Thus advises All American Homes, a national modular housing builder that is offering its disaster rebuilding program to affected residents of southwestern Ohio, northern Kentucky, Indiana and elsewhere. The program gives residents a new house at a reduced price and a rapid build time. Homes in the disaster program receive priority scheduling, further reducing the rebuilding time. A new house under the program can be constructed in as little as two months, depending on footage, with a per square-foot discount of up to $4. Some buyers may also qualify for no down payment.

The program is particularly noteworthy for Moscow residents because an All American house owned by resident Ken Chambers was the only one left mostly intact in an area that saw extensive damage in the March 3rd storms. Chambers believes his home’s modular construction is a big reason for this and says, “a couple of neighbors have told me they’re interested in modular. From the one side the place doesn’t look like it had any damage at all.”

Modularly constructed homes are superior to site-built homes due to engineered structural reinforcements inherent to the method of construction. A FEMA report on a Category Four hurricane in Florida with 131 to 155 mph winds concluded that modular homes, “provided an inherently rigid system that performed much better than conventional residential housing.”

Modular housing is factory-built in multiple sections (or modules) of many different sizes for quick, on-site assembly. Modular residences include multi-story houses and even apartment buildings with the same range of contemporary and traditional architectural styles found in the newest site-built construction. However, modular construction offers extra rigid features (such as 2 x 6 vs. 2 x 4 exterior studs) with a factory-precise, environmentally controlled production process.

“We began this program several years ago as our contribution to disaster recovery,” said Stacey Miller, director of marketing for All American Homes. “It’s clearly not a money maker for us. But it’s our way of reaching out with the ability of our process to quickly produce quality housing so people can get on with rebuilding the rest of their lives as well.”

“Other home builders may offer similar discounts or financial assistance. We think that disaster victims should be aware of what’s available, particularly in areas like Moscow that have not been declared federal disaster areas and rebuilding assistance is more limited. Clearly they need all the help they can get from any quarter.”

Two of All American Homes’ regional site builders, White Pine Construction of Aurora, Ind., near Cincinnati, and Quality Homes of Madison (Indiana), are presently involved in disaster rebuilding projects in Ohio and Indiana. These builders are the direct homeowner contact and facilitate insurance and other needed paperwork while providing the on-site finishing work needed for the new home.

Representatives from both firms noted that, along with getting people back more quickly into a solidly built home, one of things disaster victims appreciate about a modular-built replacement is that it can be priced out more accurately to ensure that total costs will not exceed the replacement costs covered by insurance.

All American Homes has manufacturing facilities in Decatur, Ind., Milliken, Colo., Dyersville, Iowa, and Rocky Mount, Va. Headquarters are in Elkhart, Ind. It has been building modular housing since 1970.

For more information about the All American Homes disaster rebuilding program and modular housing, visithttp://www.allamericanhomes.com.

PRWeb.com April 26,2012

In the middle of 2011, two mobile home parks faced closing. It soon became a reality at the end of the year for El Ray and the Regency Mobile Home Park.

El Ray is set to close its doors at the beginning of March. It closed because of violations concerning its lagoon.

The Regency Mobile Home Park closes at the end of May. It is allowing residents to stay longer than the original date if they have children in school. Regency is closing because the park was sold to a student-housing developer.

Nick Foster, executive director for Voluntary Action Center, said “People will need additional help when moving, and this fund can help them do that.”

Some resident’s of El Ray’s have not received assistance. Residents spoken to Tuesday, who still live at the park, said they have not gotten any financial help but said they’ve “pretty much gotten it taken care of”. Ron Netemeyer of Whirlwind Properties which owns El Ray says’s he’s personally “spent thousands (of dollars)helping people move” and that he’s even given some of them “a free month’s lot rent”.

However, a deal was brokered for Aspen Heights development to provide money for Regency residents. Singlewide trailer owners get $1,800. Doublewides get $3,000. Residents who sign papers saying they support the rezoning get an additional $500.

Jim Morrison, a Regency resident, has yet to move but has heard as soon as people move, their check has been FedEx’ed to them.

“I have some leads, but I want to make sure that it’s the right move for me when I leave here,” Morrison said. “The money that Aspen is providing will not be not to move my trailer.”

Morrision had not heard about the new fund, but said, “I will definitely be learning more about it to see if I can get some help from them.”

Contributions from the public are welcomed. Donations can be sent to Voluntary Action Center 403A Vandiver Drive, Columbia, MO 65202 or made on its’ website www.vacmo.org.

Komu.com Posted: Jan 10, 2012 6:22 PM by Allyson Brown

“According to the City Landmark Assessment Report, “…the property located at 2930 Colorado Avenue appears to meet two of the City of Santa Monica’s Landmark Criteria (1 and 4). The property was evaluated according to statutory criteria as follows:

“Landmark Criteria: It exemplifies, symbolizes, or manifests elements of the cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history of the City.”

“The subject property is an excellent example of a traditional trailer park exhibiting all of the key character defining architectural features typical of the type (permanent buildings, amenities, plan, and landscaping). It also represents a tangible example of when Santa Monica was a vacation destination for motorists towing recreational vehicles that became an additional component of the City’s economic development after World War II.

“Further, Village Trailer Park manifests the social evolution of trailer parks in Santa Monica from transient stopovers to permanent residential communities with a look and ambiance unique to the property type.”

