Horror stories

[mommaroo]

Just when we've made a choice in MH, some horror stories have shaken our confidence in such a move!
First off, our desired location is around Vero Beach, FL. Palm Harbor has a new model which looks and feels like a stick-built bungalow. We love it, but the price is quite high--$150k. Leased lot. Insurance quoted by the salesperson stands at about $1900/yr. Yikes!
Now for the horror stories:
I read about a mobile home community in the area which suffered so much hurricane damage that the owner is selling out to a commercial developer. Those with homes intact can either move them ( cost more than value) or end up homeless. I've also heard of communities being sold because the owners were offered a price they couldn't refuse. One community was sold to a hotel developer--
I am also concerned about the prospect of obtaining insurance. Is it true that it's next to impossible to obtain replacement cost insurance on a manufactured home in FL?
Is it really wise to purchase this home for so much money? We need lots of input from those who know----please help.

[rmurray]

Is thia the home you are looking at http://www.palmharbormarketing.com/netpics/22.jpg stunning indeed

To sddreess some of your concerns..about land lease communitries..you should read the info at this state web site...

http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/lsc/mobil ... orms.shtml

It ids yoir choice o live in an area that has had and will have huge hurricanes..Can you blame insurance companies for charging a little much...Most sitebuilt homes in this area have huge deductables with thier high price insurance..some in the $50K range...PH"S insurance arm ooffers good policies at fair prices...

Go to the community club house adn steike up a few conversations..ask about eh park..Get info from those livfing there..

Goo LUck..Go for it..

[Pendragon]

If that's the pic.. looks easily like a $150k home for south florida. No mention of size, but I assume the garage is an addition.

I would NEVER put $150k where I didn't own what it was sitting on. You might be able to move the home, but the garage would stay (again, making the assumptions already mentioned), so there's $15k of your investment gone, plus all the concrete (another $8k or so).

As for insurance, that sounds about right for a MH in that price range. Site built would run you probably 60% less.. Want to find out, call an agent and ask, give them all the details, but say it's site built and see what rate you get.

[trmimo]

Check out the selling prices of newer pre-owned homes in the community.
Are there homes selling in this price range? You don't want to own the most expensive home in the community. When you put a home in acommunity where the others cost less, the value of your home will fall to be inline with the others. Many people won't pay $150,000 to live in a neighborhood of $70,000 houses and appraisers will reduce your value because there won't be equal homes to compare it to so the "comps" will be against lesser homes. On the other hand if there are homes selling in the community for over $150,000 your home should hold it's value. Communities that are attracting people like yourself are not usually the communities that get redeveloped. Every new high end home sold there makes the community a better investment for it's owners. I would only choose MHC if they have owned the community for a while, they are known for large rent increases in recent acquisitions. Sun communities are usually very nice with pretty stable rents and also Hometown.
A new Palm Harbor built in Florida is indeed one of the most storm worthy homes you can buy.
Site builders tout their 120MPH wind speed construction versus the 100MPH for zone 2 manufactured homes, but the Florida building code for site built homes only requires them to withstand a 3 second
gust of 120MPH wind. The hud code requires a home to withstand a sustained 100MPH wind. Short gusts are less demanding to build for because most structrural failures require constant force rather than short boosts of force.

[Ryan Abbott]

my name is Ryan I sell Manufactured Homes in Auburndale Fl. I know just what you are saying about keeping the value but you do have more ways than going manufactured you have system built housing or you can put your home that you are buying on a piece of property because if i built a home on your property and i had to pay you 300.00 a month the rent your land for the house i just built now i pay 125,000 to build this house 5 yrs later i want to sell and move i start to show my house they really like it and the price is right cause after 5 yrs i should have some equity built right. well now for the big one mr. and mrs buyer you need to pay this man 300.00 a month to rent his property. what im getting at is when you put your home in a park you do not own a piece of real estate you own a home by putting it on a piece of property that you have with your home you now have real property and real property = real estate now you can have it appraised just like the homes around you. so pick a good location because its your money.



Ryan Abbott
Housing Consultant

[Tom Borden]

Hi!
We just moved in to Park Place, a 55 active, gated community in Sebastian Florida. Our home is a VeroIV Palm Harbor, W/Garage and paver drive.
Its beautiful!! the area is about 7/8miles from Vero, the beach is about 6miles away. All the best in homes, our house actually only cost 107,000.
Others go up to 180 or more. We have two porches and lots of ground in which we have outstanding landscaping. We have insurance about $950 a year a little high but not out of sight. We pay 329.00 per mo. for lot rent that includes everything.
The park is family owned, they live in the park and the area is really growing.
We searched the state of Florida including Vero This is the only place to buy.
Our house is now selling for 122,000 ! so homes keep going up.
The lake is truly a lake and adds so much to the park.
A MUST SEE,
Tom Borden
By the way our house is a 2005 model

[Len]

If you are not dead set on living on the east coast you might try something in the central part of the state. I live in a growing community (over 1300 homes) and will grow to over 1600 in the next two years. It is a avery active community with two golf course, tennis courts, huge main clubhouse with every type of activity you can imagine. Pool, exercize room, library, grill, pro shop, horseshoes, vollyball, shuffleboard, pool room and on and on.

In the newest section currently being built there are lots you can purchase, or lots with land-lease. The lots sell for $35K to $45K. Many Palm Harbor homes are here. I am told that one of the newer triplewides in the new section has over $200K in it. A number of attractive resales are also available. Go visit it, you m,ay like it.

The community is called Cypress Lakes, just north of Lakeland. One hr. to Disney and Busch Gardens. One hour to gulf beaches, one and one half hours to Atlantic beaches.

PS: We even have some Texans living here.

[JoAnn Belair]

my husband and I would like to live in or near Sarasota,fl.There is a manufactured home community called Camelot East.It seems to fit all of our needs.Since we now live in N.J. it`s hard to know anything about a community from so far away.Does anyone know anything good or bad about this community.Please help.It` located off of Clark Road.

[David Oxhandler]

FROM:http://www.camelotcommunities.com/ce/At Camelot East you will enjoy living in a beautiful gated community which has been designed to accommodate the needs of active 55+ residents. Camelot is your opportunity to live in popular Sarasota, Florida in a friendly, active and affordable environment. Our outstanding location allows you to shop, relax, golf, vacation or retire. The community offers a variety of recreational facilities ranging from its large heated pool and Jacuzzi to shuffleboard, tennis, billiards, saunas and much much more. Planned activities keep you busy either in the community or organized outbound excursions.
Most residents of Sarasota will tell you "this is the only place to live in Florida" so stop by and decide for yourself.
To Sales Office: I-75, Exit 37
(Clark Road) East on
Clark Road to entrance,
Camelot East on left.

Camelot East (800) 843-2311
6300 Queensbury Blvd. (941) 923-2311

[mommaroo]

Actually, we've come almost full circle. We originate from LI,NY's north shore, moved to Charleston,SC in 1994, where we lived on the water. We gave up heaven to move to hell. The issue here is that we miss coastal living--although I have brochures from all regions of FL. I"m sure Cypress Lakes is a wonderful community--it's just missing the beach and waves--Thanks for the input, it's appreciated.