Mobile Home Closings Inside Mobile Home Parks

Hi Elizabeth,

Congratulations on the new home purchase!! I hope this is a home you love and that you got a great deal. When it comes to real estate there is not too much that can not be written into a real estate purchase contract. This is not typical in any of the deals we are apart of and/or my past real estate agent experience however it doesn’t sound unrealistic. As I see it you have a few choices…

1. Do nothing and simply hope all goes well.
2. Almost everything is negotiable. Offer to put half in escrow (or any other amount), plus strong language that refunds your money upon extended time delays, repairs not correctly made, final inspection.

If you are serious about the home (which I think you are) then simply voice your concerns and know that you have the “power” in this situation. As long as the sellers do what they promise then you’ll buy the home. Whatever has to be put on paper to make everyone sleep at night is fine (within reason) as long as you are protected as much as the seller.

I hope this has helped.

Best,
John

Hi Florence,
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Please see my thoughts below. I have numbered your questions to make reading easier.
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1. ) Do you recommend selling a manufactured home on your own? Yes, in most cases you can find a cash or payment buyer that will purchase your home without the help of a Realtor. A big benefit of using a Realtor is their ability to uploaded your property to the local MLS listing service, which will expose your property to all the cash/payment buyers working with a Realtor. An alternative method of listing your home in the MLS is to work with a flat-listing company, this will give you MLS marketing without paying a listing agent 2-4%, you will still have to pay the buyer’s agent if another Realtor bring you buyers.
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2.)I still owe a mortgage balance – my loan is assumable – who would do the paper work in the event I do sell it? It is odd that your loan is assumable but I will base my answer on the fact that this loan is assumable… Contact the bank/loan servicer and have them walk you through the assumable loan process step-y-step – this will likely require bank paperwork whcih they can email or fax to you, and an approval process at the bank. Do this now to get your ducks in a row… it will be you who is taking charge and instructing the new buyer what to do should they opt to take over the loan as opposed to paying all cash.
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3.) Realtor or title company? Use a Title company to close the transaction. They will make sure all the T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted.
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4.) Who pays closing costs? This is negotiable however typically they are split. If the home is on private land the buyer will pay for the Title policy (which will be the bulk of the closing costs) and if the home is in a park then the closing costs will be minimal all around.
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In the end – Decide how you want to sell; cash, payments, assumable loan, or all the above. Market for buyers online and in the papers, then work 1 on 1 with the ones most qualified and eager to purchase. The speed of the sale will depend on how much equity you have in the home that will determine whether you can sell this home for an inexpensive all cash price OR a higher price with an assumable loan and cash. Use a Title company and if you have any other questions don’t hesitate to email me or comment again.

Best,
John FEdro

Hi Helen,

Thanks for reaching out. I would be happy to give my comments and thoughts on this deal.

My questions:

1. What state is the MH located in? Depending on the state the answers will vary slightly.
2. How long is the repayment term?
3. Are there any liens or mortgages currently on the property?
4. Are taxes current?
5. Have you verified the owner is who they say they are?

Please see my answers below to your questions.

1. Question: we do not have a title company involved but I assume everything needs to stay in the current owners name until the unit is paid off. Answer: No, the title should be titled into your parents name or their trust’s name, if using a trust. The sellers will be listed as Lien holder on the title and will hold the new title (with your parent’s name as owners) until your parents have paid his/her all monies owed. If the home is in Ca then the Lien holder is named Registered Owner on the title.

2. We have a Purchase Agreement/Bill of Sale that lists the terms down payment and Interest and principal payments etc…and will be notarizing the document do we need to file it? Answer: Where will you be filing these forms? Unless the Title is in your parents name you will have little recourse if the seller tries something “funny” down the road.

3. Is there anything else I should do? Answer: Yes, in addition to the other paperwork I would add an amortization table that shows all the payments, with interest, your parents need to pay and when. Have all parties sign this amortization table. You can create and print this for free online. Also, keep all payments with interest for tax purposes, at the end of the year your parents should receive an interest statement they have paid to the seller for tax purposes.

In addition make sure the monthly payments are something that can be easily afforded by your parents. If there is any chance of future default renegotiate the terms. I assume you have already considered this however I have seen too many good folks miss one payment and then spiral out of control to lose the home entirely.

Great job helping your parents find a nice home with affordable financing.

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Danielle,

In most cases yes however this is best confirmed by your local title office or closing attorney in NH. The reason I say this is to protect you and confirm that there are no hidden liens on the home that do not show “on record” by you doing a quick check of the deed.

All the best,
John Fedro

Hi Sharon,

Thank you for reaching out to me for this issue.

First off I am so sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. In addition the added confusion of how and where to sell this mobile home is stress that you do not likely need in your life right now. With that said please see below as my advice on how to sell and your next steps.

I am happy to say that your next few steps can be easy or difficult, depending on how you wish to proceed.

I will already assume (and suggest) that you have pre-screened the prospective tenant-buyer fully. In the screening you should view their credit reports, background history, work history, past evictions, sexual predator status, criminal history, etc. I say this because if you sell to “low-risk” tenant-buyer that pays you a healthy Down Payment and has good history then you’re life will likely be easy when it comes to collecting your money and staying in-touch with this buyer. The opposite is true if you sell quickly to a “high risk” tenant-buyer.

After you pre-screen your tenant-buyers make sure they are approved at the mobile home park you are selling your home in. Once your buyer is approved you may now sell the home via monthly payments and a down payment?

Now comes the part where you transfer ownership and cover paperwork to protect all parties…

The method I teach and use myself when purchasing and reselling mobile homes in parks is to purchase the home using a Trust, and then to sell the beneficial interest in said Trust. This keeps the owner of record the same, and therefore in your control until your buyer pays you every cent that is due. Once paid off the Title is then transferred into the buyer’s name. I do not expect you to know about Trust however they are very simple to use and I wanted to make you aware of this method to protect yourself against the seller defaulting on their payments to you. If you sell using this method you may evict rather than foreclose. I can help you more if you wish to use this method.

The method I would recommend to you, a non-investor, is to sell by transferring ownership in the Title to your new buyer and making yourself “Lien Holder” on the Title. This will mean that you will hold the Title until it is paid in full from your buyer. The Title list the buyers as Owners day 1. In addition it can be valuable to have a local real estate attorney create your promissory note versus you creating this paperwork. This is a cost that should be paid for by the buyer.

Who’s idea was it to sell via payments? If yours that is ok. If the seller’s idea than I would be cautious about this buyer being someone that hops from home to home defaulting on people’s notes in the past.

This is likely a lot to process so please report back with questions or concerns or anything else. You may also contact me at john@mobilehomeinvesting.net

All the best and talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Gloria,

You are very welcome. Happy to help. No, the BOS does not need to be notarized.

Let me know if you have any followup questions.

Best,
John Fedro

Hi Mich,

I see. Interesting. Is the pink slip in someone esle’s name? If it is then it will be tricky to get the home out of this owner’s name and into your name. If the pink slip is in the seller’s name and was transferred a year ago then it is highly likely that you can have it transferred into your name, however like you said it would be wise to ditch the pink slip and place the home in your name fully with the state of Ca. With the pink slip in hand and the seller nearby it is my advice to call the state and discuss what has happened in clear English. This way the seller will understand what is needed to be done as well. Make sure taxes have been paid and the chain of ownership leads to this seller. I would not worry about the gov’t mess because either it will be possible to have the home sold or very very difficult. Either way you’ll have your answer to moving forward. After all you don’t want a nightmare when you resell. Also, if it is difficult to purchase the home all the more reason to have the price discounted for you. Keep in touch and give me an update after you make this call. Alo, feel free to ponder any other follow up question. I hope you understand that I want you to get a crystal clear understanding with the state as to why you need based on this very unique situation. Curious to hear your feedback.