“In sum, the property exhibits a substantial degree of physical and historical integrity in its location, design, setting, workmanship, materials, feeling and association that manifests the architectural, economic and social history of the City of Santa Monica in the postwar era. Therefore, the subject property appears to satisfy this criterion.”

“It embodies distinguishing architectural characteristics valuable to a study of a period, style, method of construction, or the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship, or is a unique or rare example of an architectural design, detail or historical type valuable to such a study.

“The subject property appears to meet this criterion. As one of only two remaining trailer parks in Santa Monica – and the only one that exhibits a very high level of integrity – Village Trailer Park fully embodies the distinguishing architectural characteristics of the type.”

“Specifically, the property features private paved roads; numerous trailer spaces with concrete pads and hookups for electricity, gas, water, and sewage; a recreational club house; manager’s residence; management office; laundry room/community bathroom facility; swimming pool; and landscaping. The property also contains a substantial number of trailers manufactured from the 1950s through the 1970s.”

“Therefore, it can be concluded that Village Trailer Park is valuable to a study of the architectural history of the middle decades of the 20th century in Santa Monica.”"

The speaker also brings up how Los Angeles has already declared one of their parks a Historical Cultural Monument with similar rationale.

““Photographic evidence and city directory research confirm that trailer parks were prevalent in Santa Monica, particularly after World War II in the eastern portions of the City. Trailer parks in Santa Monica initially served as convenient locations for travelers to rest as recreational stopovers or longer term seasonal vacation destinations. As such, they represent an important component of Santa Monica’s economic development as a vacation destination in the middle decades of the 20th century. In addition, they also served as accommodations for workers at local manufacturing plants such as Douglas Aircraft Company due to a widespread regional housing shortage during World War II.”"

Source:

soheyla. “Community owner arrested for using front loader to evict residents.”Mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com. 11/30/2011

From time-to-time you hear about a park manager that takes a residents space rent payment but doesn’t apply it to their space rent (embezzlement). They will typically tell the owner that they are working with you to get you caught up on payment or that they have already served you with the state appropriate eviction notice for nonpayment.  Depending on how well the owner oversees the management of the park it could be some time before they notice that there may be an issue.  As the owner becomes more concerned with the amounting past due rent, the manager sometimes applies someone else’s space rent toward part of your balance or starts “collecting” your payments again. Either way if this happens to you, you better have record of the payment so you can prove to the mobile home park owner that you have indeed made payment for your space rent and that his/her manager must have embezzled your money instead of applying it toward your space. In addition, it is always better you make your payment via check to the park. That way there will be additional proof of payment and it becomes much harder for the manager to steal your money.

This article came to mind because their was a recent criminal case similar to what I just explained out of Adrian, Michigan where a park manager was embezzling a residents space rent. When the park owner served her with an eviction notice stating she owed over $3k in past rent she was able to take her proof of payment to the Michigan State Police. If it weren’t for keeping her receipts this would have been more difficult to prove.

On top of this crime, the park manager also collected mortgage payments from the woman on a home that he didn’t even own. This brings me to my next point, don’t buy a home without putting the title in your name! If you are making mortgage payments on a mobile home than make sure to go down with the manager/owner to put it into your name with the entity or individual selling the home as a lien holder.

Most people will never have to worry about any of this but every now and again you hear about a sad story where someone takes advantage of another so it is always better make sure you are fully protected.

We would like to know from our members what terms they use to discuss their housing and why they choose to use them?

So please let us know… do you own a trailer, coach, mobile home, or manufactured home?

Residents believe that the community has been stigmatized as a safe-haven for this sort of activity but the Sheriff’s Department is working hard to put that to an end to it. Residents are pleased with the work the Sheriff’s Department is doing to clean up their streets. Hopefully for the residents and owner this will become a family safe environment again very soon.

Jemal Countess, Getty Images

Putting on the class are Frank Rolfe and Dave Reynolds who are the 32nd largest owners of mobile home parks in the U.S.

“The class includes how to locate, evaluate, negotiate, perform due diligence on, finance, turn-around and operate mobile home parks in markets throughout the U.S.”

Source:

Dave Reynolds. “Mobile Home Park Investors’ Boot Camp.”ExpertClick. 08/2011

Read what the show says about what they are looking for:

“Trailer Park Housewives will deliver the rowdy rambunctious clans from the local area Mobile Home Trailer Parks in Las Vegas.  The series follows the lives of sexy blue collar housewives, who live a trailer park lifestyle.  From a self-proclaimed “Queen Bee” whose home is 3 feet longer than anyone else’s and doles out orders much like a modern day “Lord of the Flies” to the innocent newbie trying to fit in….there is a social hierarchy among this clan that rules supreme in the Trailer Park setting.  If you lived here you’d be home by now!

Your husbands or significant others should each have “Vegas” type jobs such as: Realtor, bus driver, blackjack dealers, concierge, nightclub industry, zoo keepers, be in the witness protection program, former or current mob family members, been an extra on CSI more than 5 times, an attorney, poker player, work at a strip club or casino in any facet or spend way too much time there, a tram operator or just your typical every day pimp who loves watching the show Breaking Bad.  The somewhat gray areas of the law that go on within the Trailer Parks fence reads like a combination of COPS, CSI, Judge Judy, Pawn Stars and the 700 Club all sprinkled together. A six-pack of beer, some video poker and a temporary restraining order are quality entertainment in these houses on wheels…”

Pretty much looks like they are going to create characters to meet all the worst stereotypes, combine them into one show, and call it reality TV.