Category: Blog

Where Are The Hidden HOA Fees In A Sarasota Mobile Home?
Where Are The Hidden HOA Fees In A Sarasota Mobile Home? Last week’s blog entitled, “How a Lower Mobile Home HOAs Cost You More Money” got quite a bit of attention from those who read it.

We have a question from one of our followers, Ms. Janice Carson, on Facebook who wrote to us directly stating, “Hey Mark, I don’t understand why a lower payment per month will equal more money over time. Mark, could you please explain the additional monthly payments that you’re referring to when owning the land attached to the mobile home?”

Sure Janice, I would be happy to dive deeper into this for you and thank you so much for the question!

For all you other viewers and readers out there, if you’re interested in me or one of our other team members going through this in detail, reach out to us on any one of our social media channels or in the comments below, we’ll be happy to bring clarity to any question that you have.

So let’s jump right in, Janice.

When looking at monthly carrying costs of a mobile home, I feel it is important to look at all the payments the owner will have to make each month instead of just looking at lot rent versus your HOA payment. The reason for this is because if we look only at the lot rent compared to the HOA, then, yes, HOAs, traditionally speaking, will come in quite a bit lower than that of your basic lot rent. However, doing this Janice, will not give you, the Buyer a fair comparison as to what amounts of money are being required for you to pay each and every month.

When you have a lot rent payment, again generally speaking, the payment covers the usage of the land, the general park upkeep, the usage of all park amenities, your homesite’s lawn care, your water, sewer and trash fees. Some parks even offer basic cable as well in the lot rent. There are parks that sub meter the water so that you are responsible for paying your own water bill. These last features vary, but generally speaking, we see most parks in the area include all those bills within your lot rent.

When you own the home and not the land, you don’t have to pay property taxes because you’re owning personal property.

When you own the home and not the land, you have very limited insurance options as most insurance companies do not offer great insurance policies for homes where you do not physically own the land. Now Janice, this could be a pro or con depending on your budget and if you’re the kind of person who believes in having insurance for a rainy day or just fixing things on your own when they break.

The last one that we’ll cover here is by far the most expensive and that’s when you own the home but you don’t own the land you do not have a large share purchase in order to move into the community.

As mentioned last week, it is not uncommon in the Sarasota area to have the cost of a share be well over $80,000 in Sarasota County.

When you own the land and you own the home, your HOA will traditionally be lower than if you were paying a lot rent. That’s pretty much a guarantee throughout Sarasota county. Most HOAs do not cover the water, the sewer, or the trash bill as that will be your responsibility.

Most HOAs in the area won’t pay for your lawn care either. Lastly when you own the home and the land, you will owe property taxes because this is now real estate. Sarasota County property taxes, for reference, is just under 1% of the appraised value of the home.

When you own the home and the land, you’re responsible for the large initial share purchase that we’ve discussed numerous times here.

So, with all that said, lets go ahead and do the math!

If we look at an average home and land value of $100000, it would be reasonable to see that with an average HOA payment in Sarasota County of $250, we would have to add another $100 on there for water, another $150 on there for lawn care, and about $85 per month on average for your property taxes.

This is going to equate to about $585 per month with no insurance. $585 per month and you compare that to the $850 per month on the Sarasota County average for lot rent, we have about a $265 difference.

Now, when we look at that $265 in savings and divide that into the average share price of $75000, we’re looking at 283 months or about 24 years of payments to break even on the number if you do not pay for the land in the first place.

So Janice, the question is do you plan on living in your mobile home for 283 months in order to hopefully break even?

If you do then great, fantastic. If not, I would strongly suggest looking at a mobile home on leased land and putting your $75000 to a much better use.

This is Mark Kaiser with the Mobile Home Dealer and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (941) 526-0302, or send a message through our Facebook Page. We are always happy to answer questions about mobile homes and educate people who are planning to buy and move to mobile homes here in Florida

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September 22, 2023
Do Sarasota Mobile Home Appreciate Or Depreciate?
Do Sarasota Mobile Home Appreciate Or Depreciate? The question is always asked to us at The Mobile Home Dealer, do mobile homes on leased land appreciate, or do they depreciate?

Before we get into that answer, we need to do a quick review of what exactly is a mobile home on leased land.

When purchasing a mobile home on leased land in Florida where you are physically owning the home but are paying a monthly lot rent payment to the park then that home is viewed as personal property, not real estate.

As mentioned in a previous article, this will mean that the home is just like buying a vehicle as these homes have titles and not deeds associated with them.

As we all know, cars will depreciate rapidly, especially when they are taken from brand-new cars to of used cars. Many times this will drop your car’s worth significantly once it is driven off the car lot and the first few miles are put on it.

So, with that said, does the depreciation continue at the same rate for a mobile home on leased land as it does for an automobile?

The answer to this largely depends on the condition of the property and how well it has been taken care of since it was originally delivered from the factory or previous owner to its current location that you see it in.

One of the main ways a home will depreciate is if the structural components are not well taken care of.

These will be the roof, your air conditioning system, and making sure the structure such as the walls and floors are free of severe water and termite damage.

If any of these items are severely damaged or need to be replaced then, yes, the home will depreciate very, very quickly.