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Sue,

Great question.

I have seen both scenarios. The park will usually have had made it’s decision on this before you agreed to the arrangement. If you did not hear anything stating otherwise than you should be well entitled to pocketing the lot rent as your own profit through July, that is if you are selling on payments, if you are selling for all cash than you should sell for a great amount. Does this make sense?? … if you did here otherwise OR if the park is greedy than they may be thinking that they will begin receiving lot rent as soon as you resell. The final answer will come from the park manager. I would encourage you to ask like, this, “When we agreed to free lot until July that was tied to the lot right, so it is for me or if I sell right??”.

Best of luck and keep in touch.

John Fedro

Hi Robin,

Thanks for reaching out to me on this issue. I am glad to have you here as well.

I would love to give you as much detailed info as I can however I can unclear as to the exact situation you are having? Are you looking to resell or purchase your mobile home? Are you selling or buying the home through a Realtor or brokerage company? What state are you located in?

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Cindy,

Thanks for reaching out to me on this issue. After reading what you have written about how you are purchasing the home and the fact you are already using Realtors my non-legal opinion is you should not need an attorney for this closing. You asked a question about what the attorney would do for you that you could not do and I can not think of a single “needed” thing that an attorney would be needed for.

Assuming the taxes are current and there is no land being sold with the home then yes, take the signed title(s) and bill of sale and head down to the local DMV in Rhode Idland and transfer ownership. Personally I try to avoid using Realtors in these transactions as they are so simple most of the times. I am truly curious as to why the Realtor wishes to have the attorney working with you, is it to make a kickback or simply ignorance of the selling procedure with regards to a mobile home in a park? Feel free to comment back if you ask your Realtor a specific reason why an attorney is needed.

Congratulations on the home purchase!!!

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Amy,

Thanks for reaching out to me on this issue. Also, thank you in your detailed comment so that I can understand what is going on. The below advice is only my advice based on my investing and helping others.

First off I regret to hear that this new owner is making things so terrible for everyone. In 2012 you should have demanded a transfer of Title from the park owner at the same time you were paying for the home. I know you know this now however I say it for the benefit of anyone else reading this comment.

So moving forward there are a few ways to proceed. First, in Illinois call your local DMV office and find out who the owner of record is currently. Explain your situation and what has happened. Additionally make sure the taxes are current. The clerk over the phone may have added advice for you as to how this can be solved with a particular state form he/she can provide.

One option is to track down the current owner and have them sign the Title, assuming they have an original copy, as seller and you will sign as buyer. Bring this to the DMV and transfer title to your name so you can resell with ease. If the owner does not have an original copy they call get one for a few dollars at the local DMV.

If you can not track down the previous owner then you can still sell your interest in the mobile home using a Bill of Sale. The sale will not be enforceable and if the owner of record ever came back they could take this home, however based on what you have said this is not likely. This method I am sharing with you right now will not be approved by the state as technically you don’t own the home as far as the state is concerned. If you do go this route you will have to sell for a discounted price to attract a buyer that understands they will not be receiving a title to this property. Additionally the park may have an issue with you selling the home without transferring title. If they are as picky as you alluded to they will likely confirm title is in the new buyer’s name after the sale.

A third option you have (besides what the state will suggest when you call) is to contact an attorney and have them do the work for you to track down the previous owner and register a new title.

Does all this make sense? Let me know if you have any other follow up questions.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Kris,

Thank you for reaching out to me on this matter. I have been in the same spot as you and there is a legal answer and another real world answer. If you signed a lease agreement or prospectus with the park then you have agreed to their terms and lease agreement. Did you sign such an agreement with the park manager? It is obvious that the seller did not clear the move with the park manager OR the park manager is trying to get extra money out of you.

In reality you should have brought this up with the park manager yourselves prior to purchasing the home. Do not blame yourself as there was no way for you to know living far away and not planning to leave the home there. Some parks have incentive programs to move the homes into their parks on the condition the owners sign a 2-10 year agreement to keep the home in the park. This is not your case but it is still good to know.

In short if you did not sign a lease agreement with the park then you can move the home out without recourse. This advise is not legal advice but my experience owning in dozens of parks and helping others. The reason I say there is a legal answer and a real world answer is because you could go through legal means to take the home by calling the police or have an attorney draft a letter asking for proof as to why the park is holding up the move. However it is my advice to organize with your mover to move the home and do not regard the park manager’s words. The mover should see proof the home is yours and proceed to move the home. If the park manager stops them from moving the home then you should consult an attorney and demand this nonsense stop. However if they can show reason for why you owe the money then this is a different story.

You are the owner and if you didn’t sign anything and they don’t have your social security number than they can not likely come after you, besides if they did it would be ridiculous over $800.

These are my thoughts and advise on how to proceed. Please keep me in the loop as I hate to see greedy parks and park managers go after good people.

Best,
John

Thanks for commenting Billy,

All the best,
John Fedro

Hi Robert,

No problem. With that said disregard the last advice I gave you and see the link below. California has some different rules and procedures compared to the rest of the US.

https://www.mobilehomeinvesting.net/california-mobile-home-title-transfer

Let me know if this helps completely and/or if you have any follow up questions.

All the best,
John Fedro

Thanks Karen. Glad you noticed the little changes. 🙂

Talk soon,
John

Hi Alice,

I am truly sorry to hear that this deadbeat is still in your new home. It is for this reason that I teach and use an After Closing Agreement form that keeps out 20%-30% of the purchase price from the seller at closing as an incentive for the seller to get out when they say they will and keep the home clean. When they leave they will get the remainder of their sales price. However I know that you did not do this so let us proceed with getting this deadbeat out asap.

In short “kindness” will do better in most cases than an eviction. If you have to evict then the seller may likely harm your new home.

What has the seller told you when you spoke to them last? When did you speak to them last? Are the avoiding you? Do you have a key to the home? Is the lot rent for March current/paid by the seller or you? Is this home for you to live in or an investment property? What state is this in?

If you can go to the home tomorrow to talk with the seller I would even go as far as giving him another $200 to leave in the next 24 hours, $100 to leave in the next 48 hours, OR $50 if he leaves in the next 72 hours. If he doesn’t leave or you can not have him agree to leave then an eviction will have to be processed to get him out. Most areas will not simply remove him as a squatter however it may be worth a try to call the non-emergency number to see if this is possible or show that you mean business.

Personally I would be pissed and not want to give him any “reward” for staying longer than agreed. However the sliding scale of money incentive above may be your fastest and cheapest way to move forward.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Jacqueline,

Thanks for reaching out to me. A Bill of Sale is only one of the forms that you should have when you buy a mobile home. A bill of sale can be a hand written receipt of the sale, the amount paid, any warranty, what is included in the sale, the make, model, year of the home, date, signatures, etc. In most states you will need an office Title that is signed by the buyer and the seller. Make sure to see the seller’s name is the same name on the Title to that home. If the mh is a doublewide there will be 2 titles. If the mobile home is located in a park you should check with the park manager to make sure this park manager knows the seller and is the seller.

Please let me know if this answers your questions. If I did not please let me know or how you are confused.

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Barbara,

Thank you for your kind words and for commenting. Congratulation on a beautiful home purchase. Yes, you can write a Purchase contract of your own. In fact a Purchase agreement is not even necessary. With that said it seems your seller is trying to have you sign one anyway. I would state that you want the seller to pay for all charges regarding the attorney. You will need to pay a transfer fee and transfer taxes however there should not be any additional payments if the home is staying in place and all property taxes are current.

