MANUFACTURED
HOME COMMUNITIES
There
are thousands of manufactured home communities in the U.S. Check
your own locality. Housing developments are listed in the yellow
pages. Be sure to see all the home communities available before
making your decision. Rents vary from $50 monthly to $300 or more,
depending on the age of the community, conveniences, and services
offered.
When choosing a community, look beyond such obvious factors as
appearance, size of lots, and landscaping. Find out in advance
who is responsible for yard maintenance, garbage removal, and
whether this is covered in your rent. Inquire about laundry facilities,
if you will need them. Decide if you want to pay for the use of
luxury facilities, such as a sauna, swimming pool, tennis court
and clubhouse.
Find out about rules and regulations of the community. Ask, for
example, if children are allowed; whether you can have pets; if
and when homes must be skirted; and what are the parking regulations?
Be suspicious of questionable practices, such as regulations requiring
you to use the services of a particular vendor.
Sometimes when a new community is filled, often with the help
of attractively low rental fees, the owner will sell it to a management
company, when may then substantially increase the rent for sites.
If you do not have a lease, there may be nothing you can do.
To avoid this situation, look for an established community or
one being developed by a company for a long-term investment purposes.
Try to obtain a long-term lease, although this may be difficult.
A few states require written leases for tenants, but most do not.
You might be able to find a cooperative community where the residents
are the owners, and hence make their own decisions.
Do not accept a community owner's oral promises of future facilities
such as a recreation house, or pool. If such promises are made,
get them in writing in your contract, and find out if your rent
will cover the cost of using these facilities.
Do not be in a hurry to select a community. Visit it on several
occasions, at different times of the day, and in bad weather,
as well as good.
Talk to residents for their opinions about the community. Talk
to the manager. Ask yourself if you are prepared to live up to
the rules, and also find out if the rules are lived up to by other
tenants. Find out exactly what is included in your rent and what
is not.
NEXT:
Locating on a Private Property
