Sunrise Communities - November/December 2018

The Value of Metering Are Individualized Meters Right for Your Park?

We Purchase Mobile Home Communities

Nationwide Quick and Confidential Closing References Available Upon Request

In most cases, utility companies only bill mobile home parks using their master meters, leaving the park manager to sort out who owes what. In the old days, when utilities were relatively cheap and in smaller demand, many park managers decided to simply roll the cost into their tenant’s monthly rent. Today, however, this practice discourages responsible utility usage and decreases the value of your park significantly. But there is another option. More and more mobile home parks are installing individual utility meters and divvying up the bill according to usage. If you are on the fence about instituting such a policy shift in your park, you should consider the benefits. Reward Responsibility The problem with rolling the total utility usage into your residents’ rent is that it punishes those who make an effort to conserve or reduce their usage. For many, the logic is simple: Why take a two-minute shower when you’ll still be footing the bill for your neighbor who takes 30 minutes? Dividing up the bill equitably ensures that those who make the extra effort to use utilities responsibly are compensated for their efforts, while those who abused the earlier system are penalized. Encourage Maintenance Reports Residents are less likely to feel the need to report a leak if it isn’t affecting their pocketbook. Individual meters give mobile home owners a greater sense of ownership of the utilities they use and the conditions they are in. Once a leaky sink begins to cost them money, people are far more likely to bring it to their maintenance team’s attention. Untether Rent From Utility Costs One of the biggest disadvantages with using the old “rolled in” system is that it ties your rental rates to the rising costs of utilities. This makes it almost impossible to compete with more modernized mobile home parks already making use of individualized meters. Increase Value All of these benefits combine to create an overall increase in value for your park. In many cases, we’ve seen an appreciation of upward of a quarter million dollars in value from this one simple investment. If you’d like our recommendations on the installation process, give us a call at 813-999-9999.

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Joanna's Recipe Corner Creamy Sweet Potatoes

Recipe by Joanna Bupp

• 5 pounds sweet potatoes • 1 cup canned coconut milk • 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste INGREDIENTS 1. Heat oven to 375 F. On a large sheet pan, bake potatoes until very soft, approximately 75 minutes. 2. Let potatoes cool until they are safe to handle, then peel and mash. 3. In a small saucepan over INSTRUCTIONS

• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

4. 30 minutes before serving, heat oven to 425 F. Spread potatoes in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. 5. Uncover potatoes and dot

with remaining butter and sugar. Broil until brown, crusty, and delicious. Serve hot.

low heat, combine coconut milk and curry paste. Once mixed, add the mixture, salt, half the sugar, and half the butter to potatoes.

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