Hope this helps,
John

Hi Michael,

Thank you for reaching out to me on this matter. First off let me say that I would be proud to help you and your wife. With all the negative that has happened you are pushing through and not giving up. I will need to know some other information before I can fully answer your question. This is possible however it requires a little effort. I already know you are not afraid of effort so please answer my questions below and I”ll get back with my thoughts.

1. What state are you in?
2. Is the lender the mobile home park, a local company, or a big national company?
3. Is the seller behind on her payments? If so how much?
4. Can you afford the monthly payment, park payment, insurance and taxes monthly?
5. Have you talked to the park manager about this yet?
6. Would you be approved if you applied with this same bank?

Talk soon,
John

Hi Amber,

Thanks for reaching out. Congratulations on the first home purchase. Aim to buy one that you can improve and sell in a few years for a profit. With that said please use the steps below to make sure the home has no liens and all goes well. These steps are when purchasing from a private seller. If you purchase through a dealer then they will handle the process for you.

X. Make sure the name on the title matches the sellers name and matches the VIN on the MH
X. Make sure the seller has one title per section. Singlewides have one title and doublewides have two.
X. If the “Lien section” on the sellers title is signed off by the lien holder or blank then no recorded lien are present. Exception is there could be tax liens.
X. In FL make sure there is a 2014 registration sticker in the MH’s window. If there is no sticker or it is not current than you will have to pay any past due years prior to transfer.
X. Use a bill of sale when buying.
X. Get approved at the park.

Hope this helps.
John

Hi Peter,

Thanks for commenting and I would be happy to give my 2 cents on your issue. First off congratulations on purchasing a home you really like and also for structuring owner financing with the seller, nice job. Let me first start by saying that I do not know the circumstances you mentioned above. I have a few educated guesses but this has not happened yet to myself in MA or any MA investor I am training. For this info I suggest getting in touch with the Mass registry and title office at 617-727-1977 or 617-351-9550.

With that said I can give you a possible way forward. The advice I am giving you is only advice based on experience and reality and the least resistance moving forward. This advice would likely be frowned on by the folks working as the Mass DOT.

Find out who true owner of the home is. If he is the owner than obtaining a duplicate title should be no problem. Once you have the title you can use it. However if you can not find the owner’s info or the owner is not available then you can move forward with the sale of the home without a title, however realize this will not be an official sale because the title is what shows ownership. Has the seller been making the tax payments? Is the tax current? Is the park manager is alright with you purchasing and only having a bill of sale? If the taxes are current and the PM is ok with the sale and verifies the seller has been in the home as long as they can remember than you can feel relatively safe the actual owner will not come back and kick you out of “your” home.

Does all this make sense? Feel fee to ask any follow up questions.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Paul,

Thanks for commenting and reaching out to me on this matter. I have copied your comment below and your comment is in italics, my words and thoughts are in non-italics. This is for the simply fact of making the comments and answers easier to read.

I just paid off my mobile home (not in a park) and I have a contract to sell, no closing date as of yet. Your closing contract should have a date of closing rather than TDB, however if you are waiting for the lender to satisfy paperwork I can understand the inconvenient delay. My mortgage company said the satisfaction paperwork was being prepared and forwarded to the county for recording. Who holds the paper titles? Your mobile home is attached to real property that you also likely own. If this is the case then the mobile home may not have a title. You can determine this by looking up the legal description of your property on your local county public record and looking for your mobile home(s) VIN or serial numbers in the legal description. What I am referring to is the legal process by which the individual mobile home and land are married together into one property. When this is done the title(s) of the mobile home are relinquished to the state or thrown away and no longer needed as proof of ownership. If the mobile home and land are not or were not married together sometime in the past than the bank/lender will hold these paper titles until the loan is paid in full. I assumed my mortgage company would just mail them to me after receiving the payoff. Yes, this is typically the case. Does the county have to issue a new clear title and send it back to the mortgage company, who will then send it to me? The mortgage company will send it to the county and you will receive a new title(s) with your name as owner and no liens on the home. citi mortgage was no help on this matter. This is in Florida. Also, the title company handling the sale said rbmg is listed as the lien holder, but they only held my mortgage for a short period of time some 12 years ago before selling to citi. Your title company has found evidence of lien so it is likely that your titles are still valid and you will need these to sell, as you already knew. Mortgage documents have a way of being bought, sold, swapped, traded, transferred, and lost over the years. I do not say this as a good thing but merely as evidence that you will likely need to call and recall rbmg and citi group to have the clear titles expedited and mailed off. If citi still drags it’s feet an attorney may be needed, in which case of fraud may be in order. I am not an attorney so I am only hypothesizing that last part.

In short you have some calling and demanding to do. Unless the title company is in error you will have to climb up the chain of command to track down and obtain your titles.

Please follow up and let us know what happens. I hope this is an easier fix than I expect it to be. Banks have a way of only listening to you if you are behind with them, I hope this isn’t the case with you and you are able to demand and obtain your title asap.

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Mark,

Thanks for commenting and your kind words. Happy to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any specific questions.

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Jamie,

Thanks for reaching out to me on this issue.

First off I regret to hear about this happening to you. I hate to hear of good people being taken advantage of. You have correctly paid-off your property as agreed and now (and for the past 5 years) the loan-servicer and lender have failed to keep their side of the agreement.

When you originally purchased the home the title should have been placed in your name and “mid america housing systems” should be listed as lien holder. The lien holder than receives the new title from the state and holds on to it until you have paid them in full. Once the debt is clear then the lien holder can then sign the title and mail it back to you OR send paperwork to the state to clear the lien information on the title and you will receive a newly printed title. Either way my example above requires you to be listed as owner day #1 when you move in.

The fact that the DMV told you the home is not titled in your name leads me to think that the home was never placed in your name. In the future a wise idea is to have the lien holder send you a photocopy of the title they have, so you can verify you name is on the title as owner.

Once you get the copy of the “old” title from your landlord you will need to determine if this is still the owner of record according to the state of Virginia. This can be accomplished by going to the local DMV or calling the branch and asking if this title is current or if the home was resold from this title to a new owner. Get the name and address of the new owner if possible. You can also try calling the Housing Department and ask for the manufactured housing department to explain your situation at 804-371-7000.

You need to locate and contact the owner and tell them about the mix up. Have the home sold to you via bill of sale (for $1.00) and have the owner of record sign and release the title to you. Transfer immediately at the DMV.

Again I regret the struggle that you have to go through for something that never should have happened. You may want to consider filing a complaint against Mid America Housing Systems for the gross error.

As long as you can find the owner you will not need an attorney. If you can not find the owner then consulting an experienced real estate attorney may be a good idea. Look for an attorney that gives you a hour free consultation.

Please keep in touch with this and let us know what happens. If you can not find the owner, track down the title, and an attorney won’t help you can proceed another way, however it is a last resort.

Hope this helps and talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Jamie,

Thanks for commenting back. I am glad that you are getting to the bottom of this and that you a now relieved at finding out who the owner is. By all means they should be able to obtain the real title and sign it over to you. If they do not then you will not likely be able to move the home, as most movers will want to see you own the home that is being moved. With that said keep in touch and if you can not get a clear title then you may still have some hope for sell the property and move forward with your life.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Ralph,

Thank you for reaching out to me in this issue. It certainly does seem that you are in the right. I regret to hear that this family is changing wills and titles from that was originally agreed to. My company does not get involved with legal matters like this however I would reach out to a local real estate attorney in the area to ask for help. I would also recommend that you go to an hour free consultation with an attorney before you agree to work with anyone.

Best of luck to you. You will triumph in this matter.

