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It can be a challenge shopping for a mobile home, most of us are much more familiar with traditional houses. This challenge is compounded among people asking for used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me. With so many mobile home sizes, designs, and available materials, you may get option paralysis with what seems to be a limitless selection. And on top of that, mobile home buyers must also figure out exactly whether they want to be able to move, or if they want to permanently park their mobile home once they purchase it. Possibly leading you to ask for used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me to make the situation a tad bit easier. When moving to a manufactured home it may have a bit of a learning curve. Here we will be covering the benefits, possible downsides, and how to find used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me.
Reasons to switch to a mobile home
Before we get into whether or not you should be searching for used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me, let’s look at a few benefits and later on the drawbacks of owning one.
While a lot of people assume that mobile homes are susceptible to weather, the Manufactured Housing Institute makes the case that with modern manufactured mobile homes, this is pretty much a myth.
For those out of the loop with mobile homes, the term mobile home refers to the mobile homes built before 1976. Any mobile homes built after 1976 are referred to as manufactured homes. Since around this time, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had drastically increased the expected quality and standards for these types of homes.
On top of that, all recently made manufactured homes are required to follow these new standards making site-built homes and manufactured ones stand on similar footings in terms of quality. The safety aspect of the two is on par as well. These homes have to follow the safety, design, electrical and other requirements before they can be sold to the general public.
The Manufactured Housing Institute also finds that today’s manufactured houses are engineered for wind safety and energy efficiency, depending on the geographic area and region in which they are sold. Therefore if you’re thinking of buying a manufactured home in Florida, for example, you can rest assured that it will have been built to take on hurricane-level winds. The modern mobile homes can also be held in place with steel anchors, which ensure that the home is secured to the ground. These not only help with safety and quality of life but also provides peace of mind to the residents of a mobile home.
Save on bills and good for the environment
This is a great reason for all those looking to save on bills to seriously start considering searching used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me. A mobile home not only saves on bills but also is good for the environment making it a worthwhile investment.
The Manufactured Housing Institute found that modern manufactured homes are made such that they can yield up to 90% less waste and environmental damage than site-built housing. This significantly better energy efficiency makes manufactured homes much more eco-friendly and green compared to the standard traditional homes that most of us live in.
Another argument in support of the environment is that these mobile homes are built in factories and simply assembled on time. While on the other hand, traditional homes need to be built on the site. This is environmentally damaging as raw materials need to be transported back and forth to the site requiring multiple trips.
Cheaper than traditional homes
Possibly the biggest reason for purchasing a manufactured home is its relative affordability. When compared to the traditional site-built homes, manufactured mobile homes offer more than a traditional home when it comes to dollars per square foot. This makes mobile homes more appealing to singles or retirees that don’t want to blow all their money on mortgages.
In 2015, Mobile homes cost was less than half as much as the estimated $100.65 per square foot for construction of site-built homes. Today, the average price for a new single-wide manufactured home is $45,000. When you compare that to the average price of a new site-built home at $379,500, it is clear just how much money you could save by buying a manufactured home.
Even though the average monthly payment for a manufactured home is in the hundreds, it is still far lesser than taking out a loan and paying interest on it to own a traditional one. Owning a manufactured home can sometimes be cheaper than renting out a property. With their affordability, manufactured homes are one of the most desirable options for obtaining homeownership without breaking the bank.
The minimalistic trend
A lot of people choose to move to a manufactured home to be able to live a minimalistic life. This style of “less is more” thinking has proven scientifically to enhance the mental well-being and general health of the people who choose to live this lifestyle. Reports from the U.S. News and World agree that there is a positive relationship between mental health and choosing to preserve the environment. A survey conducted by the University of the Sciences in Pennsylvania reported that those living a minimalistic lifestyle had better physical health.
