The exact details will depend on your home’s location and land, but in most cases you will need to obtain the title for your new manufactured home when you purchase it. A title, also referred to as a certificate of title, is the legal document that proves you own your manufactured home.

If you purchased your new manufactured home from a Clayton home center, the home center may be required to obtain the title for you, depending on the law in the state your home will be located in. Make sure to check with the home center you purchased your home from before proceeding on your own to obtain a title for your home.

Let’s take a deeper look at how manufactured home titles work, and what it all means for you as a home buyer.

Why do I need a manufactured home title?

Most lenders require a title for your manufactured home before they will give youapproval for a mortgage. A title allows your chosen lender to have a lien on your home, meaning they have a legal claim to it until your mortgage is completely paid in full.

A lender's lien on a manufactured home title is similar to a lien on a car title. This is because a manufactured home that is not permanently affixed to a foundation is considered personal property. Other similar types of personal property include a car, boat or RV, because those items could potentially be moved to a new location in the future.

The lien ensures that you will pay the amount you borrowed to purchase your manufactured home back to your lender. Once you have paid it back in full, the lender will release the lien on your manufactured home certificate of title.

What’s the difference between a certificate of title and a deed?

If your manufactured home is permanently attached to its foundation and on land that you own, this is where a deed comes in. The difference between a title and deed is that a title transfers the ownership of personal property, while a deed is the legal document that transfers ownership of land from one person to another. For example, if you sell your manufactured home without land, you would need to transfer the title of the home to the new owner.

However, if your home is permanently affixed to land, it is considered real property, similar to a traditional site-built home. In that case, you would transfer both the home and the land to the new owners with the deed.

If the land your home will be located on is owned by someone else, like in a manufactured home community, or if you will not be permanently affixing your home to land, then a title must be obtained.

However, if you are planning on converting your home to real property, then a title is not required in many states. You would, however, need to have what’s called an affidavit of affixation filed in the county you live in that will legally confirm you own both your manufactured home and the land it’s on.

If you have any questions about the different requirements in your area and what options would work best for your specific needs, you can talk to your local home center consultant. And, if you’re ready to continue your home buying journey, you can learn more about different mortgage types, compare budgeting methods and more below with the Home Investment section of our Studio blog.