6 Types Of Mobile Home Parks & Finding The One To Meet Your Needs

Nowadays, mobile home parks are popping out left, right, and center. The variety of options just keeps increasing. There is everything from parks with age restrictions to ones with every amenity under the sun like pools and gyms.

It’s all about finding the perfect place to set up your dream house. To help you do this, we will cover six categories of mobile home parks that you can consider.

Guide to mobile home parks

First, there are some basic features that you need to know about the parks. Most importantly you need to be aware of the different tenancy agreements that you can enter into with the parks. This is typically regulated by their rules. Some parks might exclusively offer one type of occupation, but others might have a variety of options.

Some of the most common mobile home parks are those that retain ownership of both lots and mobile homes. So as a tenant, you will rent both from the owners of the property.

Another possible agreement is that you only lease the land from them. But you should buy a home yourself that you can park here. If the park is open to it, they might allow investors to install houses here that they can then rent out on their own terms.

Now and again you will find a mobile home park that is run along the lines of more traditional real estate complexes. This can allow you to buy both a house and a lot. So they will be in your name. However, the park is still run by some type of board of trustees who can determine and manage the rules or regulations. Therefore, you might have to pay some sort of levy or fee.

This article has more detailed information on lease agreements for manufactured houses.

Questions to ask

Choosing a mobile home park is a big deal. It will become a central part of your life and lifestyle. So you might as well take the effort to do some planning. You want to make sure that you choose the ideal park for you and your household.

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself about the type of environment you are looking for:

• Are there any kids in your household?
• Do you own any pets, or are you getting any soon?
• How much money can you pay for the park in a month?
• Which amenities would you like to have access to?
• How long do you want to stay in the park?
• What type of atmosphere do you enjoy?
• Is the appearance of the park vital to you?
• How much outdoor space do you need?
• Is it essential for you to become part of a close-knit community?
• What size lot do you want?
• Are you concerned with how close together homes are?

Whenever you visit prospective locations, you should take this list of questions with.

Next, let’s look at six types of parks that you can look into.

1- Chain mobile home park

The mobile home industry has seen remarkable growth over the last few decades. So it’s no wonder that investors have begun to jump on the bandwagon. There are several ways to invest in this industry. One way is through the formation of chains of mobile home parks.

Examples of these are the Trinity Communities Group and Archimedes Group.

These typically consist of a range of communities which are run by one central administration. This body can have different levels of involvement. They could be in control of all aspects of the park. Or they could be responsible for formulating a model for their locations but operate on a franchise basis.

One of the essential aspects of these organizations is that there will be crucial features that are present in all their communities. This could include amenities like clubhouses, etc. Their rules will also be similar.

So in a sense, you will know what you get if you move into one of their locations.

Another benefit is that there is an organization who holds owners accountable. This can sometimes help to ensure that they uphold certain standards. In this way, they can be more professionally run than some privately owned parks.

However, if you are looking for a more personalized experience, these might not be the right options for you.

2- Pet-friendly mobile home park

The second type of mobile home park are ones that allow pets. As in site-built housing complexes, these estates mostly have rules about keeping pets.

The rules can affect aspects like:

• Which animals are permitted
• Amount of pets per household
• Where they are allowed
• Whether they should be confined
• The use of leashes

So being allowed to own pets isn’t a given in all mobile home park communities. Pet-friendly parks are ones which will allow tenants to own animals. Remember that they will still probably have some regulations like the ones above.

Properties in these locations will usually have lots with outside space for each home. You should also probably be allowed to walk your dogs on leashes on sidewalks. If you’re lucky, it could have a communal space like a garden where you and your pets can play.

It’s essential that you ask owners about their policies beforehand. Be sure to tell them about the animals that you own and be completely honest and open. Many landlords will require you to give details about your pets in written form.

If you really dislike pets or are afraid of them, these parks probably won’t be the right environment for you.

3- Family mobile home park

As a parent, your child’s safety and happiness is often your top priority. That’s why it’s crucial that you know whether a potential park is child-friendly.

You want a community where they will be safe and secure. But which will also allow them to have some fun.

Now and again you will find a park which was built to be family friendly.

