The Daily Banner, Greencastle, Putnam County, 29 March 1967 — Page 4

4 The Daily Bannar, Graaneatfla, Indiana Wednesday, March 29, 1967 Mobile Homes Not Really So Mobile

By WILEY MALONEY SAN FRANCISCO UPI — History has it that Americans move almost faster than a rolling ball. They won’t stay put they love wheels. This year, according to a study made by the Bank of America, one in every five American families will move. Some, instead of calling a moving van, will move the home itself. The home will be on wheels.

For these families will be mobile home dwellers. Miss Hilary Batchen. a bank researcher, says every seventh home produced in 1965 as a primary dwelling unit was mobile. Some of these homes were as large as a city apartment and transportable only in separate sections by heavy duty tractor rigs. Conventional builders in 1967 are estimated to set up no more than one of every four

The SINCLAIR STATION Jn Bainbridge On Highway 36 IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS Under New Management "Everyone Welcome" SPECIAL: FREE CAR WASH WITH A TEN GALLON GASOLINE PURCHASE WILLIAM J. VAUGHN

new Somes on permanent sites in the under $12,500 market. The mobile home companies will do the rest Two causes are basic. Tight money in the building trades; the fact that most conventional home builders have priced themselves out of the market. There are two appeals to wheels — mobility and price. A mobile home can be purchased for $12,000 (top), but most customers pay from $6,000 to $7,000 for a large 12 x 60 foot home with all modem conveniences including brandname appliances. Each home has the floor space, or better, than a first class apartment. Financing is easier on a mobile home. Loans are more like these on automobiles. Money is more available. Two categories are the best buyers of mobile homes. The young married couple and the retired oldsters. The newlyweds, whose incomes are more unstable, actually may use the wheels to follow job opportunities. The retired couple on a fixed income buy the home with the pleasant idea they may rove where they want. It's a fantasy. The mobility of mobile homes actually is a fiction. The industry frowns on the word “trailer.” However, persons who live in “trailer parks” and those who live in “mobile home

parks” sfiould not throw stones at each other. One grew out of the other. They now are two distinct species. “Just as the ‘Okie migrant worker in his cramped tin trailer has given way to the retired business executive in his air-conditioned home,” said: Miss Batchen, “so the ‘old camps’ of the 1930’s are being replaced by another level of respectability in the mobile home parks of today.” Those who do live in “trailers” or “campers” actually do move. Those in mobile parks only "think” they can move. Studies indicate that a mobile home only moves twice — from the factory to a dealer’s lot, then from the lot to the prepared "pad” in a mobile park. The wheels, it is true, remain on the home, but this is a dodge so it can be taxed as a vehicle and not as real estate. Taxes are another element in the picture. Mobile home owners kid themselves into the belief they are avoiding them If levies become too high for schools or other improvements in one area, they believe they will pick-up-and-leave. This is another dream. The spades or “pads” in a mobile home park are rented on a monthly or even an annual basis. Rates run from $20 to $100 per month and up. The

average Is about $50, depending upon the amenities provided such as swimming pools, golf courses, country-club atmosphere and wider spacing, as well as local taxes on the park operator. For the retired, rents for a pad can go as high, or higher, than $150 per month. The hooker for the retired, however, is the fact they get too neighborly. Once settled, they don’t want to leave. The Bank of America report estimated that development of mobile park costs ranged between $196,000 to $307,000. These costs, including local property taxes, are passed on to the eventual pad occupiers. The higher priced pads in the luxury class include such layouts as the Del Webb retirement cities and Art Linkletter’s “Sierra Dawn” in Southern California, both Shangri - Las for the elderly. There now are an estimated 22,000 mobile home parks scattered around the nation, almost all close to interstate highways. California alone, has 4,300 such parks. Some however, which started a s trailer camps, were located in industrial areas. They are 20 to 30 years old and show their age The older parks are fighting a losing battle with obsolescence the bank report said, or

Have passed the fighting stage. Men with an eye on the market are building new parks in a growing industry. The newer pads are being set up with a canny eye toward space, privacy, zoning, taxes and building restrictions. Mobile homes, like high rise apartment life in the city, have become a new way of domestic living.

Television In Review

By RICK DU BROW HOLLYWOOD UPI —Just by accident the other day, I turned in television during the afternoon and saw a wonderful thing. A man came on in what apparently was a government public service announcement for a local station and constructively warned viewers what to look out for when buying a home. He emphasized some of the things that were important and some of the things that were not in a discourse that, in effect, was a civilized response to some of the hard - sell television advertising about homes. This entire announcement which took only a few minutes,

'was Impressive chiefly because it so obviously is the sort of thing that television ought to do regularly—because no other medium has ever deluged the public with so much advertising that intrudes directly on person-

al lives.

