Texas Country Living in a Mobile Home: What it Means for My Family and Lifestyle

I have discussed in my very first post here on the Braustin blog “Why I Chose a Mobile Home”. Today, though, I want to share why I have never regretted that decision, and what country living is has meant for our family lifestyle.

First of all, we live about a half hour away from the city of San Antonio. We have a grocery store about 10 miles away, some local gas stations, and even a nice coffee shop, but everything else is in the city—work, family, friends, and even our church.

Sometimes life gets a little hard and little hectic with the commute we have committed to, but every decision in life involves a trade off. We traded the convenience of city living (which, no doubt, has its benefits) for the peace and tranquility of the country.

Peace & Safety

Bad things can happen anywhere to be sure, but I’ve always felt safest in the country.

There’s something about that drive from the city to the country: the hustle and bustle begins to fade, street lights turn to trees and rows upon rows of concrete businesses turn to expansive fields full of grazing cattle and rusty tractors.

Not to be too corny, but it makes my heart sing.

I can recall the very first night my husband and I spent in our mobile home. We both woke up thinking the same thing—that was the most quite night of my life!

No sirens. No trains. No airplanes. Nothing.

Living in the city, you become so accustomed to these noises, you really don’t notice they’re there. Until they’re not. And then you realize how loud life had really become.

Some people thrive off that energy, from the constant activity and excitement—I am not those people. (And no judgment from me if you are!)

I knew I needed less chaos and more peace. This mobile home on this land has done that for me.

A Yard & Garden

Before we had babies, we had dog babies (60 pound dog babies) and we truly wanted a place they could stretch and run and play like they needed to.

Our yard was maybe an eighth of an acre in the city—the dogs could barely get up to full speed before coming up to a fence. We didn’t totally buy a house and yard just for them, but it sure played a role in our decision.

Since we have over an acre and a half of property, we were able to fence off a whole half of an acre for our dogs to be dogs in. It’s a luxury not many home/dog owners have and I’m sure to the best of their dog understanding, they’re appreciative.

A yard also meant something else—a garden.

My very own garden, not just two trellises and some cucumbers like I had before, but some legit space to grow vegetable produce for our family.

It took a couple of years after moving to get the garden established, and even now it’s a work in progress. But I love having it.

Gardening is work, it’s not all peace and tranquility (sometimes it actually feels like insect warfare) but the outcome is so satisfying, the beauty is so enriching, I could never live without one.

And Texas, by the way, needs to quit with this cold weather so I can get planting already!

Investment & Payoff

Let’s face it, renting doesn’t have much to offer but the convenience of a built in maintenance man. Effectively, you’re throwing away hundreds, if not over a thousand, dollars a month, with nothing to show for in the end.

I absolutely realize this is hard to avoid sometimes. Maybe you messed up your credit, maybe you can’t afford a down payment, maybe you’ve fallen on hard times.

Renting just did not feel like a viable long term solution to us. We wanted to invest in a property that would increase in value, a place that might end up paying us to live there.

There were some hard times, it was a little scary, things didn’t always go according to plan, but the outcome has been learning our home is worth significantly more than it was when we bought it. (Yes, you’re mobile home can appreciate!)

Thankful & Grateful

So if you’re wondering, would I buy this mobile home again? Absolutely. Without a doubt. This home allowed my husband and me to be homeowners at 20 years old!

This home has given us freedom, comfort, and security.

This lifestyle has brought us peace, quiet, and a retreat from life’s noise.

And, if we decide to sell it, it will have brought us some profits too!