Mobile home trailers, remodel or replace?

[Thumpalumpacus]

Houses can appreciate. It depends on market demand and owner upkeep.

Trailers will not appreciate outside of land value itself. Given a stable land market, mobile homes will always go down in value. I'm not trying to bag on you either, Brian -- I live in a trailer m'self. But them's the facts. If you don't have a poured foundation, you won't have recoverable money, unless the real estate around you jumps up. Even if you do have a solid floor, the market also considers demand. If your upgrade is in a trailer, your only real chance to capitalize improvements is if you live elsewhere and rent the trailer out -- and even that will take a long time.

But if your floor has wheels, understand that any upgrade you do will be upkeep and not investment. You won't recoup your money. No matter what you park on that acreage, that land is worth more. Live there comfortably, and have enough insurance so that your heirs can pay it off and sell for a profit.

I am not denying that. But most properties are really about location and considering how materials have become much cheaper, unless you own a house owned by George Washington that appreciation is like you said, location and up keep. I am merely saying even those whom upkeep their property can still lose their shirt as if it were an empty lot they were trying to sell the land. 

Right, the land is worth more. That is why I am seeking to minimize my loss which it will be regardless. The last thing I would want is to put a new home on it, then have a hurricane wipe it out. The land is worth more, and that is exactly the way I am looking at it. I have to resign myself to a loss no matter what. My goal is to fix it up so that I meet code for insurance.

Hmmm, there are good upgrades to existing foundation properties that can if not add to resale at least shore up loss on resale. But it sounds like you're thinking about this plenty already and probably have your head on straight about it.