[explorerman1]

Originally Posted by expatCA

I suspect you will find minimal mobile/modular homes have been damaged in hurricanes. In fact many modular or manufactured homes are built just like regular homes and when tied down properly do just fine. In driving through several areas hit by hurricanes and tornadoes the regular homes saw equal damage. Now older mobile homes are at greater risks, but my father in law lived in one built in the1970's and in Ft Meyers and the park never had a problem.

Plus they are cheaper to replace than a damaged house.

There is a Youtube video taken during Hurricane Frances in Fort Pierce that actually shows, at one point, a mobile home losing it's roof and even a wall peeling away at the seams. And Frances was only about a strong Category 2 (max sustained winds of only 105 miles per hour) at landfall in Fort Pierce.

[LifeIsGood01]

Some of these mobile home parks have homes that were built and have been there since the early to mid 70s. They have not fallen apart and have not been destroyed by hurricanes. Hurricanes hit where they hit, you can be a few miles away from where Andrew hit in a mobile home and be fine.

Some of these homes are not expensive, but it's a little cheaper than renting an apartment, and it's safer, the management company checks every resident. If they do not pass a background check they do not live there. The cars have stickers and are registered to the community. These are nice communities. They have heated olympic size pools, club houses, tennis courts, bocci ball courts, horseshoe ranges, small lakes, canals, etc. It's just like a home, you have an address, not a lot number, you have a mailbox up front, not a central location to pick up your mail. They have lawns in the front, sides and back. You have at least 2 parking spaces, plus guest parking near the clubhouse. Half the residents might be snowbirds from Canada.

I've seen RV parks, and they are pretty bad, some smell like feces from the connections, they have dirt lines roads or lots. I've seen bad mobile home parks too, where the homes are close together and have dirt lots.

Wood frame and cinder block homes are obviously safer, but no guarantee that you won't be killed by a hurricane or tornado.

Are mobile homes better than renting, it depends. If you want to leave you have to sell your home to a qualified buyer. The benefits are that you can make any changes inside that you want, don't need approval for wall paint colors, and no landlord or super can enter your home. No one else has a key to your home, and you can change the locks as often as you want.

[ReachTheBeach]

I am looking almost exclusively at manufactured housing in FL for my retirement, assuming I stay in good health. Probably in a 55+ community. As others have mentioned, safety ratings on anything 20 years old or newer are good, initial cost and upkeep costs are less and I would rather spend my money on other things.

There is something else that many people don't realize unless they have been around the nicer communities. I have lived primarily in neighborhoods of "standard" homes, but I have also lived in apartments and in a mobile home park. I had extended family that managed a couple of parks and visited them frequently. All 3 types of housing had some sort of common facilities and a few activities. As far as participation in activities, the mobile home parks were far and away the highest IME. And there is an intangible property to them that is hard to describe, but there was far less pretention; there were warmer gatherings at the parks. My personal theory is that a lot of people buy a standard home like a estate - they want everything they need to be there all self contained. People living in apartments often just want a place to stay, like a hotel room for a long stay. In a park, I feel people are more inclined to care about all the facilities and the community. It's not always true in any of the communities, of course, but I think a fairly high percentage of people in parks want community.

[thunderkat59]

Some of the trailer parks I saw in Florida were a welcome deviation from the bourgeois gated McMansion compounds that prevail in South Florida. They were painted very colorfully and had statues and other stuff that showed they were owned by very arty and eccentric people. There was one in Jupiter in particular that I would like riding my bike around in just to look at all the owners crazy decorations.

[Not_liking_FL]

Originally Posted by expatCA

I suspect you will find minimal mobile/modular homes have been damaged in hurricanes. In fact many modular or manufactured homes are built just like regular homes and when tied down properly do just fine. In driving through several areas hit by hurricanes and tornadoes the regular homes saw equal damage. Now older mobile homes are at greater risks, but my father in law lived in one built in the1970's and in Ft Meyers and the park never had a problem.

Plus they are cheaper to replace than a damaged house.

There is a big difference between mobile and modular. Modular are built to the same standards as stick built, but it's done on basically an assembly line. Mobile homes however are not built to the same standards, and are a terrible place to be during a hurricane or tornado. Stick built is not great either, but I'd much rather be in a modular or stick if the weather gets bad. Mobile homes are junk.

