Good cheap land in Florida for a mobile home (Port St. Lucie: real estate, rental)
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Hello, I have been looking for cheap land in Florida because in another thread, I have said its better to own than rent. There is no cheap land in south Florida, is there? In Palm Beach County, theres not alot of lots for $100k or less. I did find a .17 acre for 80k that accepts mobile homes. I looked in Port Saint Lucie and there is an abundance of $80-100k land of .25 to .35 acres, but I wonder which areas allow mobile homes. Probably not in an area of new house developments. Perhaps in an old area or in a mobile park that sells the land instead of rents it. I did the math and I will lose less money buying than renting. There is the upfront cost but as long as the lot maintains its value or better yet rises, ill come out ahead.
Who here is familiar with Marion County? Isnt that where Ocala is? Someone is selling .2 acres thats suitable for mobiles for just $8000! That lot is a bit larger than the one in Palm Beach County at a tenth the price! Plus I pay zero property taxes thanks to homestead exemption! Are mobile homes assessed as real estate and subject to florida property taxes? My dad says no, only land/lots, houses and condos are.
Jobs wont be a concern if I have a home business. I am considering that because its easier and im my own boss plus it may pay equal or more than jobs! Therefore it wont matter if there are no good jobs in said area.
I do want a low crime area and be easy commute to a city if im not in a city.
Houses cost $100 to $150 a square foot to build depending on size of house, features and where the house is built. I can get a nice mobile home for $20-$30 a square foot, a huge savings and an affordable alternative. I am not worried about hurricanes, the newer ones are rated to 175mph gusts and also are tied down with cables so they wont fly!
The mobile parks here want $400-500 a month lot fees and their lots are tiny, like 3000-4000 feet or a tenth acre at most. Having my own land avoids this and also if the mobile park sells to a developer, all the inhabitants will be forced out. Owning my own land protects me for the most part. Also the property taxes will be very low or none unless I buy tons of land or expensive land which I cant(afford) and wont.
Thanks for reading, your help is much appreciated! I will rate you positivately for your contributations
Hello, I have been looking for cheap land in Florida because in another thread, I have said its better to own than rent. There is no cheap land in south Florida, is there? In Palm Beach County, theres not alot of lots for $100k or less. I did find a .17 acre for 80k that accepts mobile homes. I looked in Port Saint Lucie and there is an abundance of $80-100k land of .25 to .35 acres, but I wonder which areas allow mobile homes. Probably not in an area of new house developments. Perhaps in an old area or in a mobile park that sells the land instead of rents it. I did the math and I will lose less money buying than renting. There is the upfront cost but as long as the lot maintains its value or better yet rises, ill come out ahead.
Who here is familiar with Marion County? Isnt that where Ocala is? Someone is selling .2 acres thats suitable for mobiles for just $8000! That lot is a bit larger than the one in Palm Beach County at a tenth the price! Plus I pay zero property taxes thanks to homestead exemption! Are mobile homes assessed as real estate and subject to florida property taxes? My dad says no, only land/lots, houses and condos are.
Jobs wont be a concern if I have a home business. I am considering that because its easier and im my own boss plus it may pay equal or more than jobs! Therefore it wont matter if there are no good jobs in said area.
I do want a low crime area and be easy commute to a city if im not in a city.
Houses cost $100 to $150 a square foot to build depending on size of house, features and where the house is built. I can get a nice mobile home for $20-$30 a square foot, a huge savings and an affordable alternative. I am not worried about hurricanes, the newer ones are rated to 175mph gusts and also are tied down with cables so they wont fly!
The mobile parks here want $400-500 a month lot fees and their lots are tiny, like 3000-4000 feet or a tenth acre at most. Having my own land avoids this and also if the mobile park sells to a developer, all the inhabitants will be forced out. Owning my own land protects me for the most part. Also the property taxes will be very low or none unless I buy tons of land or expensive land which I cant(afford) and wont.
Thanks for reading, your help is much appreciated! I will rate you positivately for your contributations
I'm not a big fan of the types of mobile home parks you talk about. They often have lots of rules and regulations but they do have activities. Often they have a pool, tennis courts, a club house, etc. The dues and lot rental tends to be expensive. However, many folks like the amenities their dues included. It's really about a lifestyle and not just about a lot.
