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Lost Coast Outpost: If You Live in a Problematic Mobile Home in One of Arcata’s Mobile Home Parks, the City May Have Some Money to Help You

Preview:

Reality, for a few residents in Arcata’s six mobile home parks, is roofs that fail to keep the water out, floors that fail to keep the feet dry, and plumbing that fails to make water go anywhere. Some mobile homes lack infrastructure that would make them accessible to people with mobility issues, or to the elderly.

A new state-funded grant could go a long way towards repairing some of those homes. 

The Manufactured Housing Opportunity & Revitalization (MORE) program, funded by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, will grant money to mobile home owners whose homes need repairs. This is the program’s first year,...

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Our thoughts on this story:

First of all, it’s extremely disingenuous for this article to start with a photo of a home destroyed in Hurricane Katrina and then put this caption in small print:

Your mobile home probably doesn’t look like this, but it might feel that way sometimes.

As for the California program mentioned, I won’t hold my breath until we see actual work done on the homes. California is notorious for promising things and never delivering on them. If they cough up the money and actually fix old homes for free, that’s great. But more than likely they’ll just study them, have committee meetings, and let the press die down before abandoning the concept.

STUPIDITY INDEX RATING: 5

Steamboat Pilot & Today: Facing a Nov. 21 deadline, residents at Milner Mobile Home Park harness hope in race to buy the land under their homes

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The executive director of Yampa Valley Housing Authority believes the residents of Milner Mobile Home Park are “well-situated to achieve their goal of community ownership.”

The 40 homeowners in the park are working toward making a purchase offer for the park to become a resident-owned community. Texas-based investor-owner MHS Parks announced July 24 its plan to put the community on the market for $8 million — more than double what the 10-acre park last sold for in 2021.

“YVHA continues to provide support on the financial side with analysis of their options and connecting them with lending resources,” said YVHA Executive Director Jason...

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Our thoughts on this story:

On Sept. 15, the homeowners organized a community support fundraiser called SOS, or Saving Our Steamboat One Neighborhood at a Time, with music and some 100 donated silent auction items. The fundraising is intended to support any legal costs and a down payment fund. Carter said the fundraiser was well supported by community donations and raised more than $11,000. “The fundraiser went fantastic,” Carter said. “It helped lift the spirits of Milner. It was so nice to see how many people are supporting us and cheering us on. We had so many donations from local businesses. It was truly amazing how many people donated to our fundraiser. We are so thankful to have such wonderful people support us.”

Let’s look at the actual numbers for a minute (yeah, I know that I’m a party pooper). The park is $10 million. That requires at least a $2 million downpayment. The residents have raised $11,000 so far – that’s around $1,989,000 short of the goal. So, let’s just give this idiotic mission up and move on to something else. As the U.S. Army says “hope is not a method”.

WGME: Brunswick mobile home park residents set to close on sale, marking two state 'firsts'

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BRUNSWICK (WGME)-- For the first time, a new state law and funding are about to help a group of residents buy their mobile home park.

The Brunswick group is planning to close on the purchase in the coming weeks.

Blueberry Fields Cooperative Board President Janet Fournier says she learned from the owner of Linnhaven Mobile Home Center, around the time she moved in last August, that he was looking to sell the park.

"I immediately went into panic mode. I thought, 'What’s going to happen? What’s our future going to look like here?'” Fournier said.

Because of a law that went into effect in October, the owner was required to give formal notice...

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Our thoughts on this story:

The seller is under no obligation, but in this particular case, the seller really did work with the residents, and it’s a pretty exciting outcome," MaineHousing Director Dan Brennan said.It's an exciting outcome with another historic first: the co-op is getting $3 million from the governor's supplemental budget to help close the sale.

Probable Translation: the residents paid $3 million more than the park appraised for and the Governor had to kick in $3 million to close the deal. I think we all know that. Just wait until you see how high the lot rents now have to go to cover the mortgage and the tenant’s inability to manage it properly. My bet is that it will be back on the market in 5 years or less. Maine can’t even get L.L. Bean right anymore (they’re no longer open 24 hours).

