I've heard all the warnings about buying older mobile homes, but what about well-maintained one with updates?

Question

I found a 1977 Marlette. Updates: Roof coated 5/08. Furnace serviced 5/08, Filters changed monthly, Digital thermostat installed 5/08. New carpeting throughout (including the enclosed porch). Over-sized newer wood shed with electricity. Completely updated-circuit breakers in the home. Updated plumbing in kitchen & bath. New tile in kitchen & bath. New cabinets & counter tops in kitchen. Magic Chef gas digital stove/oven, Kenmore refrigerator, Maytag digital jet clean quiet plus dishwasher, a Sharp microwave and a garbage disposal. Bathroom has new vanity, cabinets and fixtures. Kenmore Digital Elite washer and dryer. Both bedrooms have ceiling fans. Home has central air. IS THIS A DEAL FOR $7,999? WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I BE ASKING THE SELLER? THANKS FOR ANY HELP.

Answer 1

It almost sounds to good to be true.How ever in most places you wont be able to get it financed because of its age . But just because some thing has little age on it don't make it bad. some times its better. You like it you got the money go for it. Good luck and may God bless

Answer 2

OK,Check and see if the flooring is plywood, 3/4 inch. Not a deal killer, but that is the better product.

Check all the windows and doors to see that they open and close, look carefully at the window sills. are they in good shape, are the walls still flat around the sill area?

Are all the plugs in good shape and functional, no burnt outlets, no broken Sheetrock around the plugs.

What type of supply pipe does the house have? If it is the gray or black polybutlyn, make sure the fittings at the elbows and T's are brass and not the plastic ones.

Is the vapor barrier, the black poly sheet under the house, in good shape?

The price for an home this old is fair. I have bought some old ones and put about 5k into it to get it where that one is/should be.

Answer 3

Usually not a big fan of mobile homes, the don't appreciate.  However, from a real estate point of view, if you are going to live somewhere, and you spend that much in rent for the time you live there, it sounds good.  Especially if you have the cash, no financing.  Sounds you like break even vs renting around a year and half or more.  Would you have to lease some land?  Look at it that way.  What is the cost of the mobile home, utilities, lease of land if applicable, insurance, interest if you have to finance,and other costs for the mobile home vs renting for a time frame you plan to live there.  Also, at the end you could sell it and get something back, so you can factor that in to.  Other than that, like the above answer, check for defective wiring, plumbing, HVAC, doors, windows, mold, etc.  If minor repairs are necessary, this can be a bargaining chip to reduce the price.  If big repairs are needed, then the price of the repair may make it a bad deal.  Think of it like a car.  A car needing $500 in repairs, isn't worth the hassle of buying it for $1500, if all you can get is $2000 on resell.

Answer 4

The biggest danger in older mobile homes is the glue that was used during the construction. It is very flammabke, that is why you see mobile home go up so fast in a fire. Be careful buying a older mobile home.

Answer 5

Actually it sounds a bit over priced to me, no offense. I've lived in a few mobiles and if it's affordable and you need a place to live I suppose it's a workable deal.

   Not all the improvements have anything to do with the mobile however.

  One, or two of the most important issues for you, would be the plumbing and electrical service, beyond cosmetics. If I was doing the research I'd investigate both issues, most especially the substance of the wiring used. I'd also be checking the ceiling carefully. Has it ever been painted over? Can you determine if there is any staining? signs of swelling of the ceiling material, painted over? What's the condition of the windows? How old is the AC unit? Is there Heat? Is there any access around the plumbing to check the MDF flooring for any leaking ever? Can you get underneath to check the insulation, if any exists, or repairs done to any flooring material? What is the condition of any doors? AND can you detect if the filler is intact? Can you determine any soft spots in the flooring when you push down, especially around doors and windows? Can you check the perimeter from inside to see if there are any separations? IE: can you see daylight anywhere? Are all the walls straight? Not bowed in or out? The ceiling panels bowed/sagging?

  I currently live in one, in a park, made in 84. I've remodeled it all myself, but that did nothing to increase the value. It just makes it upgraded and possibly easier to sell. I paid 7K in 05 and My assessed value continues to drop, while my taxes remain the same. Latest value judgement is 3 K. You might also inquire about Home Owners insurance. Many INS companies won't touch mobiles anymore. Certainly not many lenders would bother either.

  If it was me, and I was OK with the location, 8 K is probably a fair price, but not an exceptional bargain. Just being realistic. I could line my mobile with Gold, but it's still a 25 year old Mobile Home.

Steven Wolf

Just my two "sense"

   Added thought. Some of us cannot afford more than a mobile, no offense to Mobil haters. Beyond that anyone who has the cash, and the 30 years to pay on a house will spend way more money than I'd want to pay out.

Answer 6

I used to work on mobile homes. I have also owned three of them. My suggestion is that you stay away from this one or any other one. First it would be impossible to tell you about this house without a detailed inspection.  But that is only the tip of the problem.  The laws on buying and selling mobile homes can be a big problem when it comes time to sell it. Virginia for example is a place where selling can be a big issue.   Banks and mortgage companies will not loan money on a mobile home unless the home is being sold with land.  In other words if someone want to get a loan to buy a used one they must be buying the mobile home and the land it is on.  Took me 6 and 1/2 years to sell the last one I owned because it was in a mobile home park.   The person that bought it ended up just paying me in full.

If I have not talked you out of this yet I strongly suggest you talk to a few banks to find out if they will loan money to buy used mobile homes. You will find that very few do.

The only companies in many states that will make you a loan for a used mobile home are companies that are in business only to make mobile home loans.  I've had dealings with several of these companies and found them to be very dishonest. Not only that they charge high interest rates, and will just downright lie to you.    One of these companies was selling my last home for me. I was asking $18,000 for the house. They were about to sell my home to someone for $21,000 plus interest on the loan.   They were not supposed to sell the home for more than the $18,000 price I had set. They were supposed to be making their fee from the interest paid on the loan only.   The situation nearly ended in a lawsuit. As you can imagine I ended up not selling the home to that buyer because of this company.  My research has found others with similar stories.

Mobile homes are just trouble. As I said I've done a lot of mobile home repair.  I've repaired plumbing, windows, electric, carpet, flooring, ....you name it.   You mentioned all the new things that this house has. While it may sound good consider this.......  Why did the current owner spend so much money to upgrade everything to then sell it for less than the improvement cost?   They know something they don't want you to know.

Stay away from mobile homes