 and duplexes & condos much more. When you've scrimped to pay off your house and pay "only" taxes, that's a bitter pill to swallow. Gulp,lol.

We don't have much cash to work with, Dh is retired & job situation around here is still crummy and we don't want to take out a loan. If my old house wasn't set back so far from the road (mega snow removal deal & toys for dealing with that are gone) and it wasn't set on the water which used to be lovely but we'd be freaking every time it rained, I'd put a modular there since I already own the land and all....If the house sold we'd have more cash & all kinds of small houses we could purchase...If, if, if, lol.
We'll be staying the winter here, just got our first delivery of wood to heat this place last night, and your ideas are helping us ponder what we'll be doing come spring. Just want to make one move too...
Who knows, maybe we'll end up on a houseboat cruising around, lol. Right Sara?

Thanks for your ideas, your help is very much appreciated.

**lparker** · 10-20-2011, 01:19 PM

I don't think I saw it in any other thread, but why do you have to sell the old home and property? Is there a place 5 feet higher on the land? If there is, you could put a mobile home on that and bulldoze the old house. You could build an above ground basement on the site of the old home and put the home on that. Lots of options.. Build a big house boat on pontoons. Put a mobile home on pontoons - truly mobile that way...

**HappyMama** · 10-20-2011, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by lparker

I don't think I saw it in any other thread, but why do you have to sell the old home and property? Is there a place 5 feet higher on the land? If there is, you could put a mobile home on that and bulldoze the old house. You could build an above ground basement on the site of the old home and put the home on that. Lots of options.. Build a big house boat on pontoons. Put a mobile home on pontoons - truly mobile that way...

That is along the lines of something I would recommend. Especially since it is paid for.