Selling a mobile home is not quite the same as selling a regular house. The paperwork is different, the buyers are different, and if your home sits in a park, the park has a say too.
Here is how to sell a mobile home in Norfolk and the rest of Hampton Roads, step by step, plus your options if you want to sell fast.
We are not attorneys, so check the details with a professional or the Virginia DMV. But we buy mobile homes, and these are the questions sellers ask us most.
First: Is Your Mobile Home a Vehicle or Real Estate?
This one question decides how you sell it.
- Titled like a vehicle. In Virginia, most mobile and manufactured homes have a title from the DMV, a lot like a car. This is almost always the case if your home sits in a mobile home park. You sell it by signing over the title.
- Converted to real estate. If your home sits on land you own, the wheels are off, and the DMV title was turned in and canceled, the home became part of the land. You sell it like a regular house, with a deed and a normal closing.
Not sure which you have? If you have a DMV title for the home, it is still titled like a vehicle.
Selling a Mobile Home in a Park
Most mobile homes in Hampton Roads sit on a rented lot in a park. Virginia’s Manufactured Home Lot Rental Act gives you some protection when you sell:
- The park cannot unreasonably stop the sale. The landlord cannot unreasonably refuse or restrict the sale of your home.
- Age alone is not a good reason. Turning down a sale mainly because of how old the home is counts as unreasonable under the law.
- You can put up a “For Sale” sign. The park can set rules about the sign’s size and where it goes.
- You have to tell the park first. Before you sell, let the landlord know. If the buyer will live in the home in the park, include the buyer’s name.
In real life, most parks also want the buyer to apply and sign a lot rental agreement before they move in. Check your lease and park rules before you list, and make sure your lot rent is paid up.
Selling a Mobile Home on Your Own Land
If you own the land, you can sell the home and the land together. If the home has already been converted to real estate, it is just like selling a house. Here is how the closing process works.
If the home still has a DMV title, you will sell the land with a deed and sign over the home’s title too. A settlement attorney or title company can handle both at the same closing.
The Paperwork You Need
- The title. You will sign it over to the buyer. If you lost it, you can get a replacement from the Virginia DMV.
- A payoff letter, if you have a loan. Any loan on the home has to be paid off and released at the sale.
- A bill of sale. This lists the price, the date, and the home’s serial number or VIN.
- Park paperwork. Your lease, the park rules, and proof that lot rent is current.
After the sale, the buyer applies for a new title at the DMV and pays a 3% sales and use tax on the home.
Why Mobile Homes Can Be Harder to Sell
- Harder loans. Many banks will not make regular mortgages on mobile homes, especially in parks. Buyers often need special loans with higher rates, or cash.
- Older homes. Homes built before June 15, 1976, when federal HUD building rules began, can be very hard to finance and insure.
- Park approval. Buyers who want to live in the park usually need to be approved.
- Moving costs. Moving a mobile home takes permits and a hauler, and it can cost thousands of dollars. That is why most homes are sold where they sit.
Your Options for Selling a Mobile Home
- Sell it yourself. List it online and put up a sign. You keep the most money, but it can take a while to find a buyer with cash or a loan.
- Ask the park. Some parks buy homes from residents or know people looking.
- Sell to a dealer. Some mobile home dealers buy used homes, usually at a low price.
- List with an agent. Some agents sell mobile homes, mostly ones on their own land.
- Sell to a cash buyer. Fast and simple, especially if the home needs work or is older.
How We Can Help With Selling a Mobile Home in Norfolk
We buy mobile homes in parks and on their own land, in any condition, including older homes. You do not have to fix anything or clean it out.
If your home is in good shape and you have time, selling it yourself may get you more than we can pay, and we will tell you that. If it needs work or you want it done fast, here is exactly how we figure out an offer. We work out what the home will be worth once it is fixed up. Our offer lands between 70% and 80% of that number, and that range has to cover both what we pay you and what we spend on the repairs.
If a straight cash offer will not cover what you owe, we can also look at creative financing, where we buy the home on terms instead of paying all cash up front.
No repairs, no commissions, and we pay all the closing costs. We can usually close in 10 to 14 days. We buy in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton and Newport News.
Common Questions About Selling a Mobile Home in Norfolk
Can I sell my mobile home without the title?
You will need the title to sell. If you lost it, you can apply for a replacement title through the Virginia DMV.
Can the mobile home park stop me from selling?
Not without a good reason. Virginia law says the landlord cannot unreasonably refuse or restrict the sale, and turning it down mainly because of the home’s age is unreasonable.
Can I sell a mobile home that still has a loan on it?
Yes. The loan gets paid off from the sale, and the lender releases its lien.
Do you buy older mobile homes?
Yes. We buy mobile homes of any age, including homes built before 1976.
Do I have to move my mobile home to sell it?
No. Most mobile homes are sold right where they sit, either in the park or on their land.
Sell Your Mobile Home for Cash in Hampton Roads
Call us at (757) 337-2236. We will look at the home, give you a number within 24 hours, and tell you straight if another option would get you more.