Mobile home space rents to be $850.00 mo. Is this happening near you?

[maveric]

Seeing that I am totally out of the market to buy a single family home in San Diego, I have been considering buying a mobile home. Now you'd think that with 50% down the mortgage would be low and your cost of living wouldnt be so high.

WRONG!!

Mobile home parks here in San Diego county have been jacking up their rents astronomically over the past few years to a point where many homeowners cant afford the increases and have to sell. A great number of these homeowners are elderly and single income households, and some may be out on the streets soon.

Its like they just dont want anyone in the lower income brackets to have it a bit more comfortable.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20021229-9999_1m29mobile.html

I'm wondering if this is happening anywhere else in the country and if rents are that high there.

[oneighty]

1. In our area (country)

Trailer lots are also very expensive. You are better off buying a house. Any kind of house.

180

[maveric]

2. I'd love to but as a single parent who makes under $25,000.00 a year...

I wont qualify for the financing. The average median price for a single family home around here is around $380,000.00. With $20,000.00 down I would have to finance $360,000.00. I'm not sure what the monthly payments would be, but I'm sure its more than the 40% per month that is the line for home loans.

The Fat Cats own the parks and most of the rental properties out here. You either pay the big space rents or rent an apt or house from them.

I'm currently paying $1,000.00 a mo. for a shabby 3 bdr apt in a bad neighborhood, and am having a tough time making ends meet. I raise my 3 sons by myself, and my robber baron landlord raises my rent bewteen $50.00-75.00 every 6 months.
Time to buy an RV. I may be living in it soon.

[david_vincent]

5. I hate to say it, but...

perhaps you should consider leaving? We left the Seattle area this summer, and one of the major reasons was that we could never hope to buy a home there. Now we live in a state where it's still possible to find homes under $100,000, especially if you're willing to do some work yourself. One woman we were talking to here bought a 5 bedroom, 2 bath house on 6 acres in a village - right in the village, not out of town - for just under $110,000.
Maybe it's time to leave San Diego behind?

[maveric]

8. I would but the ex wont let my kids leave the county. A I cant leave them.

They have given me the will to live through the bad times of the last 6 years, and they dont want to live with their Mom,who cant afford them.
I have bought and sold 3 homes down here since 1980. The last one due to a decision in divorce court.
Now technically I own a home in Salem NH. My mom signed it over to me in case she has to be on public assistance in a convalescent home. She'd lose the house to pay for it. She also wants me to move back there (she's a widow and alone), but the thought of living with my mom (she's a hovering sicilian lady) at age 48, frightens me.
I may have to do that though.

[grasswire]

13. could you negotiate the custody?

Salem NH is a delightful place. Your kids might be better off growing up there. Couldn't you re-negotiate the custody agreement so they could go there with you? Perhaps if you offered to pay for airfare for some visits with their mom?

The other question is this: could you work in NH?

[maveric]

16. I'm an LVN and I'd have to get re-liscensed in NH and MA.

Ma's house is 50 yards from the MA line so I'd have to check out the re-liscensing laws in both states.

Schools are better in NH and MA. But my boys are born and raised San Diegans and have never been exposed to the crappy climate in those parts. I wouldnt mind it myself.

Plus its only 27 miles from Boston, the Hub of the world. Love that town.

San Diego used to be a great place to live and raise kids but being a repug stronghold its getting too expensive to survive here.

As far as custody goes the ex wouldnt let them go just to piss me off. Even though their quality of life would be much better.

[bearfartinthewoods]

12. my god...........

you need to move to pa...

i can show you dozens of homes for 60,000 and mobile home lot rentals for 100.00 per month

[REP]

15. I'm in the Bay Area

in the 'burbs of San Francisco, and my rent was just lowered again. I'm paying less than I did when I moved in 5 years ago. Look for another apartment!

[maveric]

17. Rents will never be lowered in this town. n/t

[REP]

18. You're in SD, Right?

Maybe not at your complex, but I know people in SD whose rents have also been lowered.