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Amanda,

Happy to help.

Again, I regret to hear that this buyer is giving you so much hassle to simply get the home out of your name. A less reputable person would have already forged the buyer’s signature and transferred the SOL long ago. I am not telling you to do this by any means, just saying what would have likely happened if this was happening to someone else less honest than yourself.

With everything you said I would consult a Real Estate attorney in your area. Look for one with a free hour of consultation and have your questions ready.

I hope you get this resolved asap. And I really hope you are able to resell the home again to another buyer for another profit. 🙂

Keep in touch,
John Fedro

Hi Yvonne,

If the purchase price of the home is around $100 then yes the closing costs when you transfer title at the local DMV will be approximately $300. I hope the home is in decent shape and hope you are happy with the purchase? Is the park giving you any free or discounted lot rent after your purchase the home? What is your exit strategy for the home or will you be living in it for some time?

Best,
John

Hi Victoria,

Thanks for reaching out to me on this issue. Most mobile home parks will want a new owner to become approved before they purchase the home. This way the park manager can know who they are having live in their park. Also, if your new buyer is a risk then they may not be approved to live there. With that said if you do sell the home prior to the new buyers owning the home then you will not be breaking a state or federal law, however your buyer will have to become approved or move-out. With regards to your question I do think it is wrong (to the buyer and park) to not disclose the fact that the buyer needs to be approved before buying. In the end the choice is up to you and ideally everything will work out for all parties.

All the best and let me know if you have any other follow up questions.

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Lacey,

First off I am glad you found a nice home you are happy with and that you got it for a good deal. It sounds like speaking with the park manager before buying the home was not performed. I have a feeling that your seller may have misrepresented that the lot rent has been paid on time for the past few months. Yes, this park does have the right to refuse a mobile home mover/transporter on to their land to move your home. The past sellers had an agreement to pay each month and it sounds like this has not been done. If this is the case than yes, you are now responsible for this. (Unless what you are saying is that the park has been paid everything and now they are demanding an extra “B.S.” fee for you to move the home out of this park. If this is the case than this is a completely different story.) In short I would advise that you call up the past seller and demand they pay this past due amount. The seller will likely not pay this but it is worth a try. If they won’t pay the bill or at least half then I would advise that you pay this amount before the late fees continue to add up.

I wish I was able to provide you with some clever loop-hole to get out of paying however at this point I can not. Perhaps an attorney can put some motivation into the seller to pay their past due bill. Ideally this should have been taken out of the cash purchase price to the seller – I am sure you understand that now. It sounds like the seller lied to you and now you are left with the bill. For this reason it is important that everyone reading this comment understand to confirm everything is up-to-date with this seller and their home with the park manager before you buy. Also, ask if there are any fees due if the home is removed from the park AND if there is a “30/60 day notice to leave” needing to be filed with the park before the move.

I hope this makes sense. If not please let me know.

All the best and keep in touch.
Best,
John Fedro

Hi Judy,

There is no set way you have to move when you are selling your own home. Ideally the home is vacant when the new seller buys it however that certainly not always the case. If the seller knew you need the fund to move then that is what is going to need to happen. If the buyers paid with a personal check or other check that requires time to clear then this buyer should understand that and they should have used certified funds to close. Do not let the buyers bully you. By this time I hope you have the situation resolved and have moved on to your next home.

I hope this helps. If the problem is still there please alert me to what has changed.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Wayman,

Happy to help you. I hope to have provided you some real value.

Best,
John

Hi Charyl,

Thank you for commenting and reaching out to me in this matter. First off I am glad you have found a home to purchase and that you like.

Yes, the park can legally stop the removal process of your new home from their park. It is for this reason that meeting with the Park manager to confirm nothing is owed on the tenant’s lot is so important to do before you buy. I am sorry to give you this news or alert you to the fact that some sellers are lairs or misleading in order to get as much money from you as possible.

If you have already gave the seller his/her money there is little that can be done besides paying this back due amount to the park out of your own pocket. If the park is a mom and park style park then it may be possible to negotiate the amount down however I would not bet on it. Additionally you can ask the seller pay this amount however I doubt your seller will pay anything. Keep in touch and I would love to hear how it works out for you.

I hope this helps.

Talk soon,
John

Hi John,

Thanks for commenting and for reaching out. I may not fully understand the question so if I get your answer wrong or do not answer your question please do not hesitate to ask the questions again. With that said, if you receive the Title back from the state, after you close, and your name is on the official title then you are the new legal owner. If however, you are unsure of the process moving forward you may call the state’s title and tag office here 888-242-7642 to double check.

I hope this helps.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Patti,

I am glad you found this site too. Congratulations on the coming home purchase and I hope you are getting a great deal. Most buyers overpay when purchasing from a broker or dealer so make sure you are happy with the price and/or payments. Depending if the home is on it’s own piece of private land you re buying OR if the home is inside a park will determine the approximate closing costs. Additionally if you are obtaining a mortgage than you will be paying for mortgage origination as well as hazard insurance on the property before and outside of closing.

However assuming the home is in a mobile home park your closing fees should be minimal as long as back taxes are current and liens are paid. Additionally if you are purchasing this from a private seller in a park make sure you confirm past lot rent is current. If you have any questions about these please let me know. In FL you will pay the same transfer taxes as when you purchase a car and have it registered into your name. Every year the fees for renewing the registration will be roughly $70 for a singlewide and double that for a doublewide.

As far as inspections call around for local inspectors that are mobile home trained and have years of experience. Title info will be found on the actual paper-title the seller should have in his/her hands. Take this serial number or VIN number and call the local DMV to confirm there are no liens and all taxes are paid. The only time you will have to deal with the county is if you plan to pull permits or if the mobile home is on land you will also own, let me know if this is the case and we can discuss further.

Hope this helps some and talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Jesslyn,

First off let me say thank you for coming to this page and reaching out for further info. From my experience I will be happy to help you with my advice and moving forward.

As you already mentioned the home is not legally in your name. In truth, if the DMV does not have this mobile home VIN or serial number on file then the home could be moved from out of state or moved in illegally years ago. This doesn’t change the fact that you have lived in the home for years and clearly no one is beating down your door wanting to take their home back.

My non-legal advise is pursue the path of least resistance at first. If the park is not closing or moving then I would aim to sell this mobile home to someone that wishes to keep the home in the park and live there for years. No Title was needed for you or the past owner and if the home stay in place you can still un-officially sell MH to your future buyer. The reason I say this is because since the home has been in place and the park knows you as the owner then “selling” the home via a bill will do in many buyer’s minds.

Some buyers will want a Title and others will accept a bill of sale as receipt the home was sold. The Bill of Sale will not need to be brought to the DMV (as you did not when you purchased) and will have to continue when your buyers try to sell the home years in the future. If the current buyer will not accept a Bill of sale then they are not the right buyers for this home. Does this make sense?

In order to attract more buyers you may need to lower your cash price if needed, or accept some of the purchase price in payments. This may or may not be necessary depending on the amount of buyers wanting your home and the cash price you are selling for.

Secondly I suggest you do call 2-4 real estate attorneys that offer “a free consultation” if they can help. An attorney may have a quick fix to get the title into your name however I have not heard of this happening. Let me know if you find out something different.

Does this help and make sense?

Best and talk soon,
John

Hi Holly,

Thanks for commenting and happy to help. If you need any further assistance don’t hesitate to reach out to me again.

Best,
John

Hi Webber,

Happy to help and thanks for the fast reply. After reading your comment it sounds like you’re looking for the easiest and cheapest way to get the mobile home off your land. From my experience even a scrap removal company will want to verify that the home is in your name. $300 for applying for an SOL and miscellaneous fees sound about right, perhaps even a little low for title work. Perhaps a buyer will want to purchase a home for the cost of this title correction.

