Posted by Jerry Freeman on June 12, 2002 at 19:21:39:
… but I like your writing fine just as it is. The typing/spelling eccentricities make it all the more interesting to read.
Best wishes,
Jerry
1st deal, move it or leave it? - Posted by Blue Mountain
Posted by Blue Mountain on June 11, 2002 at 12:48:54:
Hello all-
I have decided, after much reading and analysis, to finally jump in and get a deal done. Here is what I have got:
1986 Springbrook 14 X 70 3 bd 1 ba, asked $5500.00, purchased for $3300.00 cash.
It needs a little cosmetic work (paint, maybe carpet), and has a smell (cat urine?), but I know I can make a large profit on it. The mobile is in a park about 40 miles from me, where the lot rent is $240 per month. I have a buyers list of locals in my town, so I could have it moved here ($1200.00), to a park where the lot rent is about $125.
The mobile has the axles and wheels, as well as the hitch underneath. Should I have it moved, or advertise to get a buyer where it currently sits?
BTW, does $1000 down, $200 per mo for 36 months sound reasonable? It books on NADA for about $9000 (as is, no fix-up). Thanks for the advise!!
Dan, KY
Re: 1st deal, move it or leave it? - Posted by Chris (TX)
Posted by Chris (TX) on June 11, 2002 at 14:24:14:
Dan, if this were my deal there is no way I would move that puppy unless it became absolutely necessary to sell it… and even then I’d be pretty choked up about spending $1200 to do it. (My moving costs run $400 - $450)
40 miles for me is nothing. I wish I had 20 MH’s right now that were 40 miles away (closer would be better, but I wouldn’t complain). Maybe your concern is showing it to potential buyers, yep… always a pain driving back and forth, but just pop in some of Lonnie’s tapes as you are driving, and the time will be well spent in “class”.
If you are short on time or have problems scheduling with every single caller, just set up a time for several potential buyers to meet you all at the same time (that Lonnie guy really knows what he’s talking about 
) and meet them then, stirs up a little competition among them to buy the home… a “feeding frenzy” effect can sometimes be achieved. (Take down names and numbers of everyone present, and you’ll have a list of more serious potential buyers for you next deal, too.)
If you don’t want to go that route, make friends with the neighbors. Give them a key and offer to pay them to show your house. ($5, $7, or maybe $10 per showing? - be sure to call people after they’ve supposedly been to see the house so you can verify the neighbor did show it to them, and you can discuss the home a bit with them, determine if there is some small detail that might cinch the deal with them, or find out if there is a problem they see that you didn’t etc.) You’ll set appointments and notify them who to let in, etc. Be sure to have info sheets inside the house, (like builder/realtor open houses)…including all cash price and price if you finance, etc… so that all questions are answered by YOUR fact sheet instead of the neighbor who might get too “verbal” about things he/she does/doesn’t really know about your house.
Who knows, the neighbor might have a friend/relative who is even looking for a home to buy, he/she might sell your home for you… you never know.
At any rate, it won’t hurt to run an ad and see what response you get where it sits now. Don’t forget to improve the curb appeal as much as you can.
As for the “cat problem” search the archives for some solutions to that. As for your financing/price for this home… I think alot depends on your market and your personal sales ability, etc… so I couldn’t really advise you there.
Oh and, by the way, thanks Dan… your post reminded me of an '86 MH I need to check back on… seller should be just about ready to negotiate by now
Good luck!
Chris (TX)
Why do you have to move it? - Posted by Dr. Craig Whisler CA
Posted by Dr. Craig Whisler CA on June 11, 2002 at 14:19:19:
Since you have already bought it there is nothing to be gained by saying what you coulda or shoulda done. Consturctive suggestions are what you need now.
If you try to get the new buyer to move it, assuming that you plan for it to be moved 40 miles to your town, you are faced with a problem. If you try to sell it when it is located 40 miles away, your potential customers may not want to drive that far to see it. If they do you might be able to get them to pay the moving costs. Asking buyers to pay moving costs in a case like this is pretty hard to do. It is complicated, a lot of work and will likely turn them off.
