Terminology Tuesday - How to Hire a Contractor

(Note: I think it's important to know the terminology and words used when learning any new business including mobile home investing. I came up with 'Terminology Tuesday' as a way to go over the terminology used in the mobile home business. It's important to know the terminology when talking to people in the business so you're all on the same page).



Video Link

This is a short video on how to hire a contractor.

Learning how to hire good people is a skill I've learned over the years through experience. In the early days, I relied mostly on referrals and for the most part - they weren't that great. I ended up spending a lot of money and a lot of time for people who were not the best and who ended up overcharging me.

Sure, there are big companies out there that do good work. But, what I've learned is that I prefer to work with the little guys. These are the folks who are on the streets, just like me, day in and day out - just working to make a living. And, I find that I prefer to deal with small, family type businesses when it comes to working with contractors.

For the most part, I only deal with contractors who specifically work on mobile homes and in parks. Since this is really a niche business, I want to know the folks I'm dealing with are familiar with mobile homes and the parks I work in.

Lately, I've been receiving many calls from contractors who have dealt with mostly single family homes. When they call, a lot of these folks tell me they know how to fix pretty much everything and mobile homes are just like single family homes. So not true. They are built differently, they are not the same.

So, how do I screen and hire contractors? Well, it's really a matter of preference. Usually, I will work with the park to see who they use for their jobs. But, I'm also sure to check around with the homeowners in the parks I work in - I have found many good and reliable contractors just by talking with the homeowners in the parks.

I always have a few contractors for each type of job lined up. And, I'm constantly interviewing and looking for contractors. I have learned not to rely on one person for everything. Things change, situations change. People change.

For example, recently I had to do a job on a furnace unit that needed to be fixed. Apparently, it had been leaking water when the a/c was turned on.

Well, I had my heating and a/c guy take a look at it. He told me in order to stop the water from leaking the coils would need to be replaced in order to stop the leaking water. He told me it just was no good anymore and that was the only way to stop the water from leaking from the unit.

So, I asked him what this was going to cost me. He quoted me $975. My jaw almost dropped to the floor, I was in shock! Just for that, I asked him if he was serious. He said "yes." I asked him again if there was any other way we could repair the problem, he told me "no."

In any case, I told him to go ahead and fax me the estimate (I always get estimates in writing) and I'd have to look it over again. After hearing this news, I just didn't feel good - I felt this was really a high price for a job like this.

Though a part of me kept saying, "You've used this guy for awhile now, he knows what he's talking about." On the other hand, another part of me was saying "You know what, you better do your research on this before you make a decision. Maybe you should check around and get a second opinion."

So, I did a bit of research on the issue. Turns out, what I researched and found was sometimes the issue could be minor - the coils may not need replacing. But, if they do the $975 figure was just average. The price ranges for this type of job ranged from $700 on the low end to $1500 on the high end. I was advised to get a second opinion. So, I did. And, I'm glad.

I talked to another heating and a/c guy who's been in the business for 10 years, fully licensed and everything. What I liked about this guy was that he was familiar with mobile homes and had done business in the park.

Moreover, he knew exactly the problem - he told me he was familiar with this problem and have seen it in many mobile homes. Thing is, he was familiar with the type of furnace unit since he's had experience in mobile homes.

Turns out, the problem was the coils. But, they didn't have to be replaced. He told me all they need is a cleaning and the pipes just need to be cleaned and unclogged. He explained to me that when the a/c is turned on if the coils are dirty and dirt is blocking the exit then water cannot escape - it gets stuck. And, when it gets stuck then it just sits there and does not go anywhere - that is the cause of the leak.

Furthermore, he told me once the coils are cleaned as well as the pipes of all the dirt and debris - then the water can evaporate and escape from the home. He told me this is just like a car, all it needs is a good maintenance and tune up.

So, I ended up using this guy and guess what? It cost me less money. Instead of $975 with the first guy, I received an estimate of $200 with the second. This is a $775 price difference just by getting a second opinion!

But, here's the kicker about the story. Turns out my original a/c and heating guy, he was no longer licensed. I checked him out in the licensing database and he was no longer listed. I remember awhile back, I had a hard time reaching him as his phone number was disconnected. I checked his license and it said "Expired." Now it turns out, he is no longer licensed.