In short, if the buyer plans to connect this home to utilities and live in the home, it will likely need to be in his name. However, if the home is going to be a “hunting home” without utilities then perhaps no SOL ownership will be needed. If you do sell via a Bill OF Sale (Quit Claim deeds are not recognized in TX) be aware that this sale will not be recorded by the state. Additionally disclose, disclose, disclose. Make sure you get in writing that no SOL will be transferred.

Hope this helps some.

Talk soon,
John

Hi John,

Thanks for stopping by and commenting. You will have to pay some transfer fees and state sale’s taxes at the DMV when transferring the home into your name. This cost is based on the purchase price. The tax rate however I am unsure of. You can call the DMV in NJ at 609-588-9040.

Hope this helps.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for reaching out to me on this matter. I regret to hear about your mother in law passing. Concerning the Title and deed, how did she gift the home to you in the will? If there is a valid title than this will superseded the deed. The deed can be for a variety of reasons. My suggestion is to call the local DMV at 609-588-9040, in NJ you will contact the DMV for mobile home titling questions. If the home is on private land your mother-in-law owns then this can be one of the reasons for the deed. However you mentioned it is inside a park so a Title should be on the home currently. If a new title or duplicate is needed the DMV will help you out here.

I hope this helps and points you in the right direction of the local experts that can research the deed or title number of the home and get to the bottom of this issue for you. If you have any follow up questions don’t hesitate to reach back out.

Talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Dennis,

Thanks for reaching out to me on this issue. Congrats on the home sale. In order to protect your interest in the home you’ll need to have a Lien on the title. Which state are you selling in? It may be as easy as going to the DMV with the buyer to verify a lien is attached. Let me know your state and we can go from there.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Brenda,

Please see my thoughts in bold again.

I forgot to mention, Seller wants us to make our payments through a 3rd party–American Financial (local offices)which charges a $125 set up fee and $13 per month to distribute payments to her. Understood. This is fairly standard as well. That sounds fine… and we’re not sure if it’s important to hire an inspector? It is better to be safe than sorry. I recommend an inspection for sure. Plus, now is the best time to renegotiate the price before you actually buy. We’ve lived here, and it doesn’t seem like there’s anything serious happening at all. Somethings don’t present themselves until too late.

What happens if we decide to sell this MH in 4 years? Do we need to have some kind of clause in our agreement? No, you’ll just have to pay her off in full for sure as agreed. Your name will be on the title however the seller will be holding the title, and listed as lien holder, until you pay her in full. Additionally, depending on the price you may lose money when you resell in 4 years, or you may have to sell with payments to make your money back.

Finally, if the tax assessor values it at $46k, in WA, is that typically the value of the home? Yes and No. The value that the state gives it for taxing purposes is $46k. If you got the home appraised by an appraiser it may be valued at $33k. If you looked up the NADA value you might find its priced at $47k. If you placed it on the market for sale and waited for a buyer, you may only receive $25 all cash. The point is that concerning mobile homes inside parks you’ll want to base price off of recent comparable sales in the park. It’s in a park, and WA deals with MHs differently than other states… hard to wrap my brain around it. Haha, agreed. There is a bit of difference for sure but nothing you can’t wrap your head around.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Kathy,

Thanks for reaching out to me about this issue. First thing you will need is a Purchase and Sale Agreement. Once you have this signed by both you, the seller, witnesses, and a notary, you can take this to your local title company and they will start the closing procedure for you. Yes, please get a title search and insurance. An inspector is a very good idea, plus if you find things wrong with the home you can likely renegotiate a lower price. No, you do not need an agent as you already found the home and negotiated a deal. The title agent and company, or real estate closing attorney will handle the paperwork and getting you through closing.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Jessy,

Thank you for reaching out on this matter and I’ll be happy to help where I can. My personal knowledge of banks lending money on individual mobile homes are limited, most of our entrance and exit strategies do not require going through a bank or borrowing conventional money. With that said I would be happy to give you some advice based on investors I have helped locally in California.

In California our members have had decent success with local credit unions lending on mobile homes inside parks and on private land. I know you mentioned you tried arrowhead credit union, however I would continue trying as many credit unions locally as possible. Remember that the lender has to approve not only the home and the park, but also you as the borrower. As far as nationwide lenders I will suggest you to 21st-century mortgage Corporation. Another solution is to make the seller monthly payments for the purchase price of the home.

With that said do not give up. If you are well-qualified in the home is in good shape there is a lender out there willing and happy to lend you the money for a certain interest rate.

I hope this answer helps him. I will reach out to a few local investors in your state and asked them specifically if they know of other lenders willing to lend. Keep in mind some lenders will lend for mobile homes in parks and others will only lend for mobile homes attached to private land. If you have any follow-up questions don’t hesitate to reach back out.

All the best and talk soon,
John Fedro

Hi Margarita,

I regret to hear about this park jerking you around and the trouble you are having. I assume that since last April you have done much work to this home and have lived there ever since. When the owner passed away the bank should have took possession of the home. At which point they would try to resell the home to recoup their money. It seems very odd that the park owns it and there is still a lien on the home. If ownership transferred from the deceased owner to the park, any liens or encumbrances should have been cleared. Perhaps the park also placed a lien on the home for past due lot rent – in which they may be fighting the bank for ownership.

You say you really love the lot and I agree that you should not leave, be forced to move, or move if you do not want to. The first thing I would do is to check with the tag office to verify there is a lien and who it is held with. You can reach them at 888-242-7642. They will need the VIN or serial number to the home. This information should be on the paperwork when you purchased the home, however if not you will likely find it on the mobile homes “data sheet” inside the home typically in the master bedroom closet, hallway closet, or near the hot water heater. Let me know if you have an issue with this. Explain your situation to the clerk that answers the phone and they should be able to help you accordingly.

It does seem very unprofessional that the park or park manager would advise you not to be asking questions. It has been a full year without any being resolved and this is way way too long. I would be very interested to hear how things work out for you. If you have any other questions do not hesitate to ask.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Lynn,

Thank you for reaching out and commenting on this issue. I very much regret to hear about your situation. I too have tried to rent to close friends only to be bit in the behind when they didn’t pay. It is terrible sometimes that are close friends will not value us and consider our feelings when we go the extra mile to help them out.

I am assuming that the tenant did not pay the park for three months either, since they weren’t paying you. If this is the case then most mobile home parks will require that this balance be paid ASAP or the home will be taken can possession by the park. In short, it is highly likely that you will have to pay this back lot rent in order to make sure you can keep the home and resell it for a profit.

You mentioned that you may not be able to afford both properties. If this is the case then selling for a break even cash price may be the best bet. If you would please tell me a little bit about your property and where it’s located I may have a buyer locally interested in your home. Additionally please list your property here for sale to advertise to any local investors. http://www.sellfastbyowner.com/about-us/ Additionally, you should list your property in Craigslist as well.

I do agree that you should be paid back what is owed to you by this so-called friend. Again I am sorry to hear that you have been taken advantage of by this person. The park manager says that you cannot rent the home any longer. And to be fair if you sold the home and our lienholder then this occupant is not a renter, they are the owner occupant. In many states you can go to your local titling agency (DOT, DMV, other) as the lienholder, fill out a few forms and retake possession of the title and home.

Do you feel comfortable that the tenant will leave by the end of the month? If you cannot afford one more month of lot rent, or any months of lot rent then again I suggest you sell for a rock-bottom cash price just to break even.

