Mobile Home Parks – Homeowner Risks and Rewards

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Home / The Benefits of Living in Mobile Homes in Parks. What Could Go Right?

The Benefits of Living in Mobile Homes in Parks. What Could Go Right?

Advantages of Buying a Home in a Mobile Home Park

A mobile home park with greenway and pond
A mobile home park with greenway and pond

This post is about the benefits of living in mobile homes in parks. And about the ideals that every mobile homeowner expects and about how the city, the economy and the world benefit from manufactured mobile homes in parks.
Be sure to read “What Could Go Wrong” and the “Mobile Home Park Industry” to get a balanced perspective.

Many manufactured / mobile home owners have enjoyed good benefits while living in mobile home parks. While no park is 100% perfect, homeowners may experience many of the below benefits of living in mobile homes in parks. And mobile home owners are helping to solve major problems. Their housing has great potential to accomplish more good things with proper promotion, protection and acceptance.

Many people have grown up, lived, retired and spent the last years of their successful lives in mobile home parks. Some of the mobile / manufactured homes today have beautiful interiors and creature comforts that rival many conventional homes.

Tour a modern manufactured home.

Graphic of expectations being checked off

What Makes Living in Mobile Homes in Parks Beneficial?


Generally, all mobile home owners want physical shelter that is secure, and dependable. They want reliable and predictable land costs with park stability, financial predictability and good value for what they pay. These are the bare minimums that any renter would expect, whether in a mobile home park or apartment.

But a secure and stable home and finances enable greater things. Many homeowners want to be secure enough to make progress in their lives, in their communities and their nation. Investing in human beings may produce the greatest economic benefits to everyone. The ability to maintain a job requires a good place to rest and revive. The ability to save for a better future requires affordable and predictable living costs. The ability for adults and children to study, learn new things and progress requires enough savings to afford the time to study and a reliable home in which to focus, free from worries and disturbances.

Everyone benefits when our neighbor’s basic needs are met and the community has peace in which to progress. When people are secure, they can take advantage of opportunities. That is how society progresses and citizens contribute to making a better world. This system produces growth that benefits everybody and creates a virtuous cycle. A rising tide of secure citizens lifts all boats.

Silhouette of woman dancing

Everyone benefits when our neighbor’s basic needs are met and the community has peace in which to progress. When people are secure, they can take advantage of opportunities. That is how society progresses and citizens contribute to making a better world. This system produces growth that benefits everybody and creates a virtuous cycle. A rising tide of secure citizens lifts all boats.


A rising tide of secure citizens lifts all boats

Silhouette of man dancing

Once a citizen meets his needs, there is spare time available to be active, to work on greater things such as education, raising a family, starting a business, learning new skills, participating in civics, volunteering in charitable ways, contributing to the economy and building a better life.

When a mobile home park is reliable, stable and steady, free from disruption, the residents can be free from struggle over basic needs and be free of deep worries about their financial survival.

Once a citizen meets his needs, there is spare time available to be active, to work on greater things such as education, raising a family, starting a business, learning new skills, participating in civics, volunteering in charitable ways, contributing to the economy and building a better life.

When a mobile home park is reliable, stable and steady, free from disruption, the residents can be free from struggle over basic needs and be free of deep worries about their financial survival.

America is not a cold cruel nation. Almost everyone is concerned about the housing crisis and they want their fellow citizens securely housed so they can have the base from which to improve and contribute to the economy and the country.

In a well-run, for-profit mobile home park, the landlord makes a decent profit and the residents are able to prosper. When everyone is fair they prosper and enhance the neighborhood and the city and build a stronger America.

As mentioned, generally, all mobile home owners want physical shelter that is secure, and dependable. They want reliable and predictable land costs and good park maintenance and services with park stability. They seek financial predictability and good value for what they pay.

