Are all manufactured homes in trailer parks or are some in regular neighborhoods?
Manufactured Homes July 5th, 2009I live in a very expensive city (San Diego). I plan on being here for a while longer but don’t want to piss money away on rent anymore.
The only thing I can afford to buy out here is a manufactured home because a decent 500sq ft. condo or townhouse out here won’t go for less than 5K (yes I said 500 sq ft ridiculous, I know) and of course if I’m paying a mortgage, I want more room.
I grew up in the suburbs and know nothing about this.
Any info would be helpful.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Remember, a lot of the cost of a house is the land on which it’s built — when you’re comparing the cost of a mobile/manifactured home to a standard house, you aren’t comparing apples to apples, since the first is just the structure, while the other is structure and land. Trailer parks are places where you can rent or buy the land and connections for electricity, water, and/or sewage for your mobile home.
Many suburbs these days have homeowner’s associations or other restrictions, which often disallow mobile homes, as they fear that they will drag down housing values for the houses nearby. Many suburbs are planned, where you cannot buy land and do what you wish with it; instead, you buy land from a builder who has bought the land for development, and resell it with a house, either built to your specification, or built while waiting on buyers.
You will need to research for your area: you’ll need to research land values and deed restrictions, as well as what it would take to have the appropriate city services connected to your land (if not in a suburb or other already built out area, there’s usually high connection fees to have utilities run out to you).
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Not all manufactured homes are in trailer parks. I live in one on my own land and it only costs me $600 a month.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
It all depends on the zoning in the area, if manufactured homes are allowed. In general people with stick built homes do not want manufactured homes in their neighborhood but some areas allow them. You would have to check with a local realtor.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
There not just in trailer parks. However some neighborhoods have zoning restrictions that forbid them.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
No, they are not all in trailer parks, but there are only certain areas where you can have one. At least where I live, there is. I’d check with the city offices before you consider buying one. If you are talking about a single or doublewide trailer, you definitely need to consider what is involved. In NC where I live, trailers are titled to the DMV just like cars are, and when you buy them, you have to file paperwork with the state that changes the status of it from personal property to real property. Until that is done, it is basically the same as a car. Of course, taxes are higher once you do that conversion, but it needs to be done to affix that trailer to the piece of land it sits on.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
As long as the home doesn’t constitute a substandard building, it shouldn’t be a problem. You might want to contact the city and check out the municipal code to make sure there a no laws/regulations against it.
http://www.sandiego.gov/
wow California is expensive
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Check again on homes… a new manufactured single wide can be about $30,000 and then you have to have a place to put it. You don’t find them in the city too often. More rual areas, but if you have a yet underdeveloped area you might be able to find a lot with one.
A single wide is hard to get a loan on. A double is easer but still kind of hard.
Again with the homes… look up on MLS site an amount your willing to pay and plug in a slightly higher amount to get good results. A bought a home that is 782 square feet last year for 20,000 in the middle of Jacksonville, Florida. It needed paint and a good scrub but nothing a few good friends and weekend party did not cure. Expect to put some money into a fixer up home. Do the most important first. Your roof and plumbing. A hole in the door can always wait.
I like this web site http://www.realtor.com/
I hope it helps you.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Well it depends exactly what the home is like. There are a lot of manufactured homes that look just like "normal" houses. They have two stories and fairly big.
Actually if I remember correctly, one time on Extreme Makeover Home Edition a couple of years ago they put up a fairly big manufactured home, and it looked better then all of the other houses on the street.
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
Not all manufactured homes are in parks. I have seen some really beautiful double wide homes that are on the owners own land. Financing for new models with FHA and Conventional mortgage loans for qualified buyers. I put a couple of websites below that may offer more information.
Hope they help!
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
You don’t see many trailers in nice residential areas. It would lower the property values of the other houses.
Trailer trash folk like to stick to their own kind as well…
July 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
No, you can buy land anywhere for the trailer as long as their ar no restricions on the land. If I were you I would buy an older mobile home that is already set up on the land and the septic and everything is already done. It doesnt have to be OLD, just not brand new. You will be getting a much better deal. Mobile homes go down in value so if you buy a new mobile home you will owe more than it is worth AS SOON as you buy it! Of course, you may still be in the same situation if/when you sell the older mobile home but at least it wont be as much money.Remember that the land itself will keep going up in value.