Destination Mobile Home Park: The Hamptons

the shoreline in Montauk montauk shores mhp

Hearing “The Hamptons”, a few images come to mind: vacation homes for the elite, people dressed head-to-toe in Ralph Lauren and celebrity sightings galore.

With many areas in the Hamptons ranging between $2.2 to $5.6 million for a home, you wouldn’t think of it as a place to purchase a manufactured home. MHVillage data shows a new manufactured home carries an average cost of $75,747, and the national average price for an existing manufactured home is $46,173. This would be unheard of affordability in a place like the Hamptons.

But all things are relative, right?

Like the tiny-house trend, manufactured housing and modular homes are becoming hot for people who want to downsize, while also living in an aesthetically pleasing home. It’s a way to have a taste of luxury while being mindful of cost.

And things are different in the Hamptons, at great little community called Montauk Shores, specifically.

Luxury Manufactured Homes Hotspot

Known as “Montauk’s Best Kept Secret”, Montauk Shores originally was a campsite in the 1940s and 1950s. During the 1970s, residents came together to purchase the site and save it from bankruptcy, making it the first mobile-home-park condominium in New York. It since has grown into a haven for millionaires and billionaires alike and is managed by a seven-member board.

Montauk Shores is an oceanfront manufactured home community located on top of a bluff in East Hampton. Montauk itself has 3,662 year-round residents, but that all changes each summer, with an estimated 30,000 vacationers.

When heading to Montauk Shores, you’ll be surprised at its humble community entrance. Nothing fancy here, just a simple sign that welcomes you as you enter the park. Montauk Shores boasts 152 owned and 47 leased sites on 20 acres and 900 feet of coastline. Looking on the amenities page of its website, you’ll need to do some good scrolling to get through it all.

These are just a few amenities Montauk Shores offers:

Gated community
Security cameras
Clubhouse with individual access cards
Game room, arcade games, billiards, and ping pong tables
Professional bar/lounge with large-screen TV
Free drinks with neighbors
Seasonal clubhouse breakfasts, bingo, and arts and crafts for kids
Full commercial kitchen
Boat and RV Parking
Basketball and horseshoe courts
Lawn service
Snow removal
Garbage pick up
Emergency generator for the clubhouse
Maintenance and repairs
Private detached units with driveways

Pretty nice, right?

At first glance, Montauk Shores looks like your typical manufactured home community. Take a closer look and there is so much more. In fact, the community has been dubbed “Billionaires’ Corner” given its high-status residents.

Homes range from 200 square feet to 1,400 square feet and range in price from $200,000 to nearly $1.5 million, with $150 per month for dues.

While the community keeps a modest look on the exterior, residents spruce up their interiors to the nines.

The Super-rich Residents

There are many reasons why the ultra-rich choose Montauk Shores as a getaway dwelling place. Some seek refuge in their manufactured home, while others use theirs as beach home to clean up after a day at the ocean. In a 2017 New York Post article, it was revealed that VitaminWater co-founder Darius Bikoff had never slept in his home and strictly uses it as a hangout.

Bikoff isn’t the only well-known member of the Montauk Shores community. Other property owners include hedge-fund manager Dan Loeb, film producer Karen Lauder, and socialite Bettina Stelle. There have even been a few Jimmy Buffet appearances within the community.

In fact, the Montauk area has grown into a fixer-upper of sorts for the wealthy. Well-known names like Apollo Global Management co-founder Marc Rowan and celebrity chef Eric Miller have invested millions in commercial properties like Duryea’s Lobster Shack and Dave’s Grill to make updates to beloved area businesses.

However, Bikoff caused a stir with locals in 2013 when he dropped $15 million on East Deck Motel, a popular surfer hangout. In 2014, he demolished it in order to create a private surfing club. Area residents were so angry that someone would turn a communal sport like surfing into a private club that the plans never came to fruition. The land now is being marketed as plots for multi-million-dollar homes.

Montauk Shores Stays Strong in Down Quarter

In July 2019, a report from Douglas Elliman and Miller Samuel showed the worst second quarter for Hamptons real estate in eight years, with the average sale price falling 2.5 percent. The low second quarter marked a year and a half of declines in the market.

Experts say there are a few reasons for the decline. Too many luxury homes (in 2019, the number of home listings doubled) and a tax-law change that leaves little incentive to purchase a home or second home in the Hamptons.

Cody Vichinsky of Bespoke Real Estate in the Hamptons was quoted by CNBC saying inconvenient locations and overpriced homes are driving down the market.

“You might look at Zillow and see nine properties on the oceanfront in Southampton, which looks like a lot,” Vichinsky said in the article. “But then you dig into it and you see that six of them are in places where you’d never want to live, with constant helicopter noise or a triple dune or encumbrances. And then the others, the price is ridiculous. When a property is priced decently, it goes.”

However, for Montauk Shores, there’s still demand to be part of the Billionaires’ Corner. The community only has a handful of manufactured homes available, with one of those homes increasing in value by more than 9 percent since its last listing three years prior.

Understanding Mobile Home Loans with Land

Champion home exterior mobile home loans with land — Photo courtesy of Champion Homes.

Real property, or the permanent ownership of land and buildings, is one of the keys to building lasting generational wealth for you and your family. Owning a home is the most common method for Americans to enter the world of real property, and a buyer purchasing a site-built house almost always also purchases the land that the home sits on as part of the deal.

Manufactured home ownership is a great way for families to become homeowners, but getting a mobile home loan with land sometimes can be complicated. That’s because manufactured homes often don’t come with the land under them, as standard site-built homes do. That changes the approach to secure financing. This quick guide will help you understand the situations that a manufactured home buyer can face in buying land for their home, as well as offer some tips for getting the loan you need.

How Are Mobile Homes Most Often Purchased?

At first glance, buying a manufactured home may not seem much different from buying a standard stick-built home. Most home buyers will use a database of manufactured homes for sale or work with a mobile home dealer, or they may contact a manufactured home builder and have a new home custom-built.

However, the question of land ownership is important when it comes to getting a loan for your manufactured home. Some manufactured homeowners have both their homes and the land that they sit on, but some only own the home and are seeking to purchase land, while others are looking for a manufactured home to put on a lot they already own. These scenarios all create different requirements for manufactured home borrowers.

