How to loose the least amt. of money on trailer house purchase??

[pharmvet]

I posted several months ago that I was planning to sell my home and build a new one. Looks like it may happen pretty soon. I already have a building site with road, pad, electric, water etc. As a result of several recommendations I got from many of you here, I have decided the most sensible thing to do is buy a used trailer house to live in while my house is being built: which brings me to my question.

Im looking for any advice you might have on how I can go about purchasing a nice used trailer house (I have a wife and 3 kids) to live in for a year or so, and then sell it without taking a soaking. Should I look for repo units, private individuals, trailer house mfg. companies etc? Any and all advice you can give me is welcomed. I kinda figured with the state of the ecomomy, I might be able to take advantage of the situation and come out ok in this deal if I can play my cards right?
A local realtor told me she bought a trailer house for 20K, lived in it for a year and then sold it for 20K. Im looking for something like that thanks

 

[MadJack]

It's temporary housing, don't buy anything too nice or you'll never finish the "house". Stay under $10K, find someone who just completed what you are starting, collect the insurance when the trailer burns down.

Hey, you asked...

 

[heehaw]

stay cheap..don't fork out a lot of money for a nice place..make sure its a single wide, and convince the kids your "camping out" for a while: i doubt you can find anything at a dealer like i am talking about: i tried buying a repo a couple years ago, and dealers wanted more than double what you would pay for a used home from an individual. good luck
heehaw

 

[JamesHW]

One thing you could do is build a real nice barn and park an actual motor home or large travel trailor in it (extra points if it is an Airstream). Live out of the that while you build the house and sell it when you move in.

 

[brokenknee]

Check Craigs list. I have seen them for free on there for the moving. As already stated stay cheap.

 

[EddieWalker]

Here in East Texas, you have to be careful because so many of the cheap ones have been crack houses.

My first wife was a title officer and she said that the moble home companies expect to repo a trailer three times before it sells for what it's worth. They plan on from the beginning!!!!

With laws changing, some are no longer legal at parks and I've been told that if abandoned, you can get them for free, or pay the bank rent and take it. A friend of my dads did this in Arizona. I think he paid less then a grand. He had it moved onto a lot in Nevada and sold all of it for a fair profit.

Having worked on quite a few, I would suggest you find the cheapest you can deal with living in, and when it's all done, sell it for what will get rid of it the quickest!!!! The goal isn't to make money on it, the goal is to provide you with the incentive to finish the house as fast as you can!!! Renting a house is going to cost you a certain amount, so if you lose half that amount on what you paid for the mobile, and you are on site, then it makes good economic sense to plan on losing that amount when you sell it. If you do better, congrats.

Eddie

 

[creekbend]

I am not aware of the local codes in your area, but you should consider checking the local ordinances regarding whether or not it is legal to place a Mobile Home on the property intended. If the results are positive, I would buy a cheap single wide. Best wishes in your endeavor.

 

[300UGUY]

A couple of friends of mine have done this. However, the township rules require a permit, valid for 1 year. If necessary, you can apply for another year, but the township requires inspections on your construction to prove progress. If you can't do it in under 2 years, I'd not start. They really make you jump thru hoops, as they don't want you to be using this process to circumvent the zoning codes on mobile homes. They really don't want them....

 

[Pete Judd]

We did this 20+ years ago, picked up a old 12x56 for 1500 bucks, rough shape, but most things worked. 250 or so bucks to move it, and did it without permits. The county had a FIT. I had already put 200 amp power on the property for an RV permit, so had power. The well was in, as well as the septic. The thing was still on wheels, so a "portable building" Yes it was ugly, but it got us through the first winter, and sold it for about the same when done with it.

For the 12 months that we lived in it, even if we cut it up and burnt it, it was still cheap "by the month"

 

[jinman]

Moving and setup is always a very big expense with a mobile home. If you can find one already set up in a park that is close to your property, I'd say buy it, live in it, and then resell it without moving it. If you have to move one, be sure you find one that is easy to access for the mover. If you are planning to finance the mobile home, be ready to pour at least a partial foundation and spend lots of money on the site. A large RV or 5th wheel is so much better for the setup cost, but with kids, you'd probably need two set up side-by-side. I just think if you can live nearby to the property in a setup site in a park, you'll have a chance of recouping your money. If you have to move and do a setup, I don't think you'll ever get that money back.