Oregon continues to attract retirees who are not as interested in hot dry weather as they are in cooler temperatures and misty, rainy days, although the eastern portion of Oregon is arid, receiving as little as 8 inches of precipitation per year.
SongBrook
SongBrook is a pretty, 32-acre manufactured home community located in Eugene in the lush Willamette Valley of west-central Oregon. This quite development has 140 homes and is family-owned and operated since 1994. SongBrook is for those 55 and homeowners purchase their homes but lease the land upon which they sit.
Individual lots are approximately 5,500 square feet, and accommodate single level, double, triple, or quad section homes with an attached garage (the attached garage is a community requirement). Homes are located on cul-de-sacs, lending to the tranquility of the community. Location within the community affects price, and homes overlooking pretty Muriel Pond and Harvey Falls tend to cost more. Lot rents need to be considered, too, as they average $425 per month (but homeowners do not pay property tax on the land). Call (541) 461-4000 for more information.
Homeowners sign a 25-year lease, which adds to the stability of the community and benefits homeowners, although there are also some potential drawbacks. On the plus side, homes tied to a long-term lease tend to increase in value, are eligible for more favorable mortgage interest rates and experience fewer lot rent increases (rent increases at SongBrook are tied to the Consumer Price Index, property tax increases and lease renewals). On the downside, the homeowner is responsible for the lease until it is sold.
When inside one of SongBrook’s homes, there are few hints that it is a manufactured home. Today’s off-site built homes have many of the same comforts and design-features found in more expensive site-built homes. SongBrook is an award-winning community (the 1995 Manufactured Home Community of the Year – West).
Residents enjoy a beautiful 7,200 square foot community center that houses an exercise room, an indoor hot tub, a billiards room, a kitchen, a swimming pool and a fireside library. There are events and clubs, such as Tai Chi, crafts, poker, Bible study and more, in which to partake. SongBrook also has a community garden, walking paths and blooming grasslands, as well as RV parking and storage available.