Generally, mobile homes are poor investments. You will not recover what you pay for it. Since you plan to own it for only a year or two, you would generally be better off renting a regular house or apartment.

There may be some areas in Florida where buying a mobile home made sense, but I am not aware of where those might be.

Thank you both! My parents are quite eager to leave. I could probably wait, but they are very adamant about going. Very good to know about the mobile home situation and hurricanes. Maybe a small ranch style home would be better. We could live with my parents while my husband and I get on our feet and find our own home.

I wonder if there are homes with an addition for in-laws. Or perhaps two stories. We’re so used to being together, but I don’t think I’ve seen two story homes aside from apartment complexes.

Since you don't know know where in the state you want to call home IMO I would rent. It would make it easier to pick up and leave if you don't like the area you are in.

Rent. And only in a home constructed to meet hurricane codes.

Mobile homes are not mobile. Nobody picks up and leaves with one. They are installed in “manufactured home communities “ (people who live in them are highly insulted by the term ‘mobile home’). Your family should do research on Florida because each town, county, area has a different flavor. The panhandle is nothing like the Keys which are not like the central part of the state. Mt. Dora doesn’t look like Palm Beach or Tallahassee. Visit several towns, subscribe to the local newspapers, check real estate prices and job opportunities in areas you like. Be realistic in your budget-beach front or countryside. Medical care and educational facilities, shopping and entertainment- what is the community like? After you research in person you should still rent for a year as you find out more about the town you have chosen.

Remodeling1840, you are so right. We have friends (snowbirds) that have mobiles in Fla. They have rules, pools, community centers, playgrounds, and other amenities like HOAs. I wonder if that is where the HOA concept came from? They like the idea that the community watches and maintains their home when they are up north.

They aren't mobile. If they want a larger or newer home they usually tear down the current one and bring in a new one or remodel.

Go to the City Data forum and read about the different areas in Florida. Most people on the forum live in the city or state your researching.

Thanks all. I’ve been searching the entire state, looking at data trends for counties, and will be heading down in a few weeks to drive around and take a look in person. One of several trips to ensure I get a good idea of what each community is like. I have family in central and southern Florida so they’ll also be able to help me as well.

would love a spacious and quiet place, low crime, good schools, semi near stores and some entertainment.

Don't buy a mobile home! You'll be saddled with it and lose a ton of money. It's like buying a car, only depreciates in value. Go visit a couple times or even just rent, even if you rented you won't be wasting as much money as you would if you bought a mobile home because you won't build equity but you will be paying for realtor fees assuming you could sell it for what you paid for it which means you'd still be losing money.

I knew I had to move to a metro area but didn't know which city I wanted to look for homes in (also in a hurricane prone area) I did a ton of research on flood plains, crime rates, school ratings. Most of that can be seen on the realtor app. When I found a few areas within a city I liked I would look at the house on google maps and street view to see what the neighborhood looked like, what stores are around that area etc.

Also, most cities have FB groups where people discuss current events in the city.

In north and north central Florida you will find the most opportunities for your needs...lots of old victorian/farm house type homes that can be converted or are already established for separate living spaces...plus many more opportunities for purchasing land...as well as ...and most importantly more temperate weather...pine trees are abundant and thrive there...i have lived in Key West....Miami...and wintered in Tampa and Fort Worth over the years ...and have discovered year round rentals are not as pricey as you would think...and would allow you to still search ...if you want ....without having to make any rushed decisions

for an idea of housing prices, use google to search. Just type for example : homes for sale in Deland, Florida (substitute whatever town or county you are interested in.). You will get a realistic idea of the types of homes available. For example, my sister in law was appalled our house was built on a slab. In her northern state, slab construction was substandard and for really poor people. In most areas of Florida a basement would flood, so it is not desirable. The interior portion of the state, Sebring, Beverly Hills, Arcadia, for examples, are much hotter in the summer than the coasts. Beachfront property can be two to three times the price of an exact copy of that house on the mainland. Check with insurance agents for the difficulty in obtaining (and paying for!) homeowners insurance. If you and your husband don't have jobs, your search needs to be aware of limited job opportunities in many communities. For example, there are many counties where there is little or no manufacturing. You might check the Help Wanted sections of the local paper or call the employment offices. Keep in mind, the perfect town for your retired parents may not be the perfect town for a young couple who want a different lifestyle and are planning to have children. Your parents may be happier in a town 30 miles from the town that offers better jobs, schools, and social opportunities for you. If you do your research and make your move with educated expectations, you will be happy and successful.

