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Gives a whole new meaning to trailer trash

Gives a whole new meaning to trailer trash

We have a PR problem

Christopher Ebert
February 27, 2023

I came across a NY Post article with the attention-grabbing headline “A trailer in a Hamptons billionaires’ bunker sells for a record $3.75M” (link here). I thought - Great article for the newsletter.

Then, I came across an Independent article that was a follow-up to the NY Post article (link here). The headline “People are divided after trailer in the Hamptons sells for $3.75m: ‘Only in America’” is a typical click-bait exaggeration, but as a mobile home park owner, there is more nuance to the article.

When any article mentions “on social media”, you have to take it with a grain of salt. In the Independent article, the social media post cited was “Only in America. A buyer is plunking down $3.75m for a luxury mobile home in a trailer park in the Hamptons. Gives a whole new meaning to trailer trash.” I point this out, not because I take umbrage to the “trailer trash” label. I point this out because, despite someone paying $3.75 million for anything, someone STILL makes a “trailer park” joke. The point is, if we all start selling mobile homes for over a million dollars, will the mobile home park perception change? Definitely not overnight. Maybe not at all.

Enjoy!

What We Are Reading

The Goods - Manufactured Housing

People are divided after trailer in the Hamptons sells for $3.75m: ‘Only in America’ — Hamptons, NY

The purchase of a trailer in the Hamptons, New York, for nearly $4m has people divided, with some questioning the record-breaking price while others have defended the cost of the home based on its location.

Havenpark Communities to Provide Up to 40 New Scholarships to Residents in 2023 — Orem, UT

Havenpark Communities, an operator and developer of manufactured homes across the country, is proud to announce it expects to award up to 40 new scholarships as part of the renewal of its Annual Scholarship Fund for residents.

'Taps are bone dry' | Muskegon Co. mobile home park without water — Norton Shores, MI

Residents of a Muskegon County mobile home park are hunkering down without any running water. One resident of Oaks Mobile Home Park is now coming forward after he says the park cut off their water on Monday without telling them.

Lightner Creek Mobile home park residents without running water for 11 days — Cleveland, OH

Residents of the 40-unit Lightner Creek Mobile Home Park have been without running water for 11 days – since Feb. 13. Darlene Mann, owner of the park located at 907 Lightner Creek Road (County Road 207), has been served a cease-and-desist order by the Division of Housing of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs alleging her lack of response violates Colorado’s Mobile Home Park Act.

Bangor approves tiny home park — Bangor, ME

Tiny homes are coming to Hammond Street in Bangor. The Planning Board unanimously approved a 34-unit tiny home park at Tuesday’s meeting. The project is being built at an existing mobile home park.

Officials step in to help Killingworth mobile home residents fight raising rates — Killingworth, CT

Jackie Vece lives in Beechwood Community Mobile Home Park in Killingworth. Residents here don’t own the land their houses are on. The land is owned by Sun Communities, a billion-dollar, publicly traded real estate investment trust that is headquartered in Michigan.

General Real Estate News

Ranking the Top 10 Multifamily Markets to Watch in 2023. (Link)

It’s the Economy, Stupid

Fed’s Preferred Inflation Gauge Accelerates, Adding Pressure for More Rate Hikes. (Link)

Regulatory and Affordability

Affordable Housing Tenants Ordered to Move Out During Renovations, Return to Rent Increases. (Link)
Public Housing Works. We Need More of It. (Link)
Two bills aimed at affordable housing draw industry backing and local criticism. (Link)
Biden's latest whack at the suburbs will change your neighborhood for the worse. (Link)
Houston wanted to lead the nation in long-term affordable housing. Now it’s backpedaling. (Link)

Charts Making Us Smarter

Public Markets Corner

Sun Communities Inc Management's Discussion And Analysis Of Financial Condition And Results Of Operations (form 10-K).

We are a fully integrated REIT. As of December 31, 2022, we owned and operated, directly or indirectly, or had an interest in, a portfolio of 669 developed properties located in the U.S., the UK, and Canada, including 353 MH communities, 182 RV communities and 134 marinas. We have been in the business of acquiring, operating, developing and expanding MH and RV communities since 1975 and marinas since 2020.