Why Mobile Homes Make Sense: A Realtor’s Perspective

This week’s article is by guest author, Clarisa Moody! She is a licensed Bilingual Realtor who specializes in first-time home buyers and investors. She’s keeping us energized on October 11th & 12th with coffee ☕, and I asked her if she’d share about mobile homes from her side of the business.

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I believe mobile homes are an excellent option for first-time home buyers and savvy investors who are looking to minimize their expenses and maximize their budget or income potential. I myself live in a manufactured home—a single wide from 2002 on a beautiful 0.92-acre lot overlooking the strawberry fields in Plant City, FL. 🍓

When my husband and I bought our home, I wasn’t licensed yet, and I didn’t have any biases or misconceptions about mobile homes. Our goal was simple: have a big lot, an affordable monthly payment, and focus on enjoying life instead of worrying about debt. We bought our home in 2018 with a minimum down payment thanks to an FHA loan, and after a couple of refinances to drop the rate, our mortgage is a comfortable $1,100. This even includes an extra payment each year that allows us to pay our mortgage faster and save over $30,000 in interest.💸

Why mobile homes? Everybody deserves a place to call home, and home is literally what you make of the structure you decide to live in. Some people call a van their home, while others feel the need to have a 10-bedroom, 7-bathroom place. Others, like us, call a mobile home their home. 🏡

Despite what most people say—that mobile homes do not appreciate in time—the price rise of real estate in Florida over the last five years has shown that mobile homes on their own land hold their value and even appreciate with the right care and maintenance. While sometimes repairs can be a challenge when dealing with real estate, mobile homes are easier and cheaper to fix than a traditional site-built home. This makes them ideal for fix-and-flip opportunities, and they’re also great to keep as rentals, especially as rent prices have increased as well. 📈