The lesson I've learned is that I cannot always depend on one person for the job, I have to always be out there looking for folks to add to my team. Situations change, people change - things don't always remain the same.

I hope this "Terminology Tuesday" post has been helpful and has given you some useful information to use both in your business as well as your personal life - it definitely has for me.

Happy investing!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!

Must Know Investing: "The Best and Brightest Women in REI" Series

(Note: This image was created by my pal Julie's graphic designer for an award Julie personally gave me (click on image to view). Thanks Julie!)

So, I was all set to write a long "Investing 101" type blog post this morning (I am a really early riser!) but changed my mind. Honestly, it's been a long week. I've been dealing with both park management and contractors issues this week. To say the least, it's been chaotic.

In two of my favorite parks, there has been changes in personnel. To say the least, it's been sudden. I've been in emergency meetings with the park management and maintenance teams all week. I've dealt with this before with a few of my parks in the past. And, with change - comes a new team.

Since I've had a long term relationship with these parks, the staff already knows me (They are the ones who vouch for me!). So, when changes in personnel occur it's always a new training exercise to get to know the new folks.

Surprisingly, it's funny because a lot of times the new folks can seem pretty overwhelmed by everything and I go in there and try to make them relax. A lot of times, they feel relieved there is someone there who is willing to help and listen to what they're going through.

In any case, I will save this post for another day. And, go into a whole different topic.

Last month, I wrote a post regarding the Must Know Investing Series, "The Best and Brightest Women in Real Estate Investing."

In any case, I wanted to let everyone know that the videos are out for the series. I encourage everyone here to check them out as they are very educational and informative. Here they are (in the order of appearance):

Julie Broad (Life as Real Estate Investors and Rev N You)
Esi Benedict (Flipping Mom)
Shae Bynes (Good Faith Investing)
Christina Mellott (Real Estate Investor Mom)
Steph Davis (Flip This Wholesaler)
Patricia Ridelle (Must Know Investing)
Me ----> Mobile Home Gurl
Susan Lassiter-Lyons (The Investor Insights) - Stay tuned next week!

Thank you Patrick for putting this together! I had a really good time participating in the series and getting to know some really cool gals.

If you haven't had a chance, definitely check out the Must Know Investing site - it's definitely a great educational site to learn more about real estate investing. Thanks for reading!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!

Terminology Tuesday - Notary

(Note: I think it's important to know the terminology and words used when learning any new business including mobile home investing. I came up with 'Terminology Tuesday' as a way to go over the terminology used in the mobile home business. It's important to know the terminology when talking to people in the business so you're all on the same page).



According to Wikipedia:

"A notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents. The form that the notarial profession takes varies with local legal systems.

Most common law systems have what is called in the United States a notary public, a public official who notarizes legal documents and who can also administer and take oaths and affirmations, among other tasks. In the United States, a Signing agent, also known as a Loan Signing Agent, is a Notary Public who specializes in notarizing mortgage/real estate documents. Although notaries public are public officials, they are not paid by the government; they may obtain income by charging fees, provide free services in connection with other employment (for example, bank employees), or may provide free services for the public good."

Source Link

For me, I use a notary for all my mobile home transactions - both on the seller and the buyer end. Is it required? Not all the time. But, it's just an extra precaution that I use just in case an issue comes up down the road.

If there ever were to be an issue on the seller end (such as a title issue) or the buyer end (such as a payment issue), having my documents notarized is proof that the folks I'm dealing with have been verified and confirmed by a third party.

(Note: Some investors use a Power of Attorney on the seller end - this is another tool you may want to use. Though, I don't really use it. It will really depend on your area and what is acceptable. In mine, if there's a notarized signature on a particular document - that is acceptable and can serve just like a Power of Attorney for that particular issue as the document is signed and notarized by the individual in question. Again, it's best to check and know the laws in your particular area).

In the mobile home business, things can seem a little bit more "laxed" than in the real estate world. Though, coming from the real estate world - I can be a bit paranoid about these things (I've been told this by a few of my fellow mobile home investors!). My philosophy is that it's better to be safe than sorry. Though, that's just me.

Most of my fellow mobile home investors don't really go this route when buying just mobile homes (not the land). To them, it's a bit of a hassle. Though, I do take the extra step and precaution to get all my documents notarized.

Regarding notary services, I don't really use a mobile notary. In my opinion, they are too expensive for what I'm doing ($100+ per trip out).

