1978 Glenwood

[dlt]

I am considering buying, for the first time, a mobile home. The home is a 1978 Glenwood in Clearwater, FL. The home has been remodeled inside with drywall, I believe new subfloors in bathrooms, new kitchen etc. My concern is--with all the humidity in FL--what about the underneath of this old of a home. What exactly is exposed underneath this age home. It has a brick skirting around the home. Are there pipes under there? Is rust a concern? Would pipes be aluminum or copper of that age home. Would I have any worries of major problems popping up? Thanks so much for your help.

[David Oxhandler]

As long as the brick skirting is property vented there should not be a problem with moisture retention. The plumbing could be copper, galvanized or plastic.

You are right to be concerned about any pre-owned home you purchase, regardless of age. We always recommend an inspection by a professional home inspection company. The price is a small fraction of the cost of the home and will be well worth the peace of mind to know the exact condition of all the homes systems.

I purchase several homes a year and have renovated well over a thousand mobile homes over the life my business. I feel like I have a better grasp of what to look for than the average buyer. Still before buying I always pay for a full home inspection. Two heads are better than one and I'm getting to old to do much crawling around under the homes.

This way I know going in exactly what I need to do before reselling. The worst thing I can do for my business is to sell a home with serious defects. If the problems are severe I can use them either as a legitimate reason to back away from the deal, or to negotiate for a reduction in price that will permit me to make the needed repairs without sacrificing profit.