If the home has basic wear and tear items on it and does not require a new roof or the flooring and wall system does not need to be redone, then we see the depreciation come at a much slower pace. Please note, in both instances, we see that the home will generally lose a little bit of money in home value, not gain value.

What we have found as one of the main keys to focus on to maximize your investment is to do all you can to purchase the mobile home at or below what the market is calling for the home to be worth.

Buying the mobile home at a discount will allow you, the Buyer, to have room in the value of the home to break and make a pretty good amount of money on the property when you go to sell it.

The key here is just like the old saying goes, “you make your money at the time of purchase”.

Very rarely do we see mobile homeowners make a significant amount of money on their mobile homes regardless of what upgrades they put into the property.

What we have seen, however, is that there are Owners that I see all the time who do break even or make a pretty substantial amount of money if they buy their home correctly and sell their home fast!

If you own a mobile home in the Sarasota Florida area and are planning to sell it in the future, you must be aware that several factors contribute to the appreciation or depreciation of the value of your mobile home.

Location. We heard this many times. “Location, location, location”. This is not just a cliche. There’s a truth behind it. When your mobile home has proximity to employment centers, business districts, tourist attractions, shopping centers, schools, and other establishments, the property always demands higher value than those that are not located in the same mobile home park.

Age and condition of the mobile home. In the Sarasota Florida area, many of the mobile homes are built more than 20 years ago but this doesn’t mean that age of the mobile home can automatically reduce its value. The current condition of the property regardless of its age can make a huge difference. Keeping your mobile home properly maintained will keep its value. However, an old and poorly maintained mobile home can rapidly decrease its value.

Size and improvement. Although costly improvements seldom affect the value, good renovation, and minor improvements can certainly help maintain its value.

Population movement and season. In Sarasota Florida, the price of mobile homes mostly goes up during the summer season when people from the North are migrating to the Sunshine State. When there is a high demand and low supply, it is understandable that the price of goods will increase.

Surrounding area. The future is hard to predict but what may happen in the future is another factor to consider when selling or buying a mobile home. If your property is sitting on a mobile home park where its surrounding areas are undergoing commercial development, this can increase the value of your mobile home.

Sarasota mobile homes, like most other types of real estate, can appreciate or depreciate over time. Factors such as the age and condition of the mobile home, location, and local market conditions can all have an impact on the value of Sarasota mobile homes. Generally speaking, mobile homes can be appreciated if they are well-maintained and located in desirable areas. On the other hand, they can depreciate if they are outdated or the area around them is declining in value. Therefore, it is important to research the local real estate market before investing in a Sarasota mobile home to ensure that it is a sound investment.

These are just some of the main factors that can affect the longevity of a mobile home venture and the valuation of the property.

This is Mark Kaiser with the Mobile Home Dealer and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.

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September 22, 2023
How Lower Mobile Home HOA Payments Cost You MORE MONEY!
How Lower Mobile Home HOA Payments Cost You MORE MONEY! How does the title of this article make any logical sense?

Don’t get confused with the title of this article and don’t assume that this is just clickbait because this is not. Hear me out first and thank me later!

How can one pay a lower HOA payment per month and wind up still paying more money at the end of the day?!

I know what you are thinking, “Mark, to your admission, you are not a math major, but you have this one backward, buddy.”

Now, before you jump on this bandwagon about my lack of math skills, please hear me out on this one!

We can all agree that one of the driving forces for purchasing a mobile home is a desire to obtain affordable housing.

With skyrocketing real estate prices in the Sarasota area for single-family homes and no real end in sight with that, we are all in the same boat in that we want to find cheaper and more affordable ways to live.

One of the main driving forces for this is that so many people do not want to be chained to a huge house payment that inhibits their ability to go and do some of the other fun things that Florida allows to offer, such as traveling throughout the state to new cities, going to the beach, or hanging out by the pool.

Mobile homes offer this option with most homes being purchased for a far cheaper price than single-family homes with the home being very low in cost to maintain.

Mobile homes will come in three different options here in the greater Sarasota area:

1. Homes on private land, which are usually out in the country or in a rural setting

2. Homes in a park, where you own the home and the land.

3. Homes in a park where you own the home and lease the land through a monthly payment called lot rent.

For this discussion, we will be focusing on how the cost of a mobile home, where you own the home and the land, is more expensive to own, compared to a mobile home on leased land.

Many times we have Buyers contact us and state that they want a low monthly fee and have found a home within a resident-owned community that has much lower HOA fees compared to a similar home in the area that has monthly lot rent.

Great, that’s fantastic!

I am all about living as economically as possible, so I always get excited when I hear that there are ways to bring down your operating expenses.

However, my excitement is often short-lived when I have dug deeper into what that means. You see, most land-owned communities, where you own the land and the home, actually require you to purchase what’s called a “share” of the community.

Now the share is a term used in the mobile home industry to describe the buy-in cost to purchase the land that your home sits on.
Sarasota mobile home
For reference, share prices around Sarasota, upon researching this, cost anywhere between $40,000 and over $100,000 to purchase that share. On top of that share price, you also have the price of the home that can add over $20,000 to well over $100,000 on top of that to buy the property.

Let’s compare that to the average price home that we sell at The Mobile Home Dealer in a land-leased community.