If privacy is your goal, purchasing a piece of property that will let you put your mobile home on the lot for life can be less expensive if it's the right property. The further north you go in Florida, the less expensive the land, typically. However, many of the lots are very large and you might be paying for land you won't use.
The real consideration these days about mobile homes is the price of insurance. It's difficult to get insurance on older mobile homes or to keep insurance as the home ages. I have friends in Key West in a mobile on the ocean. They pay lot rental, have no amenities except the ocean, but insurance is so expensive that they self insure. If you have a mortgage, you can't self insure.
It's really a matter of preference whether to be in a park or not. I just found 5 acres for under 100K in Volusia County that I might buy for personal use. I or build or put a modular/mobile home on the land when I'm ready.
Take your time in deciding what is right for you. Good luck!
No point in a morgage on a mobile when they are cheap enough to save cash for them. Some owners will finance with a large downpayment. Not gonna bother with insurance, its way overpriced, ill take my tiny chance. I dont need the activities of a mobile park. You are correct that land is cheaper further north. Less demand, lower population, more rural. I dont need a huge 5 acre lot, but there are smaller .25 to 2 acre lots.
You also are moving to a mobile home and buying 5 acres! Planning to have a big garden or perhaps own horses? By the way, I am rating you positive to your reputation
No point in a morgage on a mobile when they are cheap enough to save cash for them. Some owners will finance with a large downpayment. Not gonna bother with insurance, its way overpriced, ill take my tiny chance. I dont need the activities of a mobile park. You are correct that land is cheaper further north. Less demand, lower population, more rural. I dont need a huge 5 acre lot, but there are smaller .25 to 2 acre lots.
You also are moving to a mobile home and buying 5 acres! Planning to have a big garden or perhaps own horses? By the way, I am rating you positive to your reputation
Actually, we will either build a home on the land for retirement or sell it a later time. My real goal is to find 20 affordable acres in the area so I can build a small pond on the land. I seek privacy!
you may need to move up north, like to West Virgina to find 20 acres cheap.
Houses cost alot less in West Virgina as well. Youll get lots of privacy in West Virgina, I have a friend that lives there and loves it!
Havent yet gotten a positive reputation from ya, I gave you another!
You'll get a lot of advice that says, stay away from mobile homes. That is probably good advice for someone who has't thought it through, but I know you have. There are thousands of people who have lived in Florida in mobile homes, old and new, who have never had any problems. I have a lawyer friend who owns one in the keys, a banker friend who has one for a vacation home and several friends who have them for hunting. My Mom lived in one. Our best friends are serious RV travelers, gone at least 4 months every year, so they sold their huge house and bought a mobile (they prefer Manufactured Home) to use as home base.
As you are discovering, you can't put one just anywhere. For example, it is not possible to put a manufactured house on a Port St. Lucie lot; you might get away with a modular house, but that's a big step up. The Port St. Lucie area does have some mobile home parks, but they are designated and platted that way in a PUD (Planned Unit Development).
When you find an area you like, make a trip to the planning and zoning department and ask what the zoning rules are. If there are no zoning rules, go for it -- you'll probably find mobile homes mixed with commercial mixed with single family homes and duplexes. You won't find this anywhere but the smallest, most backwards, area, maybe nowhere in Florida any longer, as every community has to file a Comprehensive Plan with the state.
Most likely you discover in what zoning mobile homes are permitted. Some may be too restrictive -- for example, you may discover that you need at least 20 acres of agricultural land to place a mobile, outside of a mobile park.
Here's my suggestion. Instead of trying to find a piece of land where you can place a mobile, and then buy the mobile, concentrate on finding one that already exists. If you find a newish one that is in obviously good condition, you may be able to judge it for yourself. Otherwise, find a mobile home repairman in the area and pay him a small fee to inspect the home for problems before you buy. This is the same as taking a used car to a mechanic before buying it, and he won't need any special licenses, etc,. to do the inspection. If the owner of the mobile won't consent to having it inspected, scoot away as fast as you can to find the next one. I would not suggest using a "regular" home inspector. They probably won't have the experience with a mobile, and many of them are not really experts.
