manufacturedhomelivingnews.com Manufactured Home Living News
“Glory Lautner, a TikToker, wanted to challenge preconceptions about what living in a trailer [sic] is really like,” wrote Charissa Cheong for an Insider article republished by Yahoo News on Independence Day, 7.4.2022. While the terminology used by Lautner (trailer, mobile home) should not be used to describe her manufactured home, as the report linked here explains, it is common. One of the comments posted without a name on (——) Yahoo News’ version of the Cheong report on Lautner’s video said: “We live in a manufactured home much nicer and for far less. Ours has a large master bedroom with bath, a guest bedroom, and another bedroom that my husband uses as a den, and a guest bathroom. We have a large modern kitchen and dining room, living room, laundry room, pantry and large closets, deck and front porch and two car garage. We’re on a beautiful lot with woods behind us. We pay far less than this lady and it’s a perfect home for we seniors.” The Lautner TikTok video went viral with some 17.7 million views, per Cheong, when she wrote her article. Pre-dawn on 7.7.2022 that TikTok social-media post has 17.8 million views.
@xogloryyy #stitch with @itsandiebitchh been waiting for this moment! #fyp ? original sound – Glory Lautner ?
There appear to be clear pre-conceptions and misconceptions at work in what Lautner had to say. Her ‘rent’ is her ‘site fee’ or ‘lot rent.’ She is apparently buying her home and leasing the site from a manufactured home community operator. That is true for millions, but industry sources say the majority of manufactured homes sold go to privately owned land. Only about 31 percent go into a manufactured home community – what is commonly, if inaccurately, called a ‘mobile home park.’
Lautner and her husband are obviously enthusiastic about their manufactured home, even if they incorrectly call it a ‘trailer’ or ‘mobile home.’
“People can judge me all you want,” Lautner says in the video, adding that while some people might pay a lot of money for a “two-bedroom apartment,” she’s decided to live in manufactured home. Cheong wrote that: In June, Fox 35 reported that the average rent price in Florida was $1,827 for a one-bedroom apartment, citing data from the media company RentPath.” She added that “Mobile homes [sic] are becoming increasingly popular despite their stigma.”
“Because we own something so cheap, we are able to afford so much more, like going on trips,” she says. This is the point MHLivingNews has made for years, in reports like the one linked below. Numerous video interviews with actual manufactured homeowners have stressed that point. So have videos interviews with those who own a true pre-HUD Code mobile home (built before June 15, 1976).
It seems that some of the comments posted, and the article writer herself, may be unclear on the point that Lautner is describing a 3 bedroom two full bath single section manufactured home. When Lautner says ‘own,’ presuming she is being honest, what she describes fits the known facts about comparisons between renting other housing or owning a manufactured home. For instance, this graphic below from the National Association of Realtors in 2018 illustrated that most renters could make the payments needed to buy a manufactured home.
The TikToker described her home as “tall” in the video, showing a clip of herself standing next to one of the windows. Lautner says she is 5-foot-6 but she “still can’t see through the window” when she stands next to it because of the height of the house.
Two more of the posted comments on Yahoo illustrate the value proposition. According to “angie” on 7.5.2022 “While trailers aren’t for everyone for many they are a great option to owning their own home. Especially if they own their own land for it to sit on as lot rent in a park can be high. Ms. Lautner has every right to be proud of her home.” “Rachel” posted a comment on that same day that said: “I am in the processing of buying a mobile home and I thought mobile wasn’t that nice, but when I start looking at mobile homes and saw how they looked inside. I changed my mind and put in a application to get pre-approved to buy one and the mortgage is alot cheaper than a house, and I can’t wait to live in a mobile home.” Typos and terminology errors are in the original. Note: this article continues after the advertisement below.
To underscore the safety and value propositions, the factual reports linked below – based on third-party data cited in each instance – support Lautner’s thesis that their home is an “investment,” as much so as conventional housing. An objective review of the facts support Lautner’s notion that their manufactured home is a good investment. Indeed, even prior to the LendingTree report linked below, a professor from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) – Ken Johnson, Ph.D., made the point to MHLivingNews that the money saved through manufactured home living could be applied to investments or other ways of making a household’s life better.
Additional Insights and Commentary in Brief
One of the comments stressed there are much nicer manufactured homes than Lautner’s. MHLivingNews has reported for years that there truly are ‘manufactured home mansions’ that are customized homes owned by the rich and famous. But there are also standard manufactured homes that the affluent buy because they are frugal and want to save money. Launter is to be applauded for standing up and speaking out about her positive experiences. She would do well to use the correct terminology, because the terminology is part of the outdated ‘stigma.’ She should be part of the solution, not that part of the problem. That said, she may have already done more in a few TikTok posts than the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) will do in a year or more to ‘educate’ the public about manufactured home living. Kudos to Lautner. The original reports are linked here on Yahoo and here on Insider.
In a related timing on recent report on the theme of manufactured home acceptance, mortgage giant Freddie Mac’s recent research reveals that most Americans would consider buying a manufactured home. See that report via the link below. Remember, you can live better when your living costs less. ##
That’s a wrap on this installment of “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHLivingNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing. For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com. This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Recent and Related Reports:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
Celebrities, Millionaires, Billionaires and Their Appealing Manufactured Homes
Lifestyles of the Rich and Frugal: Manufactured Mansions Take Their Place in the California Sun