That average price is $19,000.

The Sarasota County lot rent average is around $850 per month whereas, the average HOA payment is around $250 per month.

The HOA payment does not include your property taxes, your lawn care, your home insurance, or any additional charges the land-owned community requires you, the Buyer, to pay for while living in that park.

It would be reasonable to say that your monthly carrying costs in a land-owned community, with all of those other fees factored in, could be around $500 per month. Again, compared to that of an $850 a month lot rent. So $350 per month is certainly an amount of money worth noting. If we were to look at that over 12 months, you’re saving about $4,000 annually.

If the Buyer is saving $4,000 per year but is paying, on average $80,000 more than the original price, is that a good idea?

To answer that question, a mobile home Buyer will need to discuss and review several things we’ll go over next week!

Owning a mobile home in Sarasota can have advantages and disadvantages as there is no such thing as perfect, but when it comes to financial considerations, owning a mobile home and maintaining it is always far cheaper compared to owning a fixed home on land.

Living in a mobile home can often be an affordable option for those looking for a place to live. However, when living in a mobile home park, you may have to pay Homeowners Association (HOA) fees. Although these fees may seem minimal, they can cost you more money in the long run.

When you pay an HOA fee, you are essentially paying to maintain the common areas of the mobile home park. This includes keeping up the grounds and roads and providing services like garbage collection. While these are important services and need to be paid for, the fees can add up quickly. In addition, since HOA fees are usually divided among all residents if someone doesn’t pay their share of the fee, then everyone else has to make up the difference.

Another way HOA fees can cost you more money is when they increase over time. As the park’s costs go up, so will the HOA fee, forcing you to spend more money just to keep your home. In some cases, the HOA fee may increase faster than your income. This can cause your housing costs to become unaffordable, forcing you to look for more affordable housing.

Finally, it’s important to note that the lower your HOA fee is, the less money you may have available for repairs and other upkeep. Since HOA fees are used to cover maintenance and repairs of the common areas of the park, if your fee is too low, then you may not have enough money to cover your repairs. This could end up costing you even more money in the long run.

In summary, while lower mobile home HOA fees may seem like a good deal initially, they can end

If you are planning to own a mobile home in Sarasota, we highly suggest contacting experts in selling mobile homes and this is the reason why we are here.

This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.

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September 22, 2023
Why Sarasota Mobile Homes Are Priced WRONG!
How To Price Your Sarasota Mobile Home

How are you able to obtain the most accurate way to price your mobile home that is for sale when the mobile home is on leased land?

With the rising real estate market that we are all seeing throughout the country, it is natural to think that selling your Sarasota Florida mobile home is the right thing to do now in an attempt to cash in on all the Buyers looking to relocate to Florida.

Is there a way that we as licensed mobile home Brokers in the state of Florida can state that without a doubt, your home is worth this amount?

Most people in the mobile home industry would say yes. That the best way to do this is to look at other homes in the community with the same size and home sites, similar beds and baths along with other features and base your price on that. I would go as far as to say that this is by far the most common way that people in the mobile home industry say that a mobile home Seller should go about getting their home priced.

But is this, by the book, the best way to do it?

No. No, it’s not.

In fact, this is totally wrong and really does not hold a candle to the way one can value a mobile home on leased land.

The reason why this is wrong is that mobile homes in Florida that are on leased land, where the owner owns the home and rents the land underneath, make the home personal property which is how the home is taxed and viewed by the state of Florida. This is the same way a vehicle is taxed.

Essentially, in this transaction, you are buying a car and as such, mobile homes on leased land, have titles and not deeds as the owner of a mobile home on leased land do not technically own real estate, it is personal property, just like a car. Since the home is viewed as personal property and is therefore viewed as an automobile for all intents and purposes in the state’s eyes, then the only way to accurately price your mobile home’s worth is by pulling the VIN number off the mobile home title and looking it up in the NADA Guidebook.

The NADA guidebook is also known as the National Automobile Dealers Association book. This is a price guide, much like that, of the Kelley Blue Book value system. When looking up the value of your mobile home, you will need the age, the VIN number, the make, the model, and the size of the home. The guidebook will also ask other general questions such as what is the general condition of the property, the roof’s age, what condition is that roof in, and the air conditioning system.

So let’s take a look at what this really looks like.

As you can see here, the property is a 1993 Redman in fair condition. After going through all of the basic questions about the home, the NADA Guidebook provided a value of $3,612.30.

Is that lower than what you thought the mobile home was worth?!

For me, it sure was!

It would be reasonable to say that many Buyers and Sellers around the Gulf Coast of Florida are not aware of how to price their mobile homes or what a mobile home on leased land is really even worth. I believe it would also be fair to say that if we were going strictly by the book, most mobile homes in the area are grossly overpriced compared to that of the NADA guidebook.

I think that the lack of information available to so many Buyers and Sellers in the area provides the prices that we see today throughout the area of Florida where we work.

So, are the guidebooks right?

Well technically, yes, they are since again, we are dealing with personal property, just like an automobile and not real estate.

The next question would be, are all mobile homes that do not follow this guidebook pricing guide grossly overpriced?

Well, that’s up to you to decide.