Here are some essential features to look for if there are children in your household:

• The landlord should have rules about vehicle speed and the way people drive on the roads in the park. This will help to prevent tragic accidents.
• Make sure access to your lot or the community is restricted and that visitors are monitored.
• There should be space for kids to play in can be your yard or a communal area with jungle gyms and so on. Some communities will even have things like bike trails.
• The park shouldn’t have rules that restrict children from staying there.
• Try to figure out whether there are any other kids in the community. It can help your children to make some friends of a similar age.

4- Budget mobile home parks

Another way in which these communities can be categorized is based on the expenses involved. The rise in manufactured housing is mainly due to their low costs. This is undoubtedly one of the primary reasons why many people choose this form of accommodation.

If this appeals to you, budget-friendly mobile home parks could be the ideal choice for you.

Remember that possible costs can include levy’s, leases, utilities and fees for possible extras like gardening.

These locations can help you save money by only focusing on necessities. They probably won’t have more lavish features like clubhouses or other services.

If you are working on a tight budget, it can help to shop around. Go visit different communities and ask the landlords about their prices.

5- Luxury mobile home parks

When people hear manufactured houses, they typically think cheap and affordable. But this doesn’t have to be the case. If you prefer opulence don’t despair. There are plenty of high-end options that can help you to live in the lap of luxury.

Several features can make deluxe mobile home parks stand out from the rest. They usually have tons of extra features for you to enjoy if you’re willing to pay for it.

Amenities

These types of communities typically have a lot of excellent facilities. A few common attractions are gyms, children’s play area or activities, tennis courts and swimming pools. Sometimes you might have to pay additional fees for access, but other times it could be included.

On top of this, many of these parks will keep their facilities neat and well-maintained.

Safety and security

Features that are often present in high-end parks are elaborate security measures. These are often gated communities in which access is regulated. They could even have features like surveillance cameras, electric fencing, and intercom systems.

Privacy

Privacy is a significant concern for many people. They need space to feel comfortable. Luxury mobile home parks can offer you bigger lots, walled yards, and so on.

6- Retirement mobile home parks

One of the most significant demographics for manufactured houses are people over the age of 50. Many people are ready to retire at this age, and they are looking for lower cost housing options. Therefore, mobile homes are often the ideal choice.

Plenty of parks have opened up in response to this demand.

These communities are uniquely built with older residents in mind. From top to bottom they cater to them.

First off, many of them have age restrictions. Their rules specify that only people above a certain age can live there. This can help residents to feel more comfortable and make the environment more peaceful.

But these parks often also have facilities which help to fulfill the needs of older tenants. For example, they could provide healthcare options like doctor visits.

Besides this, the owners commonly make an effort to arrange social activities for the residents. These could include events like community dinners or games like bingo.

Other factors to consider

You can roughly divide up mobile home parks into different categories like these above. This can be extremely useful to help you narrow down your options. But there are other factors that you need to consider when choosing a place to move into.

Location

The park itself is, but it’s not all. Another crucial factor is its location or general area. This will be where you spend much of your time.

The following are aspects to consider:

• Distance to your work
• Schools in the area
• Climate conditions
• Amenities in the neighborhood
• Regional regulations on manufactured houses

Rules and regulations

You need to carefully study the policies of the park before you sign any contracts.  Some of the potential provisions can significantly impact the way you live in your own home. So you don’t want to get stuck in a park with rules that you aren’t comfortable. They can involve everything from the appearance of your plot to noise levels.

Budget

As you can already see, different parks come at a wide range of price ranges.  So your personal budget should play a huge role in making your choice.

Whether you are renting property from a park or not, or own property in the park, there might be additional fees payable.

Lease length

Do you have any idea how long you would prefer to stay in the park?

If you do this, it can be crucial in making your decision. Rental agreements typically have clauses which determine how long they will last. There will also be ones that outline what you need to do if you want to terminate it early.

Some parks might exclusively be long-term or short term, or the contracts could be set up on an individual basis.

Moving in

After looking at this list, ask yourself which type of mobile home park appeals to you?

You need to consider what are priorities for you and your household and what you need. Think of what kind of environment you want to live in and what will help you thrive.

Choosing this can get you started on the road to finding the right place to stay. For some additional advice read our list of 5 things you need to do before moving into a mobile home park and our list of 7 questions to ask before signing a lease with a mobile home park.