Hurricane Florence is bearing down on the East Coast, and could do major damage to parts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia later this week.
According to a National Hurricane Center update on Sept. 12, a life-threatening storm surge is highly likely along portions of the coastlines of South Carolina and North Carolina. Catastrophic flash flooding is likely over portions of the Carolinas late this week and early next week, as Florence is expected to slow down as it moves inland.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, it’s crucial that people in these areas obey the instructions of local and state officials and evacuate if necessary.
Know what wind level the home is designed to withstand. Prior to 1976, the homes were built to a patchwork of state, local and voluntary codes. Some were well built; others were not. Federal law requires that a home built and installed after 1994 in the nine South Carolina counties nearest the coast must withstand winds of 100 mph.
Verify that your home was installed properly.
However, the most common reason for wind damage in manufactured homes is improper installation rather than the structure of the home itself. A manufactured home will perform properly in high winds only if it is properly installed.
Do your own inspection.
Manufactured homes are anchored by a series of 10 to 20 large steel anchors. The anchors are connected by metal anchor straps to the heavy steel frame that the house rests on. Inspect each anchor strap beneath your home to be certain that there is no slack or play in the strap. Check for signs of movement in the anchors themselves. Anchor straps can be tightened with a socket, ratchet and adjustable wrench.
Finally, remember that even the best-prepared homeowners should evacuate their homes when local authorities recommend it. This is regardless of whether their house is site-built or factory-built.
I sat surrounded by piles of clean laundry, nursing our newborn daughter while trying to maintain some semblance of sanity with our then 4-year-old son. I had cleaned up the same messes no less than twice that morning. The mound of dishes threatened to create an avalanche that would just spill over onto the stacks of mail covering our countertops that nearly qualified us for an episode of Hoarders.
That scene was the backdrop to my epiphany.
When Dreams Turn to Nightmares
Four years prior, my husband and I had bought a 2,200-square-foot farm house on 15 acres with a pond. It was our dream, but it began to feel like a nightmare.
As I tearfully watched episode after episode of tiny home shows, I began to wonder how a spit-up covered mom on maternity leave from her thankless teaching career and her husband who had been working years at a dead-end job just to make ends meet would ever make this dream a reality. We were working 50-, 60-, 70-hour weeks and then coming home to a house that needed to be cleaned, a yard that needed to be mowed, and things that needed to be fixed.
Our family had built a life that required us to work so hard we were too tired to enjoy it. We were overworked, overtired, overstressed, underpaid, under-appreciated, and under-joyed. It didn’t make any sense that we had chosen this for ourselves.
Tiny Living, Big Solution
I spent over a year researching tiny living, while simultaneously inundating myself with all of the research supporting the benefits that simplifying life had on children with behavioral and anxiety diagnoses.
Just before this life-changing – sponsored by HGTV – lightbulb moment, our son had received his first behavioral diagnosis; one that would be followed by four more over the course of the next two years. Though we’d spent a collective 30-plus years serving at-risk youth and kids with disabilities, meeting our own child’s needs was brand new territory.
Tiny living seemed to be a potential solution to several of the challenges we were facing as a family. Simplifying our space and our way of life would allow us to reduce the stimulation for our son, thus reducing his anxiety and increasing his brain’s ability to think slowly through situations. Downsizing would reduce our debt, decrease our environmental footprint, and allow us to afford to be a one-income household.
It seemed simple, but nothing ever is with our family; our tiny journey is no different.
Prepping for The Tiny Living Purge
We listed the home we loved but couldn’t keep up with and began selling or giving away everything that wasn’t a must-have item. We learned valuable lessons by allowing our kids to choose their own toys to make the cut.
I must have spent 30 minutes trying to convince our son that he loved a vintage Fisher Price toy telephone because my dead grandma had given it to him. The truth was that he never even played with it. He taught me that the memories I have aren’t in the “stuff.” Freeing ourselves of the clutter and the extra tangible items allowed us to be released from the anxiety of an overcrowded space and be intentional about our time together.
They each have only two square fabric bins to hold toys, and if it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t stay! That became our motto, along with new in, old out, and 50 clothing items per family member per season.
Of course, our house was in a bidding war amongst three families the very first day we listed it, so we ended up with two weeks to find a tiny home, a place to park it, to move out of our dream farm house, and to trek two states away for a job I’d accepted teaching English to formerly incarcerated high school students.
The Tiny Living Learning Curve
With only two weeks to purge, pack and hit the road running, we agreed on a 2011 Jayco Eagle 36 foot fifth wheel camper to ensure we didn’t take on more debt, since financial freedom was a big motivator for our downsizing to tiny life. The elderly couple who previously owned Telle (pronounced Tell-ee), as we call her, was kind enough to leave the plastic on the carpet for us.