In Florida and other areas prone to destructive weather homes should at a minimum be built with reinforced block that is back poured with concrete. There are better concrete building systems available, but for some reason haven't caught on like they should.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Not_liking_FL

There is a big difference between mobile and modular. Modular are built to the same standards as stick built, but it's done on basically an assembly line. Mobile homes however are not built to the same standards, and are a terrible place to be during a hurricane or tornado. Stick built is not great either, but I'd much rather be in a modular or stick if the weather gets bad. Mobile homes are junk.

In Florida and other areas prone to destructive weather homes should at a minimum be built with reinforced block that is back poured with concrete. There are better concrete building systems available, but for some reason haven't caught on like they should.

Yes, they are different, but a properly secured mobile is quite safe. Now can they be damaged, sure and some are when hit badly. On the other hand much cheaper to replace.I too would prefer a modular and realistically most mobile homes are being replaced with such in good parks. It is the older parks that still have actual mobile homes. My step father lived in a mobile home in a small park in FT Meyers. The home had to have been built in the 70's at best and was never hurt by a storm. Once a bad one hits, anything in its path is likely to be damaged.

Note not all modular homes are built to the same standards as some have 2 X 3 studs and some with 2 X 4 studs. Check to see.

Block would be better, but cost more and if you tour FL you will see very old homes untouched. It is the few not the majority that have problems, aside from Homestead, FL that is.

[Not_liking_FL]

Originally Posted by expatCA

Yes, they are different, but a properly secured mobile is quite safe. Now can they be damaged, sure and some are when hit badly. On the other hand much cheaper to replace.I too would prefer a modular and realistically most mobile homes are being replaced with such in good parks. It is the older parks that still have actual mobile homes. My step father lived in a mobile home in a small park in FT Meyers. The home had to have been built in the 70's at best and was never hurt by a storm. Once a bad one hits, anything in its path is likely to be damaged.

Note not all modular homes are built to the same standards as some have 2 X 3 studs and some with 2 X 4 studs. Check to see.

There is a reason the National Weather Service tells you to avoid mobile homes during an alert. They are not safe. I'd say your step father was lucky if he went through a bad storm unscathed in a mobile home.

[ReachTheBeach]

Originally Posted by Not_liking_FL

There is a reason the National Weather Service tells you to avoid mobile homes during an alert. They are not safe. I'd say your step father was lucky if he went through a bad storm unscathed in a mobile home.

They don't bother qualifying whether you have a good one or not. Same warning they have given for decades. Everything is a calculated risk. Odds are that no storm destroys your home. I may trade a slightly higher but still very low risk to be able to live in a place I will enjoy more instead of a home in a less desirable place for the same money. I could get a well built block house a little further inland with no amenities and activities for the same money. Then I could sit in my bunker and pray a storm comes and ends the misery. Unfortunately I would likely survive it...

[Not_liking_FL]

Originally Posted by CarvedTones

They don't bother qualifying whether you have a good one or not. Same warning they have given for decades. Everything is a calculated risk. Odds are that no storm destroys your home. I may trade a slightly higher but still very low risk to be able to live in a place I will enjoy more instead of a home in a less desirable place for the same money. I could get a well built block house a little further inland with no amenities and activities for the same money. Then I could sit in my bunker and pray a storm comes and ends the misery. Unfortunately I would likely survive it...

You would be far less likely to survive a direct hit from a strong storm. It's your life and your money, so if you think it's wise to buy a TRAILER( that will depreciate in value) go for it.

[ReachTheBeach]

Actually most of the parks I am looking at are "manufactured homes" but I am not excluding mobile homes. But I won't argue the point much further. My point is that in any case you are highly unlikely to have a direct hit ever happen and sure it would be best to maximize your chances if you can afford to. You can make an even better case for not living near the SE US coast at all. But the allure of coastal living is enough for people to brave the risks knowing full well that even block homes get torn apart by some storms. I am not all that concerned about resale after my retirement. I will look at block homes as well and would love to find one with a good active community in my price range. Not happening so far. I could choose a safer but not likely as satisfying retirement. Or I can accept a very small risk of a disaster to be able to afford a lifestyle I would prefer.