In you drive around just about any community far enough and in every conceivable direction; you will often eventually find a trailer park. These trailer parks willvary considerably in quality, location, desirability, and looks, with some being near a beach or river and on land that appears to be of high value whereas others look run down, forgotten, and in areas that seem to have been abandoned or forsaken by time. As reported by bbc.com: "Mobile homes make up 6.4% of the US housing sector," which certainly means that manufactured housing in America appeals to a fair amount of people for whatever reasons, with affordability and freedom being the most prominent ones. The basic situation in most trailer parks is that the occupant of the trailer owns the trailer itself, but rents the land that it rests upon, and depending upon the trailer park may have amenities such as a community pool, playground, cable hookups, and so forth, but at a minimum the rent paid to the landlord will include the right to their lot locale, access to water and trash removal, with the tenant being responsible for the paying of his own heat and electricity.
The quality and age of trailer homes varies considerably, from park to park, and from person to person, so that while there are some trailers that appear to be on their last legs, there are, on the other hand, trailers that have both the look and the space on the inside that would remind most people of a real home. There isn't any doubt that nicer looking trailers as well as the more pleasant or desirable looking trailer parks have a different demographic than most trailer parks that you might run across on a given day, and the reason for that, is typically the type of person that is attracted to or makes a decision to make their residence within a trailer, is the type of person that doesn't usually have access to a lot of income, yet prefers the more open space and room that a trailer represents as well as the impression that by owning their own trailer, they own their own housing, even though they still have a landlord, and a HOA to respond to, and in most cases it is the land, not the trailer, that will appreciate in value over time.
Because there are so many trailer homes in America and the fact that so many of them appear to be in various states of disrepair, those that own trailers, have typically been confronted at one time or another with being summoned by the pejorative term: "trailer trash", and/or people that come across as low-class, crude, dressing poorly, smelling, are often associated with the same term: "trailer trash", even if it is pretty much understood that they don't actually come from or live in a trailer park home. That, unfortunately, for better or for worse, is the way trailer residents are viewed often by those that don't live in them, don't care to live in them, and don't really care to know anything further.
In an era in which typical housing for sale such as townhomes, condos, and houses may be permanently out of the reach for a significant swath of Americans and with an understanding that apartment dwellings themselves are expensive for what they bring to the table, an opportunity to purchase a trailer is something worth considering as not only is that trailer home your own castle, it is and can be a way to raise a family that feels traditional, and pretty much works.