Mobile & Manufactured Homes

'Manufactured home' is the term for a home built to HUD Code standards (which were put into effect in 1976). Essentially, a manufactured home refers to any factory-built home built after June 15, 1976.

If you’re looking to get the most out of your "housing dollar," it’s a good idea to consider a manufactured home. Depending on the region of the country, construction costs per square foot for a new manufactured home average anywhere from 10 to 35% less than a comparable site-built home, excluding the cost of land. Today’s manufactured homes offer the quality construction, modern amenities and livability you are seeking at a price that fits your lifestyle and your budget!

Yes! As long as your community managers have given the okay. Here at Mobile Home Connection, we can also arrange financing and help coordinate your project throughout the process.

Linking up with an agent is the fastest way to start your search. You can give us a call at (619) 596-0333 or come into our office at 10769 Woodside Ave #102, Santee, CA 92071. In a fast market like today’s, it’s easiest to find out about the homes from an agent directly as there are many moving parts that happen with listings.

There are several things to keep in mind as you begin your search for a new home. Some of the most important items to consider include:

• Age requirements of the community: Manufactured home communities have varying age requirements, including many that are 55+
• Inspections: Termite and Health & Safety inspections are always recommended, even if you are looking to remodel the home later on
• Space rental cost: Communities in San Diego require new residents to make approximately three times the space rent to qualify. So if a community’s space rent is $1,000 per month, the new resident will need to have a $3,000+ per month income

The opportunities for a manufactured home are endless! You can put one in a city, on a vacant lot, or in a mobile home community in a rented space. Just contact our office and we’ll provide information that will help you find the right option for your needs.

• A down payment + closing costs
• An accepted offer
• Park/community approval
• If the home is on tax rolls the county will want to collect those taxes up front for the remainder of the calendar year and if it is at the end of the year the county will insist on the taxes for the next fiscal year
• Homeowners insurance and one month impounds plus appraisal fee and the first year's insurance

If you need a down payment:

• As low as 5% down for a 1977 or newer
• As low as 20% down for a 1976 or older

We recommend talking to one of our professional industry experts before starting your home search, this way you know what you can afford before you start looking. We have a team of agents awaiting your calls.

There are a variety of financing options when you buy a manufactured home. Down payments and loan terms are similar (5 to 10% of the manufactured home’s sales price, and loan terms of 15 to 30 years).

If you are buying the home and land together, or plan to place the home on land you already own, some financial institutions offer traditional real estate mortgages with similar interest rates. Should you be purchasing the manufactured home separately from the land on which it will be located, the home will probably be financed as a personal property manufactured home loan, usually with a somewhat higher interest rate.

Every San Diego community has unique requirements that need to be navigated through in order to achieve a successful sale. Once you have an accepted offer on a home please visit the community manager in order to get the details for starting your application. Remember every park is different in their rules and regulations. Some have pet policies, age requirements, income requirements, etc. etc.

First and foremost, there are several permits that are necessary to get a manufactured home on your land. Once you have acquired the right permits from the city, come see us at Mobile Home Connection to help provide you with step-by-step information on site preparation, selecting the right home for your property size and shape, and suggesting different ways of placing your home on the property that will maximize your space.

Today’s manufactured homes come with "standard" features that you might find in a site-built home, but there is always an opportunity to make it your own. Many floor plans are available that range from basic models to more elaborate designs that feature vaulted ceilings, drywall, fully equipped modern kitchens, comfortable bedrooms with walk-in closets, and bathrooms with recessed bathtubs and whirlpools.

You can also typically select from a variety of exterior designs and materials, including wood, hardboard, stucco, or vinyl siding, and you’ll have the flexibility of customizing your home’s floor plans, interior finishes, and exterior designs according to your lifestyle and budget.

Yes, new spaces are always coming available in San Diego County – and we’re the first to know when and where! Give us a call to find out if there is a space in the community or part of town you are looking for.

We can handle the sale of your current home as well as the purchase of a new one. The best way to do this is get a market analysis of your home (we do these for free). If you find something you like before your home sells, we can make the offer contingent on the sale of your home.

With one of our knowledgeable agents this can be accomplished the same day.

Mobile/manufactured homes are considered personal property, similar to an automobile unless the home has been permanently attached to the foundation. The Department of Housing oversees the transfer of ownership of homes not permanently affixed to the foundation.

Most mobile/manufactured homes in communities around San Diego are not permanently attached to the foundation. On the rare occasion that a home is permanently attached to the foundation the Department of Housing removes it from its records and it then gets recorded through the county. Our experienced industry agents know how to check for this.

Homes can be sold in as little as a few days depending on several factors. If you own your home free and clear and it is on ILT which means you paid sales tax when you purchased it and pay a yearly registration fee. If your buyer has cash, it can be a couple days.

Before a sale can be completed, your buyer must first be approved for residency in the community. Your buyer will need to fill out a park application providing identification for a background check. Some parks do this very quickly however the civil code states that parks have 14 days by law to approve or deny residency once they receive a completed application. Should your home be on the local tax rolls, your buyer will want a tax clearance to be sure taxes are current.

While everything is negotiable, traditional mobile/manufactured home sales have the buyer paying all closing costs, even the agent’s commission. The fees to purchase a mobile home compared to real property are surprisingly low.

The state of California allows for a special type of escrow only for manufactured home Dealers termed "A Dealer Escrow". This is an affordable and sensible way to be certain all legal details have been addressed before money changes hands.

You could be sitting on a pile of gold! In a market on the upswing it is worth slightly more than the last comparable home sold in your community. Parks, or mobile home communities all have their own unique value. As an example, when a lender sends out an Appraiser to provide them with the value of a mobile home, the appraiser is not allowed to go outside of the community for comps unless there are no comparable homes that have been sold within the community.