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11/29/1972 - The Boston Search for a Mobile Home by Richard J. Balzer

NOT FOR PUBLICATION ITHOUT RITER S CONSEN I INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS RJB I November New Haven Connecticut The Boston Search For A Mobile Home There toknow difficult would mobile importantly mobile locate I vague knowledge because restrictive zoning there greater demand supply mobile sites Many people willing mobile without useless E I brought Woodall Guide The Woodall Guide which lists parks throughout country rating system The following Woodall rating system Woodall One Star Park The important consideration overall appearance If decent place listed Woodall Directory The following general requirements IA Fair overall appearance IB Patios weather areas May concrete asphalt suitable material IC Grass shell cover ground ID Streets May asphalt gravel reasonable condition IE Restrooms clean IF Adequate laundry laundrOmat nearby IG If fences allowed IH Mail service Homes models evidence Manager available hours Woodall Two Star Park In addition requirements following Landscaping lawns shrubs Streets condition Must Crushed gravel shell minimm Neat storage Well equipped laundry laundromat nearby Park clutter other abandoned equipment Well maintained managed Woodall Three Star Park What three uniformly higher rated parks Many three parks higher rated original construction allow today double wides lengths If children allowed there should adequate However disarray caused children times determining factor keeps three level otherwise could rated higher In addition requirements three following Good general appearance All mobile homes condition Awnings cabana rooms homes southern areas Some spaces large mobile homes Paved surfaced streets Off street parking streets enough street parking Good lawns substitute throughout shade trees shrubs where climate permits Concrete patios equivalent All attractive All buildings repair Good management Woodall Four Star Park Four parks luxury parks In addition requirements three following Good landscaping homes skirted metal vinyl Skirts concrete block ornamental stone Paved streets edged curbed Uncrowded Underground utilities permited local conditions authorities Most tanks present concealed Any hedges fences attractive uniform Awnings cabanas porches homes southern areas Except double units Most accommodate large mobile homes No homes Where parking homes exists lined uniformly If accepts children Community swimming recreationprogram If requirement fourth printed Star indicating without centered recreation Excellent management Woodall Five Star Park Five parks fitnesS They should neariy impossible improve Their quality diligently maintained In addition requirements three following Well planned spacious appearance Good location regard accessibility desirable neighborhood In locations should enclosed hedges ornamental fences Wide paved streets perfect condStion Curbs lawns edged streets sidewalks street street lights street signs Homes street Exceptionally attractive entrance Patios least except double units Paved street parkingsuch carports planned parking All homes skirted metal skirts concrete block ornamental stone Awnings porches homes All hitches concealed Any existing tanks concealed Recreation following swimming excepting areas winters shuffleboard horseshoe Pitching course hobby hobby classes games potlucks dances natural recreational facilities Beautifully equipped recreation kitchen Room community gatherings tiles restrooms Uniform storage sheds central storage facilities All model homes excellent condition At least occupancy order judge quality residents which indicates ability maintain rating between inspections All empty greased graveled otherwise maintained If children allowed there place without cluttering streets yards Most parks adults Superior management interested comfort residents maintenance We guide finding Boston itself would virtually impossible There mobile Boston located West Roxbury When Boston looked yellow pages greater Boston Woodall guide parks which within thirty minutes drving Boston We decided wanted sixty units large enough study within reasonable driving large We divided parks three areas Northern suburbs Western suburbs Southern suburbs We visited variety parks period Walden Breezes This first visited Some people mentioned first established there great public opposition because directly across Walden Pond We could units their little gardened plots The front office housed brick building which general supply store When asked manager there available spaces No sorry I But around couple years there might something available Not sites mobile units We suggested Which might openings Chelmsford We marked decided visit sometime Lee Trailer Park The Revere which about minutes northeast downtown Boston We couldn manager after looking through Eileen I decided really The looked stereotype thinks talks fashioned trailer parks The units jammed other complete crete units skirting wheels underside although there sites seemed small cramped It midst industrial squeezed strip behind large commercial building apartments We enough looking Town Line Estates Town Line advertises Boston yellow pages mobile sellers managers Its advertisements letters select minutes Downtown Boston The manager office mobile display homes front their Malden Paul Giancoala manager there weren actually spaces available Malden there probably wouldn quite wanted names waiting right We asked Could different display units We interested bedroom He pointed couple units should He would office We started eight display units worked The basic units looked The exterior variations primarily location windows Some units small extra which created extra dining living space All units completely furnished Eileen called motel modern The interiors sisted basically bedrooms bathroom kitchen dinnette dining living Different models different companies broke space different We three models New Yorker Olympian Homette Below typical