General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "Trailer park trash" [View all]csziggy
(34,141 posts)It made sense - the cost of the trailer plus the lot rent ($35 a month) added up to less than what apartment rent would have run for that time and I could afford to live by myself. After I finished college I sold the trailer for half of what I paid for it so I came out way ahead.
A wide cross section of people lived in that park and it was an interesting place to be. There were several retirees, some young married couples, other college students and a lot of working people. It gave me exposure to more types of people than anywhere else I ever lived which helped widen my perceptions.
After college and marriage my husband and I rented houses for a couple of years while we found a piece of property to purchase. We had to clear the property, build barns for our horse business, fence the entire place and do a lot of work to get the business going. Rather than take the time to build we bought a double wide which took a month from when we ordered it to when we moved it. We lived in that for many years (1979-2008). It was a great home and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of our upscale neighbors didn't like it but we were here before them - and before we bought this place it was a pig farm so I don't think they had grounds for complaint!
We finally got to a position where we could afford to build and put up our dream house on the same farm. The old double wide was not worth what it would have cost someone to pay for it and move it. One of the people I had worked with during the 2008 campaign knew a family whose house had burned down. Three generations were living in a camper next to the burned out shell of their home. I gave them our double wide and they found someone to move it cheaply. They're working on fixing it up and it looks great. Sometimes we drive by to check on it.
Trailers are a very convenient way to live, whether small ones that can be easily moved or larger ones than are more permanent domiciles.