Discussions

so i am currently in the market to purchase, banks however, have given me 100k for a mobile with some leeway and 150k for a home, need to stay within Brandon. I am wondering do mobile homes buying second hand do they go up in price over time? of course on rented plot. kind of torn between buying a beaten up home that would take 30k or 50k to repair or buy a mobile home updated. . also if u wondering i do have the 20% down on both.

only my opinion.  
 
it would all depend on how long you intended to stay in brandon  
 
your equity will never increase in a mobile. if it was not installed on a partial crawlspace or pad they will settle and deteriorate. after a few years it can be too expensive to fix......but you can walk away.  
 
you will not find much in the fixer-upper market under 200k  
 
proper upgrades can increase market value and an increase in equity.  
 
but older houses can have hidden issues that can be expensive.  
 
also think ahead to tax increases when they start building the new water treatment facility and new schools.  
 
could be a tough choice

I guess it depends on what you want, however we live in a mobile and love it! Been in Brandon now 10 yrs and when we were looking to purchase a home could not justify paying the ridiculous price for a house, anything under 250 wasn’t worth purchasing without putting more into it. 150 won’t get you much , and mobiles don’t loose value, and there are some pretty nice ones out there! In our park there have been a few sold and the price has gone up not down!

a mobile rather than giving someone rent and so I have my own rules (pets). I wasn't sure about it, but because I own a house in another town I couldn't get enough of a mortgage to purchase much more than what you have for a house. The houses in that range were complete rebuilds or a prayer that it would burn down (when no one was home) to have insurance rebuild it....and most of the areas that was a good chance!! I looked at a bunch of mobile homes and the one I ended up purchasing was a steal (in my opinion). It looks like a legit house, is just shy of 1200sq', and my lot rent is $240.00/month. So all said and done my rent, mortgage, water and hydro is around $600(ish). Yes I have a small yard and I have neighbors that bounce balls off my house sometimes, but it's quiet (most times), and best of all....it's cheap! I can save my pennies and instead of buying a house that should be condemned, I can save up while doing small upgrades to my trailer and buy a bigger house in a couple years.  
You will want a good inspector, if you want a name I can try to dig up who did mine. Everything he found was 100% accurate and he actually does a lot of mobile homes. He got on the roof, attic, underneath, measured the level, pipes, moisture/leaks....he actually saved me a bathroom reno cause the toilet was leaking and they had to fix it before I purchased it!  
So long story short, look at your budget for a house and look at where you can buy a $150,000.00 house in Brandon and think about the amount of money you'll have to put into it. I am thinking by the time I get done with mine in a couple years, I will probably get $20,000.00 more than what I paid for it, with the couple of renos, but worst case, I break even!

I also live in a "modular home " andthink you would not make a big mistake by purchasing one . Just be sure you have it inspected and that it is properly set up . Ours is on pylons and we have had no problems with shifting . Some of the ones where we live are on pads and do shift .  
They do not depreciate as some people seem to think , some people need to get rid of the old stigma . Ours is valued quite a bit higher than when we bought it .

yeah a lot of the 144k homes i been looking at need to be burned. and i noticed if i want to stay in town i am stuck paying a rental lot fee for a mobile . its frustrating if you make 44k a year and still cant afford a house. yeah i am looking at the 1997 and up mobile homes.

I have always heard that mobile homes ultimately depreciate as well, but often people on ebrandon are on here saying that's not the case. It ultimately led me to do a fair about of reading on the topic over the past few months.  
 
I wondered if it's a case of the appreciating-mobile situation we have here in this area is the norm or the exception? I would theorize that it's the exception because of the way the Canadian housing market has been in recent years/decades.  
 
A big part of the reason why mobile homes have a tendency to depreciate in time is because you typically don't own the land. When you buy a house, you're buying the both the building and the land. But when you buy a mobile in a park, you are just buying the building, which I think technically it becomes a "chattle" because it's not integral to the land. Chattle, in general, has a tendency to decrease in value over time.  
 