On the seller end, usually we get the documents notarized either at a local bank (they usually do this for free and offer it as a service to their customers) or at a mail services store (such as Mail Boxes Etc).

On the buyer end, in some cases the park manager may be a notary for the park. Or, we go the above route.

In the beginning, I did use a fellow investor who was a notary who wanted to learn first hand from me about the mobile home business. We would meet with either the buyers and/or sellers - this fellow investor would notarize all documents free of charge.

It worked out ok for awhile. Though, this fellow investor got more busy and informed me it wasn't something that could be done on a regular basis anymore. I think this fellow investor just wanted to get a peek for the mobile home business, but told me it might be something down the road for them but not at that time. So, we parted ways.

(Note: I think it's ok to go this route in the beginning (when you don't have too many transactions). But, after awhile it can be a bit tedious for the person on the other end when dealing with multiple transactions. So, I just go with an established institution like a bank or company (such as a bank) that performs this service on a regular basis).

To give you a better idea of when and why to use a notary, here's a short video:



Video Link

Again, using the services of a notary will be an individual and case by case decision. It's not always required in the mobile home world. Though, for me using one gives me piece of mind just in case an issue comes up in the future.

I hope this "Terminology Tuesday" post has been helpful.

Happy investing!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!

Hiatus

Hi Everyone!

The blog will be on hiatus this week. Will be back next week, stay tuned!

Video: The Realtor

(Note: Since I like to keep things light on Fridays, I have started a new series called "Friday Fun" which aims to entertain. Hope you enjoy it!)

Very entertaining video, enjoy!

"A very funny short parody on realty."

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



Video Link

Investing 101: The Importance of Persistence and Follow Up

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."

- Frederick Douglass

In my last "Investing 101" post, I talked about the importance of being patient and why I decided to wait for the right opportunity rather than trying to force one that is not so right - one that would have took me into the unknown. Looking back on it now, I'm glad I decided to wait.

Sometimes I can get caught up in the moment and forget one important thing - there are opportunities everywhere. And, if I'm patient enough these opportunities will find me. The key is being patient and waiting for just the right moment.

This week, my patience paid off and that moment found me. I was able to land a deal that I've been working on for 2 years. Yes, that's right - talk about having a lot of patience, eh?

When I first started working this one, I remember many a conversations and meetings with the seller. The seller had been thinking about selling but was still not sure. You see, this was a case where the seller didn't have to sell but thought it would be nice to sell. The problem was motivation - it was just something the seller was just thinking about but didn't really plan for.

So, we did a lot of back and forth - not even about the price, more about if the seller was still thinking about selling or not. We talked about the future, goals and plans. And, it usually ended with the seller saying, "Oh, we'll see. But, thanks for keeping in touch. Let's chat again in a few weeks."

And, this went on for 2 years. Every so often, I'd give this seller a call to see what was going on. And, many a times it was "I'm still thinking about it." I"d say, "Cool, just checking up on it. You need to do what's best for you." So, we had this ongoing relationship for all this time.

And, finally about 6 months ago - the seller finally called me up to let me know they had decided to sell. So, now the issue was not about whether or not the seller was going to sell - the issue now was price.

The price started at 25k. Even though the price was pretty much retail and was high, I still met with the seller to inspect the home again.

(Note: Even if I've inspected the home already, I will make another inspection if a lot of time has passed from my last meeting with the seller. In my experience, I've found that you never know what has changed with the home - some items in the home may or may not be working).

After that meeting, the seller had told me they were now pretty serious about selling the home. But, wanted to try to get the best offer out there.

At this point, I knew it wasn't a question of motivation - this seller didn't have to sell, they just wanted to sell. And, there is a big difference between a "need" and a "want."

So, what I did was tell the seller since they just got serious about selling the home to try and see what kind of offers they get on it. I already knew there was no way the seller would get 25k cash, they would have to finance if they wanted that price.

(Note: This is the power of learning your market. Going into a deal, I already know the value of a home (i.e. wholesale, retail, etc).

The seller agreed and told me they'd keep in touch and let me know how it works out. I said, "Ok," and didn't think of it again.

Well, a few weeks pass by and the seller calls me up. Now, the seller tells me most of the folks who are interested in the home want the seller to finance it. (No surprise there!) And, the seller tells me they really don't want to do that - they want to sell for cash and not be tied to the property anymore. (As do most sellers!)