While it's scary, I agree with you about being self-insured. If you have a lot of self-discipline, set up a separate savings account and deposit 1/12th of a typical annual insurance premium in it each month, plus a little extra to account for the deductible if you would have had insurance. I would suggest at least $100 per month. If I had done that when I first moved to Florida, I would have had at least $100,000, inclding interest, in the account before paying anything for my first storm damage. If you have damage in the first few years, you may have to suck it up and take the loss. But, remember, you'll still have the land and whatever you can salvage.
Good luck. Just realize it's getting tougher and tougher to find a place because many counties are trying to zone out mobiles.
You dont think it costs more to buy land thats already set up with a mobile? I thought about that and know its convinent but some of them want way too much money, like $150,000 and the land is small too! I will make sure I am perfectly clear on the zoning rules. Someone is selling half acre in Ocala for only $20k and mobiles are allowed in that area! Now thats a good price on the land! I will take the responsability of being self insured. Actually, I will save as much as I can that I earn into funds that appreciate. Main reason is to build a retirement nest. As for hurricanes, the new models within the last few years have been advertised as being able to withstand up to 175mph gusts! Thanks for your reply, I gave you a positive reputation, [moderator cut]
Last edited by Mike from back east; 10-08-2006 at 07:56 PM..
Reason: Requests for reputation are not appropriate.
You dont think it costs more to buy land thats already set up with a mobile? I thought about that and know its convinent but some of them want way too much money, like $150,000 and the land is small too!
In my experience, the land is worth what the land is worth. In other words, if someone wants $150,000 for land with a $60,000 mobile on it, then the land better be worth $90,000. I know of plenty of situations like that. In Martin County, there are some mobile home parks set up on the South Fork of the St. Lucie River. A friend of mine had lived in a mobile on one of those waterfront lots since 1972. The house was pretty much worn out (that happens with mobiles more than "stick built" homes). He had recently moved into his Mother-in-law's house and was planning to repair and remodel the mobile when Hurricane Frances hit in 2004, with severe damage to his mobile. He sold the property with an unlivable mobile home on it for $125,000, and is wishing he could have waited another year because the priice doubled.
In Okeechobee, there is a section called "Treasure Island" which has always been zoned for mobiles. Behind every lot is a canal opening to Taylor Creek. The Creek opens to Lake Okeechobee, which in turns opens to the St. Lucie Canal to the East and the Caloosahatchie River to the West. Those, in turn, run to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. So, someone in their mobile home in Okeechobee can theoretically hop on their pontoon boat and go to Stuart or Sanibel Island. Those places are selling for at least $200,000 for a small lot with a junk single-side on it. Demand is high because of the waterfront, but also because people are willing to build a "stick-built" house on the property and get rid of the mobiles.
Even in non-waterfront areas, land that is zoned for a mobile is sometimes getting more expensive because there is less of it as zoning is changed. And, all land is getting more expensive in more developed areas, because developers are willing to pay more -- you're competing with them.
The old rule of Supply and Demand works really well, here. You want to find an area where Supply (the number of lots available) exceeds Demand (the number of people willing to buy the lots).
"In my experience, the land is worth what the land is worth. In other words, if someone wants $150,000 for land with a $60,000 mobile on it, then the land better be worth $90,000."
It becomes difficult to assess the true value of each. I often feel the owner is asking above fair market value. Its funny how I see land in one part of the city for $99k for 1/2 or even 1/4 acre then in the same city, but in a location a couple miles away, the seemly same land is only $35k! How am I to know if one location is "worth" 100k when I can get the same land 2 miles away for 35k? We arent talking different states or even cities, but the exact same city, almost the same location but 2 miles!
As for treasure island, if its zoned mobile homes, would you not be allowed to build a house unless you have your land rezoned? I can understand why its getting rezoned or people are chosing to build houses instead of mobiles. If someone has $200k to afford, they probably can afford a CBS house as well. Its a "waste" to put a cheapo mobile on expensive land and someone on a budget wouldnt spend that much on land to begin with. Likewise, its a waste to build a nice, expensive house on cheap land because that house will lose value the moment its built. Whos gonna pay alot for a house in an undesirable location after all?