She was in excellent shape, but looked like someone’s sweet grandmother decorated her. Plus, we were a free-spirited and fun family embarking on a lifetime of adventure, so we had to give her an overhaul! We remodeled everything on the inside to suit our family’s need for full-time living and road-schooling our kids, including a sensory and calming area for our boy.
Doable Downsizing for Tiny Living with Kids
We are often asked how in the world we remain happily married in 300 square feet with two kids and a dog. Honestly, it is easy! We test-drove rental tiny houses for four long weekends before taking the plunge. That allowed us to prioritize what worked and didn’t work for our family.
Winter in a tiny space with children.
We planned our bedrooms on opposite ends of the rig, both with real doors that close and lock. While I adore the sliding farmhouse style, they didn’t block out light or sound and remaining happily married requires prioritizing privacy. So now our bedrooms are actually farther apart than they were in the upstairs of the old farm house.
My husband tore out the dining table and the oversized hide-a-bed couch and replaced them with a slim line sitting area with storage underneath, as well as a beautiful window-height bar that folds into a square dining room table in the evenings. It provides a workspace for me as well as dining for the family.
We have the floor plans and designs with a great tiny house company in North Carolina, and we can’t wait to build our forever tiny. But we’ve learned to save and wait before buying into a dream that we can’t yet afford.
The home feel of an RV that serves as a transition to tiny living.
Simple Living is Life-Changing
This switch to simplicity allowed one of us stay home and road-school our kids so they could learn on their terms. As a licensed teacher, I was able to write state-aligned curriculum that was geared toward hands-on learning and promoted relevant lessons that focused on our son’s strengths while giving him the time and opportunity to improve areas of weakness. No longer were we being forced to hear all of the things about our son that didn’t fit the mold of sitting quietly for hours without recess.
What we know for sure is that we want to lead by example. We don’t want our kids to grow up afraid to take risks or unwilling to trust that God is faithful. We want our kids to run outside, get dirty, meet friends on the playground, serve others, dig for crawdads in creeks, and learn about rocks from climbing and exploring them … not just watching PowerPoints in a row of sterile desks surrounded by prison-colored cement walls and the looming threat of standardized testing.
Marriage is hard. Raising kids is hard. Parenting children with special needs is really hard. We do the best we can to teach our kids to be kind, and tiny living allows them to experience other cultures, religions, socioeconomic areas, and people of all kinds. My husband and I believe that this choice is truly best for our little family in our tiny corner of the world, and we are loving every minute of intentional living.
If you are ready to purge and start working toward tiny living, check out my eCourse “Timeline to Tiny” at https://themamaontherocks.teachable.com for practical steps to downsizing your house and upgrading your life!
The Burgers take a ‘goof shot’ of their place in the world.
Have a pet? Then you know a special love. They are part of the family. But, when looking for a mobile home park, there may be rules and regulations you need to follow.
What is a Pet Policy?
Pet policies are the rules for occupancy regarding pets. Most manufactured home communities have some kind of pet policy or another. Some allow only a certain number of pets, while others restrict the size or the breed. Know the rules before you go to buy a home. You don’t want to close the deal and find out that Fluffy isn’t allowed!
Here are some examples of common pet policy items:
No pet policy. There are some places that don’t allow for any pets. There are exceptions made to these rules for service animals, but otherwise having a pet under these circumstances would be considered a breach of contract.
Type and number of pets allowed. Some policies focus more on the number of animals. Only allowing one or two is fairly common. I have seen pet policies that exclude dogs, and others that exclude pets in tanks. (The latter was in a pet policy for renting a home. Apparently, they had problems in the past with a tenant who had a leaky fish tank!) “Exotic breeds” also fall under this category and may be regulated.
Dangerous Breeds. Certainly, communities have policies against certain dog breeds. This is typical because insurance companies have bans against “dangerous breeds.” (This list will vary, so check with your community.) Dangerous breeds generally include Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, Chows, Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies, St. Bernard’s, Wolf Hybrids, and a mix of any of the above.
The Weight of the Pet. Other pet policies stay away from banning certain types of pets by
Pets are welcome in Blair Group’s communities.
having a weight requirement. For example, they may state no pets over 30 pounds.
Pets Welcome. Other communities know how important our pets are to us and welcome them with open arms. Some communities even have specific dog runs and dog parks for the residents to bring their furry friends. For example, Blair Group’s 55+ Communities welcome pets in all their Florida communities.
That covers the pets allowed portion, but communities can also have policies that reflect how you care for your pet.
Other policies to be aware of:
Leashes. Some communities have rules about dogs – and cats – being on leashes when outside of the resident’s home. Since most mobile home communities do not have fences between the home lots, this can be important. Even if your community doesn’t have a specific rule on this, it’s a good way to keep your four-legged friends safe.
Spay and Neutering. There can be requirements that animals over a certain age are spays or neutered. Restricting pet breeding also can fall under restrictions about commercial businesses in residences.
