Storms and Mobile Homes 🌀⛈️🌬️🌪️

Storms, especially hurricanes 🌀, can be a scary topic for most people. I’ve seen this fear stop sharp investors from diving into mobile homes, leaving money on the table. But storms don’t have to be a deal-breaker. In this week’s article, I’ll share my experience and how we manage storm risks. Hopefully, this will ease some of your concerns and maybe even shift your perspective.

Preparation is Key 🔑

We start by keeping our properties in good condition, ensuring they’re not structurally weak going into a storm. Before any storm hits, we remind our residents to prepare the property, just like you would with any home: secure potential flying objects, tie down loose items, and get everything storm-ready.

It’s about peace of mind. We want our residents to feel as safe as possible, knowing we’ve taken every precaution. 😊

Post-Storm Response: Connection Matters 📞

As soon as the storm passes, we reach out to all of our residents—not just to check on their properties but to check on them. Their safety is our priority, and those conversations, hearing their relief or concerns, remind us why we do what we do. We extend that same care to our contractors, who are essential to getting everything back up and running.

If there’s major damage, we immediately drive out to inspect the affected properties, especially vacant units. We ask for and take tons of pictures to assess the damage remotely. This helps us act quickly, choosing the right contractor without wasting time. Getting in line early with contractors means we can get things fixed sooner rather than later, and that’s a big win for everyone involved.

Prioritizing Repairs: Keeping a Cool Head 🛠️

Storms can be overwhelming, but staying calm and having a process makes all the difference. We tackle water damage first—it’s the sneaky killer of properties—and then move down the line from urgent to cosmetic repairs.

It’s easy to panic, but we stay focused and handle each issue one by one.

Debunking the Myth: Mobile Homes Aren’t Death Traps ❌

I know what you might be thinking—this all sounds great for concrete homes, but aren’t mobile homes the ones getting blown away? The news certainly makes it seem that way. And sure, they need those dramatic shots for ratings, but here’s the thing: that hasn’t been my reality. From my experience (and the experience of my mentors), mobile homes, when properly maintained, can weather storms just fine.  Heck, there are still 1065s standing, they’ve been through more hurricanes than I have! 

Will a concrete house next to a mobile home hold up better in a storm? Probably. But I used to believe that, too—until the last few storms hit central Florida. I’ve got a few master leases on some concrete homes within a mile of my mobile homes. Both Hurricane Milton and Ian rolled right over them, and, to my surprise, my mobile homes actually sustained less damage than the concrete ones. It was eye-opening. 👀

A Surprising Advantage: Rising Above the Flood 🌊

Let’s rewind to Hurricane Irma. It went directly over my properties. Of course, I was out early in my Jeep, making sure my residents were okay. That’s when I noticed something I hadn’t thought of before: Mobile homes are naturally built higher off the ground than site-built homes. This makes a huge difference when it comes to flooding, which is one of the biggest risks in central Florida.

Every storm, I’ve seen more site-built homes flooded than mobile homes. Even when there’s a few feet of water, it rarely enters the mobile home because of their elevation. This advantage alone is worth considering, especially in areas prone to flooding. 😊

Final Thoughts: Shifting Your Perspective 🌟

I hope this helps ease some of the fear and limiting beliefs you might have about mobile homes and storms. I get it—storms can be scary—but knowledge and preparation can turn that fear into opportunity.

So, how do you prepare your properties for a storm? Let me know your strategies—I’m always open to learning more and sharing insights.