Some mobile home questions (how much, foundation, furnaces, hot water heater)

[kdm31091]

Are mobile homes still regarded as, well, lower class? Because some sites I looked on have huge mobile homes for <100k, which could be desirable for someone young like me in the future. It's like a house, without the huge expenses.

But be honest with me - will they last? Delaware is not exceptionally windy or anything, so I would think it would be okay if it was anchored well enough. Would I look trashy living in one, or is it better these days? Can I buy land and have mine by itself or does it have to go in a park? Is it better to buy my own land?

I never realized how good the mobile homes seem to be - good value, nice and snug, so not too much cleaning and annoying maitenance, yet just like a regular home!

[Sonnenwende]

Well, my mom had one and the combined efforts of my brother, sister, and their friends completely trashed it within 6 years. Almost everyone in the mobile home community she lived in abandoned it when they bought a house. Almost no one bothered trying to sell just because they wouldn't sell period. The only examples otherwise would be when you have your own land and provide a fixed foundation for it.

The can be nice, but I don't know if they were all built to last, if you know what I mean. Quality varies by builder. Check into it carefully. Most of the major fixtures in the house, like hot water heater, busted (not due to my siblings' mishaps). When my mom went for the warranty, the place had gone out of business not long after she had bought the house. SOL. I know I wouldn't buy one.

[CabinFever]

I've never lived in a mobile home but they have come a long way than what they use to be.In some peoples eyes the mobile home is still lower class.Buying your own land is a plus other wise you would have to pay rent in a rental park.If you buy a piece of land just make sure the area you're going to put it on,is legal for mobile homes.

[lookingfortheperfectplace]

When we were going to live in the desert, which is mostly manufactured homes on permanent foundations, we looked at all the new ones available here in so. CA. The ones we were looking to buy did not look like a mobile home and they were 3 or 4 wide not the usually 2. The best brands were Silvercrest, Palm Harbor, Cavco, and 1 other that I can't remember the name. The insides were more beautiful than alot of the new "normal" homes we looked at. The salespeople told us they were now built just like a normal home and would last no problem. But then they were salespeople and they tend to tell you whatever to get you to buy. Being thought of as lower class, depends really on the neighborhood I guess and how well you keep up your yard. Were we were going to put one, everyone else has them there so it is not considered low class. The old single wides with stuff built on to them and trash and 50 broken cars in the yard, that would be considered lower class.

[Cosmic]

You have to define the situations a lot better, can be super, can be horrible.

The first factor is age and design. If you get the old style, very thin walled metal skinned ones can be horrible. Hot in summer, cold in winter, poor quality.

A lot of the newer ones are very well designed and built. Six inch thick walls, well insulated, every energy efficient. Good quality housing for the inital money.

My sister has lived in one for years. Loves it, in a restricted retirement type park, very well kept, desirable place. Anything for sale, sells quick. The better parks will probably be restricted ownership in some manner. In the right conditions they can last for many, many years. About like buying a car, instead of a house in terms of paperwork. In some cases, after so many years, it can be difficult to get a loan to buy one.

In Ohio many places allow them to be sited on private lots. In eastern and SE Ohio you even see them in smaller towns mixed in with regular houses. Many consider them a very desirable form of housing. See some that have garages added, additions, etc. If done right they can hold their resale value quite nicely.

One downside is they use special designed furnaces, hot water heaters, etc. The newer ones usually can be backfitted / retrofitted with standard doors, windows.

The big advantage they have good quality control over the manufacture. You can be in the new house in a few days with little extra expense. In many situations there is a considerate tax advantage.

[Need_affordable_home]

Originally Posted by kdm31091

Are mobile homes still regarded as, well, lower class? Because some sites I looked on have huge mobile homes for <100k, which could be desirable for someone young like me in the future. It's like a house, without the huge expenses.

But be honest with me - will they last? Delaware is not exceptionally windy or anything, so I would think it would be okay if it was anchored well enough. Would I look trashy living in one, or is it better these days? Can I buy land and have mine by itself or does it have to go in a park? Is it better to buy my own land?

I never realized how good the mobile homes seem to be - good value, nice and snug, so not too much cleaning and annoying maitenance, yet just like a regular home!

Theres a sigma attached to mobile homes but some people dont care or cant even afford anything else. All I could afford was a mobile home if I stay in Florida and everyone says mobile homes are a bad idea in Florida because of them hurricanes. Mobile homes are an affordable means of living in an otherwise expensive city. No point in a mobile home if you live where there is affordable houses or even condos.

Theres a nice mobile park not far from my parents house with double wides going for around $30k plus $400/month lot fees. But I dont know how long that park will be around and its a question of when itll get wiped out by a hurricane like what happened to many other parks. Those parks then were closed permanently and the owner sold the land to a developer and condos were built on it. Its best to own your own land and slap a mobile home on it. Too bad theres no affordable land in south Florida. Lots of affordable land in north Florida and its away from the coast too. I could buy some rural land 20 miles from a small city for $20k an acre and slap a mobile home on the land. But then I could just get a real house by relocating to Oil city and ill be right in the city instead of rural Florida where ill have a 20 min commute to the city. Also a real house is bigger and nicer and lasts far longer than a mobile home.

You are better off moving out of Delaware and enjoying a real house as well as low costs of living. I realised this already and for the reason im out of Florida.

[plaidmom]

Are mobile homes still regarded as, well, lower class?

Short answer: yes.

And like a car, they depreciate. So you are really not building equity and saving towards the future unless you own the land.

I think they have their place, such as temp housing on a piece of land while you plan/save to build a house.

If you have the lot/land and want something small and affordable, have you considered something like this:

http://www.cusatocottages.com/index_content.html (broken link) ?

(if the mods remove the link just google "custacocottages" or "katrina cottages"). There are also some pretty sophisticated kit/modular housing options now. Dwell magazine is a good source if you are searching for something more modern.

[Need_affordable_home]

I talked to him some more, I doubt hes interested in a mobile home. I used to be interested in one because it was the only way I could afford to stay in Florida but after seeing how much house I can get for the same price elsewhere, I decided im much better off relocating and enjoying a nice big house!

[Winnie1123]

I believe the mobile homes are now called Manufactured Homes. I have looked at many with a friend of mine in the midwest. You can either put them on a basement with tie downs, or on a slab. If you own your own land, it is easier to get a loan for the home as you would have equity from the land. Otherwise they treat it as if it was a car. The interest rates, and loans are different then if buying a home. Some of the homes I have seen were beautiful, and offer much more than you would get for a house. Of course you would have to check the zoining. Some developments state that it must be a double wide. Then again there are park models which are different than the Manufactured Homes. There are many web sites to look at. If you to not own your own land, then you will pay a lot fee. However if you are going to be in the trailer 6 months at a time and then go down south to escape the winter, you will have someone in the park that will watch the trailer and open it up for you before you come back. A trailer on your own land you never know if it will be broken into.

I hope this information helps!

[lookingfortheperfectplace]

In CA it is roughly an additional $60k to put it on your own land. $30k for land development and $30k for permits. It is probably cheaper elsewhere, but you will have some extra fee for leveling the land and permits. Just didn't know if you knew that.