NXT homes by Clayton mobile home loans with land — Photo courtesy of Clayton Homes.

Scenario A: Have a Home, Need Land

Unless a manufactured home is situated on a piece of land that the homeowner owns and is attached to a permanent foundation, the home is in the legal category of “personal property” like a car, rather than “real property” like a standard site-built house. And, without land ownership, the homeowner likely will pay rent on the lot every month, unless the home is on family property or something similar.

If the homeowner wants to buy land for the home, they’ll typically look for a lot either outside of a community or in a resident-owned community where homeowners have co-ownership of the community. Even in the latter scenario, a mobile home loan with land can be difficult to get, and many buyers opt for a chattel loan borrowed against their home or a loan such as an FHA-insured loan that offers government incentives to the lender.

Scenario B: Have Land, Need a Home

A buyer may already own a plot of land but needs a mobile home to place on it. Since the buyer is already a real property owner, they will usually have more options for finding mobile home financing.

Scenario C: Need Both Home and Land

Buyers interested in getting both a manufactured home and a plot of land simultaneously will typically find plenty of options since mobile home dealers and retailers are in a great position to help a buyer interested in purchasing land with their mobile home. Buyers may also find it easier to get a traditional mortgage from a bank if they are buying their land and mobile home as a package deal; this is known as a “land-home mortgage” and rolls the loans for both the land and the home into a single payment.

Getting Your Loan and Your Land

Getting a mobile home loan with land isn’t always easy. So, how can you increase your odds of getting a land loan for a manufactured home you love?

First, it’s important to know what you can expect. You can start by using the financing pre-qualification tools that many dealers offer. This will help you get an idea of what you may qualify to borrow. With that in mind, check the price of manufactured homes similar to what you’re looking for. Take stock of your situation and familiarize yourself with the different types of mobile home loans.

Another important step is to check your credit score regularly and continually work to improve it (or maintain it, if you have a good score already). Actions, like paying down debt and keeping card utilization low, will always help your ability to get a loan, no matter what kind. Finally, it’s crucial to ensure that the mobile home and/or land you borrow against is well-maintained and HUD compliant, as lenders want to see a commitment to maintaining your investment’s value and following the law.

The process of obtaining a mobile home loan with land may involve a few extra steps compared with conventional home financing, but don’t let it keep you from your dream home. For more in-depth information on the process of choosing and financing a manufactured home, keep our MHVillage Mobile Home Buyer’s Survival Kit handy—it’s full of useful tips, the information you need to know, and more.

Did Vanilla Ice Pitch Trump Presidential Library at Mobile Home Park?

Right before Christmas, there was some buzz within Briny Breezes, a private manufactured home community with 411 residents. Real estate broker and Briny Breezes resident James Arena believed he could convince President Trump—with the help of Vanilla Ice and Donald Trump Jr.—to purchase the mobile home park for $1 billion and turn it into the Trump presidential library.

The story gained traction thanks to a Dec. 20 story published in The Palm Beach Post. In the article, Arena admitted he had reached out to Vanilla Ice, knowing he was close to the Trump family.

“Vanilla Ice ran it by Donald Jr.,” Arena said in the Palm Beach Post piece. “He called me back and said, ‘Man, I think they’re really into it.’”

What Does Vanilla Ice Have to do with Real Estate?

For those up on their “where are they now?” trivia, you already know Rob VanWinkle (aka Vanilla Ice) isn’t a rookie when it comes to real estate.

Vanilla Ice skyrocketed to fame in 1990 with his hip-hop hit, “Ice Ice Baby” and, if you were a child in the ’90s, “Ninja Rap” from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sequel. In the mid-’90s, he started studying real estate and flipping homes, which led to a career reinvention for the performer.

In 2010, he launched “The Vanilla Ice Project”, a reality show on the DIY network. The show’s ninth season aired in August 2019. During the show’s second season, he released Vanilla Ice Project – Real Estate Guide, a book on finding success in the real estate world.

The Potential Trump Presidential Library Site

Every United States President has a dedicated library in their home state. While President Trump was born, raised and has resided in New York for most of his life, he recently changed his residency to Palm Beach County. Considering President Trump and First Lady Melania have been residents since October, Florida could be a potential home for the presidential library.

As for the potential Trump presidential library site, Briny Breezes is a 43-acre mobile home park that is incorporated into the town, making it one of two mobile home parks in Florida that also serve as a recognized local government. This isn’t the first time whispers of a Briny Breezes sale hit the community. In 2007, Briny Breezes had a $510 million offer, which fell through. In that same year, Donald Trump had his eye on the town, but likewise, nothing came of it.

As for the current sale whispers, residents heard of the $1 billion price tag during a meeting where Arena brought up the possibility. While members have varying political stances, they seem to agree a big-ticket sale would be good for the community and its residents.

“Trump is not my favorite and I would hate to see Briny disappear, but I’m a realist,” Dana Littlefield, who has lived in the town since 1955, told The Palm Beach Post. “I’ve got 10 grandchildren and we’re talking 10 college educations. If Briny can be sold for a billion dollars, it’s like a no-brainer. That’s a lot of money.”

Resident support is key to any sale, whether it goes toward a presidential library or not. Since Briny is run by a board of directors, any sale would have to be approved by property owners who represent 67 percent of stakeholders.

Billion Dollar Dreams Crushed?

The story spread quickly and eventually reached the Trump family. On Dec. 23, Donald Trump Jr. and President Trump denied the rumor.

“Don hasn’t spoken to anyone about building a presidential library and has never even met Vanilla Ice,” a spokesman for Donald Trump Jr. told The Daily Beast.

Vanilla Ice also denied the potential real estate partnership and tweeted:

“I don’t know Donald Trump Junior., don’t understand why they said that? but if they want me to build a library In Palm Beach on the ocean, I’m in. #VanillaIceProject.”

At least Vanilla Ice still has hope for the reimagined Briny Breezes.

