In December 2020, the Straight ran a story about manufactured homes.
These are houses that are completely fabricated at a facility, transported by truck, and then installed on a lot as one piece by a crane.
That story noted that current manufactured homes are made according to rigid Canadian national standards.
They do not have wheels and hitches for towing, as these are meant to stay.
These properties are generally cheaper than conventional forms of housing, which are detached homes, townhouses, and condos.
However, as the story noted from resource persons interviewed, class bias and “trailer trash” stereotypes render these homes as an “invisible affordable-housing alternative”.
That said, some manufactured homes are more expensive than the rest.
A prime example is 4 Bracken Parkway in Squamish.
In a deal that was reported on January 26, 2021, the three-bedroom and two-bath manufactured home sold for almost a million dollars, or $960,000 to be exact.
It beats other deals for manufactured homes in all of the markets served by real-estate boards of Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, and Chilliwack.
There’s something special about this property, as indicated in the listing by eXp Realty.
“Whether you are in a position to build your dream home and detached garage w/carriage home above right away....or whether you wish to live in this well appointed, nicely laid out mobile home while you work towards your dreams, this beautiful, fenced, flat property with mature fruit trees is a rare opportunity that rarely comes available in Squamish anymore,” the listing noted.
The manufactured home sits on a 17,255-square-foot lot that is freehold non-strata.
This means that it’s the same as owning a detached home property.
Per B.C. Assessment records, the “MH - Single Wide” or mobile home was built in 1974.
The 1496-square-foot home has a valuation of $93,600, and the lot, $758,000.
This comes to a total 2021 assessment of $851,600.
The sale was made on November 4, 2020, and reported on January 26, 2021.
For other deals in 2021, a manufactured home in Anmore comes second in terms of price.
The property at 48-3295 Sunnyside Road sold on July 22, 2021 for $625,000.
Rennie & Associates Realty Ltd. served as the listing agent for the Anmore manufactured home measuring 1,049 square feet.
The three-bedroom and two-bath residence sits on a 4,024-square-foot lot that is freehold strata.
Freehold strata is the common type of ownership for townhouses and condos.
The Anmore property has a monthly maintenance fee of $308.84.
B.C. Assessment placed the 2021 valuation of 48-3295 Sunnyside Road at $538,000.
Staff writer Carlito Pablo lives in Vancouver. On sunny weekends, he and his family are usually found on beaches and in parks. A journalist who formerly worked in Manila, he's a proud new Canadian.
It seems I'm turning into a anti-YouTube person.....there's I feel a lot of poison on it.
You kept smiling at me at Havana's on Commercial drive. I was sitting outside on the street...