Global News: Lawyer questions validity of eviction notices at West Kelowna mobile home park

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A lawyer helping one of the soon-to-be displaced residents of the Shady Acres mobile home park in West Kelowna, B.C., believes recently issued eviction notices are not valid.

“The bylaw has not been adopted and the rezoning has not happened,” said Carl da Luz, a lawyer with Pihl Law Corporation.

The property is being rezoned to light industrial use and is displacing residents from about 30 homes.

While renters have already been forced out of the mobile home park, four owners remain, including George Sun, a refugee of the Cambodian genocide and on disability.

Da Luz felt compelled to help Sun after the developer, Kerr Properties,...

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Our thoughts on this story:

The lawyer argues that while third reading was passed by West Kelowna city council on Sept. 10, the rezoning bylaw needs final adoption before evictions can be triggered.

The park is nearly abandoned and they are ready to bulldoze what’s left. Just look at the photo and tell me who’d even want to live in this mess? The attorney is simply delaying the inevitable. Who’s paying him to do this? Can’t be the residents as they all claim to be destitute. You know there’s some “free rent” advocate funding this incredible waste of time. I know this is a Canadian park, but you see this same perversion of the justice system all the time in the U.S. and it’s appalling.

WKYT: ‘It’s not your grandmother’s mobile home anymore’: Manufactured home heading to Versailles

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VERSAILLES, Ky. (WKYT) - This is a modern, manufactured home.

“It’s not your grandmother’s mobile home anymore,” said Logan Hanes, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Manufactured Housing Institute.

It’s built in a factory but more closely resembles a typical site-build home than what many refer to as a mobile or trailer home. Logan Hanes at the Kentucky Manufactured Housing Institute believes it could help cities solve their affordable housing crisis.

“From a safety standpoint, every single new manufactured home is inspected by the state twice, sits on the same footing that goes down to the step just like that of a site-built now....

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Our thoughts on this story:

You are never going to get traction in pretending that mobile homes are site-built until you get them off the boat trailers and down on the ground. Unless you can get that one item repealed from HUD’s rules there’s no chance of any public embrace of this “almost single-family looking” product. Since the Supreme Court just repealed the Chevron Doctrine, this issue needs to be immediately litigated by the manufacturers and fixed. When you can put a mobile home on the ground – like all its housing competitors – then you really have something as far as trying to take on the single-family construction market. Until then, forget it.

CBC: Buy land or move, residents of Summerside mobile home park told

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More than 50 people living in a mobile home park in Summerside have been given just over a month to determine if they can come up with the thousands of dollars needed to buy their land. Otherwise, they'll need to vacate and move their home elsewhere. 

"It's terrifying in a housing crisis not knowing what is going on," said Stephanie Harris. 

She remembers growing up in Evergreen Village. When it was time for her to start her own family, she moved right back to the mobile home park that she loved.

Harris has been there for 10 years now. Her kids have friends in the park, and they have built a community.

But last week she received a notice...

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"Unfortunately, due to rising costs and limited revenue, Evergreen Village will need to be sold," it read.

I guess the “free rent movement” has some problems out there, such as the landlord’s ability simply to redevelop the park into something more profitable. Ouch.

Yahoo! Finance: Havenpark Communities is On Track to Reinvest $30.1 Million Across its Housing Portfolio This Year, Exceeding its Annual Goal by $2.5 Million

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OREM, UtahSept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Havenpark Communities, an operator and developer of manufactured home communities, is proud to share its significant progress to meet and exceed an ambitious goal of $27.6 million in capital improvements across its communities in 2024. The investments, which will total $30.1 million by year's end, are part of Havenpark's commitment to providing current and future residents with well-maintained properties that add to curb appeal, increase safety, accessibility and enjoyment, and sustain enduring value.  These improvements will also increase the resale value of homes for existing residents.

So far...

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So far this year, Havenpark has kicked-off $20.6 million of its planned improvement projects, with $2.9 million in upgrades already completed.  Additionally, Havenpark expects to begin and complete an additional $9.5 million in upgrades at its properties, surpassing their 2024 investment goal by $2.2 million, totaling $30.1 million in investments across its communities in 2024.

