Mobile Home Park News Briefing

March 24th, 2023

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Cape Cod Times: Pocasset mobile home park residents try again to buy land. Judge gives opinion.

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A Superior Court judge has rejected a move to reverse his decision that determined a Wyoming investment firm was the rightful buyer of the Pocasset Mobile Home Park.

Judge Michael Callan's original Jan. 11 decision seemed to end a years-long legal battle between Crown Communities, LLC, and the Pocasset Park Association, with both sides seeking ownership of the Bourne park, also known as The Park at Pocasset.

The mobile home park has about 170 residents at its prime location off Barlow's Landing Road. The current owner is Philip Austin, trustee of the Charles W. Austin Trust.

The association would have been able to purchase the park,...

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Our thoughts on this story:

The park residents apparently cheated on the required 51% of signatures to start the process of exercising their first option, and they got caught. No amount of woke pandering is going to fix this simple fact, and the judge stood up for the park owner – and the letter of the law – and did not back down. Good for him!

CBS8: Vista mobile home park evacuated due to nearby sinkhole and flooding

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VISTA, California — Flooding of unknown origin forced the evacuation of a dozen mobile homes at Green Valley Mobile Home Park in Vista on Thursday morning.

Denise Dougi said she woke up and discovered her home had shifted.

"I woke up this morning and heard running water; there was no reason for me to hear running water. I went outside; I noticed things were not right. I noticed my stairway had moved; there’s no reason my stairway should’ve moved," she said.

"I went down my stairs. My concrete driveway has buckled up; it has trapped my car," said Dougi.

She said she also noticed her front door wouldn't open. She called 911.

"There’s...

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Our thoughts on this story:

Between fires, flooding, landslides, homelessness, crime, taxes – and now even sinkholes – you would think that there is a conspiracy to turn California back into agricultural land as residents flee. Will there one day be avocado orchards again where Bel Air used to stand?

CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR: Thousands approved to help 'worst living conditions' in Richmond. Why hasn't it been spent?

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RICHMOND, Va. -- Catarino Salvez Galvez and his family have lived in a mobile home park on Richmond's Southside for six years.

The home he owns currently is falling apart.

The floor has sunken in, the roof caved, and it has cracked in multiple places.

The windows do not close, keeping it cold during the winter and swelteringly hot during the summer months.

His 11-year-old daughter has been sick because of the conditions, he said.

"I don't feel good sharing it, I don't want to share the conditions I'm living in," Galvez said.

It's a reality for many of his neighbors who own trailers in his neighborhood but cannot afford to fix them.

"It's...

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Our thoughts on this story:

It’s a consistent theme of bureaucrats in the U.S. to offer great-sounding programs that never actually get funded (particularly when they need attention before an election). While we applaud the concept of giving $8,000 to individual mobile home owners to make necessary repairs – and then having them pay it back in regular monthly installments – talking about it doesn’t do any good. It’s a shame that park owners are not held to the same standard, promising to pay their property taxes and then, if they don’t, having no consequences or accountability.

The Press Democrat: Sonoma County Home and Garden Show presents good designs in a small package

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indsay and Eric Wood bought and flipped a few houses in their day. Still, they didn’t have a home of their own. But in 2017, after years of being subject to the rising whims of the rental market in Marin County, they said, “enough.”

The pair decided their best path to homeownership was to shrink their footprint and go tiny.

They found a contractor to build them a tiny home, a compact and efficiently designed residence on wheels that would have all the comforts they needed but not a square inch of wasted space.

“We had spent a total of $100,000 in rent in seven years. That pretty much could have paid for a tiny home,” Lindsay said.

Lindsay...

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Our thoughts on this story:

A 380 square foot house for $125,000 is something that would only work in California. And that does not even include the land. As a Midwesterner, this blows my mind.

Cal Matters: Mobile home parks offer refuge from California’s housing squeeze. Who’s watching them?

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Bobby Riley moved to Stockton Park Village to live out his days in peace.

In 2018, the 87-year-old retired construction worker tucked his used camper trailer into the farthest lot of the horseshoe-shaped mobile home court off a tree-lined street in the outskirts of Stockton. The community’s handyman, Buzz, helped him build a porch and a patio to ground his trailer and enclosed it with a white wooden fence. He set up a swingset on the grassy common area across the way for when his granddaughter, Brooke, came to visit.

But the little piece of heaven he sought soon became a living hell.

Park owners Howard and Anne Fairbanks appear to have...

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Our thoughts on this story:

Around 40 out of 4,500 mobile home parks in CA fail their inspection by the state. That’s less than 1%. But using just the example of this one property, the journalist demands that they ramp up the park inspection intensity in CA, which will result in more park owners simply throwing in the towel and putting their property up for sale as a land development opportunity. The better story was  completely missed by the reporter when he wrote regarding a state review of mobile home park permits:

The report goes on to say that “many mobile home park owners are financially unable to rehabilitate their parks.” 

