Manufactured & Mobile Home Loan Guide

For traditional mortgage financing (FHA, VA, conventional), the home must meet all of these:

• Built after June 15, 1976 (HUD code compliance)
• Double-wide or larger (single-wides are much harder — some programs allow them, most don't)
• Permanently affixed to a foundation that meets FHA/VA permanent foundation standards
• Titled as real property, not as a vehicle (title elimination completed)
• Located on land the borrower owns (not leased land, generally)
• The HUD data plate and certification labels are still present and legible

Missing HUD tags is the #1 reason manufactured home deals die. If a home has been moved twice or the tags are gone, most lenders will not lend.

Standard FHA financing for a qualifying manufactured home on owned land, permanently affixed. Same 3.5% down, 580+ credit score, and mortgage insurance structure as any other FHA loan.

The most common program for manufactured home purchases in California when the home and land are both financed together.

VA will finance manufactured homes on permanent foundations, with 0% down and no monthly mortgage insurance, subject to the same eligibility rules as any VA loan.

Fewer lenders offer VA manufactured than VA site-built, so shop specifically for a lender who does — pricing varies more than it does on standard VA.

These are conventional programs for higher-spec manufactured homes designed to look and perform like site-built (drywall interiors, pitched roofs, attached garages, energy efficiency standards).

MH Advantage and CHOICEHome-eligible homes qualify for standard conventional financing: as little as 3% down, standard PMI, and pricing very close to site-built conventional.

If the home is in a park on leased land, or otherwise titled as personal property, it's a chattel loan — technically closer to an auto loan than a mortgage.

• Rates typically 7–11%, well above real-estate mortgage rates
• Terms usually 15–23 years
• 10–20% down
• Fewer consumer protections; different servicing standards

Chattel is often the only option for park-based homes, but if you own the land, converting to real-property title and refinancing into an FHA or conventional loan usually saves substantial money.

California allows title elimination via HCD Form 433A, which converts the home from personal to real property. Once recorded, the home is eligible for traditional mortgage financing.

If you're buying a manufactured home currently titled as personal property, the seller (or you at closing) can complete the 433A process. Working with a broker who has closed these before saves significant time and prevents last-minute surprises.