Damage. Policies can include a pet deposit or an agreement that owners will pay for any damage incurred by their pets.
Maintenance. The policy may also have rules about how cleaning up after their pets and how to bag and dispose of pet waste.
Licenses and shots. A community could also have a policy that companion animals are up to date on their vaccines and have been properly licensed per your state or local government. Even if it isn’t specifically in the rules, also makes sense to collar your pet and have a tag with your name, phone number, and lot number. If your furry friend happens to slip out the back door of your home, someone can help bring them home.
You can enter the area where you are looking to find a home, and click Only Listings in Parks that Allow Pets. That will give a list of manufactured homes for sale or rent in pet-friendly communities.
If you don’t find any homes in your area, don’t give up! Instead, uncheck the box and try again. If you see a home you are interested in, contact the community. Not all communities have updated their policies recently, so it never hurts to call and find out. In fact, you should check with the community manager on any home you are interested in if you have pets. This is one quick phone call can prevent problems down the road.
"The Austin" from Platinum, sold through Recreational Resort Cottages.
Park Models at Tiny Home Jamboree Draw Praise, Sales to Match
Austinites, Texans from every corner of the state and visitors countrywide and from abroad came to the 2018 Tiny House and Simple Living Jamboree on Saturday and Sunday.
They perused dozens of small houses and recreation getaways, combed over simple living literature and gear and provided the basis for builders and developers who look to turn a “tiny trend” into a true industry.
Jon Fontane, event director for Reed Exhibitions, said more than 8,000 paid attendees came through “the Jam” at Travis County Exposition Center during the weekend.
Park Models at Jamboree
Adam Anderson from Recreational Resort Cottages talk to customers touring “The Austin” from Platinum.
Adam Anderson, general manager for Recreational Resort Cottages of Athens, Texas, had a pair of park models at the Jamboree, both of which sold and were delivered before the event concluded.
“We did sell both of our show houses during the event, and have several other qualified buyers going through the buying process,” Anderson said. “It is very rare to make actual sales during an event, much less two cash sales.”
One of the two, aptly named “The Austin”, is a 399-square-foot getaway built by Platinum. It turned heads all weekend for its floor plan, choice of materials and livability. It has drywall in each room, hardwood cabinetry and granite countertops, for instance.
“This looks so much more residential than what I’m accustomed to seeing,” said Karen Buerkle, a local real estate agent who’s looking to buy for herself and others to create a retreat getaway that could turn into a retirement place.
How Do Tiny Homes Compare to Park Models?
The Austin is fixed on a chassis and trailer, but requires a semi-truck for transport because of its 30,000-pound weight. But its bulk compared to tiny homes on wheels, for instance, hasn’t curbed its appeal among the small space and simple living clientele.
“The industry is getting huge, especially in Austin,” Anderson said of the park model concept. “Most middle-class families here have a hard time buying a home, so it’s that and a lot of second home retirees.”
Park models differ from tiny homes because, among other reasons, they’re used as getaways built to the ANSI code, widely used in the recreational vehicle market.
From left, Dave Genin of Titan Factory Direct, and Dick Grymonprez of Athens Park Models, greet customers in the outdoor living space of a park model at the Jamboree.
Athens Park Models, a Texas division of Skyline Champion Homes, also showed a pair of models at the Tiny Home Jamboree. Athens Park Models are sold through Titan Factory Direct.
“Titan had long lines from the moment the gates opened until closing time,” Dave Genin, general manager for Titan Factory Direct, said. “We educated many customers on the advantages of Park Model/RVs, and we’ve already closed a bunch of deals from the show.
“One customer left the show and went to Titan and wrote a check for a top of the line model for cash,” Genin added.
Greg Parham’s own tiny home at the Jamboree
Veteran Tiny Home Builder Shows Architectural Gem to Jamboree Guests
Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses Founder Greg Parham brought his home to show. It’s the one he and his wife occupy in Durango, Colo., and the one they take on the road for shows.
At the Tiny Home Jamboree in Austin, Parham had a difficult time getting industry visitors out of the home so he could prepare it for showing during the weekend’s general public days.
Rocky Mountain Tiny Houses Founder Greg Parham in the tiny home he shares with his wife.
“I’ve put on about 24,000 miles pulling this house,” Parham said. “Honestly, if I were to do it any more than that, I’d build a new home for traveling.”
Parham has built better than 60 tiny homes for customers, and wants to keep his operation relatively small.
“I don’t ever build the same house twice,” he said. “Each home is built for a specific customer and a specific purpose, which makes each home unique.”
Greg Parham, a graduate in architecture from University of Texas in Austin, designed and implemented an auto-hoist system for the sleeping loft in his home.
The wave-shaped roofline of his residence sloughs the heavy snow to a convenient place of the back of the home. All home systems and materials choices are in specific relation to the home, from the door hardware, to the auto-hoist bed loft, to the countertops designs and hardwood features.
