Miami, FL
Miami Area Gets First New Manufactured Home Community in Decades
Miami-Dade County is one of the most desirable places to live in the country, but its median listing price of $595,868 is pushing many everyday people out of the market.
That’s why an affordable alternative is drawing attention.
Cottage Grove, a manufactured housing community under construction in South Miami-Dade, will feature 349 single-family homes with prices starting at just $129,900. It will be the first new manufactured housing development in Miami-Dade in decades.
“The interest has been tremendous,” Ross Partrich, the CEO of RHP Properties, which owns Cottage Grove, tells Realtor.com®. “The market is showing there’s a real need—we’ve had over 1,000 inquiries.”
RHP Properties has built manufactured housing communities across 31 states, including Florida, but this is its first project in Miami-Dade.
“Cottage Grove addresses a critical gap in the housing supply at a time when rising home prices and construction costs are putting homeownership out of reach for many families and when supply is shrinking due to redevelopment,” says Partrich.
According to the Manufactured Housing Institute, approximately 22 million Americans reside in manufactured homes. These homes are faster and cheaper to build.
“There’s much less waste and more precision when you’re building in a factory,” says Partrich. “The economies of scale are better, and we’re passing on the savings to our residents.”
About the community
At Cottage Grove, homeowners will own their houses but lease the land beneath them, paying $1,445 a month in lot rent.
Partrich says residents of the community will enjoy five-star amenities.
“That includes a beautifully maintained pool with a large sun deck, contemporary clubhouse, fitness center, yoga and lounge rooms, scenic biking and walking trails, and serene gazebos,” he says.
While many manufactured housing communities in Florida are age-restricted to 55 and older, this 92-acre community will welcome residents of all ages.
“The playground, expansive green spaces, and gated entrance add to the community’s appeal for families,” says Partrich.
Partrich says people have already begun putting down deposits on the homes—each of which has four bedrooms and is around 1,600 square feet.
“They’re spacious, with open floor plans, multiple living areas, and kitchens equipped with stainless-steel appliances and islands,” he explains.
The first group of homes is expected to be completed and move-in-ready by late summer.
Durability and long-term value
In hurricane-prone Florida, durability and safety are key considerations.
Homes in Cottage Grove meet a set of quality standards from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
They’re set on concrete foundations, and Partrich says they’re able to withstand hurricane-force winds—which gives residents added peace of mind.
Over the past seven years, manufactured homes sold without land have appreciated by 51.6%, according to the Realtor.com Perks of the Park: Mobile Homes as an Affordable Alternative Report.
By comparison, median single-family homes rose 58.6% over the same period.
“Financing has typically been more challenging to obtain on manufactured homes, with fewer lenders and higher interest rates,” Florida real estate agent Cara Ameer tells Realtor.com.
“Most manufactured housing communities use land leases, adding a monthly fee that can make it harder for some buyers to qualify or stay long-term. As a result, appreciation has historically been more limited,” Ameer explains.
But Florida real estate broker Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties, says he believes manufactured houses will only continue to rise in popularity, especially in the Sunshine State.
“Stronger manufactured homes are going to be big,” he says. “The reason is that people just want a piece of the American dream and don’t want to be stuck in rentals. These, in many cases, are stepping-stone communities that let someone get started and not be forced to move two counties away. It solves the problem of homeownership, individual placement, and a sense of community.”
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The Miami Dolphins will have new starters at their cornerback positions since both Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas are not back with the team. The team drafted Chris Johnson in the first round and it’s pretty likely he’ll have a large role and should claim the one starting spot. The other starting spot should be up for grabs among the rest of the group. Jason Marshall is one of those players who has a better chance of claiming that starting spot after showing some flashes his rookie season. Jeff Hafley has already said he envision Marshall playing on the outside and the second-year corner should get plenty of chances to prove himself during the preseason.
You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below.
Phinsider News You May Have Missed
With Miami-Dade Superintendent Jose Dotres’ contract ending in February 2027, school board members are now looking to have his replacement by August.
Dotres has served as the superintendent for the third-largest school district since 2022. The school board started the search for his replacement in April.
More than 20 people applied for the position, but now only six have secured spots as semifinalists.
Here’s a closer look at who Miami-Dade’s superintendent might be:
Jose Bueno
With roughly 33 years of experience within Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Bueno currently serves as Dotres’ Chief of Staff.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Bueno’s tasks include coordinating and implementing major projects “that have significant district-wide impact on the goals of the district and involve coordination of other divisions and offices.”
He started as a teacher within the country back in 1993 and is a Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University graduate.
Ernie Lozano
Lozano is currently Broward County’s Public Schools Chief Human Resources Officer.
His passion is creating a safe and secure environment for both students and staff.
“He has been recognized for his contributions to the District’s safety and security initiatives, receiving accolades for his exceptional leadership and commitment to student and staff well-being,” according to a bio on the site for the National Student Safety and Security Conference & Workshop.
Before his career in human resources, Lozano served within education as a teacher, assistant principal and more.
Sylvia Mitchell
Hope builder, executive leadership coach and seasoned superintendent are all descriptions Mitchell has on her LinkedIn.
Living in Houston, Texas, Mitchell is familiar with the Sunshine State since she was a principal at Charter Schools USA in Fort Lauderdale back in 2012.
She has also served as superintendent twice in Texas and is currently Executive Vice President, Curriculum, Design & Development for Per Scholars.
Carlos Perez
Perez is a charter school principal in West Palm Beach and the former executive director of the Education Reform Project, a nonprofit organization based in Miami Beach.
According to the nonprofit, Perez has over 25 years of experience within education, mainly in New York, but now in Florida.
Perez has also been an assistant superintendent in the past, as well as taking part as an Executive Board Member for the New York State Association of School Personnel Administrators.
Christopher Ruszkowski
Currently based in South Carolina as CEO of South Carolina’s Children’s Fund, Ruszkowski has moved all over the country, and Florida will be no exception.
According to his LinkedIn, he served as New Mexico’s Secretary of Education back in 2019. Before living in South Carolina, he was a conservator for the Texas Education Agency. A conservator oversees the state’s takeovers of large school districts and charter school networks.
Getting his master’s at Stanford, Ruszkowski was a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the Hoover Institute located within the university.
Rafael Villalobos
Since 2022, Villalobos has been the South Region Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Before that, he was a principal for over ten years.
The Nova Southeastern alum has been in Miami for most of his life, even graduating from South Miami Senior High School in 1990.
Miami, FL
I went to 2 famous Miami restaurants, a flashy steakhouse and a Cuban hot spot. Here’s how they compared.
Café La Trova celebrated the city’s Cuban heritage through live music, warm hospitality, and dishes that felt deeply rooted in local culture.
Papi Steak, meanwhile, embraced Miami’s flashy, see-and-be-seen reputation with theatrical presentations, celebrity appeal, and an atmosphere that often felt more like a nightclub than a standard steakhouse.
Despite Papi Steak’s over-the-top reputation, nearly every dish I tried — from the wagyu pastrami to the hamachi crudo — was thoughtfully prepared and tasted just as good as it looked. If you’re looking for an indulgent, special-occasion dinner where the spectacle is part of the fun, it’s easy to understand why the restaurant has become such a phenomenon.
Still, if I could only recommend one restaurant to a first-time visitor, I’d choose Café La Trova.
While Papi Steak offered the more decadent, once-in-a-lifetime meal, Café La Trova delivered a more authentic Miami experience, pairing outstanding food and cocktails with a genuine sense of the city’s history and culture.
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