So much for the “free rent” narrative that “out of state landlords are evil”. I’d like to see a local person write a check that large to make necessary improvements. Big outfits are the only ones who have the capital to bring old mobile home parks back to life at this scale, and without them you’d see a fraction of the progress in the affordable housing sector. And all the adults in the room know it.

WWSB: Mobile home parks destroyed during Hurricane Helene

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LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. (WWSB) - Residents of the Twin Shores and GulfShores Mobile Home Parks received several feet of water in their homes, some of which will be a complete loss.

“This is crazy,” said one resident who’s now lending his hand to help his neighbors.

“I have years of experience in construction and plumbing, so my house is going to be rebuilt no problem,” said Bill Long. “I’m more worried about the folks around me,” he said.

While many of the homeowners in the park are only part-time residents, Long lives on the island full-time and said he and his wife will do whatever they can to help their friends in... Read More

Our thoughts on this story:

The media loves to pretend that mobile home parks are somehow inferior in severe weather events than all other forms of housing. I’m sorry but 5’ of water destroys everything in its path – it’s an equal opportunity destruction mechanism. To pretend that a single-family home does better when the water is touching the ceiling is ridiculous.

CT Mirror: Blumenthal introduces bill to set standards for mobile home parks

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Residents at the Rivermead Pointe North/South Manufactured Home Community have been at odds with the park’s owner, RHP Properties, for some time, with complaints ranging from rising rents to issues with water quality.

But after a recent fire tore through four mobile homes at the East Hartford property, residents are turning to state and federal officials for help. And U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said a federal bill he is co-sponsoring could make a difference.

The blaze erupted several weeks ago after a demolition crew used an excavator to demolish vacant homes and struck a propane tank. Fire Chief Kevin Munson said his...

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Our thoughts on this story:

There’s an old Chinese curse that goes “may you be highly visible in times of political uncertainty”. Well, that’s the case here. A simple mistake by a home demolition company (which accidentally hit a propane tank) is launching the same Congressman that wants to expand the Supreme Court to demand that mobile home park residents be protected from “evil landlords”. The problem is that the “evil landlord” in question is none other than RHP, which is arguably one of the best operators in the business. To say that RHP does a poor job of management of their properties is like saying that Patrick Mahomes does a poor job as QB. Of course, even though RHP presents the facts to the media refuting all of Blumenthal’s assertions, the reporters don’t want to hear them since their clientele wants to hang all landlords from the nearest tree. It’s called the “free rent movement”. How could Blumenthal get sucked up into that nonsense? How embarrassing. 

Union-Bulletin: Residents of senior mobile home park in Walla Walla fight 44% rent increase

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Rancho Villa is a mobile home park for seniors in Walla Walla. It has clean streets, cheery lawn ornaments and neighbors who stop to chat on evening walks. It was built in the 1960s by Arnold E. Jones, who lived there until he died.

As in most mobile home parks, residents own their homes, but not the ground they sit upon. So each month, residents pay “lot rent” to the park’s owner.

Around three years ago, that owner became First Commercial Properties NW, a company based in Bothell.

“We were never told ahead of time that this was being sold,” said Beverly Barksdale, who lives in the park with her husband. Two of her older sisters live...

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Our thoughts on this story:

I’m sorry but $600 lot rents in a city with $1,750 average apartment rents and $375,000 home prices seems ridiculously cheap. Based on the old axiom of mobile home park lot prices being roughly 50% of apartment rents (which has circulated throughout the industry since at least the 1990s) the actual lot rent should be around $900 per month to be at market levels, not $600. The fact that an amateur mom and pop were charging $300 is not a very convincing testament as to what rent levels should be. In the end, supply and demand is what sets prices, not park owners.

Of course, no reasoning helps when you’re arguing with members of the “free rent movement” who would be unhappy with any rent, regardless of the amount.

Yahoo! Finance: Is The Most Expensive Mobile Home Park Ever Sold A Brilliant Moneymaking Investment?