First-Time Builder Enters Tiny Home Market
The first home from Triangle D of Snyder, Texas
Gaydon and Deborah Boyd from Snyder, Texas own and operate Triangle D, a new maker of tiny homes on wheels.
“Our interest in attending the Jamboree and other events is to have our home on the road
Deborah Boyd, co-owner of Triangle D Tiny Homes, sits in the sleeping loft above alternating tread staircase and bookshelf combination.
where we can meet legitimate buyers,” Deborah said, sitting in a sleeping loft atop a designed staircase that doubles as a book shelf and home décor cabinet.
“From a builder’s standpoint, it takes up a lot less space,” Gaydon said of the alternating tread staircase. “And building this kind of dwelling, that’s what you have to be able to do.”
The home is their first – first of many, they anticipate. It is 270-square-feet, with 90-square-feet in the loft and 170 on the floor. The home took three months to build, with the first month coming from the trailer and framing provided by Volstrukt Agile Framing Systems, and the latter two months for exterior and interior home completion.
“Our goals is to get to the point where we can build five per month,” Deborah said. “We have several people who are developing an interest in talking to us about a purchase. It’s very exciting. It’s a great business.”
Tips for a Small Space Garden in Orlando That Will Liven Up Your Outdoor Space
With a near 70 percent of sunny days each year, Central Florida is a prime spot for a small space garden in Orlando. However, under the Florida sun, some of those plants require a lot of maintenance time due to so much growth.
Small space gardening for mobile home communities and tiny home villages requires outdoor plants that are not too large and will do well if moved.
Consider these low maintenance plants for a small space gardens in Orlando mobile home parks. They will thrive and not take up too much space!
Coreopsis
As Florida’s state flower, the Coreopsis screams joy with its bright yellow and deep red coloring. The flowers of the Coreopsis are shaped similarly to daisies and offer cheery beauty to any small space garden in Orlando.
Butterflies are strongly attracted to this plant. Coreopsis comes in multiple shade varieties like gold, pink and red. Place a pot of Coreopsis in full sun or part shade either on a porch or near an outdoor seating area so you can enjoy the beauty and majesty of this annual flower.
Caribbean Agave
This beautiful perennial would do great in a large pot or planted as an accent in an Orlando garden. The Caribbean Agave is a hardy plant that requires very little maintenance. It features stiff straight leaves in a rosette shape that offers modern geometrical interest to any space.
A Caribbean Agave can grow up to three feet tall and require only moderate watering. It enjoys being in areas that receive full sun and the variegated pale green and white edged leaves offer a beautiful accent for the eye.
Wild Allamanda
The Wild Allamanda (or Yellow Mandevilla) adds a punch of color to your small space garden.
Native to the Florida area, the Wild Allamanda also is known as the Yellow Mandevilla. It is a perennial vine that offers glossy leaves among bright yellow flowers. Blooms will appear between spring and fall as well. The Wild Allamanda can handle dry central Florida weather and attracts the polka-dot wasp moth caterpillar. Use this plant near a porch railings or doorways that will allow it to grow up to 4 feet long.
Rosemary
This popular herb does very well in pots and is a great option for the small space garden in Orlando. It not only will provide fresh herbs for your meals but also provide a wonderfully fragrant scent in your outdoor living space. Rosemary grows in small bush form and can get up to three feet tall. It enjoys full sun and can withstand dry to moderate water conditions.
Succulents
Succulents require little water, will thrive all year and even can be kept indoors near a sunny window.
The many variations of succulents are the perfect plant for any kind of small gardening and tiny living situation. Succulents can be planted in the ground as well as in a rock garden. They also do well in large or small pots and can even be used as an indoor plant along a windowsill. Succulents take up little space and are easy to maintain with little watering needed. They do well in sunny areas and certain varieties do slowly spread as well.
Dwarf Pentas
For non-stop blooms in your small space garden in Orlando, look no farther than the Dwarf Pentas. This popular Floridian flower is easy to grow and produces beautiful blooms in either white, lavender, red, or pink. The dwarf size grows to about a foot tall making this a great option for those with smaller gardens.
Butterflies and hummingbirds will flock to the Pentas’ blooms providing a bit of outdoor entertainment. Place Dwarf Pentas in an area that receives either part shade to full sun. The plant can handle moderate drought conditions once it is well established.
Small Space Gardens Help Maintain a Property and Beautify a Community
Adding low maintenance plants around your manufactured home or tiny house will help the area environment by conserving water and being naturally adjusted to Orlando’s weather patterns. Similar to watering a lawn in Orlando, though, make sure to water (when needed) in the late afternoon to reduce quick evaporation.
It will also cut down on time outdoors working under the hot Floridian sun when you could be sitting out and enjoying the weather. Remember to check with management in the Florida community where you live for guidelines on gardening. And then consider any of these low maintenance plants that will flourish in a small space garden in Orlando.