You are probably already in conversations with the park manager. Ideally they would have told you that the lot rent has not been paid for the last few months. This way you would’ve evicted or could pay the lot rent when your tenant simply stopped paying. He really threw you under the bus and clearly does not care about you or your well-being. The park manager may be lenient and understand that you need some time to sell the home. If possible (if the park manager is patient) when you sell the home that is the time you will repay all the back lot rent. Otherwise the park manager may demand all the back lot rent due ASAP or they evict your home completely.

I am sure that my response may have brought up more questions to you than answers. Please don’t hesitate to comment back or email me personally with any additional questions or concerns. I’m always here to help.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Harley,

Thank you for commenting and reaching out on this issue. You are right to be skeptical. Currently it sounds like you are listed as lienholder or at least have possession of the title. Right now you are in control and this is leverage you have to make sure that you receive your money back paid in full. I too have lent to friends and family and sadly I will never do that again. With this said I would not sign over title until you receive every last penny you are owed. Your sister may make the argument that she needs the title free and clear before she can sell the home and get the money to pay you. While this may be true it is not your concern. I have signed away a title before receiving money and sadly I had never recouped by money. People will always treat their money more valuable than your money. I do not know your sister and if she will pay you back or not however again at the moment you have collateral and control, however if you sign the title away you will have very little leverage to ever see your money again. I hope this makes sense and helps. If you have any additional questions or concerns don’t hesitate to comment back.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Barb,

Thank you for reaching out and commenting. I do always try to provide the highest level of accuracy I can in my articles and training. If you ever see something that is inaccurate please comment or email me directly at any time. Concerning your question about legally stealing people’s homes, yes I have heard of this and even seen it in action. I’ve seen many great homeowners be helpless to move their homes out of parks in time and ended up losing them. I am amazed as well that there is not legislation in place to correct this. Thank you for commenting about “Lee Rood”, she seems like a very helpful and important figure when it comes to underprivileged mobile homeowners in Iowa. We need more people like her showing these injustices and helping to make things fair. Thank you again for stopping by and for commenting. If you have any specific questions or concerns now or in the future never hesitate to reach back out. I’m always here to help.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Sally,

Very happy to help. If you ever have any questions or concerns never hesitate to reach out or comment back. Always here to help.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Alec,

Thank you for commenting reaching out. I love to hear your passion and excitement about getting into this industry. My first thought is probably something that you do not want to hear, after reading your comment it sounds like you’re already sabotaging your business as you know for a fact that you do not have enough money to buy a mobile home park. In California mobile home parks will be more expensive than in most other states however there are motivated sellers scattered around your state for sure. Concerning individual mobile homes I suggest you start with no more than $5000. If you have too much money then you will become lazy and start throwing money at mobile home investments that you shouldn’t. If you are looking for places to buy mobile homes for cash then you need to look no further than to the sellers, dealers, and mobile home parks in and around your area. You want to make sure to find out what everybody has for sale and their motivation in your county and the surrounding counties as well. From this point you can start to understand who needs to sell what and when they need to sell by. I hope this helps and at least point you in the right direction. The questions you asked can certainly be broken down and talked about for hours. If you have any additional questions or concerns never hesitate to reach out. Always here to help.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Rod,

I regret to hear about your friends situation. In California there is a short right of redemption for real estate or mobile homes once they go through the foreclosure process. However, if the home was truly sold, the owner has changed and has closed escrow in a mobile home park then there should be little the previous owner can do to take the home back. If the home has not closed yet then the seller can likely back out however they would be responsible for damages and you could likely take legal action for them failing to perform as agreed in the contract. With that said I highly suggest you seek legal counsel from a real estate attorney. Many attorneys will give you one-hour free consultation. Keep in touch and please let me know how this all works out. Additionally if you’ve Artie found out new information please do not hesitate to comment back. This issue has lightly happened to other buyers it would be great to hear how this all works out. If you have any further questions or concerns never hesitate to write back. Always here to help.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Kim,

Thank you so much for reaching out to me concerning your issues. I regret to tell you that a mobile home park can close or resell for almost any reason the owners choose. The land, in most cases, belongs to one person or a company. If that person decides to resell or close the park to build condos or an amusement park then this is the owner’s choice. In many states including yours there is a time period that the owner must give all residents in order to move their mobile homes out of the park. Often times all the residents may be able to join together to buy the land directly from the owner. If you are not able to remove your mobile home in time some states require the owner of the park to pay you money in exchange for your mobile home, and you would simply walk away. You asked a question about how long the park must give you notice that they are selling?… I have never asked your state this specific question however 90 days would be a minimum, with a maximum being one full year. I highly suggest you try calling your local state’s mobile home title transfer agency. Try these three numbers and explain your situation and questions. 517-241-9317/517-241-9328/517-322-1624

I hope this gives you some clarity and helps point you in the right direction. Again I regret that this is happening to you. Additionally, many mobile home park owners try to sell their mobile home parks without letting residents know until the very end. Keep in mind that just because a mobile home park cells does not mean it will close. If the mobile home park is making the owner money then the owner may simply be selling to another mobile home park buyer that wishes to keep the park just as it is. Keep in touch if you have any follow-up questions never hesitate to write back any time. Always here to help. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Vanessa,

Thank you for reaching out concerning this issue. I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. Do you have the title in your possession now? Is your boss listed as lienholder or as an owner on the property? If he is listed as either then his signature will be needed on the title in most cases. What state are you currently in?

With all that said the home is absolutely yours and you can certainly do with it what you choose. You can move the mobile home however this will get a bit pricey. Your best bet may be to sell the mobile home for an attractive price for a quick all-cash sale. Please let me know the answers to the questions above and I’ll be happy to fill you in with where or how your boss needs to sign the title so that you may sell the home without a hitch. So far I hope this helps and makes sense. If you have any additional questions or concerns never hesitate to comment back. Always here to help.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Carol,

I regret to hear about your situation. That is awful how they are treating you and not even giving you the respective talking to your face. If your credit check did not come back satisfactory you could always be asked to pay a higher than normal deposit. With that said the park can make their own decisions and it sounds indeed like they will be aiming to evict you and your home soon. I would encourage you to reach out to the park’s attorney to stop any forward eviction process that may be getting started. If the park does not want you there than there is little you can do to remain. Even if you did win in court it would sour a relationship with the park. In my opinion, the best you can do now is to aim to quickly resell the home for cash and buy a new one in another park. While you are selling this home you will obviously still be living in the home.

If you wish to fight this than I would encourage you to seek a real estate attorney. Aim to find an attorney that gives a free hour of consultation. Gather all your questions together and make sure to ask them all in this hour. Again I’m sorry about your situation and that this park is being so quick and temperamental. I hope this was helpful. If you have any follow-up questions or concerns never hesitate to reach back out. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Lori,

Thank you for reaching out to concerning this issue. First of all I regret to hear about your brother-in-law pulling the trigger early and handing over the $3000 before signing any formal agreements. This was definitely was an error however if this park is corporate owned they should be on the up and up enough to hand you back the money should you decide to pull out of the deal. It sounds like there were many numbers thrown around from the park manager, park owner, and your brother-in-law. With that said no money should’ve ever been exchanged hands without paperwork and agreements being signed.

Do not hand over any more money without seeing a copy title and bill of sale. What state is this located in?

It certainly does sound like this park does not have its numbers in order, however this is not too uncommon, and you do not have to assume follow play just yet.

With all this said make sure you are in communication with the park manager, and even aim to call the corporate office in Canada to get this straightened out. With today’s modern technology they should be able to scan and email you over a copy of the title and bill of sale. In addition you will want to sign any and all agreements before handing over the cash to purchase the home. The title should be sent to the park managers office, and then you should be informed to come in with cash to sign the bill of sale and take your title. You should not hand over your money and then have to helplessly wait 10 days.