Everything You Need to Know Before Renting a Mobile Home

Everything you need to know about renting a mobile home

When it comes to renting a mobile home, there’s quite a bit you should think about before committing to signing that lease. Researching the market, the available options, price considerations, along with the different responsibilities required of both the tenant and the owner. These might seem daunting, but making an effort to learn about how best to navigate the process can save time and trouble in the long run.

Whether you’re dead set on renting a mobile home or simply exploring your options, here’s everything you need to know before renting a mobile home.

Why Rent a Mobile Home?

With more than 22 million people in the United States living in manufactured homes, it’s a widely accepted and generally affordable option for people looking to have a space to call their own. From owning to renting, there are a few different models for residing in a mobile home.

You might choose to:

Own your mobile home and own the land it’s on.
Rent your mobile home and rent the land it’s on.
Own your mobile home and rent the land it’s on.

Renting a Mobile Home vs. Renting an Apartment

While there are many unique reasons why people might choose to rent a mobile home instead of an apartment, mobile home present a great opportunity for millennials, retirees, or anyone in between.

Rent Is Less Expensive: Renting a mobile home is generally less expensive than renting an apartment. For those looking to maximize their savings, or who have access to a place of their own that they wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise, renting a mobile home is an empowering option.
You Get Space of Your Own: Apartments don’t always come with outdoor space, let alone private outdoor space. Renting a mobile home allows you to have the luxury of personal space that apartment living doesn’t.
More Privacy: Apartment living often comes with thin walls and lots of unintentionally overheard conversations. It also involves navigating through several unavoidable areas of shared space (lobbies, stairwells, grounds, etc.) since tenants all reside in the same building or building complex. Manufactured homes offer residents the opportunity to live in a freestanding space that’s just for them.
Pet Friendliness: It’s quite difficult to find a pet-friendly apartment; one recent study found that only nine percent of rental units allow companion animals with no restrictions as to breed or size. In addition to limited availability, apartment living generally doesn’t offer areas for pets to play or be walked.
Access to Community Activities: If the mobile home is within a mobile home park, the community may host activities to get together and enjoy the company of other residents. Time at the pool or celebrating a holiday party gives residents the chance to get to know one another if they so choose.

To Downsize/Start Fresh: Renting a mobile home is a fantastic option for individuals or families looking to downsize from a traditional home or start fresh in any way. For those who are conscious of the environmental impact of taking up a lot of space, renting a mobile home could be a step toward a more minimalist lifestyle.

In short, renting a mobile home provides an opportunity to have your own space and privacy, at a price that is significantly more affordable than a mortgage or the rent of an apartment.

Understanding the Costs of Renting

Unlike buying, someone renting a mobile home would not be transporting the home to a particular location; rather, they would be exploring home options that have already been installed somewhere. When renting a mobile home, there are a few different options for how you can secure your rental.

In general, you can either:

Rent a mobile home that resides on private property.
Rent a home and its corresponding lot within a mobile home community.
Rent a home owned by someone else in a mobile home community.
Rent to own a mobile home

Several factors can affect the rental price of a mobile home, including size/type, location, and timing of your search.

Size/Type: As with most residences, larger mobile homes will cost more to rent than smaller ones. Depending on the square footage, details of the floor plan and materials used, the rental price can vary.
Location: Certain areas or communities are more desirable to live in than others. Locations that are close to city centers, or which have a higher cost of living in general, tend to command higher rental costs.
Timing: Across geographic boundaries, prices of homes or rentals are generally less expensive in the winter, due to decreased demand during the time period. Intuitively, people are more often willing to search for a new residence when the weather is nice, and this makes competition (and prices) higher in the spring and summer months.

While the above factors can certainly affect rental rates, mobile home rental rates average at around $500 per month, according to original research from MHVillage. This is substantially cheaper than the median rent of a one-bedroom apartment in the U.S., which is $958.

Mobile Home Affordability

If you’re wondering why the cost of renting a mobile home is so affordable, it largely has to do with the way the manufacturing process is standardized.

In 1976, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a series of standards and regulations in an effort to ensure the safety of manufactured homes. Now, in order to be considered a HUD-compliant home, a mobile home must be constructed under controlled circumstances in a manufacturing plant in one or more sections on a permanent chassis, to ensure streamlined transportability to where they will eventually be placed.

Paying Lot Rent

If you’re renting a mobile home directly from a mobile home community, you will be expected to pay a unique expense called the lot rent. Lot rent is essentially renting the land that lives below your mobile home. This fee helps offset the cost of maintaining the land, along with its utility connections. Often with rental homes, lot rent is baked into the overall rent figure, but be assured, lot rent is a factor for community residents who also rent the home.

While some no-frills parks rent just the land, other mobile home communities offer a variety of additional amenities that are designed to enhance the homeowners’ experience and create a sense of belonging. More exclusive mobile home communities with luxury amenities generally will command a higher rental price than those with more baseline offerings.

Some factors that might affect your lot rent price include:

Community pool and/or clubhouse
Gardens or a community park
Exclusive, age-restricted communities (for example, a retirement community with many organized events and shared facilities)
Grounds maintenance
Accessibility to a city center with entertainment or shopping
Infrastructure upgrades

Some mobile home communities may choose to loop the mobile home rent and the lot rent together into one rental rate, and others will divide the two out. Both are generally expected to be paid monthly by the tenant, however.

Additional Expenses

Not all mobile home rent prices include the cost of utilities in their rental or lot rates. Additional fees and expenses to consider before renting a mobile home include:

Water, heat, and gas
Sewage, garbage pickup, and general maintenance
Television, electricity, cable and phone service
Having a pet with you

How to Rent a Mobile Home

When you decide to rent a mobile home, beginning the process of finding a place that fits your lifestyle can feel like a colossal undertaking. Especially if you’ve only ever rented an apartment, or have never rented at all, you may feel particularly confused about how to rent a mobile home.

Searching for a Home to Rent

Before diving into a search, it’s important to take the time to ask yourself questions that help narrow down your results. Where are you looking to move? What is your rental budget? What types of amenities are important to you? How soon do you need to move in? Eliminating irrelevant listings upfront will allow you to browse only the ones that are truly options.