Why not ask the park where you want to move it if they will pay the moving and set up cost (or at least part of it)? This is fairly common if the manager is anxious to fill up holes in his park (and income).
Caution: be careful how you word your conversation with the park manager. If you do, or have already lead him to believe that you PREFER his park you have shafted yourself. You generally should approach the PM and say something like I am debating whether to move this mobile from park A 40 miles away to this town. I am also checking out the other parks in this town (or nearby–if there are any others). Let him think he has to compete to get your mobile into his park. If he has even one vacant space he is losing money every month. Point this out to him (nicely- since he already knows).
Next point to ponder is that, if you have the time and the inclination, you might save another $400-$600 off of the moving and setup costs by doing some of the work yourself. This is great for young people who can work with their hands.
You might want to take a few more extimates from different movers if you have more than one to choose from. Some may be busier than others and you might get a lower price from someone who is a little hungry. Ask movers if they can reccommend a set up guy who might be slow right now and who can give you a lower price for the setup work. I would remind the mover that I am on a tight budget and that if you can’t get the costs down low enough I can’t even afford to do this deal. He doesn’t not have to know that you already bought it. If you have already told him that, well, better luck next time. Its all a learning experience. You can’t negotiate prices so easily if the party you are talking to knows you have already done the deal and now you really NEED him. The mover doesn’t necessarily have to do the set up, even if he wants too.
Do you have something that you could trade for moving, setup, and rehab costs?
The preperation wowrk that I mentioned above that you might be able to do yourself is stuff like removing the skirting, awnings, poarch and unpluging the elect. cord and disconnecting the water and gas lines etc. This all takes time and you mover is including all this in his estimate.
Also after you’ve gotten your costs beaten down as far as possible ask the mover if you can either make payments to him OR if you can pay him from the downpayment you will get when you resell it.
Maybe you could get the new buyer to do the rehab himself to conserve your cash since I presume you are just starting out, and not as flush as a cheap toilet.
I would tell the potential buyers, that you want $2,500 down,not $1,000, BUT, that if they would be willing to do the rehab themselves you could be a nice guy and let them have it with only $1,000 down.
If you do this you should consider carefully documenting your agreemwnt as far as the rehab. work that the buyer is promising to do in lieu of some of the downstroke money. Remember the fulfillment of the promise to complete the rehab. is in the same category as the cash downpayment money you would have received without the rehab. TREAT IT LIKE MONEY. IT IS. It is a PAYMENT to you. Agree on a work schedule and quality standards in your written agreement of sale with him. Be SURE he understands and agrees by signing the contract, that if he defaults on the rehab work, it is the same as if he defaults on his monthly payments to you and you. Say you will have to repossess the mobile home just as if he didn’t make his agreed monthly payments. Be REAL clear on this and you won’t likely have so much trouble with him on the matter of the rehab. not being done as promised. I have made oral rehab. agreements about 10 times and NONE of them were fulfilled to my satisfaction. Some people are slow learners (me). Finally I started discussing and writing all this down in the contract. Now nearly 1/2 of the time it gets done right. I am thankful for small favors. If your buyer is going to default on his payments it is likely to occur during the first 6 months or so, I try to rush the rehab schedule right along and try get it all finished in the first 3 months. In case I have to repo it at least I have it all fixed up, and in that way I have gotten all of my downpayment.
I forgot to mention above that you could also do the reverse of the preperation for moving work. You could reinstall the awnings, skirting, hook up the utilities etc. Removing and reinstalling 2,000 small sheet metal screws is tedious work and you pay for it in your setup or moving bill. If you do this just get an electric screwdriver (reversible) and HARDENED sockets. You will likely need 3-4 because they often spin a few times before you have pressed the socked down all of the way onto the screw heads and this rounds off the inside corners of the sockets and ruins them.Tthat is why you will need several and that is why you need to get them from a mobile home mover, not Wal Mart. MH supply stores know what you need and buy specially hardend sockets that last 20 times longer that Sears or K-mart stuff. If you are smart you will go FIRST to a MH supply store. If you aren’t you will go to Sears or Wal Mart. If you don’t like manual labor you could possibly hire a hanydman for a day or too if you can get one for $10 or less per hour. It should save you some money over having a professional set up man do the work. At that low rate ($10/hr.) you had better be present while the work is being done to count the hours. Some worker’s meters tend to run a little fast. That way you would also be sure the job is done right. This prep work and resetup stuff is quite easy to do. YOu only need the setup guy to set you mobile lever and put the piers under. DO NOT attempt this your self, if you wife need your earnings to survive, cause you might not. It is very dangerous to do set leveling and suport pier set up work with professional training. I don’t always listen to my own advice and I 've had a couple of bad experiences that way. The misses isn’t stupid. She now has a little ore life insurance on me just in case I am (stupid) again. (~: When is someone going to ask why I use the curvy line for the nose?
