It seems that a mix of regulation on the legal side and taxation on the numbers side have changed the landscape.

Leases are signed electronically (esign.com), and I set them up with RentRedi for deposit, cleaning fee, and rent payments.

No state income tax.3. property tax's some of the lowest in the country.4. quality of construction most homes are built with stucco and tile roofs and desert landscape compared to much of the mid west rust belt were its very common to be looking at houses that are 50 to 100 plus years old. and yards grow fast  snow sleet ice all take more wear and tear on your units.we do a lot in most of the mid west rust belt states. the prime motivation is price point and rent to price ratio for those aspects they are the best.

There's also a major university there, Ken Griffin just moved Citadel hedge fund down there, and the technology entrepreneurial landscape is opening up as well.

Improvements that DON’T drive the ARV as much: Windows, Landscaping, Driveway, Rough Plumbing & ElectricalI agree with @Jaron Walling about meeting the appraiser at the property and providing documentation.

I have a vision of building and developing mobile home communities in upstate NY that are vertically integrated to allow future members to choose from a catalog of homes, have them installed, provide them with financing options, and make the process of selecting, buying, and living in the community very smooth.Since this is my first time doing this, I would love to chat with an experienced mobile home developer on the following items:Zoning - navigating the zoning process to allow the community to be allowedStart up costs - I am a finance person who would love to better understand start up costs - septic / electrical / water / pads / roads / etcOn Going Maint Costs - in building our business case, I want to build a conservative financial model to capture all re-occurring expenses - utilities, landscaping, capex, septic clean out, etc.I know this is a lot, but would greatly appreciate talking to someone who is an expert in this asset class!

I manage my own properties as do my clients; with the electronic resources for screening, rent collection, more - the ROI is greatly improved and you retain control of the property.Hope this helps.

Mgt, Landscape/Snow, tax, insurance, utility then debt service. 

The only other location that compares in such is South Africa, where "shanty towns" dot the landscape. 

keep in mind all the fuel is now gone.. so wild fire will not be an issue going forward as long as folks do more of a desert style landscaping and dont plant things that burn like Eucalyptus as one poster mentioned those things go up like a roman candle at 4th of July.