You know as the old saying goes, something is only worth what someone else will pay for it.

Overpricing Your Mobile Home

Pricing your home high will usually result in your home sitting on the market longer, while the Seller continues to pay lot rent, utilities, taxes, and all other carrying costs associated with owning that property. These continued monthly payments will eat into your profit even if you sell the home for a higher price.

When buying a mobile home on leased land in Florida a Buyer or Seller does not need to report the sales price of a home to anyone. Many times this leads to no comparative pricing in the area for a mobile home. With this lack of information, we often see Sellers who are trying to sell their mobile homes themselves look online for their own comps on similar properties. The problem we see here is that most Sellers will compare their mobile home on leased land to that of a single-family home. The main issue here is that the Seller is comparing apples to oranges because a mobile home on leased land in Florida is personal property and not real estate.

Following this pricing guideline, we continue to see mobile homes sit on the market for extended periods of time because the home is considerably overpriced.

This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.

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September 22, 2023
How To Pull Sales Comps For Your Sarasota Mobile Home
How To Pull Sales Comps On Sarasota Mobile Homes

Are you able to pull sales comps for mobile homes on leased land the same way as you can pull sales comps for single-family stick and brick homes?

Before we continue, for the benefit of our readers, we must understand what are sales comps first.

What are comps in real estate?

Real estate comps are recently sold homes that are similar to the property you’re trying to buy or sell in terms of location, size, condition, and features. Comps – an abbreviation of “comparable sales” – are used to determine a home’s fair market value through the sales comparison approach to pricing property.

Individual comps are assembled into a comparable market analysis and presented by a real estate agent to their client. This is done by both the listing agent working with a seller to set an asking price and the buyer’s agent helping a home buyer determine the amount they should offer.

The sales comparison approach forms the basis for a real estate agent comparative market analysis (CMA), which estimates the value of a property. The sales comparison approach uses the principle of substitution to determine what a specific home is worth. According to this principle, you can figure out the value of a home by finding out how much it would cost to purchase a similar, equally desirable property.

Can we pull sales comps in mobile homes?

We have a question that came to us from one of our viewers who contacted us through our Facebook Messenger to ask the following question, “Mark, could you discuss how I can pull a sales comp up on other homes in the area so that I can know how much other mobile homes are being sold for you?” The question went on to say that they own the early 1970s, double-wide in Sarasota, Florida, and would like to know what they should price their home at. “Thanks for all of your content, Mark. James Brockman.”

Thanks, James. I appreciate your question, sir. And you bet, I will be happy to help answer your question on mobile home sales comps here today.

Mobile homes on leased land are viewed as personal property by the State of Florida, not as real estate.

The reason for this is that mobile homes on leased land are sold with just the home, not the home and the land, which could be deemed as real estate if the home and the land were sold together.

As such, personal property is going to be viewed the same way as a vehicle is, which includes a title and not a deed.

The reason why this is important to know is that there is no way to pull an accurate listing of what mobile homes on leased land sell for since they are not deemed as real estate. In a real estate sale, James, all sales are recorded with the County that the sale is completed in, as well as those numbers being put on the MLS for reference. The MLS stands for multiple listing services, which is a place where a realtor can pull comps for all sales of real estate in the area.

Since there is no tried and true way of finding out what mobile homes that are deemed as personal property are selling for, then the only way we have found is to speak to other Sellers in the area and ask what their homes sold for. Take this as a word of caution from me, James, because asking a Seller what their home sold for can be about as accurate as asking me how much I weigh. I mean, sure, I will tell the truth!

I am being goofy here, but I am also being serious. You have to take the seller’s word for it unless they will be willing to provide you with a purchase agreement that states exactly what was paid for the home.

Since there is no way to find sales comps for mobile homes on leased land, I would also suggest any Seller contact a licensed mobile home broker in your area, such as The Mobile Home Dealer, and ask them for their thoughts on how you should price your home.

When the Broker gives you a ballpark of a number, ask them why and how they came up with that amount of money and see what they tell you. If the Broker you are working with is not able to tell you exactly and with a good reason why they gave you that number, dig a little deeper into their thought process and see why exactly they are saying what they are saying.

If you are not happy with how they determined the number that your home is valued at, then move on to someone else who can help educate you as to why they feel your home should be priced at a particular price point.

Gathering sales comps, or comparable sales, for a Sarasota mobile home can help you set a competitive price for the home. Here are a few steps you can take to pull sales comps:

1. Research the mobile home park. Start by researching the home park in which the mobile home is located. Look for details about amenities, age restrictions, and location. Researching the park’s features can help you determine how much value your mobile home has and how it compares to other homes in the park.

2. Look for comparable homes. Compare your mobile home to others in the same park and nearby parks. Take into account factors such as age, square footage, and condition to determine which homes have similar attributes to yours.

3. Check recent sales prices. Look up-sold mobile homes in the area on local real estate websites to find out what prices similar homes have recently sold for. You can also contact local real estate professionals to get information on recent sales prices.

By gathering sales comps, you can make sure that you’re pricing your Sarasota mobile home competitively and fairly.

Unlike traditional site-built houses where prices can be dictated by the price of the land where it is built, mobile homes on leased land have different pricing systems. Two similar-sized mobile homes in the same park can have very different prices depending on how much the owners want their mobile homes to be sold for.

