Dealing w/living in a trailer park

[Dana]

I don't know if I should share my concerns, but this is the only site that I have found that really answers questions. I don't want to insult anyone and I don't want to come of snobby or stuck-up. Please forgive me if that's how my message comes off. My concern is that this ideal of living in a trailer park is hard for me to swallow. I lived in a nice homes most of my life and then in apartments. I only saw trailer parks on t.v. or traveling through small towns. There is a negative perception of trailer parks. I was telling my co-workers the other day about how beautiful mfh are and that opened up a forum of jokes and southern drawl dialects. Then the show Cops came up. I can just imagine what my family will say. The other day we went to see Golden West Homes in Stanton and they are beautiful. I've always wanted a brandnew home and this is perfect, but then the dealer suggested we take a look at a park in Garden Grove. He said the owner is cutting the rent space for a year, so we went and took a look. It was ok. It was nice and neat, but it hit me smack in the face...I am going to live in a trailer park and ever since then I have been struggling with it. I am the kind of person that analizes myself and I hate to admit it, but I''ve always thought that trailer parks were beneath me(that sounds terrible). It's like someone who has lived in Beverly Hills and finds themselves having to live in Watts or Harlem. I know, I know this sound so condenscending. I hate that I've had these feelings, but I just never thought this would be the only way I could own my own home. I keep telling myself it won't be forever. I know there are some nice parks here in California. I heard there is one in Cerritos, but the rent is $720. I want something that looks more like a neighborhood, is clean, quiet and resonable in price. Am I asking for to much? Can anyone share their experience in living in a park. Please understand this is just new to me.
Peace

[sandy]

Wow Dana,
Your right it does sound bad the way you decribe it. First of all it would be better for you to call it a manufactured home park instead of a trailer park. Like I told you in previous emails, our house is beautiful and our park is probably the kind that would smack you in the face with "I'm living in a trailer park" but I'll tell you, I like my home where it is better than any apartment that I have ever lived in. Our park is quiet, I have nice neighbors and I have my own home. When I am inside of my house it doesn't make a difference where I am at. I am not embarrassed at all of the park even if it does have trailers in it. At least we have a house and are not throwing money down the drain by renting. I will never be able to afford a stick built home in Torrance and that is where I want to live. I grew up in reg. houses all my life too and I always figured I would have one but not at the prices they are. My coworker just bought a house in Simi Valley for $214,000 that has less sq. ft then mine and she has to drive 50 miles each way to work! I don't want that and am perfectly happy in the park we are in even with it being a trailer type park. I am sorry that you are feeling the way that you are. I will admit that when we first drove into our park my heart sank a little thinking this is where I am going to live...but then I realized I will have my own house which is what I always wanted and in Torrance.

[Dana]

Hi Sandy, thanks for setting me straight. Everything you wrote I knew already, but I guess I was like what my grandmother used to say someone with millionaire taste living on a paupers pocket book. I had these high dreams and I had to come down a notch. I have seen some beautiful parks on the net and once the ideal finally began to sink in I started thinking like you, so what if I live in a mf park I will have a beautiful brand new home. It was hard being honest about my feelings on this site, but I felt I had to get it out of me and expose my ignorance in order to rid myself of it. Thanks again

[MEG]

