Rejuvenated Deer Lake Homes Offer Senior Housing
Seniors seeking to downsize but stay in Geauga County may find their next homes in Burton Township.
Leaders Manufactured Homes is developing Deer Lake Manufactured Home Community in Burton Township on Kinsman Road just east of state Route 44 as a 55-and-over community of 24 lots with a range of five home designs.
Kevin Leichtman, Leaders manager, said his family started planning to replace the former 44-pad trailer park in 2021.
“We did multiple surveys to find out what’s really needed,” he said. “We learned there’s nowhere for seniors (here) right now.”
There are apartments and condominiums in the county, but not a lot of places that offer the privacy of a home and yard, without the upkeep, Leichtman said.
His family created Veranda, a manufactured home park in Streetsboro, and Leaders Properties Mobile Home Park on Chardon-Windsor Road in Hambden Township, he said.
“We’re big believers in manufactured homes,” Leichtman said, adding the company works with several home manufacturers.
Plans for Deer Lake evolved and, in 2024, demolition of the previous park was followed by installation of water and sewer lines, as well as underground electrical service and improvement of the private road around and through the park.
“Most all of 2021 through 2023 was engineering, groundwork and installing electric lines underground. There was a lot of demolition,” he said, adding the torrential rains in the spring of 2025 held up progress.
“As soon as the rain relented, the concrete producers arrived,” Leichtman said.
This summer, Deer Lake, owned by DNL LLC in Chester Township, opened for business and Leichtman began taking orders.
By the end of September, with 12 pads in place, he said he had 11 homes under contract with seven homes installed and one available for sale.
The Leadersmhsales.com website lists lot rent at $700 per month, including curbside rubbish pickup, complete lawn care and a deluxe landscaping package.
Water is free, but a charge for sewer service will be about $40 per month.
Prices range from $129,000 for a two bedroom single-wide manufactured home to a 30-by-44-foot home with a garage at $220,000.
Leichtman said comparisons for rentals in the area are $2,500 to $3,700 a month and mortgages for homes at the park typically run $1,000 to $3,000 a month.
“We are providing housing for around $2,000 lot rend and mortgage for home ownership, versus $2,500-plus rent for similar-quality properties,” he said.
Individuals will own the homes and rent the lots in a land-lease model, Leichtman said, adding the timeline for a new home to be ordered, delivered and installed is between three and six months, depending on the weather, and he expects to pour more pads come spring.
The park encompasses 19.4 acres with several other adjacent parcels adding up to about 38 acres with expansion possible.
Leichtman said in a text he will be discussing that at a Burton Township Board of Zoning Appeals meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 27.
Leaders is owned by his father, David Leichtman, and was started by his grandfather, Les Leichtman, nearly 50 years ago, Leichtman said.
“I believe a manufactured home can mimic what a typical home can be,” he said. “We want Deer Lake to look like a very nice community.”