I hope this is helped and made sense. If this resolution does not end soon then I would suggest you seek the counsel of a real estate attorney. Look for one that gives one hour free consultation and have your questions ready so you can ask them all in this free hour. I am also curious who is paying the lot rent and if your brother has moved into this home yet?

Talk soon and keep in touch,
John

Hi Lucy,

Thank you so much for commenting and reaching out concerning your questions. Please see my thoughts below in bold.

I was hoping to get some advice or information. Of course. Happy to help. I have been thinking of purchasing a mobile home for quite some time. I am 23 years old I had my son at a young age and I feel like owning a mobile home would be a good investment for our future. I live in orange county, California. I would like to stay close to family for my son. However, rent here is for a small studio is around $1,100 minimum for example. To purchase a condo would be 300,000 minimum and homes start at $450,000 minimum. I have seen mobile homes going from $29,000-$110,000. I feel like investing in a mobile home rather than renting a studio for 3 people would help me focus my finances into fixing my credit and going to school. I currently make about $2000 a month after taxes and that is not including the overtime I put in. My partner make about $1600. I would like to know your opinion. Awesome question! First things first, congrats for being very responsible and thinking about your future and your family’s future. MHs can be good investments for sure. I am familiar with your market and you will be paying $600-$1200 per month in lot rent depending on where in the area you rent. The further you head inland the lower lot rent and less expensive homes you will find. With that said I would encourage you to find a seller selling a $30k home for $15k or less. I would also like to know how I can go about purchasing one, what requirement I would need Every park requires so sort of info and/or background check on you and your partner. You will need to pass this criteria as well as an bank financing you need to buy the home. Keep in mind you may also be able to pay the seller monthly payments to own the home. , if this would end up being a burden in the end Only if you paid to much or the park was a nightmare. ( I do not mind giving up the home once I have finished school and cleared my small debt), and around how much I would need to save to put down and/or would I need to pull out a loan, where would I be able to do that? There are local lenders in your town or nationwide lenders like claytonbank.com or 21stmortgage company. These lenders will be able to tell you which programs they have for homes in your area and price range. I hope this helps and makes sense. If you have any follow-up questions or concerns never hesitate to reach back out. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Alec,

Thanks for reaching out and commenting. I’ve had the pleasure of working with folks from most states so I can tell you that in just about every area you can help solve mobile home sellers problems and resell to low risk tenant-buyer’s. With that said, there are going to be certain areas of the state that are “better” than other areas. The main reason for this will simply be the supply of mobile homes around you. Both in Tampa and Austin I am surrounded by a good deal of parks, mobile homes on land, and a healthy resale market in both areas. In short I’ve been just as active in both locations. If I had to choose one, I would say Austin has been a little better only because I slightly prefer the way Texas handles its mobile home ownership and title transfers. I hope this helps and makes sense. If you have any follow-up questions or concerns never hesitate to reach back out. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Susan,

Thanks so much for reaching out and commenting with your question. Congratulations on finding a home that you really like so close to the beach. I have no doubt that this park and the area must be gorgeous. With that said I am not completely sure that I understand your question. You will be paying a sales tax, similar to that of a car, when you transfer the ownership at the DMV from the current seller into your name. The purchase price that is listed on the bill of sale and on the title will be used as your taxable amount. Whether the amount you paid for the home is $0 or $50,000 you will be taxed accordingly while you’re at the DMV. This sales tax amount is due at this time as well and typically cannot be paid later. I hope this helps and answered your question. If I completely misread something and did not answer your question please don’t hesitate to comment back and ask it again. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Jason,

Thank you for reaching out and connecting with regards to your questions. I regret to hear that the folks servicing your payment (your landlord) is dragging their feet and also possibly a little bit fraudulent. With that said I certainly do not know who sold to the home and hopefully they conduct business ethically and legally 100% of the time. In Texas I do not know of a $60 fee, or any percentage fee based on your normal payment amount monthly. Again, with that said there may be a real tax that I’m just not aware of. Or perhaps the folks selling you the home were offsetting another cost and calling it a “state tax”. With all of these things said this fee should have 100% been disclosed when you are signing contracts to purchase the home.

Moving forward it would be best for all parties to not get attorneys or the law involved if needed. With that said I would do some research of your own to find out what this fee is called in to verify that it is 100% going to the state as your landlord claimed. If this is a real state fee then the landlord is guilty of not disclosing the payment however it does not sound like they are doing anything fraudulent. If instead the landlord is taking your $60 monthly and putting it in their pocket this of course is not right… Unless of course it is being deducted from the principle of the home, in which case it was still not mentioned or disclosed during the paperwork signing.

I hope this helps and points you in the right direction. If you have any additional follow-up questions or concerns never hesitate to reach out. It deftly sounds like there is something fishy going on however without further research I would not claim anyone is being fraudulent without knowing for 100% certainty. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Talauna,

Thank you for reaching out and commenting with regards to your questions. I regret to hear that because this park was dragging its feet that you are now paying the penalty and must move. Because you are the owner of this mobile home you may absolutely sell the manufactured home to another buyer. This buyer should be park approved if they plan on keeping the home in the park, however if they will be removing the home they do not need to be park approved. The only issue you may run into is that the park may want the mobile home moved out of their in a certain number of months if you cannot resell the mobile home. This is not typical as they would lose revenue however if the park is vindictive they may try to put pressure on you and possibly take the mobile home for free themselves. Moving forward if you have any questions or concerns never hesitate to reach out. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Morris,

Thank you for reaching out and commenting with regards to your questions. Ultimately this answer will be determined between yourself and the sellers, however I would be happy to give you my experience and thoughts. As a mobile home investor one of the benefits we offer is to purchase a mobile home as-is on today’s date and allow the seller to remain in the property for a number of weeks until they are comfortably ready to move. When this happens I use a form called an “after closing agreement”. This agreement states that I will be withholding approximately 25% of the selling price from the seller until they have left the home on the day they have agreed to and left the home in a clean and broom swept condition. If the sellers stay longer or the home is not clean than a fee that is predetermined will come out of the money withheld and may even pay for an eviction if needed. With that said, the long as someone has remained in the home after I have purchased has been just over two months. This was absolutely fine and I had no problem with the seller still being in the property as they were paying lot rent and were very communicative with me during the whole process. In almost every occasion where I’ve done this the sellers always leave are happy to get their full amount when the place is clean. Sometimes the homes are not super clean however the sellers are always out of the home approximately when they say they are going to be or before.

With all this said, as long as you remain in control, withholds the money at closing, and the seller is paying lot rent, there should be no issue with the seller staying in the home for a month and a half. This is only my opinion and depending on what you want the home for you absolutely may need it before six weeks. This will put the date you get the home at around April, people will definitely still be getting their tax money at this time and if you plan on reselling for cash this may be a good time to do so.

Either way I hope all these answers help and make a bit of sense. If you are at all confused or have any follow-up questions never hesitate to reach out anytime. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Jes,

Thank you for reaching out with regards to your questions. Congratulations on selling your home! I see that your IP address is from Wisconsin, I will base my answer assuming that this is the case. Because your mobile home does not have a lien and is located inside a pre-existing mobile home community, I would highly advise you to call the Dept of Safety & Professional Services at 608-266-3151. Explain your situation and that you are a private seller will be selling to a private buyer inside of a mobile home community. This phone clerk will then walk you through the steps needed to successfully transfer your manufactured home locally. If you are not located in Wisconsin then please let me know which state you are and I’ll be happy to direct you to the mobile home title transferring agency in your area.