I hope this helps answer your question, James, and feel free to reach out to me directly if you would like to discuss anything further, as I would be happy to do so.

This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.

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September 22, 2023
Should You Get An Inspection On Your Sarasota Mobile Home?
Whether you are selling or buying a mobile home, a professional mobile home inspection can potentially save you a lot of money. The Mobile Home Dealer is not engaged in the business of mobile home inspection, but in this article, we will explain why you need one.

Do mobile home inspections exist for mobile homes located on leased land?

I have been asked several times already this year if a Buyer can get an inspection on a mobile home prior to purchasing the property.

This is a great question and I feel it would be a good idea to go over some of the most common issues I have seen on mobile home inspection reports so far this year.

Before we go any further, I would inform you that there are companies throughout the Sarasota area that do mobile home inspections for mobile homes on leased land. Most home inspection companies have a staff group of inspectors who will be able to help you with your mobile home inspection. These inspectors are usually booked out two to three business days in advance and can offer a basic mobile home inspection for around $300-$400. These inspections will usually take 2-3 hours to complete pending largely on the size of the home being inspected. Inspectors also include what is called a “four points inspection” which is usually required for insurance companies to determine if they will insure the home or not.

In my experience, I have only had Buyers obtain the traditional home inspection as this was enough for the Buyer to have the information handy to see what issues there are with the mobile home they are looking to purchase, if any.

When hiring a mobile home inspector to look at the mobile home you are purchasing, make sure you hire a team that specifically has inspectors who have inspected and are familiar with mobile homes and not just your traditional stick-and-brick family homes.

This is because much of the construction of a mobile home is different from that of a stick-and-brick property, and if an inspector only inspects traditional single-family homes, they may not be well-versed enough in the mobile home space to really help you.

The vast majority of mobile homes in and around Sarasota County are from the early 1970s to the mid to late 1980s.

One reason for this is that most of the parks in the area are long-time, well-established mobile home parks, and the homeowners prefer to update their homes inside and out rather than demolishing the property and bringing in a new one.

Some of the most common issues I have seen on inspection reports this year are mobile homes having some soft floor spots, and non-operational electrical outlets, and every so often, you will have leaks in the roof.

Some of these items are bigger issues than others.

The main concern we always want to pay attention to is any time the home has water damage.

The reason for this is that when a mobile home has water damage, it can be very difficult and very expensive to rid the entire home of mold.

Nearly all mobile homes are sold in “as-is” condition, which means that the Seller makes no representations or warranties about the home, its condition, or what will be found in the inspection report.

Although you may want to get an inspection on the mobile home you are looking to buy, know that the home is usually being sold exactly the way you see it without the Seller looking to make any improvements to the property.

Most Buyers will look for price discounts for the items found on the property inspection and not for the Seller to fix any of those issues because they know they are buying the home in as-is condition.

So, the last question is: Is an inspection report worth the price of having it done?

I would say yes if you are just looking to see what the property has behind the walls but do not expect to have a Seller fix the items that the inspector may find in the report.

Conclusion

Buying a mobile home is a tedious process, especially if you are doing it privately, meaning no dealers or banks are involved.

Anyone buying or selling a mobile home needs to invest in a mobile home inspection. Admittedly, home buyers will likely get the most benefit from an inspection, but they can be just as beneficial to a seller.

Simply put, having an inspection done on a mobile home you purchase is a wise decision but please keep in mind that nearly all mobile homes sold on leased land are sold in AS-IS condition

If you are selling a home, hiring an inspector to look over the home before you put it on the market can help you find and make repairs. Having these repairs done before a buyer enters the equation can help sell a home faster and possibly at a higher price.

A home inspection can save you thousands of dollars! Mobile home inspectors look for things such as roof leaks, pier damage, moisture, and condensation issues that are not easy to spot. The bottom line is a manufactured home inspection is well worth the time and money.

This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer, and we help mobile home buyers and sellers get to a better place in life!

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September 22, 2023
Common Issues With Sarasota Mobile Homes-Skipping Routine Maintenance!
Do Not Skip On Your Mobile Home Maintenance!

In the state of Florida, mobile homes are taxed as personal property and not as real estate property. This means that your mobile home is taxed similarly to your other possessions like vehicles. Vehicles need regular maintenance, and so is your mobile home

How important is it to keep up on your maintenance on your mobile home when you do not live there full time?

How about if you are looking to sell your mobile home and have already moved out, should you make it a point to keep up with the maintenance items even though you don’t live in the home?

Unfortunately, these are not common questions that come up to us, and in turn, they become very common issues we wind up having to deal with when selling a mobile home.

Many times Sellers believe that if they are not living in the home and have the property for sale, then it does not make a lot of sense to continue to put money into it, especially in the form of routine maintenance.

While, I can certainly appreciate someone being thrifty and looking to conserve their finances, especially in a time like we are all experiencing right now, I must stress to everyone watching that skimping on common maintenance things that a mobile home needs to continue to operate well, is just not a good idea.

The most common maintenance items we see that Sellers continue to discontinue are their routine maintenance of the air conditioning system and keeping up to date with all pest spraying on the property itself.

