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Editorial: The 7 Best Characteristics of Mobile Homeowners

Ladies In Front Of Vintage Camper

When I started Mobile Home Living I figured it would be a simple blog with beautiful mobile home tours along with remodeling ideas and repair help from experienced mobile homeowners.

But it evolved into far more than that.

Mobile Home Living and our Facebook group are a positive, judgment-free community where regular people can share their beautiful mobile home remodels and makeovers without being judged.

Over the last 8 years, we’ve shared many stories that highlight homeowners with some pretty amazing characteristics. In this article, we’re covering 7 great characteristics of a mobile homeowner.

Mobile homeowners are often stereotyped, stigmatized, and judged. I suppose you can say we’re doing the same in this article, but with a twist.

Mobile Homeowners are Tenacious

Mobile homeowners have amazing tenacity. They can thrive and adapt anywhere you put them and they see potential where others don’t.

Mobile Homeowners are Intelligent

If you followed Mobile Home Living over the years you’ve read story after story of mobile homeowners overcoming hardships (mostly from the Great Recession).

Several of our featured mobile homeowners were deeply affected by the recession. A few new mobile homeowners sold their site-built homes and used the equity to buy a pre-owned mobile or manufactured home.

They did what they had to do to get back on their feet and made the best decision for them and their family regardless of the stigma and stereotyping.

Warren Buffet suggested that manufactured homeowners were typically more financially intelligent because they didn’t buy a home that was too expensive for them.

“If home buyers throughout the country
had behaved like our [manufactured]
buyers, America would not have had
the crisis that it did.”

Warren Buffet

Most Americans are working so much they can’t enjoy their huge house. When they are home they have so much maintenance and cleaning that they can’t really enjoy it anyway.

Most mobile homeowners would rather spend their money on experiences and spend time with their loved ones than have to work 100-hours a week to afford an outrageous mortgage.

That old saying is true, the less you own, the less that owns you. Mobile homeowners, especially those living in older models that didn’t cost much, aren’t owned by anyone.

The Less You Own The Less That Owns You.

Mobile Homeowners are Friendly and Fun and REAL

You’ll not find a friendlier bunch of people than those living in a mobile home and especially those living in a mobile home in a well-kept park. There’s a realness about them and a level of content and neighborliness that you can’t find in fancy housing developments.

Community planners have been trying to figure out how to create a site-built housing community that has the neighborly friendliness and overall community satisfaction that comes so naturally in manufactured housing communities.

“For some reason, and the only (factor) I can think of is management, the stick builder has never been able to equal, even if they provide the amenities, the lifestyle of the mobile home park.”

Wheel Estate By Allan D. Walls, 1991

Expert community planners claim the close proximity of mobile homes and management of the parks create this friendliness and feel of community and neighborly respect. I believe it’s just the people.

There is more life lived in a single mobile home park than three gated communities.

Mobile homeowners are different. They are more friendly and down to earth. They aren’t pretentious or worried about what others think about them.

Three Women In Mobile Home Park

Mobile Homeowners are Trendsetters

A few years ago, a trendy new lifestyle and minimalist movement hit the nation like a tsunami.

It suddenly became cool to be debt-free and live in tiny homes. Living a more earth-friendly lifestyle and having experiences became more important than a huge home and fancy stuff.

Mobile homeowners had been doing all these things for close to a century!

No one seems to realize (or wants to admit) that mobile homeowners have been living this lifestyle for close to a century. Vargos and gypsy wagons have been living the lifestyle for centuries.

I believe one of the biggest difference between the tiny homeowners and older mobile homeowners is strength in character and not caring what other people think.

The Happiest People

Mobile homeowners have been living a life of simplicity and affordability for decades but they don’t care about being stereotyped and stigmatized.

Mobile Homeowners are Rebels

Mobile homeowners could easily be a contender as most rebellious should society ever choose superlatives.

Mobile homeowners go against societal conformities the second they buy or rent a factory-built house.

Mobile homeowners have grit and tenacity. Living in a mobile home isn’t easy – you are basically going against an engrained stigma of society. You will likely be called names or labeled as poor or odd at the very least.

Mobile homeowners exist in their own way.

There’s no doubt about it, mobile homeowners have something unique about them. Perhaps it’s their rebellious nature to go against social norms or their ability to see potential where others cannot.

Jan 1941 High Class Trailer Camp At Sarasota LOC Copy

Mobile Homeowners are Awesome

However, mobile homeowners overcome that negativity and stigma.

I suppose the best way to put it is that mobile homeowners are smart and tenacious and awesome because they aren’t afraid to give society a middle finger salute.

As always, thank you for reading Mobile Home Living!

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Crystal Adkins

Crystal Adkins

In 2011, Crystal Adkins founded Mobile Home Living after buying a 1978 single wide mobile home in Oak Hill, WV. She searched for mobile home remodeling ideas online but was disappointed by the meager results. She's been trying to create the resource she was looking for that day ever since. Mobile Home Living is now America's most popular and trusted resource for mobile home remodeling ideas and decorating inspiration, boasting over 58 million pageviews. She's never spent a dime on advertising nor accepted a penny from any manufacured home builders or dealers and proudly lives in her 1978 mobile home.

Join the conversation!

  1. Crystal well written, I do so much enjoy your web site and have gotten many nice ideas to improve my home. I can wait to retire to my water front mobile home in the coming years and the best part it’s all paid off.

  2. Dreama Ellison-Rhodes

    Very well put my friend (cousin, maybe)! Since I’ve been following you, you’ve come so far! The website looks better than ever! As with any of us, I know you’ve had your ups and downs. I know you questioned yourself over and over. But you keep on going. You do it every month, without fail. You keep us informed. You show us things we wouldnt be able to see anywhere else. You make all of us mobile home owners feel like we are just as good as anyone else! Be proud Crystal, you’re doing a wonderful job!

  3. Amen to that! I love this website! A proud debt-free 1975 single wide mobile home owner on acreage, and among the rich and famous for the past twenty-five years has been interesting. Sometimes I want to give up, but this website and the articles are very encouraging, empowering, informative, fun to read, and keep me keeping on. Thank you!

  4. My experience with trailers and parks goes back to about 1959. Your article clarified many of the things that I’ve felt and observed.

    Thank you for speaking up for us.

  5. Oh, Darlene,

    Your comment has made my day! I get mad at myself for not being a very good writer or knowing how to do all the computer stuff but reading comments like yours makes me realize that it’s all OK. Thank you so much! I bet your home is gorgeous!

  6. I grew up in several mobile home parks in the 1950’s as my father worked for a contract company. We were always looked down on by the locals as my father pulled the trailer with a truck, but you know what would go back to that time in a heart beat. I completely agree the people who live in mobile home parks are among the most interesting people you will ever meet.

  7. Thank you so much for this uplifting article about mobile home owners. I have often felt “less than” because of where I live but your article has shown me that I can be proud! We were among the many who lost everything during the financial crisis back in 2011-12 but we were fortunate enough to be able to purchase a mobile home after losing our big house. In so many ways it has become a real blessing in disguise – no more stairs, loads less housework, way fewer expenses, etc., etc. I am truly happy that we ended up here and now I don’t feel so bad!!!

  8. Mobile homes are definitely a blessing!So glad that you were able to find one you love and make it your own!

  9. I’m sure through the years you met some interesting people and sounds like you had a wonderful childhood!

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