A Coachella Valley mobile home park transforming its trailers

Many people in the Palm Springs area aren't able to afford large luxurious homes. Some even are looking for a simpler way of living. A mobile home park in Palm Springs, the Ramon Mobile and RV Resort has a few trailers that have transformed into small homes. One of these homes belongs to Lisa Ferretti, a realtor with Paul Kaplan Group and designer. She gave us a look into her "bohemian chic mid-century trailer."

She said, “My intention in moving here was to sort of downsize simplify my life, have low overhead, and a very peaceful environment.” As a realtor, she said she tries to show people alternative ways of living in Palm Springs.

Here is a look at what her trailer looked like before any of the renovations took place.

She works with the Palm Canyon Mobile Club to also help others achieve the same life of simplicity. These home transformations are so popular, she said, “We are almost sold out. The demand has been such from all over the country from people wanting to simplify and downsize.” She estimates the cost of one of these homes is about less than a quarter of the cost of a residence in the same area. The specific cost she said, “It really varies depending on what park you’re in, what kind of renovation you want to do. Certainly, you’re going to need to put about $100,000 in.”

Her specific space is roughly 720 square feet inside with about 600 square feet inside. That's because she said she is on approximately two lots of space. She added, “I think that living simply and beautifully in a peaceful environment is sort of everybody's goal. Not everybody knows how to find that and I would like to assist in helping people find that place for themselves.”

Sean Wise who is also a designer lives just across the way from Lisa. He built his trailer home from the ground up. He said, “I did everything. The concrete, the ficus, the palm trees, the rocks, the trailer, all of the landscape design, everything. The fence was even put in.” He said a big house doesn't really appeal to him because he doesn't want to take care of it. He wants to have the ability to close the door and travel. The clean up for him is also much easier in a home that size.

These small sanctuaries are ones that not everyone knows exists in the desert. Ferretti said they are, “Sort of hidden little communities of different ways of living where you don’t have to have all that stuff.”