Three days ago, the Aspen Daily News published an article about the two mobile home parks in Carbondale and Basalt being listed for sale. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s worth your time: Read the full article here

The article is well written and accurate—and yet, it’s just the beginning of a much deeper conversation we need to have.

Because for many, these aren’t just parks. They’re a first home. A dream made real. A place to start a family, run a business, or retire in peace. And the decision facing these communities today is incredibly complex—legally, financially, emotionally, and culturally.

The Bigger Picture: Housing in Resort Towns

Housing has always been complicated in a resort town like ours. The population has grown, tourism is strong, and COVID prompted many to consider second or third homes here. With limited land and high demand, affordability continues to slip away.

Homeownership has been a challenge for decades—for newcomers and lifelong locals alike. But these two mobile home parks have provided housing to some of the valley’s most essential residents: entrepreneurs, service providers, contractors, childcare workers, hospitality professionals. People who make this valley work.

Dyna’s Perspective: A Personal Connection

Dyna has spoken for years about the pros and cons of manufactured homes. They offer affordability and independence. But when you don’t own the land beneath you, stability is never guaranteed. Even with Colorado’s law that gives residents the right to submit an offer before a park is sold, there’s no guarantee that offer will be accepted—or that residents can afford to make one in the first place.

Over the years, we’ve had many clients who started their lives in these parks. They worked hard, built savings, and eventually bought their dream home or ranch. I’ve been fortunate to work with many of them in my former hospitality career—and I relate deeply, having moved to this country myself and married to Dyna, who arrived in the U.S. in 1999.

These aren’t just properties. These are people’s lives.

So What’s Happening Now?

The Carbondale and Basalt parks are listed together for $42 million:

• Carbondale: $18 million

• Basalt: $24 million

Each park contains a mix of homes—some in need of repairs, others beautifully renovated, upgraded with personal touches and character you won’t find in any cookie-cutter subdivision.

Some trailers may have low face value and show wear, while others have sold for more than $400,000 in recent years because of their location, condition, and—most importantly—the ability to stay on a leased pad in a near-zero vacancy market.

Understanding the Legal Right and the Risk

Colorado law gives residents the Right of First Refusal—120 days to organize and make an offer. But there are loopholes.

If the parks are sold together for the full $42 million as listed, the seller does not have to re-notify residents. But if the sale price is reduced or the properties are sold separately, the 120-day clock restarts.

So what are the options for residents today?

1. Submit an offer at the full $18 million asking price (Carbondale), or $24 million (Basalt) → This preserves their right but comes with a high financial burden—and could mean overpaying if the seller later accepts a lower offer.

2. Submit a lower offer based on fair value and financing capability → The seller may reject the offer, but if they later accept similar terms from another buyer, residents get another 120-day notice.

3. Wait and monitor the listing → If the seller lowers the price or splits the sale, residents would get another chance—but that may come with risks, such as missing a narrow window to organize.

Each choice carries risk. And there’s pressure—emotional, financial, communal—to “do something.” But doing the right thing starts with understanding all the consequences.

A Financial Reality Check

We ran a basic calculation. Let’s say residents of the Carbondale park want to buy it for the full $18 million asking price:

• 30% down payment = $5.4 million

• Loan = $12.6 million

• Mortgage at today’s interest rates (approx. 6.5%), plus property taxes, insurance, and management fees

This would bring the monthly cost per pad to over $2,000—which is roughly 50% more than the current average lot rent of $1,300.

That’s a hard pill to swallow… at first.

But here’s the long-term picture:

• If a different buyer purchases the park, rent will almost certainly go up—maybe slowly, maybe quickly, but it will rise.

• Over 10 years, rent increases could reach the $2,000/month level anyway.

• But if the residents buy it, the next 20 years could be significantly more affordable—especially once the loan is paid off and they own the land outright.

And most importantly: they’ll be the ones deciding what happens next.

So What Should Residents Do?

Buying a park is no small task. It takes organization, a majority of interest from residents, securing down payments, and help from nonprofits and lenders. Often the financing is structured with a 30-year loan and a deed restriction to ensure the park stays affordable.

Residents must weigh:

• The risks of doing nothing

• The complexity of buying together

• Their trailer’s value, loan balance, and condition

• Whether their home could be moved (and to where?)

• Legal protections or deed restrictions already on the land

• Their trust in the people and institutions offering help

These aren’t simple questions—and no one should have to answer them alone.

Our Role as a Community

Whether or not these residents choose to buy their park, they deserve access to:

• Clear information

• Financial tools

• Legal support

• Language accessibility

• Time and space to make informed decisions

We've had many conversations over the past few days about the challenge of staying neutral and informed—of not rushing to decide before all the facts are clear. That’s something we hope to support.

Because this affects more than just two parks. This is about the soul of our valley.

To Our Readers

If you live in one of these parks, or know someone who does, we hope this article helps. It’s only the beginning. Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue learning, listening, and doing our best to help those who need guidance.

If you're part of a nonprofit, a lender, or a housing authority—this is the moment to step in and show what community support really looks like.

For all of us, it’s time to remember that housing is about people. It always has been.

If you’d like to stay connected or offer help, feel free to reach out to us.

We’re here, and we’re listening.