Hi Dana,
I live in Delaware, at the beaches and stick built homes are outrageously priced. You can't buy any 3 bdr 2 bath house under $175,000.00. I grew up in Pennsylvania and lived in a nice neighborhood with nice houses too. My parents moved to delaware about 6 years ago, because they wanted to be near the water to boat and fish and such. They bought a doublewide in a nice park, because they could'nt afford a stick built home and a boat.
I moved to Delaware about 2 years ago, and I SWORE I would never live in a "TRAILER", well never say never... moved into a singlewide in a park too, but I did'nt feel bad, because it was MINE, and it made me proud to know that I owned my own home. Just about everyone I know lives in a manufactured home, weather it is modular or mobile, you just can't afford to live in a stickbuilt here. I have lived in my mobile for 2 1/2 years now, and my husband and I ( who I met while moving in to my mobile home) are getting ready to buy a new home- we can afford stick built now, but guess what, we are buying a manufactured home and putting it on our own land. our new home is 2100 sq feet 5 bdr and 3 full bath, and for land septic,well, and all the options you can imagine (5/12 roof pitch, fireplace, all drywall inside, whirlpool,etc...) we are only paying $105000.00. That is a steal down here. We are buying a Colony Home made by Commodore, and it is BEAUTIFUL, and it will be our HOME, no matter what anyone thinks or says, and believe me, when the see our new place they will have ALOT of GOOD to say, because it is a home in every sense of the word. I hope you don't feel ashamed to live in a "PARK" like I said , I never wanted to, but my attitude has changed, because a "home" is wherever you hang your hat and where you are loved. Be proud to own your own home, (even if it is a mobile home in a park) it's the American dream, and alot of people never have that dream come true.
Hope this helped, and that i did'nt babble too much... good luck

[sandy]

Meg,
If only site built homes around Southern California were $175,000!! Here they are more like $350,000 for 3 bedroom, 2 bath and thats not even new. You are right on about home is where your heart is.
Sandy

[Dana]

HeyMeg thanks for the message. You are right. Like I wrote in my previous message I was just totally igorant, but thank God I see the light(lol). You and Sandy have really inspired me and that was all I needed. Sandy told me to stay focus and see the brand new home and not the park. You hit it on the button too...a home is what you make of it. As long as the park is nice, clean and the people are friendly and care about their environment then I'm cool.

Take care

[sandy]

Way to go Dana!!! I knew you would see the light as long as you focused on the house and what that would mean to you and your family.
Sandy

[Mary]

Dana, I live in a stick-built home in a "nice" subdivision and I can assure you there are some folks here that I do not care to associate with. Their values are not mine and I don't allow my teenage daughter to associate with them. Up the street in some pricier houses there are also some people who are morally bankrupt in spite of their more expensive houses and cars. Our society has become so obsessed with what we own instead of who we are ,that it's no wonder the world considers us decadent. I'm sure there will be some people in your park that you don't care for and plenty of others who are on the same wave-length with you, who might even turn out to be good friends. There's trash everywhere. There are good folks everywhere too. A high income does not guarantee high moral values. Besides that, you're not living in a trailer park. I'll bet there's not one "trailer" in there. You're living in a mobile home park. Remember -- the manufactured housing industry has come a long way, and you're getting a lot of house for your money because of it! ENJOY THAT NEW HOME OF YOURS and Good Luck to you!

[dana]

I agree with you Mary. Like I mentioned in my first message I was igorant, but I am so glad I shared my feelings. If I hadn't I wouldn't have received the shakening up that you, Sandy and Meg have given me. Thank God for this website.

Peace
Dana

[Yvette]

Hi There,
I was just laughing when I read your message. I too feel what your feeling. I live in San Mateo (close to San Jose/San Francisco). It is getting so expensive here.
A 950sq feet two bedroom one bath apartment is about 1,800. It's me and my three kids and we need a bigger space. We all want to stay in the Bay Area and owning a mobile home is our only option or we have to move away. I am in the process of finding out all the information that I can about owning a mobile home before I buy one. I come from living in a beautiful spanish style home in Millbrae, California, which cost my father 35,000 30 years ago. They same home is a million dollars now. I can't afford this type of living. So I think that as long as I have good self-esteem and feel safe where I live and enjoy my home, I don't think I will have a problem saying I live in a "mobile home". My kids are the ones that probably will be embarrassed about it. The rents here range from $700 to $800. My advice to you is to do what you want and don't ever care what other people will think about it. It's your life. If you feel more comfortable not telling anyone, that is your choice too. Maybe we can chat.