If you know someone from a mobile home community you’re interested in, you might choose to ask around to learn whether units are available. You might also look through mobile home park listings to find homes available for rent. No matter how you choose to explore your options, you’re one step closer to finding the right choice for you.

Signing the Lease

After finding an ideal mobile home to rent, you’ll need to go through an application process and will, hopefully, be approved to move into your new home! Before you get the keys and officially move in, you’ll be asked to sign a lease agreement.

Here is some of the information that a lease agreement may typically include:

The names of the tenants
Cost of the rent and description of the space
A listing of deposits or fees requested by the owner/management
Limits on occupancy (meaning, how many others besides those who have signed the lease can reside in the space)
Indication of when and why the landlord would need to enter the mobile home
The lease term (for mobile homes, typical terms are 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months)
Terms and conditions regarding rent increases and the notice that must be provided
Expectations of the tenant and the landlord on addressing general maintenance and repairs
Rules regarding pets and/or guests
Information on how to pay rent and repercussions if rent is not paid on time
General rules about the habitability of the mobile home and landlord’s requirements to maintain them
Rules of the mobile home community, and a description of behaviors or activities that may lead to the tenants’ eviction

Mobile home parks are required to adhere to state rules and regulations to ensure the safety of its residents. For example, the New York State Department of Health details 13 sections worth of guidelines—including utilities, fire safety, application, supervision and more—for the legal operation of a mobile home park within the state.

Before signing your lease, read through the agreement thoroughly, as well as through the tenant laws for your state to ensure that your mobile home community management is providing you with an agreement that’s in compliance with them.

What Else to Look For

Before everything is officially official, it’d be helpful to do another thorough check of your mobile home and the property to ensure it is ready for your arrival. Whether you choose to have an inspector come once more or do additional assessments yourself, you’ll want to make sure that the space is habitable.

Make sure you have your keys.
Check that the property is clean enough for move-in.
Assess the space for any lingering health and safety issues.
If any issues were uncovered during an initial inspection, make sure they have been properly dealt with.
Meet with the landlord for clarity on the lease agreement.
Take photographs, or make a note of any minor damages (scuffed countertop, chipped paint, etc.) that was already there upon your arrival.
Check that all of your utilities (heat, water, electricity, telephone line, cable, etc.) are in proper working order.

You’ll also want to feel confident that you’re completely clear on your expectations as a tenant, and also those of your landlord. In general, your landlord should be responsible for ensuring the mobile home park is habitable and safe for its residents, while each tenant should make a conscious effort to be a respectful member of the community.

Enjoying Your Mobile Home Rental

After you’ve found the right mobile home for you and have gone through the process of applying and eventually signing a rental agreement, it’s time for you to get to enjoy your space! Now’s your chance to introduce yourself to your neighbors, make use of the community’s amenities, and even start planning any minor upgrades to make your space feel more like home.

While the process of searching for and moving into a mobile home rental can feel arduous, it’s not too different from most other rental processes. With a bit of research, a clear understanding of what you’re looking for, and some time spent learning about your rights as a tenant, you’ll be on your way to renting in no time!

Rent vs. Buy a Mobile Home: How to Decide

rent vs. buy decisions manufactured home — A beautiful open floor plan in a Palm Harbor home.

Many online resources guide you through the mobile home buying process. But what about help with deciding whether to rent vs. buy a home?

It can be a difficult decision to make. Sure, there’s a lot of information out there. But that doesn’t always help. In fact, studies show that having too much information can make decision-making more difficult and less effective.

Knowing that, we’ll narrow our focus to:

Your current finances
Your preferred lifestyle
Your home buying options

Our focus now set, let’s turn to four decisions to make before renting or buying your next home.

mobile home park rent vs. buy — Photo courtesy of Rickert Communities.

1. Decide To Get a Full Picture of Your Finances

“Should I rent or buy a house?” It’s a question many people ask themselves at one time or another.

Before answering that question, it’s critical that you have a complete understanding of your finances. Americans lose an average of $1,230 per year on financial missteps like late payments and poor emergency fund planning. That’s money better spent on your new home.

Begin by itemizing small, often-overlooked recurring costs that can whisk away your money each month, such as:

Recurring debt (e.g., finance charges on credit cards)
Vehicle maintenance, parking, and registration
Entertainment (e.g., movies, streaming services such as Netflix)
Those quick grocery store visits where you always seem to buy more than you intended
Pet care
Laundry, including dry cleaning

Understanding your current finances helps you make an informed decision about the next step.

2. Decide What You Want To Do with Your Money

There are some undeniable benefits to renting. Perhaps the most notable is offloading regular maintenance. Is the garbage disposal not working? Call the landlord. Time for yard work? Many communities offer a package that allows you to kick back, relax, and watch someone else do the work.

Plus, the money you save on upfront costs involved in purchasing a home can be invested. This might be an important factor if you decide that what you want to do with your money is to invest it in the stock market.

Of course, buying a home can help you grow your wealth, too. Wealth accumulation for homeowners is a long-recognized benefit of owning a home.

Another benefit? The freedom to do what you’d like with the house you own. Paint the walls whatever color you’d like; swap out window treatments; add a “she shed” in the backyard.

Step #1’s financial review gave you a good idea of precisely how much you can spend on your home purchase. Two critical items to keep in mind at this stage:

Keep your mortgage payment below roughly 30% of your total pre-taxed monthly income
Factor in expenses associated with buying a home, including:

○ Homeowners and mortgage insurance (if applicable)
○ Property taxes
○ Maintenance costs

Sound intimidating? It can be. But if you can stick to a budget, it’s an achievable goal. MHVillage offers the EZ Monthly Housing Cost Calculator in its Home Buyer’s Survival Kit. This calculator is especially convenient for those times when you don’t have convenient access to the internet. For the times when you are online, check out this interactive Buy-Rent calculator.

3. Decide Where You Want To Be In A Few Years

High levels of homeownership tend to improve neighborhoods. Why? Because the residents are invested in keeping the area attractive and safe for the duration of their time there.

While longevity is a plus in such situations, however, that doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Maybe you’ve been itching to experience life in another climate, move closer to family, or simply desire a change in scene.