Now, as we have discussed in previous blogs, mobile homes are based in large part on wood-based building materials, and when these materials are exposed to the Florida climate, termites will come looking for a place to live.

Many times this will be in the walls and flooring of your mobile home. To prevent this one needs to connect with a reputable pest service for regular treatment. Most of these companies will offer different packages for maintenance service, but I cannot stress to you any more than this to not discontinue this service!

Several times we have seen Sellers move out of their homes for various reasons and then call us to sell their home fast only for us to walk into the property and feel soft floors, rippled wall paneling, and ummmmmm…….. let’s just say……….some “gifts” laid behind by their non-rent paying tenants!

At one time, the termite infestation was so bad, the Seller had to go through an entire termite tenting process just to try and see if their home will not fall in on itself. This tenting service cost the owner over $3,000. I can only begin to think that the Seller could have avoided this if they kept up with their regular termite spraying service.

The second service that should not be overlooked is your air conditioning unit.

Many homes around the Sarasota area do have central AC, and with that comes biannual checks where a local company will come to your property and make sure the unit is working correctly. Most of these companies will offer you a discount if you buy both services for the year at once which may save you a considerable amount of money.

Even tall grass and thick vegetation around your mobile home can create problems if not properly managed. Termites, ants, and other destructive insects can find their way to your house if thick vegetation is touching your walls.

As we all know down here in Florida, your AC will run most of the year, and for it to work well, you have got to make sure that it is being checked on a regular basis.

Avoiding this could lead to your AC unit going out completely without you even knowing, and this will cost you well over $5,000-$7,000 for a new unit when it could have been avoided with a basic maintenance plan.

When selling your mobile home, we cannot stress enough to stay up on these two maintenance items, even when you are not living in the property.

While we do understand this does cost money and can be frustrating to have to pay for it when you’re not even living in the house, it will be quite a bit more expensive in the long run if you do not keep up with these simple routine maintenance items.

A small leak on the roofing could destroy the whole ceiling and everything under it if not attended to immediately.

Many owners left their mobile homes for just a couple of months and returned only to find out that the ceiling fell down because it failed to hold the water leaking from the roof. This is a common issue for unattended mobile homes with leaking roofs.

If you are planning to sell your mobile home while being away, we highly suggest taking care of all things that need repairs before they can create bigger problems. We’ve seen it before. Even new mobile homes can land in the hands of fixer-upper because the owner can’t afford the repair cost anymore. Small issues can create huge problems if not properly maintained.

The Mobile Home Dealer are licensed mobile home broker in Sarasota Florida and the surrounding areas. We provide professional buy and/or sell assistance to our clients. If you have any questions, please contact us by clicking this link. You may also visit our Facebook Page and send us a message

This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer, and we help mobile home buyers and sellers get to a better place in life.

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September 22, 2023
How To Sell Your Sarasota Mobile Home For Less To Make More!
How To Sell Your Sarasota Mobile Home For Less To Make More?

The title of this video says it all.

You can make more money by selling your mobile home quickly for less!

I know what you are thinking, Mark, “have you lost your mind, buddy?”

One of my ongoing jokes is the fact that I liked Geometry so much when I was growing up that I was able to take it not once but twice!

Not being a math major, but having a very good education in the mobile home industry and what it takes to sell a home fast, for the most money, I feel like I can help clue you in on why my comment does make sense.

All the homes that we sell at The Mobile Home Dealer are homes within mobile home parks on leased land.

Having your home on leased land, does require a monthly payment to the park called lot rent.

For the current year, the Sarasota County lot rent average is right at $900 per month.

Our goal, at The Mobile Home Dealer, is to price all of our homes as aggressively as possible in order to get them sold quicker than any other brokerage firm around the area.

The reason for our approach is that other firms will price their client’s homes higher, a lot of times, much higher, in hopes that they will have someone come in, and make an offer for which it may or may not go through.

A lot of times, in my experience, I’ve seen these homes on the market for 12 to 18, sometimes, even as high as 24 months.

Now, 12 to 18 months paying over $900 lot rent plus utilities plus yearly registration plus maintenance costs, gosh, that sure adds up fast!

In fact, it would not be unreasonable to think that a mobile homeowner’s carrying costs in the Sarasota area are well over $1500 per month.

So if we take $1500 per month and multiply that, by say, 12 months in order to sell your home, you’re looking at nearly $20,000 in additional expenses that the seller is paying during the time it takes for their home to be sold!

This amount of money does not include, what I refer to as, the “headache factor” which, in my opinion, is the most expensive amount of all because it is your time.

Time is the only resource that we all have limited amounts of and, much like you, I want to maximize the amount of time I have on this earth. spending it doing things I want to do instead of worrying about if my home will sell or not.

Our approach to mobile home sales is to price the home very aggressively, from the beginning to try and put our best foot forward and attract as many qualified Buyers as fast as possible.

Our goal here is to get down our days on the market to just under 60 days from listing to closing.

Selling the home for a little less than what we would sell it for if we decided to sit on it for over a year, does save the Seller thousands of dollars in the long run due to not having to pay additional lot rent fees or carrying costs.

Add to this huge savings is the ability that the Seller does not have the added stress of having a home for sale and the headache that goes along with that.