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Malibu, CA is known for its 21 miles of coastline studded with luxury homes. Carbon Beach, also known as Billionaire’s Beach, features homes belonging to industry titans like Larry Ellison and David Geffen. However, the city also has another type of housing in high demand: mobile homes.

There are two mobile home communities in Malibu. Paradise Cove has attracted celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Paulson to its private community. The other mobile home club is the Point Dume Club of Malibu. It has 297 residences within its gates and just sold for the first time since the land beneath it was bought in 1892.

The Rindge family...

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Our thoughts on this story:

ALL FACT AND NO IDIOCY:

While Point Dume Club is a bit of an outlier, mobile home communities are finding new favor among retirees and losing some of the negativity previously associated with these types of communities. Because getting a new community approved can often be challenging, existing properties are highly desirable. Communities can be solid moneymakers for investors because tenants rarely pick up and move their homes so vacancies are low.

"Some of the most profitable investments are in industries where demand is outpacing supply," Kristin Millington, director of manufactured housing and self-storage at Dallas-based Crow Holdings Capital, told Bisnow earlier this year. "That's the exact dynamic we see present in the manufactured housing space and we don't really see that changing."

Yes, that’s all correct.

The Hill: Our housing system isn’t working — we need a public option

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The consequences we face as a society with a bad housing system are staggering and well-documented, including displaced communities and bad health and education outcomes, among others. 

The system is also unable to deal with the reality of climate change. The real estate sector accounts for 39 percent of global carbon emissions, with 17 percent coming from our energy-inefficient homes. Retrofitting our housing stock is both crucial and costly. When landlords do opt to do it, the result is frequently higher costs and what has been called “green gentrification.” Moreover, American households owe about $20.3 billion in debt for utilities.

We...

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Our thoughts on this story:

TOTAL IDIOCY:

The current U.S. housing system creates tremendous profits, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Half of the nation’s 45 million renters pay more than a third of their paychecks to landlords. Every year, landlords file 3.6 million evictions, and 6.7 million live in substandard housing — realities that disproportionately affect people of color. Homeownership doesn’t guarantee protection either, with almost 20 million owners in a similar boat, paying more than 30 percent of their incomes to banks for mortgage payments and other costs.  

This theory that the government should take over the U.S. housing industry came from AOC – need I say more? For anyone who thinks the government can do a better job of things than private industry, I would remind them that the U.S. government just spent $7.5 billion on only 8 EV charging stations. Then there’s the $1 million army toilet story. The list is endless.

The Connecticut News Project: CT mobile home residents fear owner found loophole in new law

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In 2023, Connecticut passed a law that gave manufactured home park residents new opportunities to purchase their parks, but the first test case of this law in Danbury has left residents wondering if the owner of their park found a loophole in state regulations.

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Our thoughts on this story:

JUST IDIOCY

The law requires that when mobile or manufactured home park owners prepare to sell their properties, they notify the residents. The residents then have the opportunity to form a homeowners association and purchase the park.

The association has the right to match existing offers and negotiate with the park owner to find mutually beneficial terms. If the owner finds another buyer, residents are supposed to be given the opportunity to match any substantially different offers.

The Shady Acres Mobile Home Park in Danbury went up for sale late last year, triggering the start of this process. Residents formed a homeowners’ association and made plans to purchase the property from owner Cajo LLC, but the deal fell through after inspections showed serious problems with water waste disposal systems that would be expensive to fix.

OK, the tenants had their shot and they blew it. You can’t ask later for a do-over. That’s not how the real world works.

Petaluma Argus-Courier: Some residents of Petaluma’s Capri Villa mobile home park avoid rent hikes, this time

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Owners of Petaluma’s Capri Villa mobile home park were not allowed to raise rents by $328 on 12 residents after park representatives cut the hearing short, according to an interim arbitration award issued last week.

“Because Capri has failed to meet its burden of proof, it is not entitled to an increase in monthly rent under the ordinance,” stated the interim arbitration award issued Sept. 11.

However, on the same day as that ruling, owners issued three-day notices for some of the park’s residents, demanding that they pay rent – to an amount disputed by the residents – or leave within 60 days.