Here is a list of the benefits of living in mobile homes in parks:

Homeowner Benefits

Personal Benefits of Living in a Stable Mobile Home Park

  • Affordability – savings, a foundation for prosperity
  • Pride in ownership, pride in self-sufficiency, paying your own way
  • Responsibility
  • Potential recovery of investment when you sell
  • Base of operations for achievement, improvement, further success
  • Building and contributing to community, community membership, fellowship
  • Homeowner recognition for reducing waste and pollution, conserving land, conserving energy
  • Being a leader in conservation, reducing global warming, solving density issues
  • Fulfilling the “American Dream of Home Ownership”
    • Optimism
    • Trust
    • Hope
    • Good business relationships

Benefits Over Apartment Living

  • Greater privacy
  • Parking
  • Home ownership – potential to recover some expenses when sold
  • Potential for more amenities

Benefits Over Conventional Homes

  • Smaller and easier to maintain
  • Less energy costs
  • Less expensive to buy
  • Lower carbon footprint, pollution and land wastage

Global Benefits

Community / Neighborhood Benefits of Living in Mobile Homes in Parks

  • Less homeowner turnover, stable neighborhood / community
  • Pride in ownership
  • Responsibility
  • Non-subsidized housing, self-supporting
  • Patriotic, “American dream”
  • Closer-knit community

Benefits to the City

  • Parks are denser – housing supply over land efficiencies
  • Economic benefits – affordability means more disposable income circulating locally
  • City meets affordable housing requirements
  • Affordable local housing for essential workers

For the Globe – Ecological Benefits

  • Density, less land destruction
  • Fewer precious resources wasted in construction
  • Fewer precious resources wasted in maintenance
  • Less pollution due to smaller impact
  • Less fossil fuel burnt in heating and cooling – lower carbon footprint
  • Entire home is replaceable
  • Discourages overconsumption

More Good Things About Mobile Home Parks

Tax Breaks, Awards, Recognition of Mobile Home Value to Society

  • Tax breaks, subsidies for lower carbon footprint
  • Tax breaks, subsidies for less resources usage
  • Tax breaks, subsidies for less consumption
  • Mobile home of the year award
  • Community appreciation, ecological appreciation,

Potential Protections

  • Park closure ordinance
  • RSOs
  • Senior overlays – age-restricted park protection
  • Possibility for park to become a resident-owned co-op, reduced costs, secure future

Dependable Mobile Home Park Management

  • Fair rent raises
  • Full disclosure: Infrastructure issues, future park sales plans, park closure, rent raise schedules
  • Less homeowner turnover, stable neighborhood / community
  • Enforced senior age restrictions
  • Enforcement of the Rules and Regulations
  • Park patrolling for security, maintenance, Rules and Regulations enforcement
  • Working with residents on late rent
  • Sell park to residents
  • Maintain park infrastructure
  • Maintain park commons
  • Maintain park standards of appearance, maintenance, services
  • Activities: BBQs, dinners, awards, contests
  • Scholarships
  • Maintain library, clubhouse TV, games, pool, etc.

Future Movements to Secure Affordable Living in Mobile Home Parks

  • Mobile homes can be officially designated as affordable housing
  • Help with becoming a resident-owned community
  • Tax breaks / subsidies for reduced consumption
  • Tax breaks / subsidies for greenhouse gas reduction
  • Movement to build new mobile home parks
  • Appreciation of MH parks by the public, business, civic leaders, media
  • Specific government breaks for MH owners
  • Right to counsel
  • Real property instead of chattel
  • Tax breaks and subsidies for greenhouse gas reduction

Other Benefits of Mobile Home Park Living

  • Non-subsidized affordable housing
  • Some states are doing more, some less
  • Homeowner protection programs
  • State-level regulations and requirements
  • State-level laws and considerations for mobile home parks
  • Funds for park acquisition by residents or nonprofits
  • Funds for home repair
  • Local rent stabilization, senior overlays, and park closure ordinances
  • Help for residents to buy their own park
  • Growing appreciation of low-impact housing
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