“which also does a good job of covering this issue”
Good coverage of the mobile home trap issue.
Full comment
This was recently featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver [1] which also does a good job of covering this issue. [1] this video
Mobile Homes: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
10.4M views · Apr 8, 2019 · 15:39 · 2 HN recommenders · 4 mentions · discussed 2019–2025
A Last Week Tonight segment on mobile homes, showing how large investment companies are making this affordable housing option less affordable. It covers residents who rent land and cannot move their homes.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN commenters point to it as good, accessible coverage of mobile-home park exploitation by private equity.
“(~16-minute Last Week Tonight segment)”HN comment, 2024
What Hacker News said 4
“(~16-minute Last Week Tonight segment)”
Segment on exploitation in the mobile home industry.
Full comment
How much time do you have? The short version is that while there's not necessarily anything wrong with them in principle, in practice there's a pretty impressive amount of exploitation at nearly every level of the industry. It more closely resembles the dynamics of car sales and financing than it does a downmarket version of conventional real estate. link link link this video (~16-minute Last Week Tonight segment)
“They often have to rent the land they are on and get stuck there, as they can't transport the houses off.”
Residents rent land and get stuck, unable to move homes.
Full comment
Wikipedia has an article on manufactured housing, including a picutre and description: link It seems to have a specific meaning, and you might expect something different when thinking about "mobile homes" or "prefab houses" in your region. (e.g., I think of something different for prefabs in germany) There also was an episode on mobile homes of last week tonight which i found interesting back in the day: this video They often have to rent the land they are on and get stuck there, as they can't transport the houses off.
“John Oliver, 6 years ago”
Earlier John Oliver coverage of the same problem.
Full comment
John Oliver, 6 years ago: this video I guess PE firms have realized that putting humans into debt that they have to work endlessly to repay is very profitable.