So, the seller tells me they've decided to go ahead and sell to an investor - the seller asked if I was still interested. I said, "Yes, but I can't buy it at 25k." The seller told me they understood and asked me to come over again. So, I did.

Now, this time when I met with the seller they told me they had been talking to another investor too - one I knew already. I said, "That's cool. Do you want to work with her instead?" But, the seller said they're not sure about this other investor as they don't really have a good feeling about this investor - they weren't sure if this investor knew what they were doing and was serious or not.

(Note: This investor had bought a few properties in the park at retail value refinancing their home with a home equity loan (I don't really recommend this). And, I knew for a fact they didn't have the funds - this investor asked me for a loan and even told me that I should be using other people's money (OPM) to fund deals and not my own because it will give me leverage).

The seller then proceeded to tell me they felt more comfortable working with me since I have a track record and also because I have a close relationship with the park manager. The park manager actually told this seller to just sell to me if they want it done right. So, now it was a question of price.

To make a long story short, we did a lot of back and forth over the next couple of months. And, finally a month before I wrote my last "Investing 101" post the seller called me up and decided to sell to me. And, we agreed on a price that worked for both of us.

So, now I finally landed this deal after 2 years of persistence and follow up. We had a couple issues with clearing up the title, but now that's all taken care of. And, the seller is making arrangements to clear out the home and we plan to close at the end of the month.

For those of you out there who get a bit frustrated, I'm here to tell you - it's so important to be persistent and follow up. I know, it's probably said time and time again but I can truly say it's worth it if you stick to it.

After 2 years of working this deal, my persistence and follow up paid off. And, it paid off big time.

I got a great home in one of my favorite parks. It's a mid 1990s, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, 16x80 (my favorite!) with no work needed - it's in pristine condition. Plus, the seller was kind enough to leave all the appliances in there. We agreed on 11k as the sales price and I know it'll sell owner finance in the mid 20k range - it'll be another $500+/month cash flow payday for the next 10 years.

(Note: For those who are interested, I'll be writing up a case study with pics once this deal is said and done. Thanks for reading!)

Though this deal took a long time and was a lot of hard work and persistence on my part, it was worth it in the end. The lesson here is to be patient - be persistent and always remember to follow up. Things will come if you're patient enough.

As the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait."

(Note: For those who are interested, here is a really good article written by my pal, Shae Bynes. Thanks for reading!)

I'm going to leave you here with a video here from Gary Vaynerchuk that inspired this post.

Happy investing!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



Video Link

Terminology Tuesday - Painting a Mobile Home

(Note: I think it's important to know the terminology and words used when learning any new business including mobile home investing. I came up with 'Terminology Tuesday' as a way to go over the terminology used in the mobile home business. It's important to know the terminology when talking to people in the business so you're all on the same page).



Video Link

This is a quick video on painting a mobile home (exterior). When painting a mobile home, it's best to first make sure the home is clean from all dirt and debris - pressure washing is a good method to use.

If the outside of a mobile home looks a bit worn out and the paint is fading, you may want to look into the possibility of painting it to gain better curb side appeal. I've seen many mobile homes that have looked a bit faded and worn out, but after a good paint job have looked in tip top shape.

Personally, I've never had to paint a mobile home. Most of the homes I buy already have curbside appeal. Though, there have been some that have required some light touchup work on the outside. All in all, curbside appeal is very important. If the exterior does not look good, most folks will pass on through and not even bother to look at the interior.

The Last Finishing Touch to Painting a Mobile Home



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I hope you have enjoyed this "Terminology Tuesday" video. Happy investing!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!

The Social Network (with additional book review)

(Note: Since I like to keep things light on Fridays, I have started a new series called "Friday Fun" which aims to entertain. Hope you enjoy it!)



When I first saw the trailer for this upcoming movie a few weeks ago, it really interested me. The reason why is that I have a really high interest for businesses stories, how they began and how they came to be. At times, you could call it an obsession.

I've read a lot of books on business stories including books such as "The Google Story" and "Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time." My interest for business stories has stayed with me for a very long time, I guess it's the entrepreneur side of me that enjoys reading these types of stories.

