Does anyone here live in a trailer? (1 Viewer)

[MickeS]

Just curious. I've told my wife that if I hadn't met her and was still single, I might have moved into a trailer, as long as it was a decent one in a nice trailer park. People seem to be very surprised by this.
I think it seems like a pretty good deal: fairly inexpensive, you don't have to share walls with another apartment, and you have a little tiny lot where you can sit outside. Of course, wouldn't be much room for a HT, but a little apartment wouldn't be much room either.

Since I've never lived in a trailer, I don't know if I'd like it. Does anyone here live in one and like it?

/Mike

 

[KyleS]

For those who RV full time they do enjoy living in a trailer but that is because they like spending time outdoors and not inside. Mainly use the camper to eat and sleep not much else. I have an uncle that does this full time and he does it both to save money so he can travel and because his back yard is the Deschutes river so he can fish whenever he wants. I couldnt do it but for some people I could see the appeal. Give me my house with my large backyard anyday.

KyleS

 

[Jared_B]

Do you mean a mobile home, or an actual trailor?

My wife and I considered buying a mobile home after we were sick of apartments. The prices are really enticing, but then you get down to all the setup fees (water, sewer, power). In the end, we bought a house with a slightly longer commute.

 

[Ryan Wright]

My first house was a mobile home in a park on a rented lot.
Never again.
I had a singlewide trailer. 1977 Fleetwood with an amazing 1008 square feet. It was a good first home for somebody making $12 an hour. The house payment and lot rent together were still cheaper than an apartment, and I had my own little yard and enough space between myself and my neighbors that I could be reasonably loud without bothering them. On the down side, I owned the house, while somebody else owned the lot. When I moved in, lot rent was $200 a month. Three years later it was up to $320 and rising. Didn't include anything except for irrigation. Worse, one day the park just decided that boats, RVs, motorcycles, etc, were no longer allowed on the property. They gave everyone three months to get rid of these vehicles. They also decided that families were only allowed two vehicles. If you had three, one had to go. If you didn't listen, they would have your vehicle towed (they owned the property), or fine you some ridiculous amount of money every day. If you refused to pay the fine they'd just put a lien on your house. Basically, they screwed us all.
When that happened, a couple dozen homes in the park went up for sale immediately. Most didn't sell. I went through the listings for the other homes for sale, wrote down their asking prices, and undercut everybody by a few thousand bucks. I took a slight loss, but I was able to get out of there. Others weren't so fortunate. The people across the street from us had five kids in a ~700sqft singlewide. They saved up enough to buy a bigger house somewhere else, bought it, but couldn't sell their mobile due to the ridiculous rules and the fact that they couldn't afford to take a loss. They ended up moving back into that tiny house a few months later. :frowning: They just couldn't make both payments any longer.
If I was single, and trying to save money, I could live in an RV or on a boat. I think it would be a blast. Within a few short years one could save up a couple hundred grand and buy a home outright. Of course, you'd have to basically be celibate the whole time - doesn't seem like the way to make a great impression on a woman - but on the other hand, if you did meet the right person, you would know that she liked you for who you are and not for what you own.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

While a house or condo will usually appreciate in value, this is generally not the case with a mobile home -- they will lose value over time. Add in the lot rental fees, and this is usually a poor investment (but still better than renting an apartment). I also think that interest rates are higher on mobile home loans than with a standard mortgage. Since a mobile home is usually a lot less expensive to get into than a house or condo, though, it is sometimes the only affordable option for someone trying to avoid apartment life. Our 19 year old niece just purchased one to live in until she gets out of college.

 

[SteveA]

Even if you could be content living in a trailer, could you tolerate the type of people who would likely be your neighbors? Something to think about.

There's one more word that should give you pause: tornado!

 

[Jack Briggs]

Even if you could be content living in a trailer, could you tolerate the type of people who would likely be your neighbors?

Isn't that a generalization, Steve? What about someone reading this who does live in a mobile home? I don't think he or she would like being so characterized.

 

[Matt Stryker]

There's one more word that should give you pause: tornado!

So you get a tornado shelter, or know someone close who has a concrete house. The bad news is that a lot of modern wood frame houses fare only slightly better in severe storms than trailers. Also, many trailers are not properly secured to the earth, thus they are easily damaged even in high non-tornadic winds. Without a foundation installed or the proper fastening straps, a tornado basically becomes a lifting-body under high wind.

My father-in-law is getting one soon, after living in rental property for the last 5 years. They seem to be a good solution for people who own lots of land in remote areas where construction costs would be much higher. You can't beat the affordability; he got a brand new 17'x80' trailer with fridge, range/oven, fireplace (scary, ain't it?), washer/dryer, dishwasher, furniture, and delivery for $23,000.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Another solution for someone with a lot of land in a rural area would be a modular home. It's similar in concept to a mobile home -- the house is towed in as one or more sections, but is permanently attached to a foundation when installed. The wheels and towing tongue are removed upon installation. Some of the newer models look just like traditionally constructed houses once they are installed.

My parents purchased such a home for their 11-acre property in northern Michigan upon retirement 13 years ago. They have a double-wide home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and about 1,500 square feet of living space. The home was placed on top of a walkout basement. This home was much less expensive than a traditionally built home, allowing them to have money left over to build a deck and pole barn, plus purchase a tractor to help with yard work.

