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So, right now I live in an upper middle class home on the east coast. Southern CA home prices being what they are, in all events I will have to downsize to retire to the San Diego area. I have a reason to live in Valley Center (NE of San Diego). It so happens there is a mobile home park near where I would like to be. Years ago I was in a friend's mobile home in Huntington Beach, CA, and from the inside it seemed like a regular house. I have heard horror stories about toxins in mobile homes, but they may be from ones that were badly built. I have tried to google this, without much success. Can anyone enlighten me about mobile home living, or point me to a useful web site?
Please don't go to a park unless you have to. They combine many of the negatives of living in manufactured housing and HOAs. There are plenty of threads on City Data about the pluses and minuses of manufactured home living.
So, right now I live in an upper middle class home on the east coast. Southern CA home prices being what they are, in all events I will have to downsize to retire to the San Diego area. I have a reason to live in Valley Center (NE of San Diego). It so happens there is a mobile home park near where I would like to be. Years ago I was in a friend's mobile home in Huntington Beach, CA, and from the inside it seemed like a regular house. I have heard horror stories about toxins in mobile homes, but they may be from ones that were badly built. I have tried to google this, without much success. Can anyone enlighten me about mobile home living, or point me to a useful web site?
the mobile home park in valley center that has the lake around it looks quite nice. as a kid we had a farm where someone used part of our property for their mobile home and I was always fascinated by it. never lived in one nor have I even seen the inside of one for many decades but the idea of being able to pay off your house and only pay space rent sounds great if it is affordable. the parks near the beach in ca the rents are way too high. from what I understand it is best to buy one that is as new as possible. most banks won't loan on an older mobile home. the other way to go is if you own your own land. go look at few parks and homes for sale that should give you an idea if you could live in one. as far as HOA's you would have that in lots of home developments and condo complexes. read the documents and make sure you can live with the restrictions.
I've never been in a Mobile home (built on a trailer frame where axles can be attached for moving the structure) that appeared as anything but what it was. Every Modular home (stick-built in a factory/warehouse, installed on a permanent foundation) I have been in looked exactly like site-built homes. The only difference is that if it's "double wide", the center wall is 6" thick instead of 4"... you really have to know to look for it.
Anyway, I've seen a LOT of people refer to Modular homes as Mobile homes. They are completely different and you need to know they're are different. Getting terms straight helps a TON in communication issue.
As for what life is like in a Mobile home? I've lived in 2, one was a double-wide while in college and the other was an oversized single the first year after marriage (Gov housing on the Navajo reservation). The one I used for college housing was nice enough, certainly WAY better than dorm/apartment living. Dated cosmetically, no idea how easy it would have been to update (or what it would have looked like). The second was awful, but ti was also older and situated poorly. a TON of wind came through the area and the metal roof would ripple, the whole building shook side to side in those (frequent) storms. It was on the verge of uninhabitable IMHO... but the Gov charged $200/month and gave a $1200/month housing stipend, so the tax-free $1000/month made it bearable for the year we had to be there.
Were I to consider moving into one now, it would depend 100% on that Specific unit. I wouldn't write them off completely, but neither would I just accept the first that came along.
I think it depends on the mobile home. My sister rented one, and I remember you could see the ground through the holes in the floor under the kitchen sink. She had a terrible time with mice coming up around the pipes. It was not insulated well and cost a lot to air-condition in Texas. It was pretty old. A friend of hers bought a brand new double wide and it was pretty much just the same as a regular house.
Mobile homes generally suck. Mobile home parks really suck, except for those that are specifically set up for retirees and exclude under 55s. Look for one of those.
Last edited by FrogCross; 10-15-2015 at 04:33 PM..
Please don't go to a park unless you have to. They combine many of the negatives of living in manufactured housing and HOAs. There are plenty of threads on City Data about the pluses and minuses of manufactured home living.
why I prefer some kind of rv if I don't like where I am or my neighbors I can put the key in and go. screw being tied down
We are in a 3 year old double wide in a park. The park sucks, the double is drywall and nice for WHAT it is. WE had no choice but to move here, stupidly bought the place, now will lose our butt to get out of it. They depreciate, remember that.
I never lived in one but i have done work in them i'm a contractor. First they will cost a lot to heat and cool because the walls are 2x2's instead of 2x4's like a house so the insulation is bad. Some of them have rigid foam insulation on the outside that helps but that's not the norm.
Also i looked into buying one years ago before and the lot rent is almost as much as renting an apartment. So you buy the mobile home first then you pay rent?! No way. And you don't even own the land it's on.
About 30 years ago, while being interviewed by David Letterman, Iggy Pop, in reference to himself and his family, was the first person that I heard to use the term "trailer trash".
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