Archives for March 2022

Mobile Homes aren’t for Everyone, oh wait, they are!

We often look to celebrities for inspiration. They set the standard to which we tend to judge our lives and level of success. We also just like a good bit of gossip from time to time because it’s entertaining. Celebrities draw our attention whether there’s a scandal, breaking news, or just something that goes completely against our preconceptions.

The super famous and ultra wealthy live in mobile homes? What? Why? It’s true! There’s a myriad of reasons behind each of these 8 famous people’s decisions to live in a mobile home. Sit back and read about why those at the top choose to live in a humble home.

Celebrity 1 – Kid Rock

Kid Rock starts out our list of celebrities as the man most at-home in a mobile home. Kid Rock is known as an outgoing, in-your-face personality and he embraces things that allow him to live how he wants to live. This isn’t a choice made out of financial necessity as he’s worth $80 million. Instead, the reason he lives in a mobile home is that it suits his needs best when he’s not on tour. He finds a mobile home to be the most practical option for him, in the same way he considers his private jet a necessity.

“I live in a double-wide trailer. It’s not like I require a lot. You know, I’ve learned to downsize through the years and it really made me more happy. I’ll sell everything and live in that double-wide but I’m not givin’ up that airplane”

Taken from an interview with Dan Rather

According to Kid Rock, the things that make him happy in life are never going to be found in a house or mansion. The number of bedrooms, the size of a pool, and even mansion-tier accessories like a movie theater mean nothing if you’re the only one using them. Instead, he finds that the things which make him happy are his land and his flexibility. With a mobile home he was able to find a piece of land perfect for him and instantly start living his best life.

Source: CountryMusicFamily

Mobile Home Resident No. 2 – Pamela Anderson

Of course, this is Pamela Anderson and you probably know she’s not known as the quaint lady with a happy, unassuming relationship and small home. She ended up selling her mobile home, renting out the mansion, and moving to France to be with the French footballer Adil Rami.

Her life was what many would consider picturesque in that mobile home park. Unlike the reported nature of her other relationships (including with the first person on this list – Kid Rock), her time with the electrician was legitimately romantic. Her kids were even the same age as those of the electrician. How did this man come to meet this superstar? He picked her up in his golf cart! Yes, for a time she even indulged in the park cultural phenomenon of golf cart travel after being introduced to the convenience by that fateful ride.

Source: The Things

Celebrity 3 – Matthew McConaughey

We’re back to diehard mobile home residents with this superstar! Matthew McConaughey is a household name and celebrity of the highest caliber. He was also a mobile home resident full-time between 2004 and 2008, living in an Airstream trailer. You read that right, he didn’t even have the luxuries of a proper mobile home as he was actually living in a trailer – for four years!

According to Architectural Digest, McConaughey’s Airstream was used for everything from parties to conducting business. The actor lived in it full time from ’04 to ’08 in a Malibu RV park next to a world-famous surfing spot. Ever since then he has used the Airstream as his primary residence on the road. Like many Americans, McConaughey embraces the freedom and flexibility that a brick and mortar home just can’t offer. Also, just like with Kid Rock, the Airstream more than met McConaughey’s needs. If he wanted to go to a crazy Hollywood party he’d probably let someone else deal with the mess and property damage.

Source: Architectural Digest

TV Superstar and Number 4 – NIA PEEPLES

Nia Peeples, best known for her role in Pretty Little Liars, lives in a double-wide mobile home. You absolutely need to watch the video your of Nia’s home in Malibu. Not only does her home rock, it will hopefully give you ideas and show you what can be done in your mobile home. What if you don’t know anything about mobile homes? Well, this is one! This isn’t even anything fancy, the layout and structure are exactly the same as what you’ll find in any park. Nia gives a perfect glimpse into the ideal mobile home lifestyle and what we can all achieve with a little creativity and dedication.

Source: The attached video! Watch it and you won’t regret it.

5 – Tom Shadyac

Tom Shadyac is a well established director with pictures under his belt including Patch Adams, The Nutty Professor, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and Bruce Almighty. He made it big in the industry and for a number of years he lived like it. Tom had a big, multimillion dollar mansion and everything else one gets when the cash comes flowing in.

