Noting that New Jerseyans must earn $24.92 an hour to afford a two-bedroom fair market rent apartment without paying over 30 percent of their income, mycentraljersey tells MHProNews manufactured homes have emerged as a viable alternative. Robert Dolan, owner of Edison Mobile Estates in Edison, NJ says the “mobile” in the name is a misnomer, but he inherited the 106-homesite community—and the name– from his father who established it in the 1950’s as a community for Ford employees.

Homes in the community are Energy Star rated from Pleasant Valley Homes, a subsidiary of Pine Grove, in Pennsylvania, are strapped down with steel straps to 12-inch thick concrete slabs, and are made to withstand storms as strong as Superstorm Sandy, the massive hurricane that hit the Atlantic seaboard in Oct. 2012. All the units hook up to city water, gas and sewer, and each homesite rents for $565 a month.

Dolan knows of six banks that provide financing for the manufactured homes; and while they do require special financing, since they are sold as personal property, they are still less expensive than a site-built home and the interest on the loan is as tax deductible as that on a mortgage.

“You can live here for less than renting an apartment,” Dolan said. “A one-bedroom apartment in Edison rents for $1,300 to $1,500 per month. With the (house) payment and land fee, you can live here for $1,000 to $1,100 per month.” While some people have lived in the community for 35 years, Dolan says the average stay is 18 years. ##

(Photo credit: Mark R. Sullivan-mycentraljersey–multi-section manufactured home)

Article submitted by Matthew J. Silver to-Daily Business News- MHProNews