I Paid the Rent This Morning and Realized...

Remy

Remy

Well-known Member
Location
California, USA
...if I had bought that place I passed on, I'd be paying 800 dollars less a month. I keep making mistake after mistake. My real estate agent didn't say anything and usually she can come up with solutions.

If something else comes up and it's with another company, I may just call the listing agent. Unless it's with her company. Then I can't. I'm so tired of making these mistakes. I could have replaced those baseboards and even the flooring. I could be in the process of moving now.
 

Remy said:
...if I had bought that place I passed on, I'd be paying 800 dollars less a month. I keep making mistake after mistake. My real estate agent didn't say anything and usually she can come up with solutions.

If something else comes up and it's with another company, I may just call the listing agent. Unless it's with her company. Then I can't. I'm so tired of making these mistakes. I could have replaced those baseboards and even the flooring. I could be in the process of moving now.
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I don't know your whole story, but try not to let it get you down. I take it you're looking for a place to buy but can't find one, and so you're in a rental? Perhaps spread your wings a little. There are lots of online sites that sell houses, and they don't tie you to a single Estate Agent. It's worth remembering, Real Estate Agents are working for profit, and it will play into their advice.
 
VaughanJB said:
I don't know your whole story, but try not to let it get you down. I take it you're looking for a place to buy but can't find one, and so you're in a rental? Perhaps spread your wings a little. There are lots of online sites that sell houses, and they don't tie you to a single Estate Agent. It's worth remembering, Real Estate Agents are working for profit, and it will play into their advice.
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Yes. I'm looking for a mobile in a park. But it has to be decently newer. Nothing else is in my price range. And I'm stuck where I am due to my stepfather and the feral cats I feed.

I make a lot of mistakes. Including the house I did buy. I sold it in 2009, after 7 years. Nasty neighbors. Should never have stayed as long as I did.
 
Don’t beat yourself up over your decision. You don’t know how that mobile turned out for the new owner. It may have had more issues than the ones you told us about. Also, isn’t this the place where you’re only permitted one cat.
 
We all make mistakes and all you can do is move forward. Maybe hire a buyer’s agent to find just what you want.
 
Remy said:
Yes. I'm looking for a mobile in a park. But it has to be decently newer. Nothing else is in my price range. And I'm stuck where I am due to my stepfather and the feral cats I feed.

I make a lot of mistakes. Including the house I did buy. I sold it in 2009, after 7 years. Nasty neighbors. Should never have stayed as long as I did.
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Ha ha ha ha. Referencing your cat issue - I was living in my last place, and each night I would feed the foxes. When moving to my current downsized place, I was so worried about those foxes, and I hated to leave them, but needs must. Then, while walking my dog at night, I saw that there were new foxes at my new place, so let the feeding commence! You just never know.

Neighbors suck. But I agree with Jules, try not to beat yourself up about it. Use it as energy to double-down on your search.
 
Teacher Terry said:
We all make mistakes and all you can do is move forward. Maybe hire a buyer’s agent to find just what you want.
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Unfortunately, I can't make stuff go on sale. Lots of issues in this area after the fires. Increased prices, lower inventory. It's a little better now. Those old places are staying on the market. New go faster.
 
Jules said:
Don’t beat yourself up over your decision. You don’t know how that mobile turned out for the new owner. It may have had more issues than the ones you told us about. Also, isn’t this the place where you’re only permitted one cat.
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That was another mobile home park. This park takes two pets, including two smaller dogs. I did on the application however, say I had one cat. I won't go through that again.

The saga of the place in the park with one pet. I made an offer. It was below what she wanted. The agent said it was over priced. My agent insists if it's a cash offer to show a copy of your savings with the account number blacked out. I didn't want to and the seller did exactly what I knew she would. She countered with two grand less than I had in that account. I stopped right there.

I tried offering again when she lowered the price significantly. That's when they said one pet. In the end it closed for 11 grand less than my first offer. I. cannot. win.
 
@Remy I've been kind of following along in your pursuit. Keep in mind one real important thing: a real estate agent doesn't work for you. Nope. The agent works for the guy who pays 'em. That is, the person who listed the property and is paying the commission.

