When Philip Watson received his property assessment notice earlier this month, he was concerned with the change.
Watson, who lives in the Lakeview Terraces mobile home on Walters Road, said his property value decreased from last year’s figure.
He added that many of his neighbours, as well as other owners of mobile homes in Summerland, Penticton and elsewhere in British Columbia, also noticed decreases in the value of their properties.
“Why is it that they’re decreasing across the board?” he asked.
Most of his neighbours, although not all, saw similar decreases in the values of their mobile homes.
In many B.C. communities, single family homes increased in value over the past year.
In Summerland, the assessed price of a typical home increased by 4.58 per cent, from $435,000 in 2015 to 455,000 this year.
The increases were larger in Penticton, Kelowna and Salmon Arm.
Tracy Wall, deputy assessor for the Thompson Okanagan region, said assessments are based on market values.
She added that some properties and some types of housing do not follow the trends seen in single family house values.
“The whole market doesn’t go up together,” she said.
Gary Gratton, president of the South Okanagan Real Estate Board, said the change in mobile home assessments is an anomaly.
“Any other type of homes has certainly gone up in value over the past year,” he said.
He added that of all categories of housing, mobile homes are the slowest in gaining values.
Those homes which are more than 20 to 30 years old tend to depreciate, he added.