Lucy Crawford is a home design, DIY writer, and lover of herbal tea. With her busy hands she is always challenging herself with a new DIY project. She enjoys designing spaces where she can relax and enjoy a good book.
Home maintenance for many is a troubling thought. Not all of us are handy with power tools and building materials. However, every homeowner wants to live in a comfortable space and maintain mobile home resale value for when it comes time to actually sell your home. Luckily, there are several budget-friendly ways to extend the life of your mobile home without going beyond your comfort level or financial means. Here’s our list of to-dos that don’t require any major expense.
5 Things To Do That Will Extend the Life of Your Mobile Home
Replace your furnace and AC filter:
This one’s easy to forget. The seasons come and go, and your furnace blows air in the winter to keep you warm, right? Sure, but how well
Change the filter on your furnace and AC unit annually to extend the life of you mobile home.
it does this is an entirely different story. It’s recommended that you change your filters annually. When a dirty filter stays in the furnace or AC, the unit is unable to operate as efficiently as it could. All the grubby mess that filter is meant to catch can start to flow into the system. This will reduce efficiency. It will degrade your home’s air quality. And it will shorten the life of your furnace and/or AC. So keep your filters clean and extend the life of your home. FYI, if you don’t know exactly where to go on the unit to pull out and replace the filter, reference your appliance guide or do a web search on the make and model for direction. Cost: If you’re paying more than $5 for an AC or furnace filter, you’re paying too much.
Seal gaps with caulking:
Perhaps you’re wary of the time and expense it might take to replace your mobile home windows with a low-e mobile window or simply something newer? The low-cost answer for ensuring windows are air tight is the inexpensive little tube of clear silicone caulking. Use a caulking gun, cut the tube near the tip for medium to small bead and lay a straight and steady line of caulk to the outside cracks and edges of your windows. To ensure a good covered seal, you may need to “tool” the caulk bead with a moist-soapy finger or an ice cube. Cost:One-time purchase of a caulk gun for no more than $20, and about $6 for a tube of caulk.
Take care of your appliances:
Be certain to put moderately sized loads in your washer and dryer. Anything too large or light can throw off the anticipated weight range of the appliance and cause gear and belt damage.
They work and work and work for us. Do you recall how much effort it took to wash dishes and clean clothes before you had home appliances to do it for you? Well, those handy machines are doing the heavy lifting these days, and the could use a little help. The gears and belts on your washer and dryer are hard at work whenever they run, so don’t overload the machine and make the task all the more difficult. Likewise, don’t put in too small of a load, which can create imbalance and put strain on the machine. For your refrigerator and dishwasher, take time to wash the rubber seal with soapy water. When you clean the dust and grime, it tightens the seal and maintains temperature and moisture better. Cost: Nearly zero!
Clean your gutters:
Mobile home roofing is about as costly and time consuming of an endeavor as you’ll find. So, make sure water and silt can come off the roof and far from your home. This is extremely beneficial if you want to extend the life of your home. You might need to buy a ladder.
Be certain rainwater and snow melt has easy access through the gutter system and away from the home.
You might need to buy a hose. Pick a good spot to start and get that hose up in the rain gutters. Turn the hose on so there’s a good flow. With that, work your way around the home doing this. You might occasionally need to reach up and pull out a small branch or pine cone, but most everything else should flow down through the system and away from the home. Keep that hose moving around until it’s worked down into the out-spout and you see that the flow of water is going where it should – Away from the house with little or no debris left in the water stream. Cost: Well, if you need to buy a simple wooden ladder and a garden hose, the price tag could be $85. But these essential items will pay for themselves in no time.
Rake away leaves and debris from perimeter of your home:
Moisture and water can wear out a home faster than nearly anything. And one of the best ways to keep moisture out of and away from the home is to simply rake tree leaves, high grass, weeds and pretty much anything else from the base perimeter of your home. Keeping the exterior ground clear and dry will cut down on routes into your home, not only for moisture, but for pests and fire too. Cost: You can pick up a perfectly good leaf rake for $10.
Any landscaping and lawn cover should be well clear of the side of your home to reduce likelihood of moisture and pets entering the structure.
Looking for other cost-effective ways to improve your home? Take a glance at our top 5 budget-friendly solutions for remodeling a mobile home.
Looking for a home in a warm climate where there is a lot to do? Check out these Las Vegas Manufactured Home Communities!
Many people associate Las Vegas with vacations, gambling and entertainment. However, Las Vegas Manufactured Home Communities have a lot to offer residents. There is abundant sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 310 sunny days. The temperatures are warm during the majority of the year, with short and mild winters. The city also has museums, sporting events and more than 60 parks and recreation areas.
Speaking of parks, one of the first Las Vegas manufactured home communities we want to highlight is:
Tropicana Palms, Las Vegas NV 89122
This Active Retirement Community is adjacent to the Clark County Nature Preserve. This means there are hiking and biking trails nearby to explore. In fact, this Las Vegas manufactured home community has its own private gate to the preserve!
