Your home is your castle. When purchasing your home, you can choose between a house and a mobile home. After extensive research, I have found that the answer is not as clear as one may think. There are many happy mobile home owners that feel that the cheap home payments, taxes, and utilities are the way to go. However, there are many unhappy mobile home owners that are sorry they ever bought a mobile home and feel that they will never be able to own a house because they won’t get enough resale value. I would like to add that I did not come across even one homeowner that wishes that they had a mobile home instead. The majority of information I have found is that a site-built house is indeed the better investment all around.
Today’s mobile homes are not what they used to be. They are beautiful, and spacious (if you buy a double-wide), and they come with many extras that many would not be able to afford built in to a house price. They can get expensive, but they are generally less expensive than a house. However, just like a car, your mobile home’s value begins to drop the moment it is driven off of the lot to be delivered to you. Another issue is where to put it. There are countless mobile home communities that will welcome the new addition. Lot rent usually includes water, sewer, and trash services. While it sounds nice to eliminate three bills, there are less appealing reasons not to do this. Parks can be very stringent on issues like how tall your grass can grow before you must cut it, pets, having a pool in your yard, and the upkeep of your mobile home.
Another downfall is that mobile homes are not practical for larger families, and even a smaller family can begin to feel cramped. Mobile homes also do not have attics or basements, adding to the feeling of being cramped. The other problem with them is severe weather. It is much safer to go into the basement of your house for shelter than to stay in a mobile home during a round of severe storms. Finally, if you choose not to live in a park, due to restrictive covenants, you may have difficulty getting land zoned for mobile home occupation, leaving you with living in a park in the area you want, or moving somewhere you do not want to live to get the land you want.
When you buy a home, the property is yours too. You can cut your grass when you want, have a pool, a swing set, and pets. Usually anything you want to plant, remove, change, or paint is entirely up to the homeowner-you. There is complete freedom to put up a shed, a fence, add a driveway, or build an addition to the home.
A site-built home will most likely be more expensive, but its value will increase over time (location is a prime factor in this). Also, they are considered more stable than a mobile home, due to the concrete basement foundation, and the fact that they are built on site. In short, houses are built to last. Homeowners get a break on their federal and state taxes if they itemize their deductions. Home ownership builds equity in your own place, which can benefit couples nearing retirement. A house will also allow your family to grow, giving you a basement that can be remodeled to add extra rooms for children, company, or just more living space. No matter what your family’s needs are, buying a house gives you more bang for your buck. As far as flexibility to grow, change, and expand, it is the best choice.
Works Cited
About.com
. (n.d.). Retrieved from Home Buying and Selling: http://homebuying.about.com
How Americans Can Buy a House
. (n.d.). Retrieved from Associated Content: www.associatedcontent.com