Price your mobile home correctly

We put this important point because, as of this writing, the real estate market continues to be at nearly record highs. Being able to find a single-family home in the greater Sarasota Florida area that is anywhere close to being affordable to the average home Buyer is getting less and less viable. Add to this the surge of snowbirds coming down looking for a second home this time of year and we have a large lack of inventory.

These facts, although commonly known are where the average mobile home Seller fails.

Many mobile home Sellers believe that since the real estate market is going crazy they too can push the price of their home out of normal values in an attempt to sell for the most profit possible. Although we appreciate their exciting nature, this is not the case.

The reason is that the vast majority of mobile home Buyers are looking for a safe, clean, and affordable home. Not providing the affordability part of this equation to the would-be Buyer is a downfall that many mobile home Sellers are falling into.

The key here is to look at other homes in your area, specifically your community, understand what these homes are selling for, and price your home accordingly.

If you were looking to have your home sit on the market for over a year in hopes that you will make a little bit more money on the sale, then there are several brokerage firms in the area that will be happy to do that for you.

However, we are not going to be the best fit for you, if that is your hope and aspiration.

But if you are looking to sell your home fast and actually, make more money by doing so, then we, at The Mobile Home Dealer, are exactly what you are looking for.

When you’ve decided to sell your mobile home, there are a few key things you need to do in order to get the best price possible. First, it’s important to clean and declutter your home. This will make it more appealing to potential buyers and help them visualize themselves living there. Next, you’ll need to take care of any necessary repairs or updates. This will help ensure that your home is in good condition and won’t require any immediate work from the new owner. Finally, you’ll need to stage your home for showings. This means creating a warm and inviting space that potential buyers can picture themselves living in. By following these tips, you’ll be able to sell your mobile home quickly and for top dollar.

This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer. And we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.

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September 22, 2023
Common Issues With Sarasota Mobile Homes #1
Common Issues With Mobile Homes in Sarasota

Common issues with mobile homes in Sarasota include weather-related concerns due to the area’s susceptibility to hurricanes and tropical storms. These homes may lack proper reinforcement against strong winds and heavy rain, leading to structural damage. Additionally, older mobile homes might have issues with outdated plumbing and electrical systems, requiring regular maintenance and upgrades. Moisture intrusion, especially in humid climates like Sarasota, can lead to mold and mildew problems if not addressed promptly. Moreover, issues related to land lease agreements, such as increasing fees or restrictive regulations, can impact mobile homeowners in Sarasota County. Vigilance and proactive maintenance are crucial to mitigate these challenges.

Are you planning to buy a mobile home but want to know about several issues that may come up during the process? This article will discuss some of the most appalling incidents we have experienced recently.

I received an e-mail from one of our viewers last week asking for us to begin shooting videos with us reviewing some of the most common issues we have seen in the mobile home industry.

When I heard this question, I immediately thought that this would be a good idea since we are in and out of mobile homes and mobile home parks daily.

With this much experience, we seem to come across situations regularly that, we feel, if more people knew about them, they could avoid the same issues that we have seen other Buyers and Sellers encounter with the same problems.

With all that said, today we are starting a new segment for our blogs entitled Common Issues With Mobile Homes.

Importance of Ownership Before Moving In

The common issue within mobile homes that we will discuss today is the importance of owning a home before moving anything into the property.

I understand that this may sound like an obvious statement, that it is important to own something before you act like it is yours. Still, you may be surprised at how many times we at The Mobile Home Dealer get asked if it would be okay for the new Buyer to begin moving things into their property before closing.

Any time we are asked to allow this, we tell the Buyer that we are not able to.

Many times, these Buyers get flustered at us for not letting them move their belongings into the property at this time.

The reason why we do not allow this is that we do not want our company or the Seller to be held in any way responsible for the items should something be lost, stolen, or damaged prior to the home being closed on.

Secondly, we do not want the potential Buyer to have access to the property without an insured party present, such as a representative of The Mobile Home Dealer.

The reason for this is that what happens if the new Buyer falls or has one of their friends or family members get injured while on the property?

If this were to happen, then who would be responsible for paying the medical bills, should the injury require some type of medical attention?

The last reason we do not allow this is that we want to ensure the Seller’s security, knowing that the only people who will ever have access to the property are representatives of the company selling their home for them.

At no time will anyone other than representatives of The Mobile Home Dealer have access to the home’s keys or lock box codes on the property.

We are always happy to do anything we can to accommodate buyers to make sure they feel like their new home is theirs to do with it as they feel fit as soon as they can.

This is why we move quickly to get all the paperwork done and to move to close on the home as fast as possible.

However, we do not take the trust and responsibility that the Seller entrusts in us lightly at all.

We at The Mobile Home Dealer will not do anything to jeopardize that.

So, if you are looking to get a jumpstart on moving into your new mobile home, do everyone a favor and move quickly to the closing table first, and do not look for a shortcut!

Importance of Clear Agreements

We understand that buyers are always excited to live in their new home but that the seller needs time to prepare before moving out. For sellers, leaving their house where they built some memories is sometimes hard to do.