Tropicana Palms also has tennis courts, a workout center with fitness classes, two pools, two spas and three saunas. How’s that for accommodation?
Las Vegas manufactured home communities like these are perfect retirement destinations. The desert city offers tons to do for guests and families. Plus, “Trop Palm” is just minutes from McCarran Airport.
Millennium Estates, North Las Vegas NV 89110
If you are looking for an affordable family Las Vegas manufactured home community with a great location, check out Millennium Estates! In fact, this community is within walking distance of shopping, restaurants, schools and is only eight minutes from the Vegas strip! They have on-site staff and a number of homes available in the $30,000 – $39,000 range.
Las Vegas Meadows, Las Vegas, NV 89102
Speaking of affordable living, let’s take a look at another 55+ resort community: Las Vegas Meadows. This guard-gated resort was named Nevada’s “Active Adult Community of the Year!” Some of the amenities at this Las Vegas Manufactured Home Community include a million dollar clubhouse with an indoor spa and sauna. It also has a fitness center, a library, and their own activities director to keep things fun and social. With all these features, they also offer rental homes from $895 and sales from the $20,000s.
Valley Vista, Las Vegas NV 89122
Valley Vista is another all-ages community located in Entertainment City. This family-friendly Las Vegas manufactured home community has a heated pool/spa for the residents to use. There is also a clubhouse with billiards and a library. They also offer a car wash, RV parking, and even a basketball court. Valley Vista has a great location, near to everything from schools to shopping. Plus, they have homes available for rent or to buy.
Boulder Cascade, Las Vegas NV 89104
Another 55+ age qualified community offers the best of both worlds. You can get all the big city you want, then come home to a quiet, pet-friendly Las Vegas manufactured home community with a scenic picnic area. Boulder Cascade also offers a whirlpool-spa-hot tun and a huge pool. Plus they have a fitness room and a fully stocked library.
New to owning a manufactured home? One of the resources you should know about is the Manufactured Home State Association for your state. Indeed, these state associations offer important information for the manufactured and mobile homes in your area.
Some Benefits Manufactured Housing State Associations Offer:
News on local and national legislation
Helpful guides to purchase a home in your state
Required permits to build or move into a new home for your area
Comprehensive home reports
Lists of local contractors or repair services who work in manufactured housing
Member lists including communities and professional retailers in the state
In fact, almost all of the Manufactured Housing State Associations have their own website. This makes it super easy to browse their content. And it can help you get familiar with the industry in your state. To highlight a few, here are some of our favorite features offered by the following state associations:
This association is very active in Florida. So, they offer a blog to the consumers and the professional members. It provides current insights and information for the area, such as hurricane reports. They also have home buying guides, information on insurance and finance and more. To learn more, check out the FMHA website.
Some of the links on this page include titles like, “Getting the Most for Your Housing Dollar” and “Financing and Insurance”. They also have a list of contractors and supply firms that can help with your mobile home purchase in Arizona.
The Illinois Manufactured Housing Association has YouTube Videos on How Manufactured Homes are Made:
How cool are these? In addition to the videos, they also have a number of public resources that are appropriate for that state – like preparing your manufactured home for high wind events.
Contact Your State Association
So, you now know some of the features offered by Manufactured Housing State Associations. How do you find your association? MHVillage has a complete list of all of the manufactured home state associations with their address, phone, and website.
Simply head to the MHVillage homepage. Scroll towards the bottom. There, you will find this option listed in our within the “Helpful Links” section.
Home buying can often be overwhelming. There are lots of decisions that have to be made in order to find your dream home. City or country, site-built or manufactured, ranch or multi-level, brick or vinyl siding, “what is our budget?”, the list goes on and on.
It’s no secret that prefabricated housing is becoming an increasingly popular choice for affordable housing, on average costing around $70,600 without land, which is about $216,214 less than if you were to purchase a site built home*.1 At Clayton, we offer hundreds of options for quality built, affordable homes for people in every season of life.
Once you’ve made the decision to purchase a Clayton Built® home, there are lots of things to consider next – one being whether you should buy your home new or used. Below you’ll find some of the perks of buying a new or used manufactured home!
*Average cost of prefabricated home does not include land.
Customization: Buying new gives you the opportunity to decide what features and styles you want for your home.
Energy Efficient Upgrades: Buying a new home gives you the opportunity to upgrade with energy efficient features, such as Low-E windows, and energy-efficient appliances that can help you save money on utility bills.
A hand in the process: Purchasing a new Clayton Built® home allows you to really see what it takes for your home to come together. From your first home center visit, to production and walk-through, to site delivery and set up, you get to see it all!
Limited Home Warranty: Buying a new home from Clayton gives you the ability to benefit from our one-year limited warranty that covers items such as defects that can cause structural or safety issues that occur within the first year of ownership and are due to flaws that occurred during the home building process.
