point of diminishing returns ?

[Kevin Ellis]

Hi, I'm new to the MH world, but have worked on many stick builts. I am a little lost on MHs as to how to evaluate an improvement and the return that can be expected from it.

I just bought my 1st MH and am in the planning process with it. I only paid 1500 for it, so its basically a guinea pig to practice and learn. But as I investigate the various problems it has, it has become clear that if I were to address all of the issues, I'd end up rebuilding the entire thing.

Most of the remodels Ive seen so far has been just putting lip stick on a pig. I havent seen any yet that have had real structural deficiencies addressed, like the one Im working on now, everything is just patched to last 2 or 3 years.

There is termite damage on the sill plate down one side that was pretty obvious, but no one bothered to fix it. Thats an easy fix, but Im starting to wonder where the cut off point is.

My goal is to sell them, not rent them. I understand I'm working in the bottom end of the market with this one, and probably cant expect to sell for anything above 10K when im done.

So I can probably summarize the question by:

When to Patch and When to Replace/Fix.

Setting aside any of the real structural issues ( I will fix them regardless)

What amenities should one focus on ??

Siding, More Space, Curb Appeal Etc ...

Which ones bring the best return on investment? Coming from the stick built world, I see all of them as tear downs, so Im having a hard time evaluating them.

It seems that the way to make money with MHs is to patch everything and fix only what really has to be fixed.

Any suggestions for a newbie ?

PS. Sorry if i am rambling :D

Kevin