So, when I saw the movie trailer for the Facebook story - I just had a burning interest to read the book (which it's based on):



Now, the book does not claim to be entirely true - it is a bit of a work of fiction. The thing is, the book is based on interviews of people who claim to be involved with the progression of Facebook and it's founders. Though, not every character had been interviewed for the book - including Mark Zuckerberg.

Some things in the book could be true, some things not true. It is all part of the story. And, will we ever know the truth of what really happened? Personally, it's one of those things where you had to be there to know what really happened. And, I'll leave it at that.

For me, I really enjoyed the book especially since the concept of social networking is really new to me. Personally, I never understood it. For me, I didn't really understand the concept of meeting and connecting with people online - maybe I'm a bit old fashioned.

However, after reading the book I now understand the whole concept of Facebook and why it was created. It's purpose is not to connect people with strangers (such as other social networks had done in the past including MySpace and Friendster).

Facebook was created to connect folks with people they already know. This was the differentiating factor and what made it stand out. Now, I do understand Facebook and it's purpose. Before, I just didn't understand it.

Apart from learning about the concept of Facebook, the book also goes on to tell the story of the founders (who were friends) - its origins and how it also tore them apart in the name of business. Now, this part was interesting.

For me, I could relate firsthand. I've had entrepreneurial ventures with friends. And, I could relate because what happened in the book emulates what happened to me and my experience.

Personally, I think it's really hard to have an entrepreneurial venture with friends when business is mixed with the personal. And, sometimes being in a group - people want different things, people want to take things in a different direction. This is exactly what happened to me. And, in the end - we had to disassemble and part ways (just like in the Facebook story).

After reading the book, I think people will have many different perspectives on it. I know my perspective could be different from someone else. I guess the saying may be true, "There are always 3 sides to any story: my side, your side and the truth."

For those interested in the movie, I highly recommend reading the book first. There are certain characters who will be in the movie and it just looks like it will be more understandable for those who familiarize themselves with the characters and the book beforehand.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I'm looking forward to the movie when it comes out. I hope you enjoyed this episode of "Friday Fun." Have a great weekend!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!



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Deal or No Deal: 3 Mobile Home Lots With 2 Mobile Homes

Since I've received a lot of requests for more case studies, I thought I'd make up another post for "Deal or No Deal."

This one is for 3 mobile home lots with 2 mobile homes. I got the call from a family who was a friend of someone I had spoken to awhile back.

(Note: Usually, when I talk to people for some reason they remember me. Maybe it's my demeanor and my laid back way of doing things. I get a lot of compliments from folks who tell me that I'm different from most investors - I come in more of a consultant than anything else. I always try to come up with solutions for folks - it doesen't always have to be working with me).

In any case, this family had run into quite a bind with their personal situation. One of the family members had been going to the hospital lately and they needed money to pay medical bills. So, they called me asking if I'd be interested in their lots and mobile homes. So, I decided to go and check it out.

(Note: Right now, I am looking into mobile home lots. It will be a nice addition. I guess I am following in Lonnie's footsteps - he also transitioned into mobile home lots from doing "Lonnie" deals. The good thing about the lots is that it's still the same concept - it's still like being the bank. And, I don't have to deal with the management issues involved with owning a park).

Since I took the time to learn my market, I was a bit familiar with this area. In fact, this area was where I did a mobile home move awhile back.

When I first drove into the neighborhood, I wasn't quite sure of it. It looked a bit shady. Some homes were kept up, some were not. It was not uniform all across the board. And, there were some homes with some really broken down cars. Not a good sign. It was a mix.

Shot of 3 lots with 2 mobile homes



So, the story was this family bought the 3 lots about 8 years ago as an investment. They bought the lots as raw land - there was no infrastructure on it. And, nothing on it either.

They installed an electric pole, but there was no water. They placed 2 mobile homes on the lots about 5 years ago with just the electric hooked up to one of them. As for the water, it cost too much to get a water tap and septic - they did not have the funds to do this.

So, they rented out the mobile home with the electric hookup to one of their daughters. Since this family lived down the street, the daughter and her family would drive down the street to their home if they needed to use water facilities. (Kind of crazy!) Thing is, their daughter and her family moved out about 6 months ago as they no longer could live there. They were paying this family $200 per month for usage of the mobile home. But, that stopped when they moved out.

