Melissa and her hubby are getting first home!!

[Marilyn]

Our daugher Melissa and her hubby of a year and a half are getting their first home. They are currently renting and older apartment that has turned out to have lots of problems that the landlord isn't fixing. You may remember they have a 50 lb English bulldog, so it's not easy for them to find something nice and reasonable to rent.

We are helping them to buy a used mobile home. They are paying for it, we are just helping them find a really good deal and helping fix it up for them. This is one of those times when having a father who is a custom home builder really pays off. We can take a well built but worn mobile home and make it look as good or better than new. The one we found was built for and used as an office and housing for the oilfield. This means it has a stronger than normal frame and more axles under it. It was built to be moved around a lot. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms a nice sized living. The kitchen isn't very big or well designed, but there is space to rearrange it and put in new cabinets and it can be really nice. The outside looks good. The siding was replaced 2 years ago. They don't like the colors, but paint will fix that. Inside, it needs new cabinets, flooring (it has ugly office tile and blue carpet) , needs interior painting. There are some cabinets in a bedroom that was used for an office that need to be removed. I'll have to take before and after pictures. They are saving so much money and though mobile homes depreciate like cars, when you buy one used and remodel like we are, they should be able to live in it for a few years and sell it for what they paid.

They are so excited. Their monthly expenses will be less than the apartment, and they will be buiding some equity.

However, we are doing this while planning a wedding for Karen. Don't know if we are coming or going. Crazy!!! but we just could not pass this deal up. Oh, and I know this is long but the trailer is being handled by an agent, but belongs to people we know who want Rex to build them a pool house. The owner is at a retreat right now, and as soon as he returns, Rex is going to see if they can do a little bartering. This could work out to be an even better deal.

So nice when things work out positive for a while.

[judy]

What a great deal! I bet it will be just beautiful, Marilyn. It sounds like your plate is overflowing, but with good things!

[gja1000]

WOW! That really does sound like a good deal! Our kids first home was a mobile home too. They lived in it a few years, then sold it to buy their first house.

Good luck with everything!

[DianaB]

We lived in a trailer house when we first got married. We did a little bit of work on it in the short time that we lived in it and sold it for almost what we paid for it. I'm all for them as long as they're well anchored in the ground!!! I bet that it's exciting to be able to decorate it the way they want it!! It will be really good for a starter house!!!

[Janet]

Our first home was a mobile home. We moved it to the side yard and built our house. We didn't have to do anything to it to get started. In 1974 we paid $8500 for an acre of land with a mobile home and a two car garage on it. Not bad at all to start out. In '76 we built the house. Rick's uncle, Rick and myself did most of the work. What an experience.

We ended up selling the mobile home to a guy and he moved it to Lebanon. One night he came back to Frankfort and murdered someone. He always made me nervous and now I know why.

[Marilyn]

After a couple of years of apartment living, we started out in a mobile home, too. We bought it new, and our payments were something like $87/month. We parked it in the middle of my parent's pasture, installed our own septic tank and ran a water line from my parent's well. We had a 12 party phone line. We lived there about 4 years. Three of those years I was finishing college and we were building our first house. We paid as we built on the house and when it was finished, we had it paid for. There was a lot of sweat equity in that house. We sold the trailer for a little more than we had paid for it. What a deal!!! We are hoping that it will work out as well for Melissa and Garrett.

[judy]

Originally Posted by Janet

Our first home was a mobile home. We moved it to the side yard and built our house. We didn't have to do anything to it to get started. In 1974 we paid $8500 for an acre of land with a mobile home and a two car garage on it. Not bad at all to start out. In '76 we built the house. Rick's uncle, Rick and myself did most of the work. What an experience.

We ended up selling the mobile home to a guy and he moved it to Lebanon. One night he came back to Frankfort and murdered someone. He always made me nervous and now I know why.

Creeeeppppyyyy!!!!