Mobilehome and Manufactured Homes Sales

Who handles the sales of mobilehomes and manufactured homes?

Only dealer-brokers licensed by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) handle sales of new manufactured homes and mobilehomes. These new homes come with a one-year warranty from the manufacturer, but the warranty usually does not cover transit damage and may not apply to faulty installation. Used mobilehomes do not come with a warranty and may be sold by dealers, real estate agents, or the homeowner, who must provide the buyer with a resale or transfer disclosure statement (TDS), as mentioned previously. Complaints about mobilehome dealers should be directed to the Mobilehome Ombudsman at 800.952.5275, or ombudsman@hcd.ca.gov.

What if there is an issue with my new mobile home?

If there is a safety or construction issue with your new mobile home, you must notify the manufacturer, retailer, or installer. If the problem is not resolved, you may be able to use the HUD Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program. This program aims to provide timely resolution (of eligible disputes) between manufacturers, retailers and installer of manufactured homes regarding the responsibility of correction or repairs of defects in manufactured homes.

There are a few eligibility requirements to participate in this program. For example, the owner of the mobile home needs to report any issues to the manufacturer, retailer, installer, State Administrative Agency, or HUD within one year after the date of installation. In addition, not all States participate in this program, due to some administering their own dispute resolution programs.

If you are eligible to participate in the program, you can submit a request for dispute resolution in one of five ways: by email, phone, fax, mail, or online. The program outlines key information to include in your request, if you are not using the online form to submit the request. Make sure to visit their website to see if you are eligible, and read through all the instructions in order for your request to be processed. In addition, you can watch a very informative video about the program on their website.
Resources: http://www.huddrp.net/

Video Link: http://www.huddrp.net/video/

HUD Administered Dispute Resolution Program:

571-882-2928, info@huddrp.net

 

Tiny Homes vs. Mobile Homes

Tiny homes are a trend that has been getting more attention in the past few years, especially by the media and some social media sites. If you have ever seen a TV show about tiny homes, they usually start out by featuring a couple that is trying to downsize, and are looking for a more affordable living situation. They state their budget and they explore different samples of tiny homes. But if you look at these homes, you may notice that some of them are on wheels, and some of them have skirts like a mobile home. So what are the main differences between a manufactured home and a tiny home?

Tiny homes can be mobile, but they can also be built on a traditional foundation. An article published on The Tiny Life, Tiny Houses, Tiny Living states that an advantage of having your tiny home on a trailer or a wheel is that it allows you to get around some building codes since it takes the shape of a trailer.

A big difference is in the looks. A mobile home usually comes in a few sizes; single-wide, double-wide, triple-wide, and even two stories. You will notice when you look at these tiny homes, that they are very unique. There is a lot of thought put into the design of a tiny home; to make it look aesthetically pleasing while maximizing every inch of space. Many tiny homes have interesting features such as a fold-out dining table, pull-out couch or chairs, pull-out ladders or stairs, and hidden compartments for storage. But such intricate design and output usually means higher costs to build a tiny home compared to a mobile home.

Mobile homes and tiny homes are options for affordable living, but it’s ultimately up to the resident’s lifestyle to live in either types of homes. You would have to be willing to sacrifice some space to live in a uniquely designed tiny home. Or maybe you are the type that values space more than the aesthetics or uniqueness of your home.

Resource: http://thetinylife.com/tiny-house-vs-mobile-home-trailer/