Replacing a home: first steps

When I decided to replace my home I first went to the manager to find out if there were any restrictions on replacements. Several years ago the park issued a moratorium on additions to mobile homes, stating that the density of the park was high enough and additional space would only add to it. I don't know what the real reason was - perhaps that adding to an existing mobile home makes it less likely that the owners will replace the home anytime soon? Back then, I got in my addition plan just under the wire and the addition was begun but never completed. I had gotten an estimate from a builder and he went through just about the entire amount just building the floor. I had nothing else, no more money, so the floor sat there, unfinished, until I could afford to hire someone to rip it out. That wasn't a great time.

The manager was enthusiastic about my plans to replace my home. He even said "get a two-story one!" I think the two-story homes in parks are restricted to single-wide smaller homes, but I am not sure of that. I did not come across any when I was looking at homes to buy. The good news is that I could get a bigger home, as large as the setbacks would allow.

In this park the setbacks are essentially those set by the state. So I went with those to determine the maximum size I could place on my lot. Based on the setbacks and on the sizes manufacturers make I determined that I could place a 20' wide home on the lot, about 60' long.

In many other parks, larger setbacks are specified in the lease terms. If you are looking to replace your home, find the park requirements before you go looking.

First steps, then:

1. Ask the manager about any restrictions on replacements. Ask if there are any additional requirements for new installations (new landscaping, for example), and ask to see where these requirements are written. Sometimes management companies will try for more than they are legally allowed. But more on this subject later.
2. Get a plot plan of your lot (or make one after measuring) and subtract setbacks to determine the size home you can install.

The next step was more problematic: finding the money.

Buying a new home

Years ago I decided that my best bet in this park was to replace my home with a new one. Then I would have more options and I might be able to sell it more easily and at a greater profit.

My old home was built in 1974 and therefore could not legally be moved to another park or used as a home anywhere else if moved. Therefore I could only sell it on the lot or pay to have it moved off. Because it was in such terrible condition I knew I'd have a hard time selling it on the lot. The only people who would buy it would be those wanting to haul it off and replace it with a new home. I'm lucky that in this part of California mobile home spaces are not readily available so simply having a home on one in a park actually has value. It's foolish to walk away from that.

There were several obstacles to my getting my home replaced:

1. My credit. It has had its ups and downs. I wanted it at a high point so I could get a decent loan. Mobile home loans for homes in a park are harder to come by and are unlike loans on other homes. The loan companies treat these homes more like vehicles and charge interest rates accordingly. I needed to get the best deal I could in a bad market.

2. Money. I needed money for closing costs, for a down payment, for being able to stay somewhere else while the house was replaced. It takes about four weeks to take a home off a lot, place another on the lot, and make all connections and complete site details. I needed to be able to stay elsewhere for that month.

3. Approvals. The park has to approve the home. The lender has to approve me. I did not know what roadblocks there would be in getting these approvals.

In the next several posts I will take on the different aspects of replacing a home in this park and describe what I went through. Others in this park - and probably others - have had similar experiences. It may be useful to others to hear what they may face.

Management

We have a new manager, as of maybe a month ago. His name is Marc. He replaces Matt, who found a real job. In my experience, managers are rarely the cream of the crop, but they can be decent and good at the job. The ones who are recruited from within, I believe, stand a better chance of being decent than those who are sent from afar, because they may understand our needs better.

The park has fallen into a sad condition. The paths in the park are weedy, the asphalt worn an broken. The club house needs some real help. Our driveways have not been sealed or repaved in so long I cannot remember. The grounds are kept mowed and the pool is usable. I haven't looked in the laundry area for a while but I intend to. In fact, I am going to take my camera around to photograph what it all looks like now.

Years ago everything was maintained in excellent condition. What has changed? I honestly do not know. The city's rent stabilization ordinance has been in effect probably since the park was created, or soon after, meaning the owners have always had to stay within its limits. When I do quick math, I have a hard time seeing where all that money is going. I looked up the property taxes and they are almost non-existent, so that isn't it. How much can they be paying the manager? How much does the minimal maintenance cost?

About us...

I am shamefully unaware of most of the persons who live in my mobile home park. I tend to keep myself to myself, somewhat out of a sense of self-preservation.

Therefore, I am hoping to enlist others who live here as well. I don't yet know how I am going to do this but I'll be thinkin' on it.