Don't ever buy a manufactured home

We got our tax bill from Yamhill County. Somehow we have to come up with $900.

We live in a 1998 60x35ft Mobile home. Now it is not just your run of the mill 1967 El Car trailer house. This is a "Super Good Sense," energy efficient Redman manufactured home with 2x6" construction and lots of insulation. The nice fellow from Yamhill County Tax Assessor's office said it is a Class 5 and sort of gave me the idea that I was cream o the crop as far as manufactured home go.

I said we paid $40,000 over twenty years ago and it is so old insurance companies won't touch it and they have it listed as $140,000? Plus, we don't even own the land under it. (I think that was a mistake to say)

He quoted me recent sales in mobile home parks for similar square footage and features (class 5) that were older than 1998 that sold from $125,000 to $180,000. Plus, we had a $40,000 hardship exception that reduced our assessed value. (I assume this was from my father in law living with us and now we will probably lose that one. I was evasive on that)

I looked up manufactured homes on the local manufacturer's website. I could buy a brand new Manufactured Home for $150,000-$180,000! 

Of course the scam is this... Housing shortage locally. Manufactured homes are financed like automobiles with high interest rates and credit checks. Your local Mobile Home Park has the home in place and probably is hooked up with a finance company.

According to my handy calculator app from AgDirect the payments on a $180,000 manufactured home would be a measly $2,000 a month

And there you have it folks. $2,000 a month to the finance company plus space rent so you can hit the average cost of a house rental in this area. 

If you move or default on the payments the Mobile Home park repos the house and resells it to the next sucker.

I bet you can hardly give away a manufactured home out in the wild because you have to move it and you have to finance it. 

I think we would be money ahead to just quit paying taxes on this house. If someone bought the POS at a Sheriff's auction they would have to haul it off. I could buy a new smaller one for $75,000 and build a big garage on what was left of my slab.

Or I could buy it back for less than three years worth of taxes and be in the clear.

What a scam!!!

I could replace my $175,000 used Manufactured home with a new one for $148,000 and make $20,000. Or at least I could according to may tax assessment from Yamhill County

This is my backup plan for when the wife hears about my scheme to quit paying taxes. It is 10x20 and has a Catio. I am not fond of cats but it is a bonus. Plus I can pick it up with the forklift! I better move it before the assessor tries to hit me up with a tax bill for $100,000 tiny home... Taxation is theft...