You are not going to be able to maintain the affordable housing supply in California by forcing park owners out of business. Instead, the state should consider coming up with grants to help park owners who are financially strapped to re-build aging, failing infrastructure. What if the owner of this park had received a grant to fix the failing sewer system and make basic upgrades and then all of the folks in the story would not be displaced. It’s a whole lot cheaper to fix old infrastructure than to try to find alternative housing for people living in failing mobile home parks.

Advance Local Alabama: RV park or mobile home park? Baldwin County asks the AG to weigh in

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Can recreational vehicles and mobile homes mix?

That’s the question at issue in a Baldwin County land use debate that’s gone to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s desk.

Last week, the Baldwin County Commission authorized a request for an opinion from the attorney general’s office on whether the county can legally prohibit RV park sites in a mobile home park, a rule in its subdivision regulations.

The question comes down to whether the rule is a matter of zoning or a matter of health and safety.

According to the request sent to the AG’s office, an unnamed owner of a mobile home park wanted to add RV sites to his park, which is...

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Our thoughts on this story:

Can recreational vehicles and mobile homes mix?

That’s the question at issue in a Baldwin County land use debate that’s gone to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s desk.

Last week, the Baldwin County Commission authorized a request for an opinion from the attorney general’s office on whether the county can legally prohibit RV park sites in a mobile home park, a rule in its subdivision regulations.

The question comes down to whether the rule is a matter of zoning or a matter of health and safety.

According to the request sent to the AG’s office, an unnamed owner of a mobile home park wanted to add RV sites to his park, which is forbidden by Baldwin County’s subdivision regulations.

ABC 20 News Channel: Local mobile home park residents raise concerns over new lease

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MAHOMET, Ill. (WCCU) — Kodiak Property Management bought Candlewood Estates in Mahomet back in September, and according to residents they've had a number of issues since then. Many residents still don't have their new leases despite asking for them continually, and those who do have their leases say they see a number of issues and concerns.

"In the new lease, some people have released the new lease in the community, and it states that the lot rent has been $525 for five years?" Jaelyn Survance asked her husband.

"2018, yes five years, which is not true,” said Tate Survance.

Jaelyn and Tate are former residents of Candlewood Estates, and...

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Our thoughts on this story:

The successful mobile home park of the future has rents that make the park capable of investing in infrastructure and giving sufficient profit not to redevelop into a better use and mitigates liability by banning trampolines and any item that causes significant risk of personal injury. New owners are bringing old parks back to life nationwide and that’s just the way it’s going to be from here on out. Those residents that want to live in an environment with no rules and ridiculously low rents will need to gather together at the old dirt-road park down the street until it gets hit by the wrecking ball.

AXIOS Phoenix: Phoenix wants to protect mobile home park residents from eviction

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Three Phoenix mobile home parks are expected to close in the next two months to be redeveloped into pricier housing projects, impacting more than 120 families.

State of play: Some Phoenix council members are trying to force park owners to keep them open, but they're likely to hit several political and legal hurdles.

Why it matters: Mobile homes are among few affordable housing options left in metro Phoenix. Despite their name, they are very difficult to relocate, meaning residents are often left without housing when parks close.

What's happening: Earlier this month, at a meeting to discuss how to help residents at risk of eviction, a...

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Our thoughts on this story:

Unblievable -- an actually fair and balanced article that looks at the issue from both sides. I recommend reading this one.

Community Impact: 170-acre Rockrose Ranch brings modern manufactured home community to Willis

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Rockrose Ranch at Lake Conroe, a 700-home community, will celebrate its grand opening March 25 in Willis, developer Inspire Communities announced in a March 16 news release.

The community spans 170 acres at 11848 Calvary Road, just west of I-45, and features a gated active adult village as well as a section of homes open to all ages, according to the release. Rockrose Ranch has prices starting in the $110,000s to $220,000s and floor plans ranging from two to three bedrooms, two bathrooms, front porches and open-concept living areas.

According to its website, Inspire Communities claims to provide affordable, modern manufactured homes for...

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Our thoughts on this story:

This is NOT a “manufactured home community” – at least when you read this announcement “Rockrose Ranch has prices starting in the $110,000s to $220,000s”. In last week’s articles a developer called his mobile home park a “cottage community” so that it had no negative stigma. This owner needs to come up with a different name, too, because it’s not fair to call this concept basically a “mobile home park” as it has absolutely nothing to do with that concept other than residents paying lot rent as opposed to owning the land.