Less maintenance: Purchasing a new home, you’re less likely to encounter any big repairs right away. With an older home, more frequent upkeep and repairs are common.
Benefits of buying a PRE-OWNED home:
Budget friendly:Purchasing a used mobile home is often a little easier on the wallet! You’re more likely to find lower-priced homes when you’re looking in the pre-owned category.
It might already be on a piece of land: When looking for a pre-owned prefabricated home, you may be able to find one that is already on a piece of land, just like you would if you were purchasing a site built home!
Fewer hoops to jump through: With a pre-owned home, the house is already built and the process may not be as extensive. Once you get approved for financing, you can jump right in to purchasing your home!
What about trade-ins?
When deciding to purchase a new Clayton Built® home, you might be thinking “what do I do with my current manufactured home?”
Trade-in programs for your manufactured home can be found across the country at retail home centers.
Your home is given a NADA value, like the one you’d get for trading in a car, which will give you an idea of how much your home is worth.
Once you have this value, the home center could do one of three things*:
-Take the home off your hands at no cost or benefit to you
-Apply the trade-in value to the deposit on your new home
-Apply the trade-in value to reduce the overall price of your new home
*The three options above represent the most common trade-in options; however, trade-in options will vary by individual home center. Talk to your local home center consultant about what options are available in your specific area, and to get a clear understanding of the entire trade-in process.
So, what’s best for me?
Now, it’s time to make your decision. Weigh your options and take into consideration your budget, season of life and your needs and desires for your home. Whether you decide to purchase new or pre-owned, we’ll help you find your ideal mobile home.
MHVillager Offers Tips on How to Keep Your Shed in Great Shape.
The nature of an 8×10’ structure creates some unique challenges when considering how to repair a shed
Many mobile home residents have an 8×10 shed adjacent their home for storage of lawn and gardening tools. Those sheds can weather rapidly, leaving the owner to wonder how to repair a shed.
If your shed is becoming dilapidated, it’s tricky to diagnose where the problem exists because you have a small, unstable structure that cannot safely support the weight of the person doing the work.
So, if the floor is soft, or perhaps some water is coming in, you’ll need a good free-standing ladder that can safely hold the weight of you and your tools without leaning on the structure. The last thing you want to do is fall through the roof you’re trying to repair.
Is your shed roof in need of repair?
Along with the ladder, other tools and materials you’ll need to repair a shed:
A claw hammer
Perhaps a pry bar too
A very sharp knife
Treated lumber if you know you have floor or wall problem
Plywood or board for roof repair
Hand or power saw
Some roof patch or seal (this is needed only to secure roof shingles if the work is done in cooler weather)
Felt
Shingles
Clearly this shed needs some attention. Where to start?
What’s Happening with my shed?
Brian Stone is the general manager for AJR Development, community owner and operator based in Novi, Mich. AJR requires residents to place only 8×10’ or 10×10’ sheds on a cement slab, each with vinyl siding to match the home and with aluminum fascia, residential steel doors and shingled roof.
“Maintenance is much easier if you start with a good structure. Not to mention they look nice!” Stone said. “A suggestion I often make to many residents is to seal your cement in the shed and use waterproof caulking under the shed frame to help keep moisture and rodents out.”
The initial realization that your shed may need some attention is going to be the spongy floor, the breeze through what should be a closed window, the varment that’s taken residence, or dripping from the roof.
Take a deep breath, because this can go in many directions.
First, maybe it’s just the floor. Floor planks rot easily, especially if they’re made with low-grade lumber or particle board, as many sheds are. The moisture from the ground is trapped below the floorboards and begins rotting them from below. It can eat into the sub-floor and supports as well.
So, remove all of the items you have stored in the shed, and begin poking around to identify all of the trouble spots. Regardless of what happens from here, you know there will be a need for pulling up floorboards and replacing them.
However, the question remains, are the floorboards giving way because of the moisture below, or is there something else coming from the walls or the roof.
Rain and snowmelt would be getting in and damaging the front and side of the shed, if not the contents too.
John Stanley of Sun Communities is the Regional VP for select properties in Michigan, Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania.
“Look for broken glass, light coming through a wall, or water lines down a wall… these are sure-fire giveaways,” Stanley said. “Cobwebs can give away incursions to the structure too. If you have your hand hovering above the windows jam and around the frame, you’re likely to feel a temperature change or draft if there’s a problem.”
For a more accurate check, those $20 handheld laser thermometers do a great job. And are fun to play with too.
If you’re getting air, snow, a raccoon or something larger through the wall, clearly there is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Any compromised boards that pull apart due to water damage, or have been damaged by critters, will be pulled out and measured for length and width. Replacement boards are cut to size and screwed in. Also, remember to repair or replace any disrupted insulation in the wall.
