All Forum Posts by: Skip Widman

Hi Robert, I do a couple of mobile home flips per year in Florida, either with new or repo units. Let me know if you would like to connect and discuss further.

In the past I could find used mobiles pretty in-expensively but today everyone wants them and has driven the prices way up. It seems to me you can get new for almost the same price as used. And new is better quality and less work. But haven't done the research in a few months. I'm in the process of fixing up a home and selling and then I will be looking for a mobile home. If you want email me or call me and we can discuss further.  

As the posts are stating there are a number of factors. Permits for sure. Permit to remove, permit to add. Then you might have to move the septic system. Funding is harder. I know a lender but they won't be able to work with dealers for a few months yet. Which means you have to put up the money and then refinance. 

Hi Alejandro I'm a small investor including mobile homes about an hour north of you in Belleview FL. I have also moved a couple used mobile home to lots. I also own a mobile built in 1974 that is in pretty bad shape that I'm going to tear down and put a new one on. You should be able to find the age of the home on the county website. 

In my opinion if you were to fix up the home you would still have other issues. Paper thin walls, single pane windows, which lead to hi electric bills especially in Florida, which tenants will complain about.  

Also I have a full-time day job so less headaches is important to me. 

David Greene's book on long-distance investing "headache factor" (pg. 163) put it home for me. It will become stressful, lose sleep, cost you time and resources etc. Time you could be putting in in other properties. 

My suggestion if it's in bad enough shape tear it down and start over. If the home is in the 80's' or newer you might have a chance if you put a lot of money into it. 

I like your idea and share the same goals of tearing down and buying new and renting to a nice family. 

My model has been moving used mobile homes 3/2's to individual lots. The pros are they do cash flow very well if you can get good tenants. The cons are they tend to need more repairs and being in Florida they are not well insulated so the electric bills, which the tenant pays, can be very large. I have been only doing this for a few years so we will see how it goes. I'm hoping to get 3 more units online within the next 6 months. I'm also remote which adds to the complexity. I have a day job and have lined up good AC, Plumbing and handyman resources. Once the other units come online I will be switching to a property management company which unfortunately at 10% will take a good bite into profits. But I need to focus on my day job and strategize more real estate transactions. I'm going to stay away from mobile parks for now. Don't like the high monthly fees. Anyway could keep going. So far seems to me to be a good way to get started in real estate with low initial investment. 

Please provide an update 1 year and 5 years out.