^^^ Excellent and very practical point, Shour.
I can't remember all the numbers but when my double-wide was purchased in the late 90's, the total cost, tax, title, and license, was somewhere around $36K. Lot rent was fairly reasonable, somewhere around $250 if I remember right (that was a long time ago!) My Dad had crunched the numbers and said that if I got my own piece of land, the property taxes would be about what I would pay in lot rent anyway. But the lot rent steadily went up each year and was becoming ridiculous. Utilities, however, were very reasonable for a 3 bedroom place--electric was around $40; gas stove and furnace, $50 (but it shot up in the winter); water was around $20, and trash and street plowing (in the winter) was included in the rent. I would go through times of working 2-3 jobs during those years so I tried to save whatever I could. When my ex divorced me I turned the spare bedroom into a room for my hobbies and workouts. I stayed where I was because even most of the one-bedroom apartments (which were scarce) in the area I lived would have cost more than what I was already paying. It was nice because I certainly had ample space and was blessed to be able to host friends at various times.
When it sold I only got about $10K for it but by that time it needed about $10,000 worth of work (including a new shower/tub and a new roof.) The person who bought it had a contractor as a significant other and didn't mind that it needed some maintenance. I decided I'd rather put the $ into something else than into all the repairs (plus, I moved to a new location.) For me personally, it was a great little house and probably just what I needed for the time I was there.
I agree with you that if someone is thinking in long terms, a regular house is probably the best investment... although nothing is certain this economy. I've known a lot of people who have bought and sold houses over the past 10-15 years and many have lost money or felt fortunate to just break even.
