Manufactured Home News Briefs: Used Single Wide Sells For $1.5 Million – Tax Relief For Manufactured Homeowners In Oregon – MHI Leader Discusses Role of Propane And Energy Efficiency
‘Beach Condo’ that sold for $1.5 million in Hamptons’ ‘Billionaires’ Corner’ is a trailer
Trailer trash? Hardly … Expensive? Very.
Montauk, N.Y. – A 600-square-foot single-wide mobile home in the ritzy Hampton area on the east end of Long Island has been on the market since September 14 for a cool $1.5 million. And according to the listing agency, it sold for that lofty price – a bargain in the Montauk area of New York. You know the real estate saying: location, location, location. Well, this location is nicknamed “Billionaires’ Corner,”
“Hear the waves breaking from your deck or choose from three different oceanfront common decks to enjoy the surf and possibly a whale or two breachings,” The Corcoran Group writes in a listing of the property.
The “trailer” has two bedrooms and one bathroom and is located close to stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean.
In October 2020, this same mobile home sold for $1.65 million, according to The Corcoran Group listing. On July 28, 2022, it sold for $875,000. The owner has received the asking price in all three transactions since 2020.
Tax relief coming to manufactured homeowners in Multnomah County in Oregon
A property tax exemption for manufactured homes will benefit vulnerable residents as manufactured home values continue to increase.
Nearly 5,000 owners of manufactured homes in Multnomah County, Oregon, will qualify for relief from rising costs on their future tax bills.
The county board of commissioners voted unanimously on Thursday, Sept 22, to adopt a resolution creating a property tax exemption for manufactured homes valued at or less than $50,000.
The new tax exemption means the county will lose $350,000 in tax revenue per year. Up to $3 million in tax revenue annually will not be collected across all local taxing districts affected by the exemption.
Mobile home parks provide some of the most affordable housing in Multnomah County,” said Cameron Herrington, program manager at the non-profit Living Cully Coalition. “This measure will help ensure that low-income residents are able to stay in their homes and enjoy the tight-knit communities that mobile home park residents forge with their neighbors.”
Harrington also encouraged the board to adopt land use codes to prevent the redevelopment of manufactured home parks in 2018. Portland added a zoning designation for manufactured home parks to prevent them from being sold and redeveloped.
Manufactured housing leader: “Propane an important energy source”
LP Gas Editor-in-Chief Brian Richesson talked with Leslie Gooch, CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), about manufactured housing and propane’s role in it.
Gooch underscores the affordability of manufactured housing, which represents about 10 percent of new-family home starts in the U.S., and how propane makes sense as an energy source in these homes. Here are some abbreviated highlights from her comments in that discussion.
Affordable housing solution
“I’m really excited about the attention that policymakers are paying to manufactured housing as one of the solutions to the supply shortage. The beauty of manufactured housing is it fits right in with respect to propane because homes are built in a factory and transported to the site. People choose to live in more rural markets in manufactured homes. That’s where propane becomes an important source of energy. This land in rural America is where manufactured home customers can find an affordable home and an affordable source of energy for that family. That’s why propane is important in our industry. People appreciate that.”
Government overreach concerns
“We spend a lot of time with the Department of Energy (DOE). There’s a lot going on in this administration that deals with energy efficiency and fighting the impacts of climate change. It’s unfortunate that while this administration is very focused on manufactured housing to address the affordable housing supply shortage, you have people at DOE pushing too hard to move manufactured housing to be THE energy-efficient form of housing in America. They are pushing standards on us that are not even used in site-built home construction. When you’re talking about affordability, it’s frustrating to hear the comments being made where they’re trying to push manufactured housing to the point of not being affordable. We’re working hard to address that.”
‘Commitment to energy efficiency’
“Our industry is very clear we’re not opposed to energy-efficiency improvements. We’ve been increasing the number of Energy Star homes and showing our commitment to energy efficiency. But to look at our industry – ‘You’re the most affordable form of home ownership in America, but we’re going to make you the most energy efficient.’ Those two things cannot coexist.”
Customer perception
“As an industry, we’re working to change that perception about manufactured homes and to make sure people view a manufactured home as indistinguishable from a site-built home. When you look at the quality of our homes, customers are very excited about what they can afford because they can get a brand-new home with today’s design features.”
How the propane industry can help grow the manufactured housing market
“As housing prices continue to increase at unprecedented levels, it’s really important to focus on affordability. Educating the customer about their energy options and the affordability around them is extremely important. Manufactured housing is at the forefront of these conversations on housing affordability because of the quality of construction, you can become a homeowner in a wonderful house at a price point you can afford. For propane, that’s a part of that affordability conversation around the monthly cost of energy, making sure you have that education campaign. That’s the piece that’s so important.”
