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Mobile home in a park: what does it really cost each month?

You buy the home, you rent the land. Enter the price and space rent to see the full monthly number.

$
$/mo
Park in San Jose?
How you pay
%
%
Loan term
$/yr

Sold new after July 1, 1980: county property tax (about 1% of value plus local charges). Older homes may still pay the HCD in-lieu fee instead. Never both.

Total per month
$0 /mo
Loan Space rent Tax Insurance
Loan payment$0
Space rentGoes up every year$0
TaxYour yearly number ÷ 12$0
InsuranceEstimate, get a real quote$0
Space rent in 5 years$0
Space rent you pay over 20 yearsAt 3% a year$0
Loan: $0 · Cash at purchase: $0 · Total interest: $0

Same monthly budget, a condo instead?

Mobile home
$0

You own the home, not the land

Condo you could carry
$0

Condo math: 20% down, 7.24% 30-yr (Freddie Mac, 29/10/2026), tax 1.25%, insurance 0.30%, HOA $450 (estimate). Run your own numbers in T01.

Five things that are different

You own the home, not the dirtThe home is personal property with an HCD title, not a DMV title and not a grant deed. The land belongs to the park.
Space rent goes up
The park must approve youManagement can check that you can pay rent and charges, and must answer in writing within 15 business days after it has everything (Civil Code §798.74).
Selling also needs park approvalYour buyer goes through the same approval. Fewer lenders, fewer buyers, so homes can take longer to sell.
Value often doesn't grow like a houseIn a park, what appreciates is mostly the land, and you don't own it. Many homes hold flat or lose value as they age. Higher space rent can push resale prices down.
Ask Ken Watch 15-sec video

Email this breakdown to yourself

Ken will reply with the questions to ask the park before you make an offer. No spam.

Or text: 408-666-2825

Next steps

  1. Before any offer, ask the park for the rental agreement, park rules, the last 3 years of rent increases, and their buyer approval rules.
  2. Check the home's title and tax status with HCD Registration & Titling. Unpaid fees or tax follow the home.
  3. San Jose park? Confirm the space is under the Mobilehome Rent Ordinance with the city's Rent Stabilization Program, 408-975-4480.
  4. Get chattel quotes from 2–3 lenders, then compare with a condo in T01.

Many people get this wrong: "mobile homes are cheap." The home is. The land isn't. San Jose space rent averaged about $1,100/mo (2022), and market-rate spaces in Castro Valley run $1,300–$1,450 (2023). Over 20 years the rent can cost more than the home.