One of the stigmas surrounding redneckdom is that we really want to live in modular homes aka, trailers. I will admit that a vast majority of people who do end up living in trailer parks are in fact rednecks at least in North Carolina anyway, but something to note about the redneck community is that we have a bit of an inner hierarchy, and my segment of the redneck community doesn't really interact with that one very much.
I have never lived in a trailer, never considered living in trailer, and unless it has wheels on it and is called an RV, I never will live in a trailer.
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One of the major reasons why I never lived in one of these things is because of the fact that the college town that I attended, if you did live in a trailer park you were going to be really far away from the actual university. I commuted to school from my parent's house for the first year or so, and then got an apartment with some friend that was within walking distance for the next several years.
Another reason that I didn't live in a trailer park was because I was very dedicated to avoiding the stereotype that a lot of people have about "my people." Rednecks don't necessarily WANT to live in a trailer, but a lot of them just end up there somehow. Trailers tend to be extremely cheap to rent and especially in today's housing market it is one of the only affordable ways to own land, even if it is just a small rectangle that is barely larger than your trailer is. Despite all that, I would rather rent until the end of time than own a trailer.
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Unlike typical homes, trailers tend to diminish in value over time and the land itself is never going to increase dramatically either because well, it's a trailer park, and nobody really wants to live in a trailer park, do they? I think most sensible people buy a house or land as some sort of an investment and why would anyone buy a house knowing that in all likelihood it is going to be worth less than you paid for it when you sell it?
There are some folks out there that buy a lot of land, which I think is important and I have a bit of it and they will put a "double-wide" on it. Pretend all that you want but this is just two trailers that are patched together to try to create the illusion of it not being a trailer.
It's a trailer, everyone knows it is a trailer, the people who assess the value of your house know it is a trailer too.
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Maybe I am just some sort of high-falootin redneck but I would just feel bad about my life if I moved into one of these things and when I visit people that live in them I kind of feel sorry for them. No matter how much you gussy it up you are still living in something that is on blocks and was moved there on a truck, it wasn't built there. Also, these things tend to be made out of very cheap materials that don't really withstand the test of time. They will always be rectangles as well.
None of my family members live in trailers or ever have and a vast majority of the country boys that I see on a regular basis haven't either. I'm not trying to come down on anyone that does live like this and if you do like living like that then I say "good for you." I just don't see the point of buying a house and land that is almost certainly going to go down in value. It doesn't make sense to me.
For most modern day cosmopolitan rednecks like myself, the idea of a good place to live is a simple house that is surrounded by plenty of land. We dislike subdivision housing just as much as trailers. We want our own unique piece of land with a house on it. How old said house is doesn't really matter that much to us. We'll park a travelin' trailer next to it, but that is about the extent of the average redneck's involvement with trailers extends.
I think I would not like it too , if I am in you shoes though I brought up in Nigeria ,but after reading your post , I know it won't be possible .thanks for sharing
well it's probably better than living in a really terrible apartment or being homeless, but only a little bit better.
"Manufactured Homes" as the lady who lives in a trailer often corrects me, are a weird thing.
They have advantages, like you can always crawl under them and fix things. Which you often need to do, which is a disadvantage.
New manufactured homes cost a bundle.
Well, not as much as having someone build you a small house
but since i can do it myself, i can throw together a small house in no time.
What we really need, is in highschool, to have a REAL shop class where all the boys build themselves their first home. Probably like a garage with an apartment above it.
Then these boys would have some real life skills and at least know a bit about how their house was built. (no class will all be professional builders after a year. Some of them will need a lot of help)
The thing about trailers, is, as you say it, they are cheap.
Mostly because resell value is through the floor.
And they come on a tiny, tiny lot... also cheap.
Soooo, when you can't afford much, it is where you end up.
some would say that this is where we are heading...everyone only being able to afford a tiny lot.
Shop class still existed when I was in school but it was only for one year and honestly, they didn't teach you how to build anything useful. I remember we spent weeks on building these racecars for a contest which was fun but served no real practical purpose. It's probably banned to have this in schools for sexism and safety reasons these days. It should, as you hint at, be required.
I agree having a house and a proper house that is not a semi shared with an adjoining house is important as I like my privacy and independence. Many people today don't see things the same way and tend to settle.
I too think it is a very important part of life but it seems like many people have eliminated this desire in their lives so that they can have a new $2000 mobile phone every year, the latest designer clothes, and a pimpin car. None of these things have any resell value. Consumerism at its finest!
I rented a trailer house for 10 months while teaching school in a very small town. That's all that was available. It was hard to keep it warm in the cold Montana winter, but it did have a washer and dryer, and was plenty big enough for me and my cat. And I had my own four walls. Apartments can be awfully noisy when you have neighbors on both sides as well as above and below. (My daughter's place is like that.)
In certain situations I can see how they would be a better choice. I hadn't considered the noisy neighbor in an apartment angle, that is a good point.