ABC 10 NEWS San Diego: Senior mobile home community in Oceanside could see rent spike

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OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — Rent could be going up again for seniors that live inside the Laguna Vista Mobile Home Park, a senior community, but the seniors say they can't quite keep up, especially on a fixed income.

This mobile home is all Frank Kazerski knows.

"I've lived here since 2009," said Kazerski.

He doesn't know what could be next if his rent is increased again.

"The rent portion is $631. The rest is for trash, sewer, water bill," he said.

Every July, the residents expect an increase of some sort to account for inflation but the owner of the park filed an application to have rent raisedeven more.

"I can't be making these extra...

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Our thoughts on this story:

Give me a break. The park increased rents just $27 per month and people are saying that they can’t buy food, medicine or the necessities of life because of that increase. This park is in California. A hamburger costs $10 at McDonalds there. When will people acknowledge that some states are incredibly expensive to live in (like California) and are not appropriate for those on limited incomes, who should instead move to states that are more affordable? I can already tell you when we will see this park in the news again: when they tear it down to make room for a better use that does not have pushback like this on a $27 per month price increase. This article is ridiculous.

Richmond Biz Sense: Powhatan Habitat chapter places first modular home

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To provide its latest home for a family in need, an area housing nonprofit took a different approach that it believes is the first of its kind among its regional peers.

Habitat for Humanity–Powhatan recently provided a mother and son with its first modular home, marking what Executive Director Susan Winiecki described as a new approach for Habitat affiliates in the region to provide lower-income families with housing.

Also known as prefabricated or factory-built homes, modular homes are a type of manufactured home that are mostly built in sections off-site and then delivered and assembled. The home is placed on a foundation using a crane,...

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Our thoughts on this story:

A $200,000 house is NOT affordable housing. Not even close. And a 1,200 sq. ft. house for $200,000 is NOT reason for celebration. Good thing that non-profits like Habitat for Humanity are staffed with people with zero business skills so they can celebrate wasting money at this level. You could have bought a standard 1,200 sq. ft. mobile home for $70,000 installed – and that’s almost 70% less. So you could have installed three homes for the price of one. Crazy.

Greensboro: Greensboro ponders community land trust to encourage affordable housing

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GREENSBORO — City officials are considering a new way to keep housing affordable: creating a community land trust.

While the concept of community land trusts (CLT) has been around for 50 years, it would be a first for Greensboro.

CLTs are nonprofits that buy or build housing, retail or offices using public or private money. Those structures are then sold to a low-income buyer who qualifies for a mortgage. However, the CLT retains ownership of the land, holding it in trust with a 99-year lease to the buyer.

As part of the agreement to buy the structure, the buyer agrees to sell it at an affordable price.

Buyers would be...

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Our thoughts on this story:

I’m kind of lost on how this is any different than the city simply co-signing on a traditional mortgage. But the bigger question is “who is going to pay for this?” Most cities, states (and the U.S. government ) are completely broke and can’t possibly actually afford to do any of these initiatives, which cost in the millions of dollars. So who is actually writing the checks on programs like this?

Independent Record: Helena’s most affordable starter homes

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Our thoughts on this story:

Refreshing to see a journalist not grab the low-hanging fruit and title this “mobile homes” instead of “starter homes”.

Warren County Record: Belaire trailer park taken over by new owner

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Property investor Josh Scronce told Truesdale city leaders last week that he followed through with his purchase of the Belaire Mobile Home Park in February, and is taking immediate action to restore the run-down neighborhood.

Scronce first announced in January that his business, Signature Investment Group, was planning to purchase the mobile home park.

Since closing on the sale Feb. 17, the first course of action has been to become familiar with residents and assess the condition of various mobile homes that need to either be renovated or removed, Scronce said.

“I’ve met about 75 percent of the people, and so far, so good,” Scronce told...

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Our thoughts on this story:

Best article of the week. It gives credit where credit is due, and focuses on the benefits to the majority of residents and not the gripes of the few that hate positive change.

The Ledger: Habitat for Humanity supports rare renovation project for Lakeland veteran's mobile home

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LAKELAND — A few days before St. Patrick’s Day, a swarm of green-clad volunteers busily dug, sawed and drilled outside a mobile home in a rural patch of the Kathleen area. Posts went into the ground, preparing for a front deck and wheelchair ramp to be installed at the front of the structure.

Though it didn’t reflect the expected image, the activity was part of a Habitat for Humanity project. The Lakeland chapter of the international nonprofit is providing both materials and muscle to help the owner, Sunil Persaud, with a complete renovation of the decades-old manufactured home.

It is just the second time that Lakeland Habitat for...

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Our thoughts on this story:

This is a great article and this is exactly what Habitat for Humanity should be doing instead of building $200,000 modular homes (as described in an earlier mention above). For that same money, they could rebuild 10 to 20 existing homes and help many more people for the same cost.