Check Remote Projects

We have, for example, the home-sellers who use video as the chief means of advertising new home projects. It is my

personal view that a local! ■ television station with a full rOSt SWlfCn

sense of responsibility toward its audience would check out these somtimes remote projects and frankly report on them —the way any reputable

with ths remotest sort «f mathematical ability can quic£ ly figure that the installment plan payments add up, at the end, to far more than th$ original quoted price — which fll usually a straight cash statistic. It seems to me that If the viewer is going to get genuine truth in advertising, the whole truth Should be presented to

him.

LONDON UPI—R. W. Baileys counsellor at the British Embassy in Iraq, will succeed Sir Herbert Gamble as ambassador

newspaper would concerning *° ^ was announced

HARDS SHATTERS COLOR TV PRICES!

Hurry in! Some quantities limited at these fantastic low prices

NO MONET DOWN on Words credit!

FREE HAMB TRIAL Gill Wards today for details.

Open Mon., Tues., Thurs. & Sat. 9-5, Wed. 9-12, Fri. 9 - 8:30 18 S. Indiana OL 3-5191 SAVE *50 - *225 ON THESE LAST MINUTE SPECIALS

725 00 72500 650 00 460 00 43900 389 00

Reg. $950.00. 295 sq. in. Color TV,-AM/FM-Stereo

with Horns

Reg. $899.00. 295 sq. in. TV-AM/FM-S.tereo, Rec-

ord Player.

Reg. $775.00. 267 sq. in. Color Entertainment Cen-

ter. TV-Radio-Stereo.

Reg. $519.95. 267 sq. in. Color TV. Rectangular,

Phosphor Tube, Color Magic.

Reg. $499.95. 265 sq. in. Color TV. Twin Speakers.

Color Magic Phosphor Tube.

Reg. $439.95. 265 sq. in. Color TV. Walnut Cabinet.

Phosphor Tube.

Check these terrific Airline TV values:

r I EXPERT SERVICE & Extended Service Warranty. Low Price, Prompt Service

rsi

COLOR

Save 20.00 on Airline $40.00 off this Color Port- Reg. $89.95 74 sq. in. { Slim 172 sq. in. Portable able 176 sq. in. Screen. Personal Portable, weighs TV. Color Magic. only 19 lbs. Earphones,

319

ASK ABOUT WARDS SPECIAL 3-YEAR HOME-APPLIANCE CREDIT PLAN-NO MONEY DOWN!

major developments. Such reports, furthermore, would instill more public confidence in the projects themselves. Again we have these fellows who come on and try to sell you land in places like Oregon, or maybe near Palm Springs, expecting the viewer to actually do business in such major projects with little more than the word of the television announcer and maybe some pamphlets. Well, you are asking a human being to part with goodly sums of his hard-earned cash, and it seems to be that although these projects may be perfectly all right, a television station owes it to its loyal viewers to look into such matters, and tell where they may be fine—or may not be. Investigate Auto Sales We have these used car fellows who come on and tell you that an automobile costs $1,000, perhaps, and then describe the prices on the installment plan. Well, anybody

Monday night.

EVANGELIST SERVICE at tha CLINTON FALLS CHURCH April 2 thru April 9 SERVICES AT 7:30 P.M.

Evangelist Rev. Floyd Huay Director Muik Jaittct Burk Pianist—Deyna Crucu Church Paster Rifflt Howard

FUmr Shower a ur ge mchm salt shaker filled with flour makes a handy helper for flouring cake pans, meat, fish and gravy. It's less wasteful and a lot more convenient The little things in your wash-hankies, socks, baby clothes—can be kept together during washing and drying if put into a mesh bag. Quick Cover-Up you c» hide smalt nicks and scratches on wood furniture with paste shoe polish which contains both a stain and a wax ahd is available in many colors. ■' /' Don't cross your bridges until you have the exact toll ready.

Better Be Safe After oiling your sewing machine, it is a good idea to sew through a blotter for a few minutes to prevent stains on new fabrics.

Why Not Your House? i You don't have to build a new home to have electric heat. Just about any house—old or new —can be quickly and easily converted, in many cases, using present duct work. Ifs cleaner, more comfortable and flamelesa

SCttff Stuff Scuff marks on linoleum or tile floors come off in a jiffy if rubbed with a few drops of salad oil. Give a final swipe with a damp doth. ‘ * • Try mixing, cranberiy juice, apple cider or juice and ginger ale for a real pick-me-up!!

•' -v;

Automatic Skimmer Surplus grease from stews and gravies can be collected easily by dropping an ice cube into the hot

* >

* * w *

i *

* ?

• r

t * • *» A- i*

< y_;