If you’re not ready for the stability that comes with buying a house — if you decide that being able to pack up and relocate at a moment’s notice is more important to you — then you’re not ready to buy a house.

Once you decide that you are ready to buy, there are a few related decisions to make about the lifestyle you wish to lead. You can make such decisions by answering a few relevant questions:

❏ Do you want to live closer to your family?

If your parents are elderly and you wish to be nearby to lend any necessary assistance, it’ll help you zero in on a decision.

❏ Is starting a family on the horizon?

If so, the size of the home and school district ratings will influence your decision.

❏ Are you physically active?

Access to well-kept parks and recreation offerings such as hiking and bike trails might swing where you buy. (If your activities inspire you to pick up some land along with a new house, here are several things you should know.)

❏ Are you a big DIY fan?

If the lifestyle you seek has more to do with enjoying your future home and less to do with working on its plumbing or electrical components, avoid fixer-uppers.

If your decision-making efforts lean toward renting, then it will serve you well to check out our in-depth guide for renting a mobile home. Otherwise, MHVillage.com can help by letting you browse mobile homes for rent.

4. Decide on Site-Built or Manufactured Housing

If every decision you’ve made points to homeownership, congratulations!

For the broadest selection possible, you can’t go wrong considering both site-built homes and manufactured homes. Both can offer you the location, lifestyle, and investment peace of mind you seek.

Take a closer look at manufactured homes vs site-built homes, however, if you’re giving extra weight to factors such as cost, maintenance, and time.

Cost

Because of the economies of scale they achieve in deals with suppliers, manufactured home builders can offer affordable alternatives to traditional site-built homes. Despite their affordability, however, many modern manufactured homes today offer all the benefits of site-built homes: a variety of floor plans, brand-name appliances and fixtures, and more.

Maintenance

Building homes in controlled environments — closely supervised and protected against inclement weather — can help achieve a level of quality and reliability other methods simply can’t. This is bad news for people who like to tinker around the house, but good news for everyone else.

Time

Thinking about building a home? Construction time for mobile and manufactured homes is very efficient, notably faster than building on site. Manufactured homes can be completed in as little as two months. Site-built homes, meanwhile, can take six months or longer.

The Rent vs. Buy Decision is Yours — MHVillage Can Help!

There’s a lot to consider as part of the rent vs. buy debate. Bookmark MHVillage.com for everything you need to make the right call for you and your family. Whether you need additional information from our Mobile Home Buyer’s Guide or wish to view mobile homes for sale, you can find it here.

Now that you have this decision guide, put it to work to see if your future holds a home that you can call your own!

N.J. Mobile Home Park Puts the ‘Merry’ Back In Christmas

NJ Mobile Home Park Monmouth Merry Christmas — Monmouth Mobile Home Park in Brunswick, N.J. provides a treat for children in need.

Monmouth Mobile Home Park Brings Area Children to Target for Holiday Shopping Treat

NJ mobile home park holiday cheer — From left, Keri Mandell, Arthur and Debbie Roedel, and Dan Mandell have a photo taken during one of the New Jersey mobile home park owners’ earliest shopping trips for children in need.

On Sunday, Dec. 15, Monmouth Mobile Home Park took 25 children from South Brunswick, N.J. on a shopping trip they’ll not soon forget.

Dan Mandell, manager of the mobile home park, and his wife Keri, a former learning consultant, team up each year to deliver merry Christmases to families in need.

“The kids come from our schools. School employees and social services help identify the right kids. The nice thing is that it isn’t only the families who are long-term struggling, but some families that are just going through a rough patch. This may be the first time they’ve not been able to have a nice Christmas for their kids and we get to help with that,” Dan Mandell said.

“The schools help us get partnered with families who are trying to grind and to do things without asking for help,” he said. “Since they aren’t asking, we are able to surprise them with a happy holiday.”

Monmouth Mobile Home Park began the tradition of giving back eight years ago with Keri Mandell’s father Arthur Roedel, during the year the Mandells were learning how to take over the family business.

A Look at the Beginning

Recalling the first year of this effort to give back, Dan Mandell said it all started with a simple Toys R Us commercial featuring a busload of kids going to the toy store.

“We did start it with a bus and Toys R Us, but since the store’s closing, we’ve switched to Target where each child gets to spend $175 of their own gifted money for whatever they’d like.”

The kids meet up at the New Jersey mobile home park and have breakfast with residents before loading into cars to hit the aisles.

“Many of these kids have never been toy shopping,” Dan Mandell said. “They know their holidays won’t be happy, and to see the joy on their faces is the real gift. They want to buy their siblings and parents something to spread that joy. They’ve never been greedy, and that’s always stuck with me.”

More than Toys

When recounting more memories of the terrific community event, Dan Mandell went quiet for just a couple of moments.

“The second year we did this we had a child who had a lot of medical needs. He was in foster care and had never had a real Christmas. It was so amazing to see him go into the toy aisles and be able to pick things out for himself,” he said. “To him, the gesture was so meaningful. That is something I will never forget–how much it changed his view on things and how happy and grateful he was for someone else to have thought of him and offered help.”

Dan and his family now run Monmouth since the passing of his father-in-law. With the help of his wife, her brother Mike Roedel, and sister Pamela Roedel, the family focuses on serving the community and building a place where people will be proud to live.

“We are not corporate-run. We interact with our residents and try our hardest to make sure people know that everyone has their own personal story and struggle, so we try to help wherever we can,” Dan Mandell said. “This Christmas shopping spree is a way for us to try to give back to our local community. We donate money to local organizations and that is important, but we wanted a personal way to connect directly to kids and families of our town to make an impact.”

‘If every company could just do something’

And an impact they have made. Indeed, as of this year, the Mandell family and Monmouth Mobile Home Park residents have treated 200 local families with the joy of a very merry Christmas.

“If every company could just do something small, we’d all be so much better off,” Dan Mandell said.

“We recognize that our park may just be a stepping stone for some people,” he said. “Anyone can live in our park; we have families, young people, and retirees. We love to see people finding freedom from big city small apartments and take a step up to own something that is their own on the next step of their journey.”

