Fred Marx

Quite right. And I am quite wrong about the pics showing park models. As we have traveled the country, the strongest appeal has been the Encore park in Show Low Arizona because of the weather factors and excellent park maintenance. It seems like there's always a handful of park model units available and, in our upcoming visits, we'll be looking much more closely at what's available there and in other parks. We will also look at Escapees parks which we've always enjoyed. While Show Low AZ seems to have what we want, there must be other places that fit our bill as well or better. So we're open. Just not too much heat, and not too much snow. Thanks to all for the links. I have much to learn and you have provided the means to study up.

Thank you, Kirk, for indicating that I did post the article link in my original post. It was never my intention to raise polarizing flags (as did the article). 'Tis the world we live in. I used "Encore" parks as an indicator of the level of quality I'm looking for (or better). It need not be branded Encore for me to be interested. But 55+ is important. And weather is a factor, for sure. There is no WX nirvana, I know. But high-altitude Arizona is interesting so we won't be baking like Phoenix in the summer and we won't be digging snow too often like Fargo in winter. You get the idea. We're retired now for almost a decade and have come to grips with the idea that we need LESS. Of everything, including space. The big motorcoach was a good thing, but we think now it might be nice to settle into a nice, smallish, park model year round. The thing about the WaPo article is the mention that larger corporate interests are raising land rents in smaller parks. Short of disaster, I don't see that ending anytime soon. So maybe we're looking for a family-owned park where Mom & Pop aren't interested in selling out. Too much to ask? My wife and I have maybe another 15 years left on the planet. It sure would be nice if we could live in peace (and good weather).

jbh: I have found that there's a lack of understanding regarding the differences between RV parks and mobile home parks. As written, the article did misunderstand it. As illustrated by its pictures, the article showed the kind of park we're interested in.

It's been a while since I've had to dive deeply into the consideration of the viability of my lifestyle choice. Now we're thinking seriously about exchanging our Class A for an annual at a place yet to be determined. Yesterday's WaPo had an article about exponentially rising land rents at Arizona RV parks. This gives rise to the question: Where are the financially safe states/regions for annuals? I'm writing this in mid-March 2024. And while I know that there are absolutely no certainties in this world, I still like to make good decisions. (3/13/24) -- Given responses so far, I should clarify that we're thinking about a stationary park model located in an age-qualified (55+) Encore park (or similar). Where in the country might I have a chance at stable land rent in a higher-quality region?