Thats one reason why id rather own my land than rent it in a mobile park. I know we are on the downfall of the real estate bubble, but something cheap at least remains constant in price. We are experiencing a correction in overpriced areas and "good value" areas are staying where they should be.
Its tricky in deciding where to buy land. I am not in the market to invest, but it couldnt hurt to buy in an area where land at least keeps up with inflation. In other areas, values are temporarily dropping due to the correction of the bubble.
Land here in s. Florida is 5-10x more expensive than n. Florida. I know s. Florida is more desirable but is it really 5-10x more desirable? Why?
Land here in s. Florida is 5-10x more expensive than n. Florida. I know s. Florida is more desirable but is it really 5-10x more desirable? Why?
Well, it gets cold up there. I personally do not want to live any further North than Vero Beach, and I've been cold there, in the Winter! When my son was in high school, we left Port St. Lucie in shorts and tee shirt to see a soccer game in Vero; we about froze our...well, I'll save that story. By the way, Vero is only 20 miles further north than PSL, so my tolerance is pretty low.
"In my experience, the land is worth what the land is worth. In other words, if someone wants $150,000 for land with a $60,000 mobile on it, then the land better be worth $90,000."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home
Its funny how I see land in one part of the city for $99k for 1/2 or even 1/4 acre then in the same city, but in a location a couple miles away, the seemly same land is only $35k! How am I to know if one location is "worth" 100k when I can get the same land 2 miles away for 35k?
Somebody knows the reason, because otherwise the guy asking $99K will sit there forever, and the fellow asking $35K will get deluged with offers.
I'll give you an example. Here in Port St. Lucie, you can drive down Floresta drive and the houses on the East side will be priced higher than the houses on the West side, often substantially more. The houses are the same, the streets are the same, the services are the same and the people are the same. You will not be able to see any difference.
Until you turn to the East, however, and drive about 1/4 mile until you hit the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. On the East side of the street, the houses are waterfront. For the most part, they're exactly the same houses as on the non-waterfront properties. But, a waterfront lot will cost more than 5 times as much, maybe 8 times as much -- up to $800,000 instead of $100,000 for the landlocked lots. So, only "rich" people live there. And, that ambiance spills over. The landlocked houses across the street are more desirable because they're close to the "quality" folks. So, people pay more for them.
That same attitude spreads and prevails all the way up to the first major thoroughfare, Floresta Dr. It doesn't make it across the street. From Floresta on to the west for several miles, the properties are at "normal values".
Crazy? Probably, but not to the status-conscious people who are willing to pay more to live on the "right" side of the thoroughfare.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home
As for treasure island, if its zoned mobile homes, would you not be allowed to build a house unless you have your land rezoned?
Most zoning laws are based on minimums; they usually don't restrict on the greater side, as long as they are "like" zoning. For example, commercial, residential and industrial are not "like" zonings, so there is usually no spillover --- residential is usually not permitted on commercially zoned land, for example. But, within a type, such as residential, you can usually build "better" than the minimum. If the minimum is a 1200 SF house, nothing stops you from building a 3000 SF house, as long as it fits on the lot. If the minimum is a duplex, nothing stops you from building a single family home. If the minimum is a mobile home, usually nothing stops you from building a CBS home. There are exceptions, of course, but there are no such exceptions in that area. What usually stops people from building "better" is they would be throwing their money away. You'd have to be nuts to build a classy estate house in an area of duplexes. But, I see it every day -- a modern, new house in an area of shacks.
Generally, the more rural the area the more likely you are to see a mixture of types; rural folks are rugged individualists and nobody is going to tell them what they can and can't build, by darn!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home
Its tricky in deciding where to buy land.
You just said a mouthful. I may be in that predicament, myself, in a year or so, if you saw my thread about possibly needing to find some acreage in Hillsborough or Pasco Counties. My biggest concern is they may be too far north; but I understand the Winters are warmer over there...
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