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- Mel Ray Mobile Home Community
Mel Ray Mobile Home Community










Mel Ray Mobile Home Community Overview
Rating
Phone (515) 236-3338
Address 2301 SW Oralabor Rd Unit 20, Ankeny, IA 50023, USA
Website http://openmgmt.com/mel-ray
Hours
Monday, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Tuesday, 12:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday, 12:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Saturday, Closed
Sunday, Closed
Mel Ray Mobile Home Community Location & Map
IowaPolk CountyAnkenySouthwest Oralabor Road
Mel Ray Mobile Home Community About
For many Iowans seeking a comfortable, affordable, and welcoming place to call home, mobile home communities offer a unique and appealing solution. In the thriving city of Ankeny, one such community that has built a reputation for its friendly atmosphere and dedicated management is Mel Ray Mobile Home Community. It's a place where the concept of 'neighborhood' truly comes alive, offering residents the benefits of homeownership within a supportive and well-maintained environment. Unlike traditional housing, manufactured home communities like Mel Ray often provide a more accessible entry point into owning a home, making it an attractive option for individuals and families looking to settle in the dynamic Ankeny area.
Mel Ray Mobile Home Community isn't just about providing a space for your home; it’s about fostering a genuine sense of belonging. The testimonials from current and former residents consistently highlight the exceptional leadership of the Park Manager, Debbie, who is praised for her fairness, helpfulness, and delightful personality. This strong management presence contributes significantly to the positive living experience, ensuring that park rules are respectfully upheld and that residents feel valued. For locals in Iowa, especially those considering Ankeny as their home, finding a community that prioritizes both affordability and a high quality of life is paramount. This article will delve into what makes Mel Ray Mobile Home Community a standout choice, exploring its convenient location, the services it offers, its key features, and why it’s particularly suitable for those seeking a welcoming home in the heart of Iowa.
Mel Ray Mobile Home Community is strategically located at 2301 SW Oralabor Rd Unit 20, Ankeny, IA 50023, USA. This address places it within Ankeny, one of Iowa's fastest-growing and most desirable cities. Ankeny offers a fantastic blend of suburban comfort with excellent access to the amenities and opportunities of the greater Des Moines metropolitan area.
Oralabor Road is a significant route within Ankeny, providing residents with straightforward access to major highways, including Interstate 35, which connects to Des Moines and other key destinations across Iowa. This makes commuting for work or leisure highly convenient. Residents of Mel Ray Mobile Home Community benefit from being close to a wide array of local conveniences. Ankeny boasts numerous shopping centers, diverse dining options, quality schools, and a growing number of parks and recreational facilities. Essential services such as grocery stores, healthcare providers, and banks are all within a short driving distance, simplifying daily errands. The accessibility of this location means that while residents enjoy the community feel of Mel Ray, they are never far from the vibrant life and opportunities that Ankeny and the surrounding Des Moines area have to offer. This balance of local tranquility and regional connectivity is a significant advantage for those considering Mel Ray as their home.
Based on the provided customer reviews and the typical operations of well-managed mobile home communities, Mel Ray Mobile Home Community offers services designed to support its residents and maintain a pleasant living environment. While specific, detailed amenity lists are not fully outlined, the strong emphasis on management and community upkeep implies several key services:
- Professional Park Management: A standout service is the highly praised on-site management, particularly exemplified by Director Debbie. Her helpfulness, fairness, and ability to respectfully enforce park rules indicate a strong, professional management presence dedicated to resident satisfaction and community order.
- Responsive Application and Approval Process: As highlighted by the realtor's review, Debbie and her team are capable of working "hard to submit the paperwork and get an expedited answer," demonstrating efficient handling of new resident applications and approvals, which is crucial for seamless transitions.
- Community Rule Enforcement: The mention of management holding residents "accountable to the park rules in a respectful way" points to a structured environment where rules are applied consistently to maintain harmony and quality of life for all residents.
- General Park Upkeep: While not explicitly detailed, a well-managed community like Mel Ray would typically provide services related to the general maintenance and cleanliness of common areas, roads, and infrastructure within the park.
