2023-07-22 04:00:00
Young families, investors, retirees… Quebecers are turning to mobile homes because the price of single-family homes has skyrocketed by 57% in the space of barely three and a half years. The newspaper went to meet those who made this choice to get their heads above water.
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“We were in a condo with a roommate friend. I got pregnant. It was more urgent to find something quickly,” says Fanny Desrochers-Poirier, a young mother who has just bought a $300,000 mobile home in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
In Quebec, in three and a half years, the price of the average single-family home has exploded by 57%, from $312,262 in January 2020 to $488,932 last month, according to the Association professionnelle des courtiers immobiliers du Québec (APCIQ), via the Centris system.
Worse still, for this same period, the median price jumped by more than 64%, from $265,000 to $435,000, up 64%, still according to the APCIQ.
As a result, mobile homes become attractive. This is what charmed Fanny Desrochers-Poirier, from Montérégie.
“We were stressed because it’s super expensive,” says the 30-year-old mother of a baby. Luckily for her, her real estate agent, Simon Martel of Royal LePage, managed to find her their home.
“There is a lot more demand for mobile homes than you might think because of the accessibility for the price,” observes the agent who knows the market well.
Simon Martel of Royal LePage Photo Simon Martel
Swimming pool, garden, terrace… Fanny Desrochers-Poirier’s mobile home has nothing to envy to the bungalows that populate the territory of Quebec.
“We have a dog. We have two cats. We wanted our animals to have room. We wanted room for the baby,” says the new owner, filled with joy.
Fanny Desrochers-Poirier Photo Francis Halin
“We have no foundations. They are pillars. Winter is cooler, but summer is also interesting. We have the land,” she continues.
But does not find mobile homes that wants. Last Friday, barely 268 mobile homes were for sale on Centris, a drop in the ocean.
A culture in itself
At the real estate agency Vendirect, the director, Nathalie Goulet, also sees that because of the price of houses, buyers are turning to mobile homes.
“There are no more transactions in this direction. People who own this kind of property keep it!” she summarizes.
The last days, The newspaper traveled through several mobile home parks. Halfway between camping and the suburbs, these peaceful neighborhoods have their own culture.
In the heart of Longueuil’s largest mobile home park, Domaine le Marquis, two sisters have just bought one that they plan to live in and sell.
While criss-crossing the narrow streets of the park, glued to Route 116, one is forced to slow down given the number of speed bumps. Difficult to park without encroaching on a neighbour.
“We bought this mobile home for $85,000 six months ago. The land is rented at $288 per month. We hired a contractor to do the cladding, the roof and the interior,” explains Mélissa Filiatrault, 22.
Catherine and Mélissa Filiatrault invest in real estate. Photo Francis Halin
“It’s less risk buying a mobile home. There is a lot less work. Must meet the requirements, upgrade the two-bedroom house. The roof must be gable”, continues the one who intends to live there for a time.
Next to her, her sister Catherine, 25, says the house is estimated to be worth almost $240,000 once renovated and the profit should be around $100,000.
“We like the atmosphere of the park. It’s like a campsite. There is no noise. All the people know each other. The bus picks up the children at the entrance to the park”, illustrates Catherine Filiatrault, who fell in love with the place.
stop talking regarding money
A few streets away, a mobile home owner, who prefers not to mention his name, tells the Journal that he had had enough of his big bungalow with its mega-pool. He sold everything to get a more modest residence. Since then, it’s been happiness.
“We were just talking regarding money at the table, my wife and I. Now, we travel several times a year instead,” he says, his smile ear-to-ear.
In Saint-Basile-le-Grand, further on the 116 towards Saint-Hyacinthe, Mario Lévesque, who bought his mobile home for a pittance in 1990, does not regret having got his hands on his little gem with a stream in the back.
“I wanted a house within my means. I arrived here, and that made my business , entrusts the pensioner of a school board of Montreal.
Mario Lévesque keeps his mobile home even though he is inundated with purchase offers. Photo Francis Halin
“They call me once a week to find out if we’re for sale,” he says.
“We had to fight in the city not to have twins. We should have peace for ten years”, he concludes before resuming his saw.
–With the collaboration of Nicolas Brasseur and Ghislain Larochelle
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