Anyone own a mobile home?

markgm

Diamond Member
Aug 23, 2001
3,291
2
81
I got a new job and it'll be about a 50 mile commute from my house. I'm thinking of picking up a mobile home closer to work. The cost of the place will be less after utilities and such than the cost of gas, plus I would avoid all of the traffic and have 2-2.5 more hours of my day to myself. I figure I'd head back home on the weekends.

Anyone have any advice or pointers? I found a place but have to call for more info, it looks like it's in a small park, around 9 homes.

I can't imagine how easy it must be to make one of those look decent inside, I think my current bedroom has more square footage!
 

Rage187

Lifer
Dec 30, 2000
14,276
4
81
they can be nice inside but they lose more value than a car does driving off the lot. I'm with Searchmaster, rent one.
 

markgm

Diamond Member
Aug 23, 2001
3,291
2
81
It's a used one, I couldn't imagine renting one for less than the cost of buying one unless someone somehow pays me to live in the place!
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
Originally posted by: markgm
It's a used one, I couldn't imagine renting one for less than the cost of buying one unless someone somehow pays me to live in the place!

I'd still rent one. I'm assuming this is short-term. You don't want to get stuck with one if you buy it.
 

markgm

Diamond Member
Aug 23, 2001
3,291
2
81
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: markgm
It's a used one, I couldn't imagine renting one for less than the cost of buying one unless someone somehow pays me to live in the place!

I'd still rent one. I'm assuming this is short-term. You don't want to get stuck with one if you buy it.

It's as long term as planning on having the job, I'll look into it.
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
Be sure to check into the land lease it sits on. Some trailer homes have a land rental fee that is as much, if not more than the cost of the trailer loan.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
Also, check out any place at night. You don't want to have to deal with noisy neighbors or anything else that goes bump in the night.
 

Insomniator

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2002
6,294
171
106
Never living in a mobile home is one of my main goals in life. Just build a big tent or something closer to work.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: Insomniator
Never living in a mobile home is one of my main goals in life. Just build a big tent or something closer to work.

A yurt is what you're looking for.

OP - will someone be at your house while you're away all week? Do you really want to leave your house vacant all week?
 

markgm

Diamond Member
Aug 23, 2001
3,291
2
81
I rent out a room to my brother so I don't feel as bad having 4 bedrooms.

A yurt looks perfect, but I'd get killed on the heating and air conditioning costs! Hopefully Insomniator lives in California, but then the whole fire thing might come into play!
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: Rage187
they can be nice inside but they lose more value than a car does driving off the lot. I'm with Searchmaster, rent one.

QFT...almost all the parts are proprietary and will break. Security is non-existant...they are like living in a car as far as that goes.

They can be great in some instances like owning one in the keys. Hurricane blows the shit away, just by a new one. You can't build down there right now.
 

NetGuySC

Golden Member
Nov 19, 1999
1,643
4
81
Find out where the foreclosed mobile homes are sold in your area, you may be able to pick up a very descent five year old double wide for $15 grand like a friend of mine did.

He calls it cheap living until he saves up enough to pay cash for a house.
 

markgm

Diamond Member
Aug 23, 2001
3,291
2
81
Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Find out where the foreclosed mobile homes are sold in your area, you may be able to pick up a very descent five year old double wide for $15 grand like a friend of mine did.

He calls it cheap living until he saves up enough to pay cash for a house.

I've only seen a few listed so far, they all range from 45k to 97k.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
34,543
651
126
Originally posted by: markgm
Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Find out where the foreclosed mobile homes are sold in your area, you may be able to pick up a very descent five year old double wide for $15 grand like a friend of mine did.

He calls it cheap living until he saves up enough to pay cash for a house.

I've only seen a few listed so far, they all range from 45k to 97k.

And you'd spend that kind of money instead of renting?
 

markgm

Diamond Member
Aug 23, 2001
3,291
2
81
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: markgm
Originally posted by: NetGuySC
Find out where the foreclosed mobile homes are sold in your area, you may be able to pick up a very descent five year old double wide for $15 grand like a friend of mine did.

He calls it cheap living until he saves up enough to pay cash for a house.

I've only seen a few listed so far, they all range from 45k to 97k.

And you'd spend that kind of money instead of renting?

Renting a place is going to run me anywhere from 1200 to 1400 a month.
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,030
123
106
$850 for one near me have to move it to your own land but its probably worth more then $850 as scrap. Land is cheaper then dirt here ;) so it would almost be worth it just to live in while saving up to build a nice house on the lot.
 

Saulbadguy

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2003
5,573
12
81
The problem is you will be living near the scourge of the earth. You can have the nicest mobile home in the country, but it will still be a piece of shit because of the absolute scum you will live next to.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
$850 for one near me have to move it to your own land but its probably worth more then $850 as scrap. Land is cheaper then dirt here ;) so it would almost be worth it just to live in while saving up to build a nice house on the lot.

except where one would build a nice house there are usually exclusions (not HOA rules) that prohibit trailers and mobile homes from being erected.

Its a good thing as otherwise you'd have a family of 8 adults in a double-wide in your nice neighborhood saying for 10 years 'they are getting ready to build'.

Meanwhile out of 4 men, none can manage to cut the grass more than once every 2 months.