floor CHINA CABINET BUFFET DINING AREA KITCHEN LIVING ROOM PARQUET FLOOR RAISED FLOOR OPTIONAL CD CK We Mr Giancoala The units We liked little The modest units about This included price place Town Line doesn bringin bought elsewhere entrance It included price But there included price I wanted sense financing would He regular loans could tiate mrtgages eight years When I asked figures examples If I bought I could mortgage month My works paying total course unlike mortgate payments conventional private We worked finances advertising With additional costs insurance would If I financed older greater percentage payment costs would month month years I worked these figures myself Mr Giancoala tioned I would paying month The manager could place wanted other parks where constructing additional sites He space Chelmsford space Peabody Town Line actually manages different parks Malden Saugus Peabody Chelmsford We asked about units We thought there would price differential between units units there He nearly He available people moving Chelmsford He could built We would Peabody There mobile parks sides route Peabody Most fewer units We visited seven Peabody parks couldn seventh At there managers there signs vacancies One She Peabody parks managed Town Line Estates It least attractive Peabody parks because units straight At tried around woman driveway saying around driveway I guess people driveway because leaving moved entrance Pine Grove Trailer Park There spaces available there mobile It years wnted The superintendent woman showed The manager years moved people warned mobile homes depreciated They holding value located might appreciate So though looked seemed small rather unattractive overpriced She parks restricted older value We place enclosed porch added She pointed highway other other They units valley State along condemned property squeezed units She people space management concerned people wouldn But seemed Act ually people seemed interested taking property Hell someon during summer taking other people problems She wanted rules something would The rules rules small community people going along They garbage conduc They favor premises The doing favor sales price We elsewhere waiting Chelmsford Town Park Chelmsford located about minutes outside Boston Northwest Of parks offtbeaten Chelmsford itself small located about miles outside country The entrance through pillars The nicely landscaped mixture which being somewhere between twenty thirty units The resident manager drove little driveway There small behind clothes metal This larger Peabody expensive workmanship something somethings desired Drawers stuck would things looked about Still could lived It attractive little Boston Since north decided Billerica It another large though attractive Chelmsford matter since there units available Boston Trailer Park This actually located Boston West Roxbury It landscaped older looking containing units The woman manager there spaces available When I asked likelihood space becoming available people moved seemed would She figured there chance something becoming available We finally worked South shore We considerably warmer Southern Boston outsSde Quincy It acceptable answer getting there spaces available The manager interested might about years there probably would something He contacts number other parks asked would their display house It Herrli which This particular porch space dining It pleasant basically similar others already As usual there choice tiles paneling I price little steep He Cadillac mobile homes could things basic little cheaper interior buying Amherst We again We tried couple other parks South shore By discouraged exhausted irritated We period parks We realized finding mobile would difficult would virtually impsssible The evening before Boston about given finding place reasonable price suitable We decided Chicago West Coast I several calls different managers convince really quite serious wanted waiting especially interested units Paul Giancoala Town Line manager there available their Saugus wanted I interested looking We feeling discouraged almost Saugus about P M We looked found Both Eileen I liked immediately It ocated Route I traffiC itself feeling about The Griffins family built their little They planted shrubbery installed awning skirting underside mobile accordance rules They replaced several appliances They Vermont place mobile piece bought The asking price They almost immediately It still seemed little They reminded getting They Look I entrance We weren ready decision right there talked The adequate study located within fifteen minutes eight other parks We liked We called again tried lower price settled I0 figure We there several advantages already skirting awning Since required rules would additional The Griffins obviously taken added porch which might ground already landscaped In other parks resident manager responsible landscaping close Boston about fifteen minutes located traffic units unquestionably value We mailed deposit agreed financing Paul Giancola through business Town Line Package follows Price A sales which mysterious reason doesn finance through their comprehensive insurance which mortgage years Added altogether comes If could mortgage For seven years wOuld month month eight years All these payments mortgage You ground which The gound rents Boston generally between eight years We Boston felling happy exhausted We happy found place liked considered reasonable price We exhausted looking discouraged place It understatement there seller market Because restrictiwe zoning there mobile parks Boston T turnover small We found wonder People greater pressure financial constraints manage coordinate buying finding place acceptable particularly geographic restrictive zoning Also seems difficult actual costs different units hidden extras undisclosed entrance There material available about either homes additional costs connected locating Mobile homes undoubtedly attractive inexpensive housing costs buying locating higher initially imagines Received New York December I