Once your buyer is approved by the park then you are simply waiting on their bank loan to be approved. I would encourage you to have their loan officer call you directly to keep you in the loop with regards to closing. You’ll most likely need to provide a purchase and sale agreement to provide to the lender. Besides this the lender will instruct you what is needed to complete closing. Because this is closing with a new bank loan the lender may wish for the property to close at a local title agency or as a real estate attorney. Again, the purchaser’s bank should be vocal about this. I hope this all helps and at least point you in the right direction. If you have any follow-up questions or concerns never hesitate to reach out anytime. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Hank,

Thank you so much for the kind words and taking the time to comment. If you have any future questions or concerns please never hesitate to reach out anytime. Always here to help. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Leslie,

I’m so sorry that you are going through this right now. You obviously done considerable work to this home and tried your hardest to proceed legally to get the home retitled in your name for some time. With that said, you never truly “purchased” the home from the seller/owner of the property. It is for this reason that the current owner on title has the ability to evict you from his property. With this said an eviction will have to go through the court process and will cost the owner some money. This may likely be an empty threat, however the owner of the home could absolutely be truthful about evicting you if he is as much of a dirt bag as he sounds like he is. It sounds like he is trying to get $500 out of you for no apparent reason simply because he has the power to. I would encourage you settle for perhaps half this amount all cash, or perhaps he would take monthly payments of $100 per month for five months. This is of course if he agrees to transfer over title to you now instead of later. You would of course have an agreement written out for him to receive the money you both agree to. Again, an eviction process typically takes 30 days or so you will absolutely go in front of a judge before the final verdict is ruled. With that said it does not sound like the park or local government is going to evict you anytime soon, the real threat comes from the current owner of the mobile home. With all this said it is good that he finally came out of the woodwork and is agreeing to sell the home to you now. Again, I regret that you are going through all of this trouble after doing so much work to the property and obviously paying lot rent on time for a considerable length of time. Keep in touch moving forward. Any additional questions or concerns or updates never hesitate to write back anytime. Always here to help.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Josh,

Thank you for reaching out and connecting. Additionally, thank you so much for your kind words. I do hope that this site and videos have been helpful to you thus far. Please see my thoughts below in bold.

My wife and I are hoping to purchase a park model soon in a small resort in MN. We will not own the land. We have been preapproved for both a loan and HELOC through our local bank. We have agreed on a price of $65,000 for the park model and additional assets. The bank says they need a purchase agreement next in order to process the loan and obtain funds. I am looking online for a template (or about to write my own). It seems I need to include the names, addresses, property – including model and serial number, additional assets, confirmation of no liens or warranties, and terms of financing. The seller proposed $1000 down by X date and the remaining $64,000 by X date, at which point we would presumably have the funds and make the title transfer. Does this all sound reasonable to you? Congratulations on finding a home that you truly love! This home sounds relatively newer and I must assume that it is in very very good condition. As a mobile home investor I am used to paying lower prices for the properties in my portfolio. With that said I am not living in them personally so this is like comparing apples to oranges. While the price is a bit higher than I pay for mobile homes in parks I have no doubt that the home will last 50 years or more if taken care of properly. With that said the value of the home will drop in most areas so make sure you are looking to stay in this home for at least 10 years minimum before you resell. I mentioned this to you because by this point you will have hopefully paid the home down to a point where you have the flexibility to sell the home for what you owe and break even, or perhaps make a small profit if possible. Would you make any suggestions on how we could proceed better? Make sure your interest rate is as low as possible. You can pay many extra thousands of dollars over the course of your loan with a higher than average interest rate. Additionally, try to pay as much as you can towards the principal every single month. Where is the best place to get a purchase agreement template we could use for the transaction? I have never downloaded templates online so I do not want to give you any bad information or point you anywhere that I have not been to myself. I have always obtained my contracts through a real estate attorney locally however I would imagine that there are a number of real estate websites, such as leghalzoom, rocketlawyer, and nolo, that may work out for you. Moving forward let me know if these websites were able to help you. Please keep in touch if you have any additional follow-up questions or concerns any time.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Camden,

Thank you for reaching out and connecting. Moving forward if you ever have any additional mobile home questions or concerns never hesitate to reach out any time.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Stacy,

Thank you for reaching out and connecting. Additionally, thank you for being detailed in your comment is the certainly helps me give you some answers and thoughts. I very much regret to hear about your father’s health and this stubborn mobile home seller you are working with. While it truly comes down to the paperwork signed between the buyers and sellers, it is more than likely that the seller has made this down payment nonrefundable. With that said the seller could also pursue legal avenues to demand your father pay the remaining balance of the note immediately. This is not likely as the seller knows they will most likely not get any money even if they did receive a judgment. With all this said I would absolutely encourage you to talk to a real estate attorney within the state. Aim to talk to one that provides one free hour of consultation to get all your questions answered. They may want to take a look at the agreement signed and will be able to let you know if there is anything that you are legally entitled to receive back. Besides this is simply up to the sellers heart and moral code as to whether they want to refund all, some, or none of the down payment. I hope this helps and starts to point you in the right direction. Moving forward if you ever have any questions or concerns never hesitate to write back any time.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Helena,

Thank you for reaching out and connecting. I very much regret to hear you are going through this headache after purchasing this mobile home. While I was reading your comment I was a bit confused on why the park manager would not accept your application to live in the community. However when you mentioned you heard that the park manager may be trying to get it for their friend, this sadly makes sense and I have seen this once or twice before. The park manager is emotional and is now standing in the way of you living in this property. The normal procedure moving forward in 96ish+% of parks around the country would be for you to pay the back lot rent and get approved. Now to be fair, as a purchaser you should have gotten approved with the park prior to buying the property, however what is done is done. The way I see it you have a few different options on how to move forward. Please see them below and let me know your thoughts and any questions you have moving forward.

1. Confront the park manager and let them know that you did not know you are supposed to get approved before buying the property. You apologize and wish to get approved now to live in the community. You will pay the back lot rent owed from the previous resident if the park demands however you very much want to live in the community. This will hopefully appeal to the park managers rational and logical side.

2. Sell the home (hopefully for a small profit) and moved to a different community.

3. Obtain the help of a local real estate attorney to write a cease-and-desist letter (or perhaps a better letter per your attorneys discretion) to the park in order to help convince the park manager and park owner it is easier to simply allow you to be in the park than to fight this small issue. This will not start off the relationship with you in the park well however, in the park manager may always have a chip on her shoulder about this. I certainly do not note anything about the park manager and this may or may not be true at all.

4. Contact the owner of the park and explain what is going on to ask for help.

I hope all these thoughts above make sense and help point you in the right direction. If you have any follow-up questions or concerns never hesitate to reach back out any time. All the best.

Talk soon,
John

Hi Kate,

Thank you for commenting. Congratulations with regards to new closing on this mobile home in a park. I absolutely agree with you to not give 100% of the money over to the seller prior to doing a final walk-through and making sure there are no extra holes in the property, extra junk left behind, or things stolen that you were expecting stay in the property. This also helps ensure the sellers are out when they say they will be. While working with folks there is an after closing agreement I signed with sellers that states when they will be out and how much money is being withheld until they do so. If people want all the money we can let them know that we are eager and cannot wait to give them all of their money, however we have been burned in the past and they will receive all their money when they move out completely and we were able to do a final walk-through. The home should be left broom swept and in clean condition if possible. There’s some more information with regards to transferring title in Minnesota. https://www.mobilehomeinvesting.net/mobile-home-title-transfer-state-by-state/ I hope this all helps and point you in the right direction. Moving forward if you have any follow-up mobile home related questions never hesitate to reach out any time. Keep in touch.

Talk soon,
John