According to the US Census, mobile homes make up 6.4% of US housing with an estimated 20 million residents. The Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), states that household median income is only a little over half the national average with about 57% heads of household fully employed and 23% retired. Most units are rented and even the owner occupied ones are rarely moved. Leaving a home behind is often the best option because resale values are often very low. Moving a home is costly - It takes special equipment to move a trailer in and out of a park and un-hooking and hooking up can also be expensive.
The take away is the true efficacy of mobile homes is largely unappreciated by the general public – especially conventional home owners. This is mostly due to disparaging image portrayal in the media and a lack of understanding regarding a critical housing price-point gap that would otherwise go unfulfilled. Yes, mobile homes are essential and are more valuable to society than first meets the eye. |
About the Author: Kent Dussair founded CDS in 1971 for the purpose of providing professional market and economic research and consulting services. With over 50 years of professional experience, Kent continues to help CDS implement and evaluate effective qualitative research.