The CBS News commentator notes that there are more than 8 1/2 million manufactured homes in the U. S. and “They all start as boxes on wheels, in a factory, then driven to a home site,” sounding as if one might actually drive them as one drives an RV or a car, but then says 97 percent of them are never moved again.
An old newsreel depicts cars pulling travel trailers as the voice over says the upsurge began after WWII and they evolved into low-cost housing, and then into a more affordable housing option today.
Interviewing MH retailer Mike Bustamante in Santa Fe who is standing inside a new 2,300 square-foot MH homes that sells for $115,000 including delivery and set-up, Bustamante says it is one of his best-selling models. When he first started selling homes, they were little more than boxes, but have now become affordable luxury, as the camera pans the inside of a beautiful new home.
Jennifer Siegal, of Office of Mobile Design, a designer in California of more upscale MH and modular homes, says manufactured housing has gotten a bad rap because of the materials used. She designs “green” homes that are “a new experience that’s full of light, that’s fresh, that’s responsive, and affordable.”
The commentator then highlights the Paradise Cove Mobile Home Park in Malibu, CA where spectacular homes for the one-percenters sell for seven figures, in part because of the view of the Pacific Ocean. Realtor and resident Kirk Murray proclaims the materials, the finishes and the construction are as good as any site-built home. ”Not only is there no stigma to these mobile homes, it’s trendy,” he says. “This is the hot spot to be in.” He says the sites may rent for $3,000 and that the residents could live anywhere, but they like the sense of community and the security of it being safe to raise a family.
If your web-browsing device isn’t “flash friendly,” you can find the CBS News video at this link.
Note: CBS News video begins with a short commercial, before the report begins.
Switching back to Jennifer Siegal and one of her upscale designs, the commentator asks, “So is the McMansion dead, long live the mobile home?” “Absolutely,” comes the reply.
While the report uses incorrect verbiage, such as “mobile home” or “trailer,” the overall tenor of the report is clearly favorable for the industry and its home owners. ##
(Photo credit: Office of Mobile Design–Jennifer Siegal standing in front of one of her homes.)