So, because you're technically buying chattle, and not real estate, the tendency will be decrease. If you buy a house, which is NOT chattle because it forms part of the land AND you're buying the land, the tendency will be to increase.  
 
The shortage of affordable housing in this area has put pressure on the mobile home market, driving prices upwards in contrary to this trend. That is a statement about the state of the housing market, and NOT about the value of mobile homes per se.  
 
I'm not making a statement about whether mobile homes are good or bad - they are clearly fulfilling a niche in the housing market that has gaps. But I would urge caution and awareness when making such a purchase if you're financing.

Yes you will pay lot rent , but you can claim that at tax time, it’s either house taxes which are ridiculous or lot rent. Our park is well kept, streets are cleaned in winter, we have a compound to use for storage of our RV, boat, my yard is huge and I have a large garage! Win win in my books and with mortgage, lot rent , and utilities, we run about 850.00 a month, can’t even get a decent appt for that and I can have my pets too!

urge caution and awareness on a house in brandon that you can get for $150,000.00......even IF you do own the land afterwards! Most of these homes are found either down by the tracks or downtown. So while yes you own the land, not a lot of people want that area especially with the amount of arson, drugs and crime in that area. I know, cause I looked and talked to a lot of people and went away from the need to own a house and land for that $130,000 - $150,000.00. Yes, this can and does happen in other areas of higher priced homes, but no matter how you slice it, it is lower (or hidden better). A lot of these homes will not pass an inspection, even if we went back 20yrs in time, they'd still fail. A lot of what I found in that price had renters in them, so that adds more stress to the purchaser, which needs to be factored into the mortgage (as you'll probably have a lot of damage to repair).  
So while I don't own my land, my trailer will still be worth what it is. With the ridiculous prices people think their homes are worth (and what people are willing to pay) in Brandon, trailers are a great way to get into the housing market and not lose your shirt or over extend yourself. There are some parks I would stray away from, but the bigger ones are pretty safe bet. I may not make big money when I sell, but for the little mortgage I have and the little price of renos I am doing, I have no fear of it selling. People just have to drop the stigma of "owning property" & "trailer park boys". I have many little rules that hinder me from putting a rusted out trans am on cinder blocks in my front yard, and tarps and tires on my roof instead of shingles. My park was cleared WAY faster than any streets in Brandon and I get to write my lot rent off come tax time. If I didn't want a little bigger yard, I would actually never move out of my trailer cause it gives me everything I need.

How do you write off your lot rent at tax time? Is that the education tax credit you are talking about?

I was in a very similar situation. My income limited me on the amount I could get for a mortgage and was trying to decide if I wanted to buy a house or trailer. Ultimately, I decided a house was the way to go for me. I didn't like the idea of not living on my own land. (Yes there are some you can buy that are owned land, but I wanted to stay inside of Brandon.) I also wasn't a fan of the rules for pets and didn't want to pay lot rent. I found a house, in my budget, that I absolutely adore. It was even in the area I wanted and the yard is huge! There are good houses, you just have to be patient enough to find the one you really want. You need to figure out what's important to you, write out a pros and con list and go from there.

live in a modular and love it. Remember one thing, a lot of the newer modulars (and some of the older ones too) are built better than the new houses that are being built. Yes, sometimes you do have to pay lot rent but at least you would own your own home and if you maintain it (as you would a house), the value only goes up. The old stigma is crap!!!

I agree in essence with what you say. Caution and awareness is necessary when purchasing a home for $130K or $400K, both can have pitfalls that can and will impact both the value of your home, resale, security and financial health. It would be extremely hard for the OP to buy something for under $200K, and even then that would be dicey, or perhaps a semi-detached or condo.  
 
The point I'm trying to make is that while we tend to intellectually try to equate the two (owning a stick-build house on owned land vs. a mobile on a rented lot), the *legal* reality is that they're not equivalent. While they are both places to live, one is real estate, and the other is not - mobile is chattle and therefore is "personal property" along the same lines as a car or boat. That's why you can't get a conventional mortgage on a mobile on rented land, but you get a chattle mortgage instead. They legally different with different rules and ownership definitions.  
 
