topic Re: What is going on with over 55 communities in Among Friends

What is going on with over 55 communities

smoochy — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 18:56:01 GMT

when dh and I retired to Florida in 2018, we planned to buy a stick built home in a non HOA neighborhood. We had a plan B, in case things didn't work out. Plan B was to move into a local over 55 development, very attractive place, nicely appointed. All manufactured homes on the smaller side. Figured if necessary, the sale of our Michigan home could buy one of their pre-owned manufactured houses outright, then just pay the $600 lot rent. We ended up not having to do that.

Yesterday we heard from someone that a large corporation bought the development. Lot rents are now $1400-$1800 a month. Plus your house payment if you have a mortgage. Oh and $400 a month for golf course maintenance. He said he and his wife can no longer afford to live there.

Our sweet neighbors sold their home a few months ago and moved in there. Little did they know.

Does this sound typical of such communities these days? Or is this an outlier. Really curious.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

Kachina624 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 18:59:30 GMT

I've heard of this happening in on large, nice mob8le home park in Albuquerque.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

Zhills — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:13:09 GMT

I haven't seen anything about it on our local pages!

Most of the Parks go up each year but not like that!

In Florida the owners can get a raise just by asking for it!

Well, who wouldn't?

The demand for housing is suprisingly high! They are building homes as fast as possible around here!

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

geezerette — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:11:16 GMT

That happened to my parents in AZ years ago.

They lived in a 55+ community that was family owned and was great for years. Then the owners sold to a CA company and they hiked the lot rents and discontinued all perks. The new company didn't enforce the CCRs and the place started to get run down. Utility meters were put in each mobile (previously water was included with rent) and each unit had to pay their own. Many people had to leave because every year the rental fees kept going up.

From what I understand it was/is a very lucrative business to be in.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

AnjalenaQVC — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:15:29 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC because it is political

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

Tinkrbl44 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:17:43 GMT

A lot of 55+ communities, as well as those with HOAs, evolve into something a lot different than when people first moved in.

I would avoid them.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

Mz iMac — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:18:10 GMT

@smoochy wrote:

Does this sound typical of such communities these days? Or is this an outlier. Really curious.

@smoochy Not in my county. I cannot answer for others.

I live in a 55+ community 2 building highrise.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

kaydee50 — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:28:07 GMT

I know it's a more affordable option but I never understood buying a home that is on "rented" land. Some of my husband's relatives had to move from their manufactured home community for the same reasons as the OP.

DH and I lived in a Del Webb community and we owned the house and the land. Very nice and well run community. We left only because I did not like living in Las Vegas/Henderson, NV. Would not hesitate to move into another 55+ community but owning the land is a must.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

CelticCrafter — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:30:40 GMT

When you say lot rent, it sounds like a mobile home development.

Yes, corporations have been buying them, raising the rents in the hopes that people will leave and they can develop the land into something else.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

tansy — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:38:53 GMT

It's been a longstanding problem for residents of mobile home parks, not just the 55 and over ones.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

Travone — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:50:30 GMT

This is a well known risk when you purchase a home, but do not own the land. There is nothing new here, has been going on forever.

I live in a 55+ community but own my home and the land it sits on.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

lgfan — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:56:56 GMT

This is the reason I would never purchase a manufactured home. I would only rent. If the rent gets to be too expensive it is easier to move.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

RedTop — Fri, 08 Aug 2025 01:43:22 GMT

My area of southern WV does not have 55+ communities, but we do have mobile home parks that have been bought out by out of state groups. This was big news locally last year. The new owners have changed the rules by not allowing older mobile homes period; the home must be a 2000 model up, and lot rents have doubled to more than $800 monthly, depending on the park.

My cousin was able to move his home from a park purchased by one of these groups, to a park owned by a local person with no interest in selling. This was the only way my cousin could keep his home and afford the lot rent. Many people living in the older homes were forced to sell out to the big group and move into whatever they could afford. The older homes were removed from the parks and scrapped.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

tansy — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 20:19:52 GMT

@RedTop wrote:
My area of southern WV does not have 55+ communities, but we do have mobile home parks that have been bought out by out of state groups. This was big new locally last year. The new owners have changed the rules by not allowing older mobile homes period; the home must be a 2000 model up, and lot rents have doubled to more than $800 monthly, depending on the park.

My cousin was able to move his home from a park purchased by one of these groups, to a park owned by a local person with no interest in selling. This was the only way my cousin could keep his home and afford the lot rent. Many people living in the older homes were forced to sell out to the big group and move into whatever they could afford. The older homes were removed from the parks and scrapped.

When we owned a 5th-wheel, we encountered RV parks that discriminated by how old the rig was. 😏

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

Longtimewatcher — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 20:22:03 GMT

The Palm Desert area has many areas that are homes on "rented" land owned by the local tribes. We owned an older home in The Desert Princess development that was on rented land and the rent would go up periodically. The newer homes in the develpment are on their own land - not sure how the developer got the title to the land or where the division was. We sold years ago because of the lease on the land - not knowing what would happen at the end of the lease period.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

tansy — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 20:28:45 GMT

@monicakm wrote:
YIKES! Just last night, my husband said we should sell and move into a community where all the maintenance is done for you. I don't think he was serious but I didn't like him even saying it. I'm not crazy about my location but I could never leave my home and certainly don't want to start over. Poor mom never accepted it.

A home or condo would be a different matter, @monicakm.

This thread seems to be about manufactured homes in parks.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

cindyNC — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 20:34:03 GMT

Funny, but the lakes around the Charlotte NC area are owned by the power company as part of their dam system. My understanding is that when you purchase that pricey lake front property, you don't own the land it sits on.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

FLtricia — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 23:56:31 GMT

Some of the purchasers of these communities are developers. They raise the rent so high to force residents to move. They say this is happening in Central Florida.

Pretty selfish and morally bankrupt thing to do to people on a fixed income.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

colleena — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 22:31:24 GMT

@FLtricia Doing it in Washington State also. Senior mobile home parks where seniors on very limited Social Security are having to move as these developers are pricing them out of their homes. We had 1 park locally where the seniors tried to finance a way for them to buy the park themselves but the financing fell through. And my remembrance it was a developer from another country.

Re: What is going on with over 55 communities

Carmie — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 22:37:46 GMT

This is quite normal anywhere where you rent the land and move your mobile, park models or modular homes. Not just over 55 places.

They raise the rent and they know you will either pay or sell to someone who will.

Some of these places will even take your home if you get behind in rent.

Use caution!!