Monmouth Mobile Home Park has been a family-friendly community serving its residents at 4017 US Route 1, Monmouth Junction, NJ for more than 50 years.

Is Buying a Mobile Home a Good Investment?

When Is Buying A Mobile Home a Good Investment?

When placed on private land, a mobile home is “real property” and will appreciate similarly to a site-built home.
Of mobile homes placed on leased land, there are a variety of factors that affect the value and appreciation of the home.
Overall, factory-built homes bring many advantages over site-built homes that contribute to making buying a mobile home a good investment.

If you’re thinking of joining the millions of people who live in manufactured homes, you may be wondering about the pros and cons of mobile homes, and if this type of housing is a good investment. Manufactured homes represent approximately 10 percent of all new housing, according to the Manufactured Housing Institute, so there must be something drawing savvy individuals to the market. Indeed, mobile homes often are a good investment for individuals.

A recent study published by the Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA) showed that manufactured homes on land appreciate similarly to site-built homes. Once placed on land, the mobile home legally is real property (real estate) rather than personal property. The fact that your home was built off-site in a controlled environment is an advantage compared to a home where the building materials sit out in the elements. The controlled environment also allows a manufactured home to be built faster than a site-built home.

is buying a mobile home a good investment community living — Photo courtesy of Equity LifeStyle Properties.

What About When Land is Leased?

When a mobile home is placed on leased land, much like any other home, there are several factors that affect the value of the home:

Maintenance and Age of the Home—Like any home, maintenance plays a role in how much the home retains its value over time. The age of the home matters, too. An older home that has not been updated may have a significantly lower sale price compared to a remodeled home or a new home with the latest amenities.
The Mobile Home Community—Since mobile home communities vary greatly from one to the next, location plays a big role in the price a person is willing to pay for the house. Some of the factors that impact the home’s value include the location of the park, the included amenities, the monthly maintenance fees and the size and features of the lot.
The Housing Market in the Area—The strength or weakness of the overall housing market in which the home is located also plays a role. In homes that appreciated, the price paid (and amount financed) represented a fair market value for the community in which it was located. Of course, buying a brand-new home in an economically stagnant area is not a good idea.
The Resale Market as a Whole—Does the consumer have a way to sell their mobile home? Are there brokers in the area that handle manufactured homes? Does the community in which the home is located handle home sales? An organized resale network usually will result in homes selling for higher prices than in markets without such an organized network.
The Overall Housing Value—Another factor at play is how the overall housing value compares to other housing options in the area. A manufactured home typically costs 30 percent less than comparable apartments and site-built rental housing. Additionally, a manufactured home often can be purchased with less money down than a site-built home.

Why Mobile Homes are a Good Investment

When you compare the total housing costs, including money down, the monthly payment and other costs, buying a mobile home is a good investment. You have to come up with less money and you’re paying less on a monthly basis. In addition, the following features tend to be appealing to potential homebuyers:

Privacy—Unlike apartments, manufactured homes come with no shared walls or
Photo courtesy of Champion Homes.

ceiling/floors — there are no immediate neighbors. This means no loud music or late-night parties that feel like they’re in your space. In addition, a mobile home owner has no unwanted cigarette smoke or food aromas. In most cases with a mobile home, you’ll also have a private parking space and your own yard, perhaps with outdoor living space, like a deck or a patio.
Size for the Money—You can get a three- or four-bedroom manufactured home, whereas apartments of this size often are hard to come by and expensive. Manufactured homes can be quite roomy, which makes them more appealing for families or multi-generational households.
Extras Included—Manufactured homes come with appliances, whereas most standard site-built homes do not, which saves an additional expense for the purchaser. Your home may also feature a covered carport, which you may have to pay for on a monthly basis in a typical apartment complex.
Community—Mobile homes are part of communities that are professionally managed with amenities like community centers, swimming pools, tennis courts, and other healthy activities. There also are age-restricted mobile home parks with planned activities and features specific for active adults.

A Sound Individual Investment

Often, purchasing a mobile home is a smart financial move because it costs less up-front and requires fewer long-term expenses. If you’re thinking about buying, make sure to analyze the features of the home—the park location, the age and quality of the home — as well as the overall state of the housing market. Living in a mobile home certainly brings many great benefits, so it can be a practical home investment option for most individuals.

Selling Your Home? Use Our Adcode and Save 25% on Your MHVillage Listing!

MHVillage is the Top Online Marketplace for Mobile Homes and Manufactured Homes

If you are selling your mobile or manufactured home and have yet to create an MHVillage listing, here is your big opportunity.

Below we provide answers to some common questions about starting an MHVillage for-sale-by-owner listing. And read to the end for your special 25% discount code as a Cyber Monday thank you from MHVillage.

‘Why should I consider an MHVillage listing?’

With about 25 million annual unique visitors on our site, MHVillage is the largest online marketplace specific to manufactured housing. Homebuyers and renters shop for their next mobile or manufactured home at MHVillage.

And our visitors are very savvy about manufactured housing. Having already decided on their next home being built in a factory, it’s merely a matter of which home they will buy, and from whom.

‘I’ve never advertised anything online, is listing my home on MHVillage difficult?’

Listing your home on MHVillage is super easy! Create an account with an email and password and start listing the home information with the forms we provide. Our website will walk you through selling your home in a step-by-step process.

‘What if I don’t have all of the information on the home?’

No worries. You always can start your MHVillage home listing, saving as you go, and come back to finish the listing at your convenience.

You also can publish the listing with what you do have, and update it with more detail at a later time.

If you need some assistance with your MHVillage listing, our Customer Experience Team will be happy to help you!

‘What if I list the home and then want to lower the price or add new photos at a later date?’

You can update, edit or upgrade your listing from your account at any time, so you have complete control over the listing details.

”How Do I Pay for My MHVillage Listing?’

A Basic MHVillage for-sale-by-owner listing involves only a one time fee. You pay before the home is listed. The home will remain listed for sale on MHVillage until you remove it or mark it as “Sold”. We have three different MHVillage listing types for you, and the Basic listing is $49.95.

Here is an AdCode for 25% off your MHVillage for-sale-by-owner home listing, good through Dec. 31, 2019!