Both are good options, and depending on your income and lifestyle buying a mobile might be the better choice. But I would never go into a mobile thinking it will appreciate - chattle simply doesn't normally do that, and if it does it's because it's the exception not the rule. My point is that the fact that mobiles are *not* depreciating in Brandon is symtomatic of the larger issue of affordable housing, and not whether or not mobiles are good or bad.  
 
I didn't intend to offend anyone (and if I did, I apologize), but was trying to educate as to the differences. To me, the distinction makes a huge difference about the kind of risk and financial liability I'm willing to take. If I were in the OP's position and seriously considering buying a mobile, I either wouldn't finance it at all (pay cash), or buy what I could pay off in 5 years or less. We all need to live somewhere, and that would be a preferable option, at least to me, over paying perpetual rent. Even if the trailer depreciates in the time I live in it, the depreciated value could be less than what I would shell out in rent.

Here's a couple of good articles that discusses the legal differences.  
 
https://www.mortgagesmortgages.ca/blog/mortgage/need-mortgage-mobile-home/  
 
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/chattelmortgage.asp  
 
My biggest take-away from these is from the first one, where it states, "Much of the population who own mobile homes can be described as “financially vulnerable." I think that's very true in some (but not all) cases. We are very obsessed with home ownership in this country, and too often it comes at a high price and without sufficient education.

without starting a new discussion i am wonderfing what is the utility cost in mobiles? water/electricity

I have owned and rented mobiles in the past. For me I would buy another new mobile in a heartbeat IF I had a nice acerage to place it on. Think the only place in brandon where you actually own the land with mobiles is Kelsey bay area in brandon, that would be my only other choice for mobile within town limits. I could never live in a park where you pay rent.  
 
What happened to the folks in both Brentwood in the older section as well as kingsway park put a real scare in some people who were considering mobile home purchases that I have spoken with. If you are evicted or forced to relocate a mobile is not something easy and quick to do without moving to a whole new community which isnt viable for many people.  
 
Brandon has very limited space for mobiles and often now they are only allowing mobiles purchased thru affiliated companies to place them on their lots even.  
 
Definitely something to strongly consider when renting. That said many use a mobile as a stepping stone entering into housing market as I did. I was lucky enough my mobile sold for about 30k more than I originally purchased for, however they tend not to appreciate and more often depreciate.

It’s harder to sell a mobile when they are 25 years or older. Lots of banks won’t finance. You definitely don’t get your money back, even if you do work to the trailer itself.

A newer mobile home will hold its value. The downside is the constant lot rent. The best deal is owning your own land. Currently there are two mobiles on your own lot in the Patricia Heights development. They are going for just over 200k but they are newer homes.  
 
Buying an older home in that price range there will be maintenance to do. When we were shopping looking at old homes is the furnace and hot water tank was usually at the end of its lifespan.  
 
I prefer a mobile as I like everything all on one level. For my wife and I we don't need a big house as our "trailer" is a 3 bed 2 bath 1200sqft. What more do 2 people need? Plus it opens up the lot making room for whatever we want to park there. Plus owning your own lot I am saving money from not having to pay lot rent, taxes yes but the savings help pay down the cost of the mortgage vs paying a lease.

There is a really nice one listed in Brentwood for 144 I think. It listed with cam Toews with Royal le Page. Look into it. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a mobile home in that park.

You can get more home buying a mobile home than a house at that price range. A house at that price would cost too much to fix. Put you in the poor house if you can’t afford it. It’s not like the old days where mobile home depreciated at a fast rate like a car. Now a days they hold their value pretty good due to a demand for their price

A condo? I myself would never purchase a house in Brandon for the price they want. Taxes are high and if neighbors give you grief their is little you can do, and if they decide to get 5 dogs that bark all night or they don't care for their property or kids are a nuisance, this reflects on the price of your home you would want to sell down the road. Plus the upkeep of the yard and roof and all that goes with it. But with a condo you pay the fees, parking and grass is taken care of and if any issues most will have repaired. Trailers are fine, lived in many. But as with a house there is the upkeep to hold the value. I currently live in a house now but I basically parked, drove around and spied on neighborhood to see what kind of people I would have to deal with. I've turned down many potential homes because of bad neighbors.