Why He Downscaled Despite Celebrity Status

You see, back in 2007 Tom had a bike accident the left him in excruciating pain for months. He found himself standing in his giant mansion in pain and no happier than he was before he was rich. Living life as a stereotypical celebrity was leaving Tom feeling empty. To him, all the normal measures of success were just cultural constructs that have no real value. A mansion is just a big, empty void that sucks the life out of you.

A decade ago Tom had an existential awakening that made him realize what he wanted out of life. Instead of living in a community of closed-off mansions where everyone is standoffish and competitive, he wanted to be part of a community. He said that the culture of measuring our self worth from what material things we have is awful.

“We have a term for something in the body when it takes more than its share,” “We call it cancer.”

From the documentary I Am

This director of multiple critically-acclaimed movies decided his best life was in a mobile home. Tom Shadyac believes that being a celebrity should be about celebrating talent. According to him, the problem is when people are put on a pedestal they get in the way of their “authentic selves.” To save his integrity and mental state a mobile home was the only option. Tom also rides to work on a bike and spends his days pursuing his passions and not cultural status symbols.

Source: Oprah Interview

Celebrity 6 – David Arquette

David is an established and the former husband of Friends star Courtney Cox. From around 2012 to 2017 he was also a mobile home resident, living (as with many of the people on this list) in a Malibu mobile home park. David’s home is a doublewide with an open layout, industrial style exterior, and a 1.8 million dollar price tag.

So many celebrities choose to live in a mobile home because they meet their needs perfectly. Celebrities share a lot with retired people due to constant activities, having a fluid schedule, and often only needing to live with their partner or nobody else at all. A mobile home is also small enough that it feels like a home but still offers the freedom not afforded by an apartment. You can turn a mobile home into a personalized haven in a way that would be impractical and excessive with anything else.

Source: Architectural Digest

Famous Billionaire and Number 7 – Elon Musk

Elon Musk, love him or hate him you have to admit he has a peculiar way of doing things. Elon’s futurism is sometimes misguided but we think he hit the nail on the head with his house. The tech billionaire and rocket magnate lives in a $50k tiny, prefabricated home in Texas.

The home he now reportedly lives in is a 375 square foot prefabricated home made by Las Vegas startup Boxabl. Their homes boast high 9’6″ ceilings, full-sized kitchen with all appliances included, large bathroom amenities, a washer and dryer, climate control included, and full LED lighting. These homes are definitely plug-and-play because you literally only need the land and water/power hookup. More impressively, these homes are designed with industry-leading insulation and other power saving features. There’s also a two-storey model!

If you want to live like a billionaire it’s only $250 per month. You can exceed Elon’s lifestyle because you have the opportunity to move into a resort lifestyle community. Imagine the chic lifestyle of a billionaire and the amenities of a resort. This author knows what they’re doing when they retire!

Source: Business Insider

Celebrity 8 – Minnie Driver

You might know Minnie Driver from Grosse Pointe Blank or Good Will Hunting but did you know this singer and actress lives in a mobile home? Minnie is yet another celebrity on this list that lives in Malibu on the more humble side of things. She bought her home by the beach over twenty years ago. After years of living in a normal mobile home Minnie decided to upgrade her house. She went to interior designer One Kings Lane for help and it really paid off!

This London-born academy award nominee chooses to spend her free time in a home not too far off from what you can have, even after the New York designer’s overhaul. This article from One Kings Lane documents the remodeled state of Minnie’s home and offers some inspiration.

We don’t want to say the New York decorator didn’t do an impressive job – they did – but we will say you can attain this look on a tight budget. Open floorplans seem to be here to stay; aside from the removal of maybe a wall or two all you need is light colored paint and some finds from a local thrift shop. You can achieve that Malibu look on a retirement budget and afford to life like you’re in Malibu too! After all, the sunshine is free in Florida.

Source: One Kings Lane

More Articles from Integrity

Want to See our Sources?

We couldn’t have made this list without the help of some other wonderful sites. If you want to see what they had to say about celebrities living in mobile homes then give them a visit.