- Lot Leasing: Mel Ray Mobile Home Community primarily offers lots for lease where residents can place their manufactured homes, providing the foundation for their housing needs.
- Neighborly Community Environment: Though not a direct service, the consistent feedback about friendly neighbors suggests an implicit service of fostering a positive community atmosphere through good management and perhaps community-building efforts.
Mel Ray Mobile Home Community is distinguished by several key features and highlights that contribute to its appeal for residents in Ankeny:
- Exceptional Park Management (Debbie): The most significant highlight is the highly praised Park Manager, Debbie. Residents and external partners consistently laud her as "awesome," "super helpful and fair," "delightful," and a professional who "really knows her stuff." Her personal approach and effective management are central to the positive resident experience.
- Friendly and Welcoming Neighbors: Reviews emphasize the exceptionally friendly and supportive nature of the neighbors, indicating a strong community spirit that is "as friendly (maybe more so) than any other neighborhood" a resident has experienced. This creates a genuine sense of belonging.
- Accountable and Respectful Rule Enforcement: The management's ability to hold residents accountable to park rules "in a respectful way" ensures a harmonious living environment where standards are maintained without alienating residents. This contributes to a well-ordered community.
- Expedited Client Approval Process: For realtors and prospective residents, the efficiency and "great communication and TEAM work" in processing applications, even with tight deadlines, is a notable feature, making the move-in process smoother.
- Opportunity for Affordable Homeownership: Like many mobile home communities, Mel Ray offers a more accessible path to homeownership in Ankeny compared to traditional housing, making it a key feature for those seeking value.
- Convenient Ankeny Location: Situated on SW Oralabor Road, the community benefits from excellent access to Ankeny's amenities, schools, and major roadways, connecting residents easily to the broader Des Moines metro area.
- Long-Term Resident Satisfaction: The fact that a resident has lived in the park for "4 years" and notes improvements ("I hope they get that figured out!") despite minor concerns, suggests overall satisfaction and a stable living environment.
Information regarding specific, publicly advertised promotions or special offers for Mel Ray Mobile Home Community is not provided in the given customer reviews or general public data. Mobile home communities typically tailor their incentives based on current availability, market conditions, and their specific business objectives.
However, it is common for mobile home parks to offer various types of promotions that might appeal to prospective residents. These could include:
- Reduced Lot Rent Specials: New residents might be offered a discounted rate on their monthly lot rent for an initial period (e.g., the first three or six months).
- Moving Incentives: Assistance with relocation costs for bringing a manufactured home into the community.
- Referral Programs: Existing residents might receive a bonus or credit for referring new residents who successfully move into the park.
- Home Purchase Incentives: If the park has homes for sale (either new or pre-owned), they might offer special pricing, financing options, or upgrades as part of a promotional package.
To get the most accurate and current information on any available promotions, special offers, or specific pricing details for lot rentals or home purchases, the best approach is to contact Mel Ray Mobile Home Community directly. Their highly praised management team, particularly Debbie, would be the ideal contact to discuss any current incentives that might be available to new residents.
For direct inquiries, to learn more about available lots or homes, or to discuss any questions you may have about living at Mel Ray Mobile Home Community, please use the following contact details:
Address: 2301 SW Oralabor Rd Unit 20, Ankeny, IA 50023, USA
Phone: (515) 236-3338
Mobile Phone: +1 515-236-3338
Given the strong positive feedback regarding the responsiveness and helpfulness of the park management, particularly Debbie, reaching out via phone during business hours is highly recommended. This will allow you to get precise, up-to-date information and potentially schedule a visit to experience the community firsthand.
For locals throughout Iowa, especially those considering a move to Ankeny, Mel Ray Mobile Home Community presents itself as a highly suitable and attractive living option. It addresses several key aspects that Iowans prioritize when choosing a home: affordability, a strong sense of community, and effective management.
Firstly, the affordability of manufactured home living is a significant draw. In a rapidly growing and increasingly desirable city like Ankeny, traditional housing can become quite expensive. Mel Ray offers a practical and often more budget-friendly pathway to homeownership, allowing residents to invest in their own property without the substantial financial burden typically associated with stick-built homes. This economic advantage enables more Iowans to achieve their dream of homeownership in a desirable location.