All the same issues can be present in a condo as well, plus in some cases you now have neighbors sharing a common wall with you or potentially living above or below you.  
 
Regarding the dogs, if someone has more than 2 dogs in their household call animal bylaw. Your not allowed more than 2 dogs in your household, same goes for cats, and if the owners are aware of this and ignoring then they surely aren't registered either.

I think condos are the worst investment. Buying a condo now then watching the prices they don't seem to increase too much. I have seen people lose money when the market is hot then when the market cools and pricing drops, such as it has, even a couple percent makes a huge difference. Condo fees are just another life tax on your building. Sure cutting the grass is covered and stuff like that. The yards are much smaller. I have priced it out for services that are covered with condo fees and could actually get it cheaper than the fees. I live around condos and sure you have access to the common room to rent for functions and such but many of these areas go unused. I have had family live in condos and when it was time to replace the roof there wasn't enough money to cover the bills and expected each condo owner to pay a one time "top up" in the amount of 15k or pay monthly with interest. Having family in the real estate business even warned me the biggest money sucker is condos.

i was considering a condo, but i do miss cutting a lawn, as well as having a shed for my bike. atm i live in a apartment and getting tired of having nabours on the other side of the wall. so i ruled out a condo.

but as anything prices rise and fall , homes, trailers and condos are no exception to the rule . But with a condo you may have a bit more freedom and as long as the building is fairly newer not some dilapidated old apartment building falling out of codes...I see those all over Winnipeg now..those I'd steer clear of. But the newer ones should be up to code as far as fire, and sound proofing...If you see something I wouldn't be scared of knocking on someones door and asking how their experience has been living in said building...and if the condo owner is a reliable person...ask the questions...simple

I currently live in one in Rapid City. My husband and I are in the process of trying to sell. 1200 square feet, brand new (we are first live in owners) and we own the land it’s on.

I wouldn't buy a mobile because they have rules regarding pets and certain things (fence, how many cars, etc) the lot fee is more expensive than property taxes. Try finding a house first before you go to the mobile home route

I am not sure how exactly it works (as I am not the smart one in the family....the wife is), but I was given a tax receipt and the wife claimed it on our taxes this year. The lady that we signed all the park papers/lot rental papers with told us we could. Not sure how much it added to the return, but even if it's a quarter, that still better than nothing or padding the landlords pocket!  
As for rules in the parks, mine are fairly loose. There are no different pet by-laws than that of the city. I'm not allowed to rebuild cars in my driveway, or have uninsured vehicles sitting. I can't speed through the park, I need to maintain my yard and I need to follow city by-laws....doesn't seem that restrictive. I did specifically ask about pets, as I have 2 very large dogs that could be considered "scary" and was told specifically that as long as I was following the city by-laws they were good. I guess technically I can't put renters in my place when I move out, but will be confirming that if it doesn't sell when I want to move out.  
There's actually 2 beautiful trailers in the park I live in between that $130 - $150,000 that have huge lots and are within 5 - 10yrs old. Both also only have neighbors on 1 side and back out over a huge field.  
(My hydro was under $130.00/month all winter and that was very comfortable for 2 people....one that likes to leave every light on in the house and does laundry every 2 days).

thank you guys. I am trying to stay in Brandon, seems everything in town in my price range for houses 150k requires to much to repair i expected lease 10-15k in repairs but it's either a entire new roof redo from shingles to the trusses, the basement is crumbling bad, the entire house in on a slant. , or in a neighborhood that is undesirable. seems mobile is my course of action lease for 5 years anyways. Ty for all the help and information.

The newer ones are built the same or better than a Home .. It does not matter where u live there are rules.. It all depends on your neighbours . Pad rent is not higher than some of the taxes on a home.. Shop around you can find trailers with affordable pad rent and yes its rent so you can write some of it off on your income tax … I have a awesome yard a fire pit and getting a Hot tub .. The court I am in will clean my parking spot in the winter ...