So for those thinking to try a simple lifestyle, purchasing a manufactured home is the perfect way to take the first step as well as a way to preserve the environment. Also, since your manufactured home may have less space than your previous traditional home, you won’t have to think as much about the maintenance of the home. As expected, a more compact home with a smaller land lot would mean less gardening and general house maintenance. That would mean you’d have more time to work, spend on your hobbies, or be with your family.
A good number of mobile home parks have an age restriction with many catering to the age of 55 and above. This requirement makes it a great place for those who wish to mingle in the same age group as there and live a peaceful life. This is one of the reasons why the elderly are more inclined to move into a mobile home.
Downsides of owning a mobile home
Now that we’ve discussed all the benefits, let’s get into the downsides so that you get a clear picture if you want to search for used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me.
One of the disadvantages of living in a mobile home park is its poor price appreciation. Manufactured homes can and depending on the situation, do increase in value over time but those that are found within a community have a harder time. Although, with the maturing of the population and a new value with living life simply, we may see a turning point where instead of the value of traditional homes going up, mobile homes take the lead. You can however take advantage of this today by looking for used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me.
Currently, the majority of mobile homes see a depreciation. One of the reasons mobile homes typically depreciate is because they are considered personal property, and not real property. Real property has been established as a piece of land and any permanent fixture that is on it. Any item that can be removed without causing damage to the land is not considered a part of real property. In contrast with personal property, which are items that can be moved and replaced without causing any harm to the land itself. Although manufactured homes are typically not the easiest to remove from land once placed, they are still thought to be personal property. There are cases in certain areas however where one can make can consider manufactured homes as real property. Although these methods need sorting out with local governance and take a good amount of work, site-built homes are always considered as real properties.
Another disadvantage that comes with it being labeled as personal property is with loans. Though we said in the previous section that they are on paper cheaper to finance, there is a bit more to it. Since it is considered personal property, interest rates are higher, and payment plans are shorter than mortgages. This may not prompt one to look for used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me.
Manufactured mobile homes need to be located in a mobile home park. So despite “owning” the actual home itself, you will still have fees to pay to a landlord or the site owner. The fees may also include rent and other charges, however, the main concern starts when you have to abide by the local regulations. You may not have the privilege to host a late-night. You might be evicted by the landlord should you either miss out on payments or violate any of the park’s rules.
In conclusion, mobile homes are not only difficult to find a location for but also can cost you more money in terms of fees and shortened loan periods.
Buying used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me
Buying a used mobile home can be quite a challenge, especially for someone just starting. Manufactured homes don’t have accommodating websites that can do things like, analyze every home purchase and calculate the cost for actual value for zip code like site-built home buying sites have. This makes the task of buying used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me all the more intimidating.
People who ask for used mobile homes for sale to be near me, typically have smaller and tighter-knit networks. This has its advantages and disadvantages. For one this leaves the community full of more established and trusted individuals. But this also means that when initially getting into it, you have to do a good amount of research. To know who’s who, what’s a good deal or not, and other important information.
A manufactured home that is about 5-10 years old can be a steal, due to the discussed depreciation. A manufactured home that is between 10-40 years old can be an instant deal, with the right conditions such as land ownership, well maintained, and it being moveable. All this allows you to finally answer what to look for when buying used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me.
Buying used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me, is it worth it?
There are cases of course where great used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me, can’t be moved. There might be a good number of parks that won’t allow certain mobile homes that have gone past a certain age. Many towns don’t even allow used single wides to enter unless backed up by a good amount of information. So it’s important to research where you are before answering are used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me worth it.
Buying a used mobile home and the land it’s on
If you aren’t convinced into buying used mobile homes for sale to be moved near me then buying a used mobile home with its land may be more suitable for you. In this case, you would approach the situation almost as if it was a site-built home. You would start with purchasing an empty plot of land and get a permit if one is required to park your mobile home there. If there are no permits, even better. This would still be cheaper than a plot of land with a proper home built on it. This also eliminates the need for paying fees and community charges that you would normally face if parked on a campsite or a mobile home site.