Simply enter the above AdCode when you get to the “Options” section of your listing (this is the page that will show you the three listing options with prices and details). The 25% discount code above is for for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) listings only and will not work on professional listings.

Still looking to do some additional research? Check out our guide for choosing the best time to sell a mobile home.

If you have any questions or would like assistance listing your home contact us!

7 Manufactured Home Holiday Party Hacks

holiday dinner manufactured home holiday party

Host A Holiday Gathering and Show Off Your Manufactured Home

The holidays are upon us, and one of the greatest ways to celebrate the season is to toss a party with some of your favorite people. There are many reasons to host a holiday gathering. Not the least of which is to show off your mobile home or manufactured home.

Have you purchased a new model home, recently completed a room renovation in your manufactured home, upgraded the kitchen, or do you simply have a couple of new recipes you’ve wanted to try?

Now is the time!

sweet treats manufactured home holiday party — A nicely designed holiday treat bar to greet your favorite guests.

How To Throw A Splendid Holiday Gathering

The Ultimate Kitchen 3, photo courtesy of Champion Homes.

Here’s the great thing: Throwing a party in your manufactured home is just throwing a party. There is no overwhelming need for small space party considerations or any concern about having the proper appliances for all that’s on the menu. Manufactured homes have come such a long way, with open floor plans and full-size kitchen accouterment, all you need to plan for is the full look of surprise and delight from your friends and family.

Consequently, the real consideration is how to accentuate all the positives. Here are a few tips on situating the perfect holiday party in the home you love.

festive lighting manufactured home holiday party — Set the mood with some festive lighting.

7 Holiday Party Hacks Certain To Succeed

Greet your guests with warmth and twinkles for the holidays. Do you have a front yard or main entry that can be accented with festive holiday lighting? Let’s face it, whether it’s a string of holiday lights, LED candles in the windows, or a fire pit set up outside for s’mores, songs or campfire toasts, the holiday spirits certainly will soar with a beautiful light display.
Individualized stemmed glasses or trinkets to accent. Gathering even a few guests in your home may require somehow individualizing glasses for the punch bowl or cocktail bar. A fun holiday idea is to put out distinctive glassware to set each container apart, or make a home art project out of wire and beads for individual accents on stemware.
Use your kitchen island as a wine station/cocktail bar and appetizer stop. If you have wine stowed away, bring it out for a day. Bring all of your spirits to the top shelf. This will allow your guests to serve themselves, and you to do more mingling.
What’s the best room in your home for entertaining? Whatever your favorite space is, be certain to accentuate it with a festive wall hanging, holiday photos of family and friends, or even make it the main place for dining and socializing. If you love the kitchen, hold the party there, just bring in some extra barstools or put on some lively music and dance through the gig. If you want your holiday party to be more of a seated and plated affair, draw out a table through the living area or create an indoor-outdoor combination!
Decorate… just enough. You want to create a festive space, doing just a little something visual for the season. But refrain from overdoing it. The focus should be on the party and the people, but a little dab of holiday delight never hurts.
Turn off the TV. We at MHVillage appreciate the big game as much as anyone, but there’s a time and place for everything. Try not to schedule your gathering when everyone will want to tune in. Your party is about tuning out, appreciating the moment, and making memories with family and friends. So turn your TV into a music box, put it on the log-fire channel, or simply close the cabinet for the time being.
Consider courses or go family-style. We won’t pretend to direct your menu choices, but how you present the delectables is worth consideration. Will you conduct a full, small plate affair? Or would you prefer to have guests seated and served? It can be a mix, as well, but figure out what foods best fit the plan for seating and eating.

Do You Like to Give or Receive Gifts?

A holiday party among friends and loved ones doesn’t necessarily need to involve gift-giving. However, if shopping is a love of yours, or if you simply delight in giving a thoughtful gift, ensure that guests know this well ahead of time and allow them to reciprocate. Perhaps you set up a “white elephant” exchange? Or you ask that everyone bring a simple, fun and friendly gift that could be appreciated by anyone. Guests can choose at random, and let the swapping begin.

How to Winterize a Mobile Home

Winterizing a mobile home while the sun is out — Winterize your home while the sun shines.

When the snow is near we at MHVillager begin to think about how to winterize the mobile home, whether you want to ensure warm feet, or are closing up for the season.

How To Winterize a Mobile Home

Some good intention and a dedicated day or two is all it takes to winterize a mobile home. And, if you want to take the extra step, there are a few items to consider for purchase that will help make your home better insulated, safer, and more comfortable if you plan to stick around.

Winterizing a mobile home before it's too late — Now is the time to winterize your mobile home.

What Are the Basics When it Comes to Winterizing Your Mobile Home?

Even if you’re in the temperate zone, there are some important steps to take in preparation for those short but colder days and longer colder nights.

The planning and maintenance you do today will reduce the risk of pricey repairs or frustrating fixes done with numb fingers.

So, with the right information, you can do the work yourself instead of paying someone else to do it. Take action now to protect your manufactured home from water leaks, heat loss, cold drafts and the danger of a winter fire.

Prepare Your Mobile Home for Cold Weather

A simple tube of silicone caulk may be your best investment this heating season. Polyurethane caulking is a good all-around choice for sealing your manufactured home from drafts and leaks.

Important Places to Caulk Outside Your Mobile Home:

Gutter and downspout seams
Plumbing and furnace vent pipes
Around flashing seams between roof and siding
Along door and window frames
Through siding joints
Encasing the dryer vent
At the TV antenna wire entrance
At pipe feed-throughs

Put weather-stripping on exterior doors and windows. This is an inexpensive heat-saver, and another primary step in winterizing your home. To detect heat loss, just hold your hand at the edge of a window or door frame on a windy day. If you feel a draft, weather-strip the area.

If you want to have some fun with a cool, new and wildly helpful device, you can detect drafts and all kinds of temperature changes in your home, take a look at this handheld temperature gauge, which are sold at numerous online and bricks & mortar marketplaces. We’ve used these handy little $20 devices, and they work surprisingly well. You can shoot a beam across the room and test the temperature in different parts of your home.

