Selling your home in a manufactured home community

When you sell a home in a community, your buyer is also becoming a resident. Bringing the office in early saves time and a lot of frustration.

1. Talk with the office

• Tell them you plan to sell. Ask what the community requires before a home can stay on the lot under a new owner.
• Ask about sign rules, showing hours, and whether the office keeps a list of interested buyers.
• Ask for a copy of the resident application to give serious buyers.
• Check your state’s law on selling a home in a community. Some states give residents specific rights, or give the community specific duties, when a home is sold.

2. Gather your paperwork

• Your title, in your name, with any lien released.
• Photos of the data plate and HUD label. See manufactured vs. mobile vs. modular.
• Receipts for repairs and improvements: roof, water heater, heating and cooling, skirting.
• A record of when anchoring was last checked.

3. Fix what buyers notice first

• Doors that stick or won’t latch. It can mean the home needs releveling.
• Water stains on ceilings.
• Loose or missing skirting.
• Soft spots in floors near the kitchen and bathroom.
• Burnt-out bulbs, dirty filters, and a cluttered lot.

4. Price it and list it

• Look at recent sales of similar homes nearby: age, size, condition, and whether they stayed in place.
• A dealer, a real estate agent who handles manufactured homes, or an appraiser can help you set a price.
• Take clear daylight photos of each room and the outside.

5. Close the sale

• Make the sale depend on the community approving your buyer.
• Sign a written bill of sale with the price, the serial number, and what’s included.
• Transfer the title through your state’s titling agency.
• Give the office notice of your move-out date, and settle final lot rent and utilities.
• Cancel or transfer your insurance on the closing date, not before.

If you’re moving the home instead of selling it in place, you’ll need a licensed mover and installer, permits, and approval from wherever it’s going. Start with the community at the new site.