Pleasanton, CA Residents Defend Their Manufactured Housing Park And Lifestyle
Pleasanton, California is an affluent suburb in the San Francisco bay area. The median price for a home in this nearby Silicon Valley city is in excess of one-million dollars.
Vineyard Estates is an upscale senior manufactured home land-lease community (aka mobile home park) located in Pleasanton.The average price of a pre-owned or new manufactured home in Vineyard Estates is about $350,000. This is considered to be affordable housing in Pleasanton.
There are those in the area that have voiced objections to this form of housing with Vineyard Estates the focus of bashing online in Letters to the Editor section of the East Bay times newspaper.
The resident homeowners have replied to letters disparaging their community and the modular homes in which they live and love. Following are two resident online responses to those letters denigrating their choice of community, their home, and lifestyle.
Vineyard Estates Pleasanton, California
Vineyard Estates provides senior citizens freedom and autonomy
“A recent writer in a letter to the editor describes a “real home” as one that is “firmly attached to the ground.” My definition goes more along the lines of the old proverb, “Home is where the heart is.”
Vineyard Estates has a definite heart in Pleasanton. Taking a drive through this safe, friendly senior community, it is easy to see the feeling of home. While these are not stick and brick dwellings, these mobile homes allow many seniors the opportunity to enjoy living in Pleasanton.
The small yards allow residents to enjoy the outdoors away from traffic noise and traffic danger; maybe even grow a few tomatoes. More importantly, this community instills a sense of independence and camaraderie among the seniors who live here. Neighbors care about neighbors; there is always a smile and a wave by those passing by, either on dog-walks or golf cart rides. The grounds are well-maintained. There are activities to be enjoyed each day. Vineyards Estates is serviced by public transit, allowing seniors, my parents included, to be more mobile.
Granted, construction may not be the same standards as some brick-and-stick houses, but these units are safe and affordable; much more so than some other senior units in Pleasanton. “Home” is an emotional word. Vineyard Estates allows many seniors an affordable place in which to live near loved ones. So, sir, do not denigrate the community as “being overpriced shacks” and “crumbling carcasses.”
Susan Reid
Pleasanton, CA
Manufactured homes make Pleasanton Affordable
“A recent letter discussing Vineyard Estates denigrated the construction of manufactured homes located in the park. I vehemently disagree.
I have lived in Vineyard Estates for four years and bought a new manufactured home in 2013. After living in several very nice custom homes, I found to my surprise the manufactured home I purchased was every bit as nice and well built to very high standards sometimes not found in custom houses. The standards for a manufactured home are set by law, and each factory that builds these units must adhere to the rules, or is not able to sell their houses. While it is true the home is transported by truck to the site, once the house is moored to the ground by a series of anchors and tied down, it is as solidly connected to the ground as a house on a foundation.
These manufactured homes vary in size from 1,000 to 1800 square feet and feature granite countertops, wood flooring, fireplaces and laundry rooms, many have three bedrooms and two baths. They are affordable and offer seniors a safe and comfortable environment to live in. You cannot find a new house in Pleasanton for the price you pay for the manufactured homes available in Vineyard Estates.”
Ralph Mele, Pleasanton, CA
The below video is a perfect example of today’s quality-built manufactured housing.
