I live in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, where the median home costs over $1 million. Living mobile was a more affordable option with mostly upsides.
Kristin Clifford
Living in a mobile home means I can afford to own property in Los Angeles, California, with plenty of space, a yard, parking, and more.
Mine cost $140,000, but in the Eagle Rock neighborhood where I live, the median home cost is over $1 million.
Though mobile living may not be the most popular option, there are several pros — as well as one potential downside — to the lifestyle.
I purchased my home for $140,000 in late 2020 and moved in during the summer of 2021.
My parents helped me with the $30,000 down payment, which I'm extremely grateful for. I also saved an additional $15,000 on my own to cover moving, furnishings, and other miscellaneous costs of homeownership.
My mortgage is $864 a month, and I also have a (rent-controlled) rental fee of $1,100 that covers the lot space and includes trash and recycling services.
Altogether, I pay less than $2,000 a month to live in a much nicer home than I could ever afford to rent, especially in the competitive Los Angeles market.
Also, my property taxes are low since I rent the land and only own the house. These taxes are assessed at 1% of the home's value, so they're far cheaper than they might be otherwise.
Kristin Clifford
My house has two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, one of which is an ensuite. I'm still getting used to the luxury of having a private bathroom that guests never have to see.
I work from home, so my second bedroom is a dedicated office space.
My mobile home also has a dishwasher, which I haven't had in over a decade, as well as in-unit laundry (though, I purchased the machines myself).
I also have two parking spaces, secure mailboxes, and nice neighbors.
My house is part of a mobile-home community with about 30 homes on the lot. We have a park manager who plans events for us and helps with tasks like tracking gas usage.
She's a gem, and she's always been super helpful. It's nice to have a dedicated person to answer questions and keep an eye on things.
Event-wise, there are generally a few organized gatherings a year, which are a great opportunity to meet and get to know neighbors.
Kristin Clifford
My neighbor is the person who told me about the mobile-home park I live in, and now we're sharing a yard.
Everyone in the park has some outdoor space, and we've combined ours to make a lovely yard with artificial turf. It's perfect for watching movies outside, hosting a clothing swap, and making room for pets.
Even though Los Angeles is full of amazing parks, walking paths, and outdoor spaces, it's nice to have something more private.
Kristin Clifford
After years of renting, I'm really enjoying the opportunity to put my personal stamp on my space.
I've never been super into decorating because when you're renting, it all has to come down anyway. But now that I own my space, I'm making bolder choices, like using wallpaper on accent walls.
I love making this space feel like mine and showing people what I've done.
The one major con is that, typically, mobile homes don't gain value over time like regular houses. Rather, they depreciate in value, like a new car.
But according to Lending Tree, some recent data from the US Census Bureau shows that the median value of mobile homes is increasing throughout most of the country.
Plus, since I plan to stay here as long as possible, this con doesn't mean much to me.