The hearing was triggered after Capri Mobile...

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Our thoughts on this story:

ALL IDIOCY:

If you’ve ever even considered buying a mobile home park in California, read this article and that should put an end to the discussion. What a bunch of lunatics.

Mass Live: When their community went up for sale, they feared rent hikes. So they bought it

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On the side of Town Farm Road in Brookfield, a red sign emblazoned with a leafy green tree welcomes passersby to Brookfield Meadows.

The manufactured home park property spans 36 acres. Twenty-five of them are developed; the other 11 are covered by woodland.

There are 61 houses, many complete with manicured lawns, garden ornaments, and outdoor seating. All of the electrical and telephone wires are underground, leaving an unobstructed view of the sky to complete the idyllic setting.

Frequently mischaracterized as “mobile homes,” manufactured homes cannot be moved.

Residents own or lease the house but usually lease the land it sits on,...

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Our thoughts on this story:

ALL IDIOCY:

Because they would need to take on a mortgage for the purchase, Fry explained that there would be a significant jump in monthly rents immediately after the sale. However, after that initial jump they could expect to see rent increases of less than 1% per year, he said. If the property was bought by someone else, they didn’t know what could happen. And if the buyer was a big corporation, Fry estimated they could see annual increases of 10% or more.

These residents certainly blew it. Now their rent is the same – or higher – than a third-party would have charged them and the only way they can rationalize it is the delusion that their future increases will be smaller. But here’s a spoiler alert for them: it won’t. As the park ages it will need more infrastructure repair and now, they’ll have to not only raise the rent but figure out how to get the money to pay for those repairs up-front. I’ll bet $50 this park goes make on the market in the future as the tenants realize what a horrible mistake they made.

VPM: Richmond mobile home residents lament repair costs

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Fidelina Arellano moved into her home at Mobile Towne Mobile Home Park off Old Midlothian Turnpike 13 years ago. Her home is now decades old and in need of repairs.

“We are suffering. My husband fixed one thing and another but [the roof] needs to be covered and the porch roof needs to be fixed, and protection added, so mosquitos and flies don’t come in,” Arellano told VPM News in Spanish.

Her ceiling leaks and her floors are deteriorating. Arellano's family has made sacrifices in order to afford repairs here and there.

“Like us Mexicans say, ‘We tightened our stomachs a little,’ so that we could put the flooring,” Arellano said.

Arellano...

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Our thoughts on this story:

FACT VS. IDIOCY

IDIOCY:

“I think one of the biggest challenges that I've been hearing throughout the last couple years has been the maintenance of roofs and ceilings, and some of the decay over the years,” Addison said. “These are not meant to be permanent housing.”

FACT:

When asked if mobile home repairs are included in their responsibilities as landlords, the company said: “We do not own the mobile homes, and have never owned any of the mobile homes. The tenants own their own homes and are solely responsible for their upkeep as well as their yard and driveway.”

IDIOCY:

Addison, who is running for Richmond mayor this November, said poor living conditions also expose that landlords might not be taking care of infrastructure around the home.

FACT:

The Dressler Corporation, the Florida-based company that owns Mobile Towne, told VPM News via email: “We replaced all the water lines, sewer lines, roads, mailboxes and most of the electrical hookups. Cost over $1.? [sic] Million.”

EXTRA CREDIT IDIOCY:

Note that the mayoral candidate is claiming that mobile homes are not intended to be “permanent housing”. I’m not sure that HUD – or the law -- would agree with her theory.

Mountain Democrat: Housing El Dorado tackles mobile home park woes

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A recent study looking into mobile home parks in El Dorado County shows residents are facing hardships with rising rent and old infrastructure, giving concern that more seniors could become homeless.

Vice President of Housing El Dorado Frank Porter, who serves an organization that works to promote affordable housing solutions, revealed to the county's Commission on Aging that mobile home residents are scared to lose their housing due to inflation and rent increases. 

“We really wanted to do a survey to really guide plans, findings and actions about mobile home residents and to help them, because we all realize there's a severe...