Secondly, and perhaps most compellingly, the community aspect at Mel Ray is a major highlight. The reviews consistently praise the "friendly" neighbors and the exceptional leadership of Park Manager Debbie. Her fairness, helpfulness, and ability to foster a positive environment where residents are "accountable to the park rules in a respectful way" create a harmonious and welcoming atmosphere. This emphasis on community and strong, supportive management resonates deeply with Iowa's values of neighborliness and mutual respect. For locals, finding a place where you genuinely feel a part of the neighborhood and where management is approachable and effective is invaluable.
Finally, the strategic location in Ankeny further enhances its suitability. Ankeny offers a high quality of life with excellent schools, numerous parks, and a thriving local economy, all while being well-connected to the broader Des Moines metropolitan area. Residents of Mel Ray benefit from this accessibility, enjoying suburban tranquility without being isolated from urban conveniences and employment opportunities.
In summary, Mel Ray Mobile Home Community is an excellent fit for locals in Iowa because it combines the economic benefits of manufactured home living with the intangible value of a strong, friendly community, all managed by a highly praised and dedicated team. It’s a place where Iowans can find not just a house, but a true home and a welcoming neighborhood.
Customer Reviews
I’ve lived in 2 different trailers here over the last 4 years. The neighbors here are as friendly (maybe more so) than any other neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. Debbie, the Director, is awesome. If I could rate her only — I’d rate her a 5, for sure. She’s always been super helpful and fair. She really knows her stuff. She’s a delightful person and also holds us accountable to the park rules in a respectful way. Apart from Debbie, I’ve been disappointed in response times to inquiries and service requests. I hope they get that figured out!
Debbie Gull, Park Manager at Mel Ray was a delight to work with getting my clients approved to move to the Park after they submitted a purchase agreement to purchase a home and had only a few days to remove the contingency offer. Debbie and her team made sure they worked hard to submit the paperwork and get an expedited answer, great communication and TEAM work! Thanks Debbie! Vonnie @ Iowa Realty.
I've lived here for years, the selling of the park has definitely rocked the community with all the changes that comes with it but the worst may have been taking on Heidi Johnson as a property manager. Thankfully she's gone and at least on my side there feels to be more stability. Debbie Smith has been with us for years and if I trust any one who's with the park it's her, she's definitely looked out for me and has been a great help through out the years.
I won't lie, in my time living here so far it's been a bit confusing to keep up with the management changes but I just had the most pleasant experience with Debbie. She's always been amazing to communicate to and is so kind to me every time I've ever had a question or concern!
If I could give Mel Ray a negative review I absolutely would. MANAGEMENT IS THE WORST, THE ABSOLUTE WORST. They rarely return calls or emails, they are never in the office during posted business hours. When I first initially moved there I had a fiasco with my water bill being outrageous, Heidi Johnson the manager at the time kept saying it had to be a leak so I had someone with a trailer repair company come inspect my trailer and provided their findings to the office stating I had no leaks. Heidi comes back and states because Debbie had some conflict/dislike with the owner of the company they would not accept that as proof I had no leaks and I would have to call someone else. Come to find out, Heidi had been inputting the readings in the system the wrong way the whole time so it reflected me using 2x more water than what I actually was. I had a lot rent increase while neither of my surrounding neighbors did and I questioned whatever manager was there at the time and she stated it was due to market and I said well why wouldn’t my neighbors also have an increase and she couldn’t give me an answer to that. I ended up moving out in September 2023 and provided my notice of selling my trailer, my trailer sat for almost a year empty while trying to sell it and the whole time kept getting average water bill while it was unoccupied and I questioned the office about this and they said it must be some “flat rate” again another bull shit excuse. Next fiasco was my security deposit, finally sold the trailer and was told by the manager at the time I would not be getting my deposit back as I did not provide proper notice, I sent her the email I had sent in September of 2023 notifying them of me selling and vacating the property. We went back and forth regarding this and she finally just said oh I was told wrong information and you will be getting your deposit back. Management truly was the absolute worst there and I wouldn’t recommend living there to ANYONE.
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