Does anyone have a link by chance that would show me data for crime rate, schools ratings, transportation, median income and such? Would appreciate a reliable source!

Check Sperling Best Places to live. They give you all the data you need to start narrowing down towns you are considering,

Here is an example of what is included. I put in Orlando Florida as and example.

You can also compare places side by side.

I have a second home in Florida and have traveled throughout the state.

There are so many community in every price point and hopefully you will rent in one that you will the buy into.

A townhouse might work for you.

Good luck.

I know your parents are ready to go and I can’t blame them, put this is a big move and you want to waste money by rushing into things.

There are actually upscale mobile communities and maybe it might make sense to rent there. But again, I agree not to buy one for all the reasons the previous posters have mentioned.

I am not against manufactured homes; however I would not live in or rent one or buy one in Florida. Rent for a year or so, determine where you will be best suited, then find a home to purchase.

If your aging parents are going with you, please take a careful look at the availability and quality of healthcare where you plan to locate. Many Midwest states have high quality healthcare, and that may be what you are used to. However, Florida is a mixed bag, and in some areas the healthcare may be different than you expect.

Much of the healthcare income is from the large number of Medicare recipients, and Medicare does not require referrals for specialty care. That opens up many possibilities for making money on certain kinds of healthcare. And there may not be a primary care involved to evaluate whether the recommended solution makes sense for that specific patient.

Primary care for the elderly requires a lot of patience and a lot of attention to detail to get all the facts, since most folks have multiple medical issues. Many doctors do not want to take time to look at all aspects of a patient's care, and some are just not very good at it. As they say, YMMV.

Bruce

I totally agree with you Bruce. I’m in administration in one of the top midwest hospitals. So I’m keeping that in mind as I’m also hoping to find a similar position in a healthcare setting in Florida.

One of my main concerns is income vs. mortgages. It looks like mortgages are pretty steady in the $200k region whereas income seems on the low end. Not a problem for my retiring parents, but a little worrisome for me and my husband as we make much more here in the midwest.

I'm going to suggest that initially you rent. It could either be a home or an apartment.

My grandparents moved down to Florida and left after a year. It wasn't what they thought they were going to like. It turned out to be far more expensive than they had budgeted, too. This is not uncommon.

Rather than locking the family into a location by buying, you would be able to move to a more desirable or agreeable area if the first one doesn't work out without using up all you capital on a fixed home. This approach will provide flexibility and you can take your time in selecting a home if you were local.

Your parents should consider an over 55+ community or independent living apartment development. They do tend to be more secure than your basic apartment complex.

The thing is that we don’t want to separate and rent two different places. We have been together for the past 7 years and really do well being together. For child care, saving on expenses, and other positive reasons. Idk if we can rent anywhere for a family of 6 while we determine where we want to plant roots. Husband and I will be there next month just to drive around and speak with 2 realtors in different areas. This isn’t necessarily a rush move at this moment. We really want to be prepared and it may take us a little time to get our current house ready to put on the market.

Luckily if the conditions are right and we end up moving sooner than expected, we do have someone very trustworthy we can leave our current house with who also happens to be our realtor from when we purchased and will be using to sell. I just want to get all my ducks in a row.

We have friends who moved to Florida and hated it because they couldn’t make friends or have a social life. They bought a home in a neighborhood of families of different ages. Those families were working and didn’t have time for a retired couple who were interested in golf, tennis, weekday trips, etc. Having lived in Florida for a long time, I know they should have found a house on a 55+ community, pool, clubhouse, planned activities for the retired, instant social group. They were unhappy at the isolation of “a regular neighborhood “. Florida means different things to different people. We had found our small town was a great place to raise our children, but we were ready for new adventures. You and your parents need to realistically search for the lifestyles to suit you as couples of different ages and as a family with family goals. All of you will be happier.

I think you are doing things in reverse. You should be looking for jobs in the areas that you may be interested and only then look at housing. Salaries tend to be lower in some areas of Florida. Personal business of yours but if you are planning on your parents paying for part of the costs you need to rethink what you can afford. While hopefully they will live a long and healthy life there is no guarantee that any of the freebies that you are currently having will be there in for any length of time. A major illness of one or both of them could wipe out their income along with their ability to do those freebies such as childcare.