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Our thoughts on this story:

JUST IDIOCY

Another vulnerability the residents face is the homes themselves; many were built in the 1970s and '80s and have exceeded their lifespan and have repair/ maintenance issues. The residents are often responsible for having to pay out of pocket for the repairs, Porter noted. HED determined that 62% of mobile home structures were 42 years or older.

I kind of thought that HUD’s 1976 takeover of manufacturing ensured that mobile homes are safe for continual residency and didn’t have “lifespans” like a dog or cat. That’s why they proudly have the HUD seal on the back – the government blessed them as forever homes. Right?

The Shoestring: At the Last Bastion of Rent Control, Requests for Big Hikes

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SPRINGFIELD – In Massachusetts, it is illegal for a city or town to regulate how much a private property owner can charge for rent – except at mobile home parks. 

In 1994, state legislators narrowly passed the Rent Control Prohibition Act, which dissolved municipal rent control boards and made local regulation of rental rates, or the price of services provided to tenants, illegal. Mobile home parks and publicly-subsidized housing were excluded from the ban because they tend to house some of society’s most vulnerable: the elderly, disabled, or poor. Residents at mobile home parks typically rent the land, which comes with water,...

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Our thoughts on this story:

ALL IDIOCY:

“It’s not my job as a legislator to legislate the morality of people, but my goodness, I’ve never seen this type of greed,” said state representative Aaron Saunders, whose district includes Ludlow. “I can’t get past that type of thing happening to folks in our community.”

Yes, this is the same old story about the park that legally filed to raise their rent and the rent control commission agreed. Now the residents are wanting to re-litigate the same thing all over again. You can’t. At least not in the real world. And trying to publicly shame the owner is ridiculous because the rent control board already agreed with the owner that the rent should be raised. The end.

29 NEWS: Charlottesville City Council authorizes loan for Carlton Mobile Home Park

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Monday night, September 16, Charlottesville City Council authorized what will be its financial contribution to buy the Carlton Mobile Home Park.

This comes after it voted in early August to join efforts along with Habitat for Humanity and the Piedmont Housing Alliance to save the park.

The City will help financially by committing more than $8 million over a five year time span.

The money will be considered a loan.

There will be a minimum of 180 units. At least 70% of those rentals will be for households with low to moderate incomes.

“This is just one component of what would be an overall project involving...

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Our thoughts on this story:

COMMON SENSE ALERT: WHEN YOU BUY THE PARK TO TEAR IT DOWN YOU ARE NOT “SAVING THE PARK”.

This story is so stupid that it’s hard to believe I’m the only one calling them out on it. For several weeks now, the media has been raving about how Charlottesville is “saving the mobile home park” by helping Habitat for Humanity buy the property to then tear it down. They’re not even trying to mask the fact that the wrecking ball is already being lined up.

This comes after it voted in early August to join efforts along with Habitat for Humanity and the Piedmont Housing Alliance to save the park. The City will help financially by committing more than $8 million over a five year time span. The money will be considered a loan. There will be a minimum of 180 units. At least 70% of those rentals will be for households with low to moderate incomes. This is just one component of what would be an overall project involving lots of different eventual requirements from different funding sources,” Councilor Michael Payne said. Construction is set to begin by December 2029 and to be completed by December 2033.

So apparently when Habitat for Humanity tears a mobile home park down they are “saving it” and when anyone else does they are “forcing residents into homelessness”. Pathetic.

WNEM: Mobile home park residents want answers about ownership, maintenance

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MIDLAND CO., Mich. (WNEM) - Residents at a Midland County mobile home park said the property owner isn’t doing anything to address the park’s problems.

Residents of Evergreen Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park (MHP) in Lee Township voiced their frustrations, and the property owners spoke with TV5 to give their side of the story.

“They want to take in the money. They want to keep raising the rent, keep on adding additional bills, fees. But they don’t want to provide anything to improve things,” said Kim Schumacher.

Schumacher said she was fired as office manager at Evergreen Whispering Pines MHP on Aug. 7. She said the owners of the mobile...

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Our thoughts on this story:

COMMON SENSE ALERT: A FIRED MANAGER IS PROBABLY NOT YOUR BEST SOURCE OF NEWS.

