Cottages on Wheels be careful of Deals
Children love a clean lake
There is a requirement, almost a need, for people of all ages to get out into to nature. The thoughts of a sitting by a clean lake, swimming, fishing, watching the kids have fun and getting closer to nature conjures up fantastic images.
Most people don’t have the money to buy a cottage on a lake. So they decide to buy camping gear, rent a cottage, or vacation elsewhere. There are some that look for temporary solutions to this problem, and come across time share cottages, or parks with trailers for sale that are basically mobile homes. The latter offers almost the same as a cottage, at about fifteen to twenty percent of the price in most cases.
Many of these parks have popped up in Ontario, and I’m sure around Canada (and the States) offering a number of amenities, such as; a full line of mobile homes to choose from, secure access, garbage disposal, beach access, indoor pools, volleyball and basketball courts, access to firewood, docks to put your boat on and the list goes on and on.
It seems almost too good to be true. And it is, unless you have deep pockets. And by all means, if you can afford it, it is fun to have one of these especially of you have children and you love getting out to the mobile home/cottage.
But there is caution to this tale.
How can something so much cheaper than a cottage not be a good idea?
Many of the parks will rush you into the purchase, so be careful. There are high pressure sales people in the country, just like in the city. Go into the potential deal with your eyes wide open. And no a handshake doesn’t cut it if that’s what they are selling you. Get everything in writing. Absolutely everything!
Most of these sites don’t allow the private sale of your mobile home. It’s written in the tiny details of the agreement that they sell it, advertise it, and can do so at their leisure. This ties the hands of the owner of the mobile home, because if the park has lousy sales people, or for whatever reason they don’t want you to leave (for details see money), selling the unit can be a huge hassle.
Mobile homes have wheels, and are subject to the HST (in Ontario) because they do. You need to obtain an ownership permit like the one for a car. When selling the unit, the HST is a large factor in the asking price, especially if the mobile cost you over fifty thousand dollars.
If you have a boat, be prepared to pay a minimum of four hundred dollars a year for a spot on their dock. Any firewood must be purchased through them. Many of the parks will not allow you to rent the unit out, even though they come with a compartment to place cleaning equipment and a locked door. The pool also may not be free, and could be additional money. There is a winterizing and De-winterizing charge, and many parks also charge the hydro for the mobile as well. In addition, if you have guests come, some parks will charge for them to stay overnight. So the warm fuzzy feeling of a cottage starts to disappear with the piranhas circling for more money any time you want to have a good time.
If that isn’t enough to run up a red flag, this one surely will. The park owners charge seasonal charges for your spot on the campground. Depending on where you are located (top of a hill, or on the water), the seasonal charge will range from about $1,500 to over $5,000! Be careful! Many of these parks will add some sand to the beach, or a new
facility and double the rates. There is nothing from stopping them to do this! Also, don’t fall for the “first season is free”, because by the time they place your mobile on the lot you picked, you may be enjoying it by the Labour Day long weekend, or not! And they always sell you a deck, and overcharge on that as well. And mobiles need something to get in and out of, so the deck (which rots) is the perfect “addition”. Each mobile needs insurance as well and it’s often more than the insurance for your house or apartment, even more than double the price! Check the rates and find out for yourself, it’s quite the eye opener. And the sales people don’t give this information when they pressure you to buy.
If you still want to buy one, please consider one more item. They always want the money for the next summer season, six to nine months in advance. Even though, most of these parks are not accessible during the months of November to early May. They collect interest on YOUR money, and you cannot even access the park.
Smart individuals learn from other people’s experiences and mistakes. Be patient, and take family vacations by renting real cottages until you can afford at least a piece of land on a lake. Avoid the stress these money traps provide, and just smile when you leave your last vacation spot, because the memories don’t come with quite as high of a price tag as these rip off resorts provide.
Most people don’t have the money to buy a cottage on a lake. So they decide to buy camping gear, rent a cottage, or vacation elsewhere. There are some that look for temporary solutions to this problem, and come across time share cottages, or parks with trailers for sale that are basically mobile homes. The latter offers almost the same as a cottage, at about fifteen to twenty percent of the price in most cases.
Many of these parks have popped up in Ontario, and I’m sure around Canada (and the States) offering a number of amenities, such as; a full line of mobile homes to choose from, secure access, garbage disposal, beach access, indoor pools, volleyball and basketball courts, access to firewood, docks to put your boat on and the list goes on and on.
It seems almost too good to be true. And it is, unless you have deep pockets. And by all means, if you can afford it, it is fun to have one of these especially of you have children and you love getting out to the mobile home/cottage.
But there is caution to this tale.
How can something so much cheaper than a cottage not be a good idea?
Many of the parks will rush you into the purchase, so be careful. There are high pressure sales people in the country, just like in the city. Go into the potential deal with your eyes wide open. And no a handshake doesn’t cut it if that’s what they are selling you. Get everything in writing. Absolutely everything!
Most of these sites don’t allow the private sale of your mobile home. It’s written in the tiny details of the agreement that they sell it, advertise it, and can do so at their leisure. This ties the hands of the owner of the mobile home, because if the park has lousy sales people, or for whatever reason they don’t want you to leave (for details see money), selling the unit can be a huge hassle.
Mobile homes have wheels, and are subject to the HST (in Ontario) because they do. You need to obtain an ownership permit like the one for a car. When selling the unit, the HST is a large factor in the asking price, especially if the mobile cost you over fifty thousand dollars.
If you have a boat, be prepared to pay a minimum of four hundred dollars a year for a spot on their dock. Any firewood must be purchased through them. Many of the parks will not allow you to rent the unit out, even though they come with a compartment to place cleaning equipment and a locked door. The pool also may not be free, and could be additional money. There is a winterizing and De-winterizing charge, and many parks also charge the hydro for the mobile as well. In addition, if you have guests come, some parks will charge for them to stay overnight. So the warm fuzzy feeling of a cottage starts to disappear with the piranhas circling for more money any time you want to have a good time.
If that isn’t enough to run up a red flag, this one surely will. The park owners charge seasonal charges for your spot on the campground. Depending on where you are located (top of a hill, or on the water), the seasonal charge will range from about $1,500 to over $5,000! Be careful! Many of these parks will add some sand to the beach, or a new
facility and double the rates. There is nothing from stopping them to do this! Also, don’t fall for the “first season is free”, because by the time they place your mobile on the lot you picked, you may be enjoying it by the Labour Day long weekend, or not! And they always sell you a deck, and overcharge on that as well. And mobiles need something to get in and out of, so the deck (which rots) is the perfect “addition”. Each mobile needs insurance as well and it’s often more than the insurance for your house or apartment, even more than double the price! Check the rates and find out for yourself, it’s quite the eye opener. And the sales people don’t give this information when they pressure you to buy.
If you still want to buy one, please consider one more item. They always want the money for the next summer season, six to nine months in advance. Even though, most of these parks are not accessible during the months of November to early May. They collect interest on YOUR money, and you cannot even access the park.
Smart individuals learn from other people’s experiences and mistakes. Be patient, and take family vacations by renting real cottages until you can afford at least a piece of land on a lake. Avoid the stress these money traps provide, and just smile when you leave your last vacation spot, because the memories don’t come with quite as high of a price tag as these rip off resorts provide.
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