The period between closing and the Seller’s move-out is outlined in the purchase agreement. The buyer is excited to move in, but the seller may not be in a rush to move out. Every mobile home transaction is unique based on different circumstances, and the people involved have different priorities. This is the reason why it is very important to put everything, including expectations, into writing before the closing date. If you need more time to move out, put that into a written agreement.

As the seller, you are responsible for all the papers, but you should also be ready to go and start packing. You can stay in the house after the closing, but only if it has been negotiated and agreed upon and for how long.

As the seller, can you delay the closing because you are still looking for a place to move on? Staying in the mobile home after closing is not ideal for both parties and the seller may lose money. Once the paper is signed, the only way to delay the closing is to tear that paper apart and start to renegotiate. This idea, however, will fail nine times out of ten.

Why Sellers Should Leave After Closing

When you sell your mobile home, leaving immediately after closing is important. Staying in the mobile home after closing is not ideal for both parties and the seller may lose money. Here are a few reasons why you should leave immediately after selling your mobile home:
1. The new owners may not want you there.
2. You may not be able to stay there indefinitely.
3. It may not be safe for you to stay there.
4. You may end up losing money if you stay.
5. So, if you’ve sold your mobile home, be sure to leave right away!
The Mobile Home Dealer are licensed mobile home brokers in Sarasota, Florida, and the surrounding areas. We provide professional buy-and-sell assistance to our clients. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us by clicking this link. You may also visit our Facebook Page and send us a message.

This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer, and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.

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September 22, 2023
What Is Needed For A Sarasota Mobile Home Park Approval?
When looking to obtain mobile home park approval for a mobile home park in Sarasota, what will you need to provide them?

We here at The Home Dealer have a company policy where we will not sell a mobile home in a mobile home park to anyone prior to them obtaining and providing us their park approval.

But why do we do this?

As registered mobile home brokers in the State of Florida, we want to make sure that all Buyers are purchasing a clean, safe, and affordable property that they can call home for years if they choose to do so.

Part of providing this to our clients is to first make sure they are legally allowed to own the home that they live in!

Each mobile home park will have its own requirements for park approval, but usually, they are all about the same.

Each park has its own way of going about the actual approval process. Usually, every park will require each person that is going through to be approved to fill out a written application. Along with the application the applicant will need to provide a photo ID, pay a nominal application fee, and agree to have their background checked by the park. If you or your applicant friend does not have a current driver’s license that is okay as usual, a state-issued photo ID card or a passport will do the trick.

The reason is simple: if the Buyer is not park-approved prior to purchasing the mobile home through us as a licensed mobile home broker then we will not be able to close on the home.

The reason for this is that, as licensed mobile home brokers with the state of Florida, we are required to make sure that all parties who are looking at becoming residents within the mobile home park they are buying their home in have passed the approval process and are allowed to become residents within the mobile home park.

Many times, folks will skip this step and just assume that they can buy and move into any mobile home in any mobile home park in the Sarasota area without a second thought.
The park will need a copy of your driver’s license or a state ID card and will run a background check, usually a credit check, and in some instances an eviction check on all previous rental history.

Most parks charge a minimal fee for this service as well, but due to COVID, we have seen many parks waive this fee for the application.

Most parks will also have a paper application that is required to be filled out and on file which the park will use to judge if you are approved or not as a resident in the park.

Each park manager has their own approval system and works with their own sense of urgency, but it would be reasonable to think that if you have everything that is asked of you, you should hear an update on your approval notification within a few business days.

What we have seen is that if you are an out-of-state or out-of-country resident, then sometimes it will take a few additional days to obtain your approval from the park. Although I am not sure why this is, it does seem to always take a few additional days for those Buyers to get approval.

There is no universal credit score that is needed, to my knowledge, as everything on your park application is weighed pretty evenly in order to determine your park approval status.

One of the only aspects that I have personally seen that may cause an immediate issue with approvals is if the individual who is applying for residency does not meet the needed age for the park.

Many parks in the Sarasota area are age-restricted, requiring certain ages of those living in the park, to live there. If the potential resident does not meet the age requirement this could immediately cause a problem.

If the Buyer is not park approved prior to the closing and tries to obtain approval after buying the home and gets denied residency then all of a sudden this Buyer owns a home that they are unable to live in!

When this happens one of two things may happen:
The Buyer may be asked to move their home.
The Buyer is told they are unable to live in their home and will need to have another person live in the property.

In the first situation above, if the Buyer is asked to move their home this is not nearly as easy as it sounds. The reason for this is that, in Florida, a mobile home mover will not be able to obtain a moving permit on a mobile home if it is older than 20 years of age.

In the second situation, many mobile home parks in the greater Sarasota Florida area do not allow for a mobile home to be lived in by anyone other than the owner of the property.

In each situation, you can quickly see how the Buyer of the mobile home can get into a sticky situation very quickly if they are not approved by the mobile home park prior to purchasing their mobile home.

The key for you to know here is in order to purchase a home, make sure you are approved before closing on the property.

In order to get the park approved, make sure you contact the park and get them everything you need in order to make the approval process swift and easy for everyone involved.

If you don’t do this, expect quite a few delays and additional headaches!

This is Mark Kaiser with The Mobile Home Dealer, and we help mobile home Buyers and Sellers get to a better place in life.

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September 22, 2023