"BEFORE YOU SIGN: A Consumer's Guide to Mobile Home Parks in the Twin Cities"

Welcome to “Before You Sign: A Consumer’s Guide to

Mobile Home Parks in the Twin Cities”



Download a Copy (PART 1, CLICK HERE) (PART 2, CLICK HERE)

Read the Press Release (CLICK HERE)



All Parks Alliance for Change, a statewide manufactured (mobile) home owner association has released the second edition of its “Before You Sign: A Consumer’s Guide to Mobile Home Parks in the Twin Cities” with a detailed analysis of rent levels in the metro area. The annual guide provides information consumers need before signing a purchase or rental agreement, including the rules of mobile home living and important details about each park’s city and county. The heart of the guide though is detailed park-by-park information, such as size of communities, vacancy rate, utilities, rents, and amenities.

“There comes a point, for some people, when renting seems pointless and wasteful,” said Dave Anderson, APAC Executive Director. “You are sinking money into a place that will never be yours. If you've decided to look for something a little more permanent, you may have considered the option of buying a manufactured home, which is more commonly known as a mobile home.”

This second publication of “Before You Sign” contains updated park-specific information, accounting for changes in vacancy rates, park policies, and contact information. It also incudes an expanded range of useful information, including lot rents, utilities and fees, parking, and other amenities. Furthermore, APAC has taken the opportunity to analyze the data collected about metro area parks to describe patterns in the market related to lot rent, vacancy rates, and ownership. The information in the guide supports three important points about mobile home living:

Mobile Homes Are Affordable

In many cases, manufactured homes can be the most affordable housing option. Used homes usually sell for $30,000 for newer ones down to only a few hundred dollars for older ones. You can buy a mobile home for what you would spend in a month just on rent.

Chances are, if you find a manufactured home that affordable, than it is in a park. That means several big differences from buying one on its own land. You will be paying “lot rent” to the park owner every month. But, even then, the lot rent can still be less than what you would pay in an apartment or house renting situation. So financially, living in a mobile home park can still be a very good option. But, not all parks are the same and not every one will be right for you.

Find the Right Park for You

It is important to fully evaluate which park is the right fit for you, because buying a manufactured home, despite the common name “mobile home,” can become a fairly permanent decision. Manufactured homes can be costly to move and, as a result, only 19% are ever moved from their initial placement. If you decide to move, you have the legal right to sell your home in place in the park, but the process can sometimes take a while.

That is the reason behind “Before You Sign: A Consumer’s Guide to Mobile Home Parks in the Twin Cities.” Before you buy a home and sign a lease in park, make sure it is the right one for you. Is it in the right community? Does it offer the access you need to jobs, schools, transportation, and shopping? Does it provide services and amenities you require? Are the “park rules” acceptable to you?

Do Your Homework

“Before You Sign” likely doesn’t provide all the information you want, but it will hopefully offer a good place to start. It is a first of its kind guide to all the parks in the Twin Cities metro area with standardized information for you to compare, suggestions on questions to ask, and contact information for each of the parks.

Park neighborhoods can provide affordable housing, sustainable home ownership, and a tight knit sense of community. Hopefully, this guide will help you decide if moving into a park is the right choice for you.

We hope you will send us a message to let us know, if this guide proves helpful. If you think of ways it can be improved, we hope you will also let us know. We plan to update it annually. You can send comments and suggestions to info@allparksallianceforchange.org.

AttachmentSize
Media Advisory - Before You Sign, A Consumers Guide, 2017.pdf184.66 KB
APAC - Before You Sign, A Consumers Guide, 2017 (part 1).pdf7.46 MB
APAC - Before You Sign, A Consumers Guide, 2017 (part 2).pdf2.17 MB