They were saying the same thing about rents where I live, too...

[maveric]

20. The housing market out here is very competitive. Not enough homes

to meet the demand so landlords can do just about anything and get away with it.

Ill check the paper tomorrow.

Where do they live in SD?

[Nikia]

3. Ouch

Things are much cheaper here in Wisconsin. Our nice duplex is $625 a month and we are considering buying a $80,000-100,000 home which would be decent sized and in good, move in condition.
It sounds like prices are increasing rather rapidly in your area as well. If mobile home spaces are $850/month, you are probably better off continuing to rent. I have a friend who lives with her husband in San Diego in a cheap apartment for $650/month (although that was two years ago, I've lost touch) but I believe that it is only a one bedroom and small.
I know that people have many reasons for living in the area that they do, but do you need to stay in such an expensive area? There are much cheaper parts of the country.
Around here you can also buy trailers for well under $20,000. A coworker of mine was considering buying one that was only $5,000.

[karlschneider]

4. Pretty steep. Around here it runs about $100 or less. I just bought

3 lots for 3600 bucks...but of course it's a long way from S. Cal.
:eyes:

[scarlet_owl]

6. Wow!

My husband and I are buying my mother-in-law's trailer in May, and our monthly expense is going to be $385 per month. That includes lot rent, utilities (prices are fixed), and insurance. Right now we are living in an apartment and our rent is $500 per month. Our utilities are astronomical. Apartments here in Champaign, IL are expensive because this is a college town, but mobile homes are reasonable. I'm sorry to hear about your situation in San Diego. Have you thought about life in a smaller town?

[Melsky]

7. I left San Diego a year ago

We were lucky, we bought a house in La Mesa (just outside SD city limits) several years ago. It went up 150k in 3 years. When my husband lost his job, we sold it and used the profit to buy a house way out in the desert and support us for a year. There are no jobs out here, but I have my own business.

I don't really want to go back to San Diego. It has become very crowded and expensive, and the salaries are not rising anywhere close to the real estate prices. It makes me sad because it's my home town.

I don't know what job you have, but if you possibly can, hang on in San Diego and save up some money, and buy a house somewhere else.

Unless the housing bubble pops.

[grasswire]

9. I saw a notice on a local supermarket bulletin board..

....for a mobile home for sale. It was REALLY attractive with great landscaping and extras. The space rental was $180. The trailer itself was for sale for $4700. I wondered why I am renting a 2 BR apartment for $540. I never thought of a mobile home.

[opiate69]

10. Damn...

I'm paying $300 for Lot rent, in a really, really nice Park, just outside of Olympia, Wa.

[Clete]

11. Being a trailer dweller myself, I have learned how to sniff out

cheap or even free rent. If your ex doesn't object to you living in the rural part of the county, look around for the large ranches in the area. Many of them belong to super rich people who aren't there year around.

Often they have pads with utility hook-ups or even a mobile home already installed. They need someone to act as caretaker or who will do some maintenance chores, for reduced rent or even sometimes for free.

Look at all the throwaway classifieds as well as regular classifieds in your area to sniff these places out. Also, knowing someone who knows someone is the best way. Good luck.

[maveric]

14. Thats not a bad idea Clete! Theres a vast rural sprawl in east county.

I work in east county (El Cajon),and places like Lakeside,Jamul,Descanso, etc. are not that far away. I guess that I'll have to start reading the local repug rag (SD Union Trib):puke: to try to find something like that.
Thanx Buddy.

[sugarcookie]

19. You might even consider

buying a small patch (1/2 -1 acre) of land. Preferably with electricity, water and septic already available. Don't discount owner financing...sometimes the owners will work with you on a low or no downpayment.

[maveric]

21. Tried that allready and 1/4 acre lots are going for $130,000.00.

And if its not hooked up to utilities that'll runya another $30-50,000.00.
I,in fact, tried that route 2 yrs ago and am now just getting my down money back after it was discovered that the seller had hidden liens on the property, and other things (long story).