A buyer's agent could very well be just what you need. Or maybe a lottery win ;)
 
Teacher Terry said:
That’s a horrible experience Remy. I hope you have better luck in the future. Would you consider a condo?
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Out of my price range here. I could have bought one years ago. Over the years I probably looked at up to a dozen. Why I never bought one, I'm not sure. I know after my experience in that house, I was afraid of a condo. Afraid I could get harassed again. So I concentrated on an adult mobile home park. Thought it might be safer.
 
Remy said:
Yes. I'm looking for a mobile in a park. But it has to be decently newer. Nothing else is in my price range. And I'm stuck where I am due to my stepfather and the feral cats I feed.

I make a lot of mistakes. Including the house I did buy. I sold it in 2009, after 7 years. Nasty neighbors. Should never have stayed as long as I did.
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I am in a similar situation. My house is sold and I am looking for another but the prices are so high that I can't afford to buy one large enough to hold all my furniture and accumulations. If I save the money from the sale of my house I can only afford to rent for 7 years before the money will be gone. Then what?
 
smilingmore said:
I am in a similar situation. My house is sold and I am looking for another but the prices are so high that I can't afford to buy one large enough to hold all my furniture and accumulations. If I save the money from the sale of my house I can only afford to rent for 7 years before the money will be gone. Then what?
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I'm so sorry prices are up there also. I guess it's everywhere. I prefer a smaller but not super tiny place. I'd have a place if I didn't keep making stupid decisions.

Would you consider downsizing your items? I know I have plenty of stuff since I like thrift stores. I'm hardly a minimalist. So I get that.

If you find something, I hope you get it. I said awhile back I'd get the next decent place I found and then I didn't. I don't know what's wrong with my brain and then again, I think I do.
 
smilingmore said:
I am in a similar situation. My house is sold and I am looking for another but the prices are so high that I can't afford to buy one large enough to hold all my furniture and accumulations. If I save the money from the sale of my house I can only afford to rent for 7 years before the money will be gone. Then what?
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When I got divorced 3 years ago we sold the house and I immediately bought a condo. A few people said that I should rent for a year or two after a big life change. I knew that would be a big mistake because real estate just keeps rising in Nevada.

Going from a house to a 855 sq ft condo required me to get rid of a ton of stuff. If I had waited I would be living in a 400 sq ft studio instead of a 2 bedroom because prices continue to rise. I would buy what you can afford and get rid of the excess items.
 
Remy said:
...if I had bought that place I passed on, I'd be paying 800 dollars less a month. I keep making mistake after mistake. My real estate agent didn't say anything and usually she can come up with solutions.

If something else comes up and it's with another company, I may just call the listing agent. Unless it's with her company. Then I can't. I'm so tired of making these mistakes. I could have replaced those baseboards and even the flooring. I could be in the process of moving now.
Click to expand...
Listen, whatever you buy, work with an agent who will look up the owners of the park you want to buy into and help you research them. They must be Internet savvy. You can also look up park owners yourself at the local County Recorder's office.

I say this because it is common practice among MH park owners now to buy a park, then jack the rents way up if there is little to no rent control in the city or state.

This "investment trend" has been in the news, but not much: https://www.npr.org/2021/09/03/1033...g-up-mobile-home-parks-and-evicting-residents
https://www.propertyradar.com/blog/introduction-on-mobile-home-park-investing

As you probably know, to some park owners you are not a person. You're nothing but the liability part of their investment and if they want to raise the rent a great deal and local laws allow them, they will force you out.

Find some Mobile Homeowners groups online and JOIN THEM. Often they will protest rent increases together, go to city council meetings together, and fight the power together if there is a huge rent increase. One person fighting alone cannot do much; individuals are easy to crush, like bugs.

So, find and join some groups of MH owners.
 
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smilingmore said:
I am in a similar situation. My house is sold and I am looking for another but the prices are so high that I can't afford to buy one large enough to hold all my furniture and accumulations. If I save the money from the sale of my house I can only afford to rent for 7 years before the money will be gone. Then what?
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It's much better to get rid of furniture than to keep renting.

In my area, even condos are far out of my price range. It's that bad. I only stay here because I have family here. I do not live in a Senior-friendly state.
 
Why not consider looking at condos again....just gives you another option. And there is nothing to lose but time.
 
Remy said:
That was another mobile home park. This park takes two pets, including two smaller dogs. I did on the application however, say I had one cat. I won't go through that again.

The saga of the place in the park with one pet. I made an offer. It was below what she wanted. The agent said it was over priced. My agent insists if it's a cash offer to show a copy of your savings with the account number blacked out. I didn't want to and the seller did exactly what I knew she would. She countered with two grand less than I had in that account. I stopped right there.