House Beautiful, MH Living News, and US Mobile Home Pros

Here’s Some Things You Need to Know Before Going Away

Here are some essential considerations to keep in mind this summer if you’re heading north or going on vacation:

Have Someone Looking Out For You

Extended stays away from home are easier and safer than ever when you live in a mobile home park. These parks are communities where it’s not uncommon for a sizable amount of people to go north for the summer. Also, they are real communities where people build friendships and look out for each other. The number-one thing to do is tell family and close friends about your trip.

Find someone you trust that lives in Florida year-round to look after your property. This doesn’t entail they live in your home or take up a sentry position, they just need to know that if they notice any changes that they should call you.

Landscaping is Important!

Seedy types look for homes that they know are empty, so make sure your property doesn’t look abandoned. The most recommended thing to do is hire a trusted (i.e. an established company) landscaping service to do regular maintenance on your home. A professional landscaper’s presence both serves to keep things looking kept up as well as maintain a level of activity while you’re away.

We know that the landscaping option isn’t available for everybody, whether due to cost or just not having time to set it up. Don’t worry, you can do an overly-enthusiastic trim before you go so things look only slightly overgrown when you come back. Your property might not look as good as the community clubhouse, but it also will be far from the worst when fall comes around.

Make Sure Nothing Builds Up on the Porch

Newspapers, pamphlets, and even forgotten late-night Amazon purchases all tell a person of dubious character one thing, and it’s not that you don’t care about your mail. Make sure you cancel your subscriptions while gone so newspapers don’t build up and your mailbox isn’t packed.

If you want to go a step above, ask that kind soul that’s looking out for your home to go over once in a while to pick up loose promotional detritus. You could also ask your landscaper if they’ll clean up this material in the event you have one.

Run Lights on Timers and Sensors

Hopefully you’re familiar with running lights on wall-mounted timers. If not, the idea is straightforward: a little outlet-mounted timer is plugged into your lamps and turns on and back off at pre-specified times. These timers can be purchased very affordably at Walmart and any reputable hardware store; one lamp per larger, windowed room should do the trick.

Motion detectors on outdoor lights are a must-have in our opinion. You might have discounted the idea because they’re generally expensive or finicky, but now you can buy an LED security light kit for under $40! These kits are relatively easy to put up and draw attention to your home whenever something is snooping around. More often than not you spook stray critters, but that’s not exactly a bad thing either.

Make Sure your Air Conditioner is Working

While it’s tempting to turn everything off and not pay a dime to the power company, it’s best for your home that you have the AC running (plus you want those lights mentioned above). An air conditioner does a lot more than cool a home, it also filters the air and removes moisture. It would be senseless to keep your home comfortably cool the entire time you’re away. It is paramount that your thermostat is set somewhere in the mid-80s so the system kicks on while away.

Storms Still Happen While You’re Away

Florida is the thunderstorm capitol of the US and it’s not uncommon for surges to trip breakers and take out unprotected devices. It’s best practice to unplug everything not in use. Doing this drastically lowers the chance of electrical fire and, more likely, something wasting expensive electricity. Unplug your TVs, computers, and appliances and keep rechargeable devices off their chargers. Also, back up your data as a precaution.

Clean out Fridges and Freezers

Power goes out occasionally, and more occasionally it can be out for a long time. Would you rather have to buy a few groceries when you return or have to kill the monster that’s grown out of your forgotten leftovers marinating in a warm fridge? I think you can agree it’s best to toss the half-used mayo.

Modern appliances are as sensitive to power surges as computers. Having your fridge or even freezer unplugged and cleaned-out will protect them for years to come.

Keep Your Valuables Safe

Having a safe deposit box for jewelry and other precious objects is recommended. While you cherish your family photos and keepsakes, criminals only want what they can pawn. It’s likely you’ll find that you don’t need a big deposit box to protect your stuff. Plus, not having such things in your home can act as a deterrent.

Inspect Everything

Lock all your doors and windows before you go and double-check them. Test all the locks and replace broken ones. Make sure your things like sheds and outdoor storage containers have locks on them too.

If you have further questions or want recommendations for the Bradenton/Sarasota area, feel free to contact us here.