How the Roof Affects Winterization

A well-maintained roof lowers your energy bills and prevents costly water damage. Seal the edges, seams or expansion joints of a metal roof every year. Use a roof coating suggested by a local dealer or service center, and apply to a dry, properly prepped surface. Make sure you apply the recommended thickness. Put a good seal around vent caps for the furnace, water heater, and exhaust fans.

Repair any punctures, cracks or breaks in your roof. Remember to tighten or replace any loose fasteners.

Winterize Under Your Manufactured Home

The blocks or jacks that support your manufactured home should be in good condition. If they’re not, have them repaired immediately to prevent sagging, which can cause damage to windows, doors, joints, and walls.

Slightly loosen your home’s tie-downs if you live in an area where the ground freezes solid. The ground can “heave” as much as three inches during the winter, and tie-downs leave no place for the manufactured home to move. That can result in serious structural damage. Remember to tighten tie-downs again when thawing begins in spring.

Check your home’s skirting. It should be secure, but not so tight that it stops ventilation or vertical movement. Furthermore, shovel snow and ice away from the skirting to avoid denting or cutting off the air supply required for your furnace.

Frozen Pipes Are Big Trouble

One of the simplest methods to prevent water pipes from freezing is the application of heat tape.

Heat tape is literally what it says it is! The tape contains a plug-in heating element that wraps around and warms water piping. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. If you have a heat tape already installed, make certain it’s still operative. Replace worn or loose heat tape. And, make sure you never overlap heat tape – it may cause a fire.

Winterize Windows, Doors, Siding

Be certain your mobile home windows are in good repair. Windows that have quality storm window inserts and proper mobile home insulation will keep your energy costs down, which is the prime reason for you to winterize your home. The same goes for doors. A winterized home is a more comfortable home, a safer home, an energy-efficient home and an environmentally friendly home.

Even if your window frames and doors are caulked and weather-stripped properly, heat can still escape. Properly installed storm windows and doors can cut your home’s heat loss by 50 percent.

Check exterior doors for wear, tear, cracking or fading. Look for signs of leaking around the sill and threshold. Make sure weather stripping and seals are okay. Inspect under your manufactured home for sagging, torn or water spotted insulation. Carefully examine your exterior siding and replace any missing or damaged fasteners and screws.

Additionally, to avoid winter water damage, be sure to clean out and inspect rain gutters for leaks or holes. They should be slanted so water runs away from your manufactured home. Don’t forget to check and repair downspouts and extensions. Again, if you have some money to spare in how your winterize your home and want to invest in a product that will minimize maintenance time guard against extensive winter damage, take a look at these reviews on roof gutter systems that keep the debris out and the water flowing away from your home.

Ensure Proper Furnace Function

It’s very important to make sure your manufactured home furnace operates safely and efficiently during winter weather. You can perform many routine furnace maintenance jobs, while others are best handled by a qualified repair person. Most furnace manufacturers recommend an annual professional inspection of fuel lines, safety controls, burner and flue pipe. Take a bit of time to check in with your utility company to see if they provide a free inspection.

To properly winterize your home, you should replace disposable furnace filters at the beginning of the season and check them often through the cold season. Remove and wash, brush or vacuum permanent filters. Likewise, remove the cover of the thermostat and vacuum away dust and dirt. Check the exhaust vent from the furnace. Clear obstructions like leaves or animal nests from the vent pipe. Keep roof exhaust vents clear of excess snow build-up.

Inspect blower motor. Vacuum any accumulated dirt. Inspect V-belt and pulleys for wear. If the belt moves more than an inch when you push it, tighten it. Check air intake. Most manufactured home furnaces draw combustion air from beneath the home, so keep no fewer than six vents in the skirting to allow free air passage.

Check the Entire Furnace Cabinet

Check the flue assembly for alignment and rigidity. It should run in a straight line from the top of the furnace through the ceiling. Be sure the flue is attached to the furnace collar. Check to make sure there is no loose wiring near the flue. If there is wiring in the flue area, move and secure it well away from the flue pipe.

Also, carpeting in the furnace compartment should be removed and replaced with fireproof material. Some manufactured home furnaces have wire mesh in front of the stack to prevent storage on top of the furnace. If this mesh is missing, replace it.

Clean out debris in the furnace area, and don’t allow even small amounts to accumulate. Never use your furnace closet for storage or drying clothes. This is a serious fire hazard.

CAUTION!: Never attempt to repair gas lines in your manufactured home. If you smell gas, call a repair person or your gas company immediately.

In addition, check you should also properly maintain your space heater, fireplace or woodstove. Both electric and liquid fuel-powered space heaters must be placed at least 36 inches away from anything combustible. If you have a liquid fuel-powered space heater, use only the fuel recommended by the manufacturer. Never use gasoline or any other substitute fuel. When refueling, always turn off the heater and wait until the unit cools down before adding more fuel.

Have your fireplace chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional to winterize your home. Creosote, a chemical substance that forms when wood burns, builds up in chimneys and can cause a chimney fire. Always protect your home and family by using a sturdy fireplace screen when burning wood. Remember to burn only wood – never burn paper or pine boughs or coal. These can float out the chimney and ignite your roof.

Chimney connections and chimney flues on wood stoves should be inspected at the beginning of each heating season and cleaned periodically. Remove ash as it accumulates, and be sure to follow any additional maintenance instructions provided by the wood stove manufacturer. Burn only wood and be sure the wood stove is on an approved, fire-resistant surface to protect the floor of your manufactured home.

Added Safety Steps to Keep Your Mobile Home Warm During Winter

Finally, don’t forget to check your fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. Keep one fire extinguisher in the kitchen and another near the furnace. Use a multiple-purpose dry chemical extinguisher suitable for use on Class A, B and C fires. Small home fire extinguishers operate only five to ten seconds, so take careful aim before using. Test your smoke detectors often to be sure they’re operational, and replace batteries before the weather gets cold. You should have one detector located high on the wall or ceiling adjacent to your bedroom areas and another in the kitchen.

Looking for more information on winterizing your mobile home? If you are looking for parts, tools or products for your home, be sure and check out the MHVillage page for Mobile Home Parts – anything you are looking for, from caulk to skirting, can be found here!