I knew this article would be interesting when I saw that the main protagonist was the manager that the new owners had just fired. Here’s her side of the story:

Schumacher said during her time as manager, she noticed glaring issues from ownership, stating they don’t even have an operating license.

“Our license for our address is still under the former owner. It expires at the end of this month,” she said.

And then you have the response from the owner that fired her:

“We have worked cooperatively with EGLE, and Water District 1 in Lee Township to get the residents a better-quality water coming from the municipal water system. And that’s gone into place. And now our efforts will focus with the new manager on further cleanup of the park. And we’re also working on taking some of the abandoned trailers and getting them into shape so that new tenants can come in to make it a more robust community,” Cherin said.Cherin also said that the company was having issues with Schumacher’s performance, and they gave her ample time to improve. When that didn’t happen, she was let go.

And then you have her rebuttal in which she proclaims that she’s only speaking out for the good of the nation and not because she’s mad that she got canned, of course:

For her part, Schumacher said she’s not a disgruntled former employee, she just wants what’s best for the residents.

You would have to be a complete idiot not to see through this story.

It’s also important to note that when you turn-around a mobile home park there’s a delay between closing on the property and getting things done. You have to line up contactors, get permits, get the correct weather and many other items. Once again, common sense would make this readily apparent to anyone who is not a complete idiot (which the author of the article is sadly guilty of being)

HW Media: HUD issues ’extensive’ update to manufactured housing safety standards

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The  (HUD) on Wednesday announced updates to its manufactured housing construction and safety standards, a move it called the most extensive such updates in three decades as the department seeks to modernize the features of these homes to drive demand.

The new standards, scheduled to be published via a final rule in the Federal Register on Sept. 16, were announced on Wednesday by  (FHA) Commissioner Julia Gordon in Elkhart, Indiana, which is home to the RV and Manufactured Housing Hall of Fame.

The revisions include “90 new or updated standards to increase...

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Our thoughts on this story:

COMMON SENSE ALERT: WITH MORE REGULATION COMES HIGHER PRICES WHICH BENEFITS NOBODY.

People buy mobile homes simply because they are inexpensive. When HUD adds on more regulations it simply makes the price higher, while providing nothing of real value to the buyer. Nobody goes around the mobile home park trying to outdo the neighbor by saying “my home saves $4 per year on my energy bill due to my unique window design” but instead says “I sure am glad I bought my mobile home before HUD raised the prices by $15,000 with those new regulations”. I know the nation has gone nuts for ecology and virtue-signaling but the reason you buy a mobile home is not with a concern about energy efficiency. Let rich people worry about all this nonsense and don’t punish those on small budgets with unnecessary add-ons.

MASS LIVE: Tenants of Mass. mobile home park hope judge will side with them against rent increase

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SPRINGFIELD — A housing court judge promises to make a decision about a mobile home park’s rent increase appeal by the month’s end. But first, the tenants’ lawyer will file new documents hoping to sway the judge’s decision.

Effective Feb. 1, the West Village Mobile Home Community received a nearly $300 rent increase — going from $207 to $503.06 a month — for the land on which their mobile homes sit. Most of the residents live on fixed incomes, are older or are disabled and say they can’t afford the 150% increase.

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Our thoughts on this story:

Here’s the actual housing stats for Springfield, Massachusetts:

  • Single family home price average is $240,800
  • 3-bedrroom apartment rent is $1,540 per month.

Against that backdrop, the tenants of a mobile home park have filed suit stating that a rent of $503 per month is abhorrent, unjust, and every other adjective they can think of:

A housing court judge promises to make a decision about a mobile home park’s rent increase appeal by the month’s end. But first, the tenants’ lawyer will file new documents hoping to sway the judge’s decision. Effective Feb. 1, the West Village Mobile Home Community received a nearly $300 rent increase — going from $207 to $503.06 a month — for the land on which their mobile homes sit.