I tried offering again when she lowered the price significantly. That's when they said one pet. In the end it closed for 11 grand less than my first offer. I. cannot. win.
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It is a common and accepted practice for cash buyers to submit "proof of funds" with their offer. Your agent was not misleading you. If you're scared of someone getting your account number, don't black it out, cut it off the page with scissors.

Also, I am a woman alone too, and it SUCKS to buy property alone. IT STINKS. You worry about everything that can go wrong with the house, will you be able to fix it, where will you find honest techs to do the work if it breaks, is everyone ripping you off and seeing you as a stupid old lady and an easy mark? (And yes, those predators are alive and well and trying to hurt Seniors, so you're not paranoid on that.)

Thankfully, I read a lot and I'm good at looking of information online, so I know how to pour the time into doing my research. I'm also not afraid to "fire" people. Not at all. I used to be so much nicer when I was younger. 👼. Now it's like I'm running out of time to be "nice", so do the job right or I'm replacing you.

Here's some sites in CA that might help you:
California Mobile Home Park News - Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance (MHPHOA)
Mobilehome Parks | California Department of Housing and Community Development
Who Regulates Mobile Home Parks in California?
 
Thank you @VintageBetter I bookmarked all those sites.

I think also if they see only a female name on the offer, they may act different. But again, I'm making mistake after mistake. That's also a good idea to cut the account number off.

You don't even want to get me started on the piece of garbage that listed my house when I sold it. She listed it on the MLS for 150 square feet and told me she could not change that. I'm not stupid, I know it was a lie. I was luckily able to dump her when this local office she worked at suddenly closed. I called an agent I had met on the walkthrough. She sold my house fast.
 
birdy said:
Why not consider looking at condos again....just gives you another option. And there is nothing to lose but time.
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I don't have the money. I can't look at what I can't afford. I could have 10 years ago but not now. Prices have probably more than doubled.
 
VintageBetter said:
Listen, whatever you buy, work with an agent who will look up the owners of the park you want to buy into and help you research them. They must be Internet savvy. You can also look up park owners yourself at the local County Recorder's office.

I say this because it is common practice among MH park owners now to buy a park, then jack the rents way up if there is little to no rent control in the city or state.

This "investment trend" has been in the news, but not much: https://www.npr.org/2021/09/03/1033...g-up-mobile-home-parks-and-evicting-residents
https://www.propertyradar.com/blog/introduction-on-mobile-home-park-investing

As you probably know, to some park owners you are not a person. You're nothing but the liability part of their investment and if they want to raise the rent a great deal and local laws allow them, they will force you out.

Find some Mobile Homeowners groups online and JOIN THEM. Often they will protest rent increases together, go to city council meetings together, and fight the power together if there is a huge rent increase. One person fighting alone cannot do much; individuals are easy to crush, like bugs.

So, find and join some groups of MH owners.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is happening and even hit the local news. While there is some rent control in California, mobile parks are not under that and the news piece said they are trying to change that. I don't know. I made such a mistake. This place is private owned and reasonable. I have to find something and what I will have to live on is what I will live on.
 
Remy said:
mobile parks are not under that and the news piece said they are trying to change that.
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I hope they do get it changed; it's so needed. I'm afraid it's a real battle: I read an article a few years ago that interviewed the CEO (or president or whatever) of either the Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance mentioned above by Vintage or another similar organization and he stated that he was having a heck of a time getting established here in Calif. He said although it's not cheap to belong--maybe about $300 or $400/year IIRC--they do hire lawyers and paralegals sometimes to help owners of mobiles in parks and have won more than a few cases for mobile owners.

But he said that every time he has a booth at a fairgrounds or whatever in Calif. where the new mobile homes and appliances for mobiles, etc. are being displayed, he has wealthy-looking (so they could probably easily afford it) elderly mobile home owners come up to his booth and frowningly say something like, "What's this you're pushing here?" And when he explains it to them how his insurance can help with legal problems with park owners, the person will frown even deeper and throw down the brochure and say, "Sounds like a bunch of communist cr@p to me! Not interested!" He said that since that only ever happens, and always happens, in Calif., that mobile home owners in Calif. must be the most conservative in the nation.

So that's at least one reason that mobile owners in parks in Calif. can often get scr3wed.
 

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