 

[Michael*K]

Even if you could be content living in a trailer, could you tolerate the type of people who would likely be your neighbors?

Why would you ask a question like that? Is it because you've heard the term "trailer trash" used once too often? I don't live in a trailer, but I have an uncle that does (he could easily afford a house if he so desired) and his neighbors are all very nice. They have steady jobs and all of the lots in the subdivision, park (whatever it's called)are well maintained. It's absurd to make such generalizations about people you don't know. I imagine a majority of trailer owners probably don't fit the stereotype you've continued to propagate, Steve.

 

[KyleS]

My parents purchased such a home for their 11-acre property in northern Michigan upon retirement 13 years ago. They have a double-wide home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and about 1,500 square feet of living space. The home was placed on top of a walkout basement. This home was much less expensive than a traditionally built home, allowing them to have money left over to build a deck and pole barn, plus purchase a tractor to help with yard work.

Damn Scott that sounds just like my parents
When they purchased there property 30+ years ago they bought 30 acres and put a modular home on it. Built a huge barn, bought tractors, & after about 12 years when they had more money they built a new home and sold the modular. That way they have the land and now they have a beautiful house on it.
KyleS

 

[MickeS]

Like Michael*K said, there are some really nice trailer parks, where I wouldn't mind living at all. There are some that are awful too of course, but that's how it is with any housing.

Ryan, that sounds like quite a lot ($320) just for renting a lot. I wonder how much it is to rent a decent lot these days? I always thought it was much cheaper to live in a trailer, maybe it's not that much cheaper after all (if you want it to be a nice in a nice park)?

/Mike

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Ryan, that sounds like quite a lot ($320) just for renting a lot. I wonder how much it is to rent a decent lot these days?

I believe our niece's lot rental fee is over $400 per month, but the trailer park is located in an area where the property values are pretty high (newly constructed homes are going for around $500k and older homes start at $300k). Depending on the location, $320 per month is probably not out of line.

 

[SteveA]

Isn't that a generalization, Steve? What about someone reading this who does live in a mobile home? I don't think he or she would like being so characterized.

Good point - and I apologize for making a remark that could potentially offend readers of this thread. I didn't mean to imply that mobile home residents as a whole are lesser citizens than anyone else.

Let me rephrase the point I was trying to make: Mobile home parks tend to be in less-desirable areas and often have higher crime rates and other social problems than more affluent areas. If you have the means to live in a better environment, it is certainly something to consider.

I realize that sometimes people are forced to live within modest means, and I never meant to imply that living in a trailer park is a badge of shame. In fact, my very first home as an infant was a mobile home. I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer my current lifestyle at age 30 to that I had as a young child, though.

 

[Steven K]

Does anyone here live in a trailer?

No, but I live in a van DOWN BY THE RIVER

 

[Philip_G]

I wouldn't mind a manufactured home. Hell they're square and plumb unlike a stick built, the HVAC system WORKS unlike a lot of stick builts you see, they seem like pretty good quality. But I guess anything beats living in an apartment at this point :frowning:

 

[Henry Carmona]

From the friends and people i have visited in Trailer Parks, id have to say that there is no way i would live in a Trailer Park if i had a choice.
Now, having a trailer out on some property somewhere in the country might be different

 

[Colin Dunn]

Renting a lot for a mobile home makes no economic sense whatsoever ... especially if the lot rent is $300-$450, as has been quoted as typical in this thread.

If it costs $25,000 or more to purchase a mobile home, most buyers would require financing. So then the monthly payment is around $600-$700. That might be advantageous in very expensive markets, but in Austin, you could rent a 2-bedroom apartment in an older building for that kind of money ... and not worry about land-use restrictions. Bad neighbors, of course, are always a possibility either way...

I think mobile homes make the most sense for people who can buy or finance their lot along with the home. Then it can present an affordable alternative to a permanent site-built house.

I've never lived in a trailer, though I entertained the thought of buying land and putting a trailer on it to get away from exorbitant mortgage payments. But then I inquired about costs, and found out that a lot + home package could run close to $100,000. I think a 6-figure sum for a mobile home/lot package is WAY too high ... so I have held on to my site-built home and continue to make those big payments...

 

[Leroy]

Well, I happen to live in a mobile home and I really like it. I have a half acre of land and will someday build a house.

I pay about half of what my friends pay for their rinky dink apartments and have a lot more room. You can't compare a 1977 model to the more recent ones. Not at all. I've got all sheetrock walls/ceilings(vaulted) treated plywood floors rather tham particle or mdf that was prevalent in the past. For some reason people still attach the "trailer trash" stigma to modern mobile homes and the people who live in them which is puzzling. Where I live, the mobile home parks are quite nice, comparable to any nice apartment complex.

I will say this though, I think that owning a mobile home makes more sense if you have a piece of land to place it on. Buying a mobile home to place on a rented lot is somewhat couterproductive. If I didn't already own land I would probably be renting right now.

 

[MickeS]

I've seen them advertise them here for as little as $30,000.

I agree that it seems like renting a lot to put a mobile home on would be a bad idea.

We've looked at some lots here to put a house on, and some of the lots in the nicer areas have restrictions that you can't put a mobile home on them, I think. Otherwise, that'd be a good idea, before buliding a permanent structure.

/Mike