Many people are hunting for land to park manufactured housing on in the Greater Houston area right now. Here's part of why:
1. They are nice, cheap housing that weathered Hurricane Ike surprisingly well.
2. FEMA is selling all those trailers that they brought in following Hurricane Ike. The one qualification is that they park it on a permitted lot. Because of this, there is a rush, of sort, for inexpensive lots for trailers.
So, with so many people looking for parking pads for trailers, where can they go? Here are some things to consider:
Very few cities are allowing manufactured home permits. Among the cities banning any future trailer permits are: Houston, Pasadena, La Porte, Seabrook, El Lago, Nassau Bay, League City, La Marque, West University, Baytown, Galena Park, and Webster. They are banning them by having very strict building codes. So, when you call them, be very careful with the wording you use.
To find a community that will accept manufactured homes, in most cases, you must find an area that in unincorporated, (which means it is not an official city). Most counties do not have rules against manufactured homes. (Two counties that DO BAN trailers are Galveston and Brazoria).
Communities such as Barrett Station, Highlands, Crosby, Huffman, (the parts that are NOT in the city of Houston), and areas far West and/or North of Houston, such as around Lake Conroe, Lake Livingston, and Waller are unincorporated, and therefore cannot ban manufactured homes, except through DEED RESTRICTIONS.
Two cities that DO allow manufactured homes are Dayton in Liberty County, and Mt. Belvieu in Chambers County.
Once you determine if the community is or is not in a city that allows manufactured homes, you must check the DEED RESTRICTIONS of the subdivision. Many subdivisions have their deed restrictions posted on line. Run a search for a specific subdivision to see if they are on line. If they are not on line, the real estate listings at www.har.com should specify if trailers are permitted or not. I have found that these listings are not 100% accurate, so before you put down earnest money down on a piece of land, have your Realtor® run a title/deed restriction search to be extra sure. You should also check with the county or city to be extra sure you may place a manufactured home there so that you are getting what you want-a place to put your trailer.
One other trick that might work is to go visit a Manufactured Home Sales Office and speak to them. They are great people that love to talk. I'm sure they could guide you to an area where manufactured homes are permitted.
The last word of advice: Be prepared to pay. Land is not cheap. There are not very many lots available under $5000 that can take a trailer, and those that are listed are not desirable lots. They have major issues like trash, being right next to train tracks, lots of clearing that would need to be done to get a house in there, or there is no MUD district water and sewer, and the lot is too small for a well and septic system.
Speaking of wells and septic systems, one thing to look for when buying a lot is if there is a sewer and water that you can tie into, or if you will have to drill a well and dig a septic system. All of this requires permits. Wells and septic systems require lots of space, usually at least an acre, if you have to put both in on an unimproved lot. I estimate that to install both a well and septic system will cost around $20,000, when all is said and done.
So, when shopping for a lot to park a trailer on, be very careful, and find you a Realtor® that is familiar with the processes, permits, offices, title companies, and banks that are willing to write loans for these types of special transactions.
I'll do my best to help you if you email or call me!
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