What Have You Bought for Yourself Lately?

[haele]

63. A 1500sqft + 2bdr, 2 ba (+ office) double-wide.

Bought for ourselves (rather than just myself) a thouroughly inspected structurally sound "as is" 1970 model (with the original carpet and appliances, but relatively new electrical and pluming throughout) with my husband for $25K, lot rental for the 60ft x 80ft lot the trailer is on (it has a small back yard, existing fruit trees, enough of "a view" to feel like we're almost in the country, and the property line is 15 ft. either side from the trailer)is $750 a month at a very nice privately owned park with a 10-year lease.

We're spending an additional $30K (bath and kitchen update, energy-efficient weather-proofing, trades work for the critical stuff and needed maintenece, new floors and paint) to bring it up to our needs and as near as to ADA standards as we can get it.
I expect it would easily last another 30 years as long as we keep it up. And we get a tax write-off to upgrade it.

Considering we're paying $1600 a month for the privilidge of living in a 1950's 900 sq ft 2 bdrm 1 ba bungelow in the middle of the 'hood and in far worse shape than the double-wide, this is a bargain and a half. And we can do whatever we want in the interior without permission, so long as it won't burn down the park or disturb the neighbors...
Some people might think a double-wide is low, but even though we don't have granite countertops and travertine backsplashes and we have to be mindful of the structural load we put on the floor (so no concert grand pianos or partical accellorators!), it's a nice, clean spacious home with an open floorplan and good insulation. And nice, new bamboo floors (that nasty 70's shag carpet and 3/4" particle board subfloor was the first thing to be gone, baby,gone)

Haele