The foundation of their argument is that the rent is going up 150% to get to $503 per month. Apparently what the tenants are hoping is that by focusing on the 150% the judge will somehow be blinded to the fact that – at the new rent – the mobile home park is 66% less than an apartment, and around 90% less than a house.

They better hope that the judge is a total idiot.

I believe that the McDonald’s Value Menu Cheeseburger has gone from $1 to $3.15, which is a 215% increase. But that’s 50% of the cost of the cheeseburger at other restaurants. Get the picture?

AD Pro: Sarah Paulson’s Mobile Home Drops in Price, Roy Lichtenstein’s Hampton Retreat Is Up for Grabs, and More Real Estate News

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This week, Sarah Paulson reduces the price on her Malibu mobile home (AD, March 2023), penthouses designed by AD PRO Directory firm Meyer Davis hit the market, and developers announced the completion of Helmut Jahn’s final building. In this roundup, AD PRO has everything you need to know.

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Our thoughts on this story:

COMMON SENSE ALERT: NOBODY WANTS A $2 MILLION MOBILE HOME. BETTER KEEP DROPPING THAT PRICE.

Sarah Paulson brings her Malibu mobile home down from $2 million to $1.8 million

I guess she has friends in the media who keep hyping this up like it’s a great buy or something – it’s been floating around every week for like a month. Give it up.

Reason: Tim Scott Wants to Deregulate Manufactured Housing

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Tim Scott Versus the Chassis Requirement

On Thursday, a group of Republican senators led by Sen. Tim Scott (R–S.C.) introduced the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act, which proposes a grab bag of reforms to federal housing programs.

Unlike the slew of federal YIMBY (Yes in my backyard) bills that have been introduced in recent years, Scott's bill doesn't try to poke, prod, or bribe local and state governments into liberalizing their zoning codes. "Housing policy is inherently local, and federal legislators should encourage local solutions to local problems," reads the press release on the bill.

Nevertheless,...

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Our thoughts on this story:

COMMON SENSE ALERT: THE CHASSIS RULE WAS DESIGNED TO MAKE MOBILE HOMES NON-COMPETITIVE.

There's some debate about whether HUD's chassis requirement is primarily responsible for a massive, post-1970s drop in manufactured home production…

Gee, I wonder why HUD would have made it illegal to remove the mobile home from its hideous boat trailer foundation, thereby requiring it to sit 3’ off the ground and brand it with the “trailer” stigma? Let me think. Do you think it might be the well-funded single-family home lobby that could get their political allies with influence over HUD to derail the threat of $20,000 homes that look like $100,000 stick-builts back in the day? Nah, they’d never do that, right?

Kelowna Now: West Kelowna mobile home park rezoned, last 4 tenants have 1 year to vacate

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After about nine months of back and forth, a West Kelowna mobile home park has officially been rezoned to allow for industrial uses.

After being deferred twice this year, West Kelowna councillors were satisfied that four remaining residents of Shady Acres Mobile Home Park would be given adequate notice to move out and access to compensation from the developer, Kerr Properties.

This rezoning application was before West Kelowna councillors for the third time on Tuesday.

When the application was deferred for a second time in July, West Kelowna councillors wanted confirmation that the rules and guidelines under the Manufactured Home Park...

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Our thoughts on this story:

COMMON SENSE ALERT: DO YOU THINK TWO YEARS AND $20,000 IS MAYBE OVERKILL ON A $1,000 HOME?

Only in bureaucratic America can it make sense to delay a development for two years and spend $20,000 per home for four holdouts in a mobile home park. The homes in the photo appear to be 1980s models in poor condition and probably worth $1,000 each. Unbelievable.

After about nine months of back and forth, a West Kelowna mobile home park has officially been rezoned to allow for industrial uses. After being deferred twice this year, West Kelowna councillors were satisfied that four remaining residents of Shady Acres Mobile Home Park would be given adequate notice to move out and access to compensation from the developer, Kerr Properties. Brent Magnan, director of development approvals, said that once the zoning bylaw amendment is adopted, that will trigger the 12 month notice period for tenants to vacate as well as the $20,000 compensation for their homes.

I’m sure the poor developer regrets getting involved with a city this out of touch with reality.