How to Repair a Shed Roof
Again, you need to ensure a good working platform that gets you to roof height without leaning on the structure; this likely will be a free-standing ladder or scaffolding.
Chances are any bit of disrepair your shed has experienced is due to moisture in the wrong places. We’ve covered everything below the roof and potential culprits. However, the overall culprit could be a very old or a poorly built roof that allows moisture in the structure, down the walls, around the windows and into the floor. Yes, all you’ve experienced can be blamed on the roof and cascading water, that might even be out of sight.
So, get up on your ladder or scaffold with the claw hammer or pry bar. Scan the roof for obvious incursions. Are there any dips or drops in the roof? Do you see shingles that have blown away, crumbled or are otherwise disrupted?
If so, begin the investigation process at the nearest edge point to the visible damage. If there is no visible damage, simply calculate the side of the roofline that’s likely to take the most weather and start there.
Remove the roofline fascia if there is any, and start peeling back the shingles and felt until you can see the roof board. Pull up on the board with your hand — does it crumble or come apart easily? Does it pop up with little trouble? If the roof is damaged, one of these is going to be true.
Find out How Much of the Roof is Rotted
Keep working up from the roof edge and pulling away wet or dilapidated roofing, taking away shingles and felt as you go. If you make it halfway up the roof, you know you probably have a full replacement on your hands rather than just a repair job.
However, if you can identify a defined portion of the roof that is damaged, draw a line about six inches around the area of disrepair and plan to focus your attention on rebuilding that portion of the roof.
If you have a full roof replacement, just keep going at it until the roof has been reduced to its supports.
Roof Repair Versus Replacement
If your damaged roof is made of side-by-side boards, you will cut out the damaged portion just as we described for the wallboards. Insert and nail down the new boards, even leaving a couple inches of overhang that later can be cut in line with the rest of the roof. Overlap any required replacement felt with the existing felt, and tack down with roof patch or seal to create the best possible moisture barrier between the new and old material. With the felt in place, begin sliding in shingle strips from the roofline toward the peak of the roof. Nail the shingles down and overlap by half the next row of shingles for complete coverage from water, snow, ice and even wind.
If you have to replace the entire roof and the structure has boards, consider taking out all of the boards and replacing with treated sheet boards. The fewer boards you have covering the structure, the fewer opportunities there are for moisture to work its way in.
So, continue ripping down to the stud support, take measurements and place the replacement lumber or board on the roof and screw in place. Make sure the new material is square and has the proper 3-plus inch overhang required to keep the structure clear of rainwater runoff. Lay down the largest pieces of felt you can find, again for the most comprehensive moisture barrier possible. Cut the felt to another three inches overhang from the replacement board. Begin the shingling process and previously mentioned until the roof is covered. When all the material is on use your knife and/or saw to cut all the material to the preferred inline dimensions.
Sheds come in many sizes, colors and configurations. If you live in a community, be certain to check with management to ensure what you want is allowed.
Should I Buy a New Shed?
Ensure all the time, energy and money you’re putting into shed repair is worth the while. How much would it be to buy a new shed? Does that cost pale in comparison to what you’re putting in on repair and maintenance? If so, consider a purchase. But, if you live in a community, be sure to talk with management first in case there are rules and regulations on shed size, configuration or color.
The Final Act in How To Repair a Shed
Grab your beverage of choice, perhaps some snacks too, and sit in your yard or garden to provide ample time to admire your handy work. Well done DYI-er!
This weekend, October 7th through the 9th, 2022, is your opportunity to tour six model homes as part of the Manufactured Home Showcase.
The Showcase,...
Novi Home Show to Include 5 New Manufactured Homes
The Novi Home Show, Oct. 11-13, will include five new, fully-decorated manufactured homes from some of...
This switch to simplicity allowed one of us stay home and road-school our kids so they could learn on their terms. As a licensed teacher, I was able to write state-aligned curriculum that was geared toward hands-on learning and promoted relevant lessons that focused on our son’s strengths while giving him the time and opportunity to improve areas of weakness. No longer were we being forced to hear all of the things about our son that didn’t fit the mold of sitting quietly for hours without recess.
A good way to start is by shopping on 
garden. The Caribbean Agave is a hardy plant that requires very little maintenance. It features stiff straight leaves in a rosette shape that offers modern geometrical interest to any space.
Orlando. It not only will provide fresh herbs for your meals but also provide a wonderfully fragrant scent in your outdoor living space. Rosemary grows in small bush form and can get up to three feet tall. It enjoys full sun and can withstand dry to moderate water conditions.
Pentas. This popular Floridian flower is easy to grow and produces beautiful blooms in either white, lavender, red, or pink. The dwarf size grows to about a foot tall making this a great option for those with smaller gardens. 
How cool are these? In addition to the videos, they also have a number of public resources that are appropriate for that state – like preparing your manufactured home for high wind events.
