Can't afford a house for $800,000 near the coast? Consider an upscale $400,000 trailer with a view of the mountains.
Shopping for a home in pricey Westlake Village, Stacy and John Fernandez quickly realized their $360,000 budget would get them only so far. Still, they never expected to end up in a trailer park.
But they are thrilled with the three-bedroom, two-bath double-wide they bought last December in Oak Forest, a leafy mobile home park nestled at the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains.
With its covered front porch, spacious family room and two-car garage, the 1,800-square-foot mobile home offers plenty of "house" for the money and — best of all — the Fernandezes own the land their home sits on.
"We're surrounded by $1-million homes, so this is a deal," said Stacy Fernandez, a probation officer who couldn't afford anything else in the high-end community. "We were told by our Realtor yesterday that … our house has gone up $30,000 in value.
Renee Michelle Alexander bought her 1970s-era trailer there in January for $400,000. New models often feature granite countertops and hardwood floors; hers has leaky toilets, old plumbing and a dark interior. But Alexander, a first-time homeowner who relocated from Pasadena to be closer to family, figures she got a deal anyway.
"Where else can you get all this space?" the artist and massage therapist said as she opened doors and closets to reveal a collection of vintage clothing, antique jewelry and garage sale curios. "Not in a condo."
Alexander and the Fernandez family are part of a small but growing segment of people who see mobile homes as a way to achieve a piece of the American dream in hyper-expensive coastal California.
http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/showcase/la-me-mobile11apr11.story
Shopping for a home in pricey Westlake Village, Stacy and John Fernandez quickly realized their $360,000 budget would get them only so far. Still, they never expected to end up in a trailer park.
But they are thrilled with the three-bedroom, two-bath double-wide they bought last December in Oak Forest, a leafy mobile home park nestled at the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains.
With its covered front porch, spacious family room and two-car garage, the 1,800-square-foot mobile home offers plenty of "house" for the money and — best of all — the Fernandezes own the land their home sits on.
"We're surrounded by $1-million homes, so this is a deal," said Stacy Fernandez, a probation officer who couldn't afford anything else in the high-end community. "We were told by our Realtor yesterday that … our house has gone up $30,000 in value.
Renee Michelle Alexander bought her 1970s-era trailer there in January for $400,000. New models often feature granite countertops and hardwood floors; hers has leaky toilets, old plumbing and a dark interior. But Alexander, a first-time homeowner who relocated from Pasadena to be closer to family, figures she got a deal anyway.
"Where else can you get all this space?" the artist and massage therapist said as she opened doors and closets to reveal a collection of vintage clothing, antique jewelry and garage sale curios. "Not in a condo."
Alexander and the Fernandez family are part of a small but growing segment of people who see mobile homes as a way to achieve a piece of the American dream in hyper-expensive coastal California.
http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/showcase/la-me-mobile11apr11.story
