this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2026
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Mobile homes and manufactured homes (depends what kind) don't appreciate in value in the same way conventional construction homes do. They act more like cars and trucks in a purely financial sense, in that they lose value pretty rapidly.
Home ownership is one of the last remaining vehicles of generational wealth available to most people. There is indeed prejudice around living in a "trailer", but many more would do so if they acted more like other real estate in a financial sense.
There are other issues too, like lack of repairability, having to get custom-fitted appliances/HVAC and the overall lack of durability. I definitely understand the appeal for those who can't afford something else, but categorically they are temporary housing and will be very expensive to maintain in the long run without any of the added financial benefits that come with owning a conventional home. And that's not even covering the topic of lot rent.
Mobile home owner here. I'm pretty sure that most of their bad reputation as an investment is because most of them do not come with the land, but if they do come with the land, then as an asset they will behave more like other real estate. The main thing that is valuable about a home is that it confers the legal right and practical ability to live in that location, but mobile homes placed on rented land categorically do not.
To address the other points (warning: c/dull_mens_club style content ahead):
To give an example of a repair task related to custom appliances: The water heater broke, and replacing it was complicated by the differences between normal and mobile home water heaters; the latter are smaller, and the cold water intake pipe is on the bottom rather than the top. I had to downgrade to a slightly smaller, mobile home approved tank because the previous one was a regular water heater too large to be up to code as it is placed in a small contained closet and there are clearance requirements. The floor underneath it also needed some repairs, which were fairly simple. All of the plumbing, electrical wiring, and joists underneath the floor can be accessed from the crawlspace by cutting through the wrap material and insulation with a utility knife, and then stapled/taped up when done, which is a little awkward given the lack of space, but everything is accessible without that much difficulty. The cost of the whole replacement was mostly the tank itself, which was more expensive than a comparable non-mobile-home water heater, but only by $100 or so.
Overall, the thing is a really simple single story structure, and compared to what I saw my parents go through trying to maintain an old farmhouse it seems like easy mode.