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After a cold snap recently I went out to visit an older couple in a trailer who had had their plumbing burst due to freezing. The trailer was in really rough s

After a cold snap recently I went out to visit an older couple in a trailer who had had their plumbing burst due to freezing. The trailer was in really rough shape. They were huddling under blankets because heating and insulation were inadequate. And now they had no water. Two things make me angry about the trailer park situation. 1. people living there who only get poorer from it. They own the portion of the home that decreases in value and rent the part that appreciates. If you're rich, sure. You can afford to own a depreciating asset and forgo the appreciation. But they're poor. 2. By having the lot renter own the trailer, they avoid many of the laws that protect renters with basic livability requirements. And yet those people are still paying rent alongside having to pay maintenance costs for their homes. In the end at least in my area of the country it's much less expensive to buy a modest home.

dfsegoat 6y ago
And then when you have a natural disaster strike, you aren't necessarily guaranteed access to your home, even after disaster declarations are lifted: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/fire-survivors-from-santa-rosas-journeys-end-feel-like-weve-been-abando/?gallery=7CDEE642-79E8-4433-B1A7-861C2DE53236 https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/fire-survivors-fr...
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bityard 6y ago
Where I live, there are many levels of quality when it comes to "trailer parks". I know of a few that are essentially slums: very low-income residents, crowded, dirty, noisy, and packed with trailers from the 50s and 60s. I don't know who would _choose_ to live in these places. Maybe it's a case of poor people being poor because they make poor choices. Or simply aren't aware that there are better options. On the other end of the spectrum, there are communities with HOA rules, well-kept common areas, a clubhouse, etc. My mom lives in one of these. Honestly, it's not a bad place to live. I could totally live there if needed to. I tried to talk her out of buying it based on the economics alone ($400/mo lot rent plus around $60k for the house) but she went ahead with it anyway. It doesn't make financial sense to me, but maybe she sees something about the situation that I don't.
- zie 6y ago
  Or, because they have no money and it's all they can afford. it's that or being homeless. In a trashy RV park, they generally get running water, electricity and a toilet that flushes. Actual homeless people are a step down from that, generally no running water, etc. Also note, most homeless persons are effectively barred from working. (employers mostly require an address to hire you) source: me. a formerly homeless person and have lived in the trashy RV parks before.
JeremyNT 6y ago
> In the end at least in my area of the country it's much less expensive to buy a modest home. There's another option of course, which is to buy a piece of land and put a trailer on it. Land's pretty cheap out in "real America." A lot of my buddies growing up lived in mobile homes but none of them lived in trailer parks. If you can afford to buy a lot (but not yet build your dream house) it could make financial sense to get a basic model and plop it there while you save up for the next few years. You might at least beat renting.

dfsegoat 6y ago

And then when you have a natural disaster strike, you aren't necessarily guaranteed access to your home, even after disaster declarations are lifted: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/fire-survivors-from-santa-rosas-journeys-end-feel-like-weve-been-abando/?gallery=7CDEE642-79E8-4433-B1A7-861C2DE53236 https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/fire-survivors-fr...

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bityard 6y ago

Where I live, there are many levels of quality when it comes to "trailer parks". I know of a few that are essentially slums: very low-income residents, crowded, dirty, noisy, and packed with trailers from the 50s and 60s. I don't know who would _choose_ to live in these places. Maybe it's a case of poor people being poor because they make poor choices. Or simply aren't aware that there are better options. On the other end of the spectrum, there are communities with HOA rules, well-kept common areas, a clubhouse, etc. My mom lives in one of these. Honestly, it's not a bad place to live. I could totally live there if needed to. I tried to talk her out of buying it based on the economics alone ($400/mo lot rent plus around $60k for the house) but she went ahead with it anyway. It doesn't make financial sense to me, but maybe she sees something about the situation that I don't.

zie 6y ago
Or, because they have no money and it's all they can afford. it's that or being homeless. In a trashy RV park, they generally get running water, electricity and a toilet that flushes. Actual homeless people are a step down from that, generally no running water, etc. Also note, most homeless persons are effectively barred from working. (employers mostly require an address to hire you) source: me. a formerly homeless person and have lived in the trashy RV parks before.

JeremyNT 6y ago

> In the end at least in my area of the country it's much less expensive to buy a modest home. There's another option of course, which is to buy a piece of land and put a trailer on it. Land's pretty cheap out in "real America." A lot of my buddies growing up lived in mobile homes but none of them lived in trailer parks. If you can afford to buy a lot (but not yet build your dream house) it could make financial sense to get a basic model and plop it there while you save up for the next few years. You might at least beat renting.