Regards, doc
That’s why I say Doc is a… - Posted by Kevin OK
Posted by Kevin OK on June 12, 2002 at 07:37:02:
That’s why I say Doc is a veteran!! He can describe things well because he’s obviously been there!
I was laughing aloud as I saw myself spinning and chewing up inexpensive nut drivers from Wal-Mart. I think they may even sell them by the pound.
Another tool that is helpful for removal work prior to moving a MH is a recipricating saw. I didn’t have one the time I had to take apart an attached patio cover. The supporting posts had rusted nuts & bolts. The best tool I had for that job was a sabre saw with metal cutting blade(s) on it. It chewed up several of the blades…but did the job.
Thank Doc,
Kevin
Re:funny nose - Posted by Max (CO)_
Posted by Max (CO)_ on June 11, 2002 at 23:41:47:
Geez Doc,
I thought the curvt line was just you being cute. Does it have to do with big macs (~:? BTW…don’t get me confused with another Max I saw on the board the other day. I’m always Max (CO). happy MH and BIg Mac hunting!
-Max (CO)
That reminds me… - Posted by Dr. Craig Whisler CA
Posted by Dr. Craig Whisler CA on June 12, 2002 at 10:46:17:
…I once had a bad experience with movers that were reprocating saw happy. Since they were working for a fixed price they were moving faster than a chicken with the Kentucky Colonel after’em. When they got to the vertical posts holding up my awnings they CUT them off near the bottom instead of unbolting them so I could not reuse them. Boy was I p.o.'d. Their little chain saw massacre cost me $30 bucks to remedy. I was young and innocent then and I hadn’t learned how to deduct $30 from someones check (yet). Now we discuss such things before I give out the contract and you should to. Or to put it more technically …sometimes there is just no substitute for being they any saying HEY.
One more war story, so you can learn from the mistakes in my life (both of them).
A reciprocating saw is absolutely wonderful when tearing down and prepping mobiles for moving. It is especially useful for cutting plastic piping when you’re in a hurry. I still remember my brand new “Chicago”. I guess you can say I broke it in right. I craweled under the business half (ever notice that the baths, laundry rooms, and kitchens are all usually on the same side of a dowble wide? … for economy’s sake) anyway I wanted to cut the pvc-work. So I just laid on my back and reached up and started cutting. Burrrp, there goes the water line. Burrrp, there goes the gas line. Finally Burrp there goes the sewer line. Guess where my face was? Eeeeak!
Do as I say, not as I do.
Regards, doc
Ok now I think I’ve got that straight. now… - Posted by Dr. Craig Whisler CA
Posted by Dr. Craig Whisler CA on June 12, 2002 at 11:59:43:
…Max (C0), Max Factor, and Big Macks, right?
The nose?
The tilde is because its been broke more that a few times. Guess I need a persoality transplant too.
You’re personality’s fine the way it is … - Posted by Jerry Freeman
Posted by Jerry Freeman on June 12, 2002 at 14:42:59:
… What you need is a spelling transplant.
However, maybe it’s better left as it is. Your spelling has created one or two of the funniest posts in memory. For anyone interested, do an archive search on “Use it or lose it.”
Best wishes,
Jerry
Which part of this post don’t you understand… - Posted by Dr. Craig Whisler CA
Posted by Dr. Craig Whisler CA on June 12, 2002 at 19:13:44:
… Jerry?
OK, OK, I can take the mussel hit, but how can you tell the difference between my speeling and my typing?