And, the second home was never lived in. It was never hooked up as this family did not have the funds to hook it up. And, it was used as storage by another daughter.

(Note: Typically, I do not buy homes that have been vacant for years. If it has not been lived in awhile, there can be many issues that come up. One of the questions I always ask when visiting vacant properties, is how long has it been vacant. If it's recent, it's ok. If not, I'm extra careful and take the steps to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into).

In any case, when I first saw the homes I knew it wasn't anything I wanted to pursue. Basically, they looked like fixer uppers - too much work involved for me.

Mobile home #1 - 2 bedroom, 1 bath (used as storage for years)



Side of home



Mobile home #2 - 3 bedroom, 2 bath (electric but no water hook up, lived in by daughter and her family)



But, I did suggest to them that I knew a fellow investor who may be interested in taking a look. I told them he buys fixer uppers and moves them to his land. I told them this guy was ready to go - he had the mover and everything.

This family appreciated my help. I called up my fellow investor right there on the spot. He took my call, I handed my phone to the family and they made arrangements for him to come and see the homes.

(Note: I have a few fellow investors I work with on a regular basis. If I pass on a deal, I typically call them up based on their criteria and what they are looking for. If they end up buying, I am rewarded for my efforts. So, it's not a complete waste of time. My goal is to find solutions for these folks. And, sometimes I may not be the best solution).

As for the lots, they asked me if I'd be interested in them. I told them I'd have to think about it. I wasn't quite sure of the neighborhood. And, the fact that there was no water tap and septic concerned me. I've heard of this costing between $10,000-$20,000 - I've looked into it before.

I told the family it's best to try to sell these homes first to get some immediate cash. At first, they were trying to sell the homes with the lots but kept getting folks interested in owner financing who they thought were a bit shady. I told them it's the homes here that attract those kind of people. If they were to fix up the homes, maybe they'd get a higher type of clientele willing to pay cash. But, that would take time and money - a route they did not want to take.

In any case, they thanked me. They told me if I'm interested in the lots, they'd be willing to owner finance them and sell to me at or below cost.

To me, that wasn't the issue. It was the neighborhood and putting in the proper infrastructure. Plus, I'd have to go find nice homes to place them on. I just wasn't sure if I wanted to spend all this time and effort on this one deal - was it worth it? Or, maybe I'd pass and spend my time on something ready to go. I'm still thinking about it.

I hope you enjoyed reading this case study of "Deal or No Deal." I hope it will help you to better understand the thought process when evaluating potential mobile home investments.

If you would like to share a story on a home you've recently passed on or pursued (aka "deal or no deal"), I'd definitely be interested in hearing about it!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!

Terminology Tuesday - Mobile Home Installation

(Note: I think it's important to know the terminology and words used when learning any new business including mobile home investing. I came up with 'Terminology Tuesday' as a way to go over the terminology used in the mobile home business. It's important to know the terminology when talking to people in the business so you're all on the same page).



Video Link

This is a quick video on a mobile home installation. When moving mobile homes, there are two main parts - the move and the installation.

There are movers who only move mobile homes. And, there are movers who move mobile homes and also install them (They are also installers). It really depends on what they do and what they are licensed to do.

This video shows some aspects involved when installing mobile homes. One important aspect is having the lot where the mobile home will be placed leveled and free of dampness.

If raining, it's best to wait until the rain has passed and dried off before attempting to move and install a mobile home. Otherwise, the moisture in the soil from the rain will most likely make the ground very damp and uneven.

Another thing to consider when moving mobile homes is the porch and the skirting. For the porch, some mobile home movers will not move them. And, some will for an additional fee. Be prepared to make arrangements for the transport of the porch (if need be). The porch will need to confine to the standards of the park (if any) you are moving the mobile home to. Sometimes the park will have a porch or two available for you (if you're lucky!).

Regarding the skirting, most mobile home movers will rip the skirting from the home when getting ready for a move. If you're handy, you can re-use the skirting by carefully removing it.If you plan to go this route, you'll need to give yourself ample time to remove the skirting before the movers arrive.

(Note: I have a handyman who has agreed to come along with me on any potential moves. He will remove the skirting for me and replace it after the move).

I hope you have enjoyed this "Terminology Tuesday" video. Happy investing!

p.s. Feel free to leave comments on any post either here and/or my Facebook Page. Comments are always welcome, thanks for reading!