Lending
Mobile and Manufactured Home Loans in the Sacramento Region
Loans for mobile and manufactured homes, on land you own or in a park, with the title and foundation rules explained.
Talk to Maggie directly: cell (916) 549-3131 (text or call) · maggie@loveyoursurroundings.coMaggie B. Hopkins, NMLS #349517 · Surroundings NMLS #2528307
What is the difference between a mobile home and a manufactured home?
People use the words interchangeably, but for a loan the date matters. Homes built before June 15, 1976 are usually called mobile homes. Homes built after that date are manufactured homes, built to HUD's federal standards, called the HUD Code.
HUD's homeowner resources page (checked October 22, 2026) says each transportable section of a manufactured home built in the U.S. after June 15, 1976 must carry a red certification label. The label shows the maker certifies the section meets the HUD Code.
Most loan programs require that label. HUD's Handbook 4000.1 (edition last revised November 9, 2021) says FHA can't insure a home built before that date. Fannie Mae (topic B2-3-02, February 4, 2026) also requires the HUD Code. So an older mobile home has far fewer financing paths. Ask us what's possible for a specific home.
Is your home real property or personal property?
This is the question that shapes the whole loan. A manufactured home can be treated as real property, like a house and its land. Or it can be personal property, more like a vehicle with its own title.
- Real property. The home sits on a permanent foundation and is legally tied to the land. It can be financed with a mortgage on the home and land together.
- Personal property. The home is titled separately from the land, often in a park or on a leased lot. It's financed with a home-only loan, sometimes called a chattel loan.
The CFPB's research report on manufactured housing finance (May 27, 2021) says whether you own the land shapes how the home is titled. It found that home-only borrowers pay higher interest rates than borrowers with a manufactured home mortgage. That's why the land question is worth settling before you buy.
How does a manufactured home become real property in California?
In California, the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) registers and titles manufactured homes and mobilehomes. HCD's registration page (checked October 22, 2026) says a home installed on a permanent foundation is no longer registered by HCD.
HCD's Information Bulletin 2021-06 (April 26, 2021) describes the conversion. The local building department inspects the installation and signs form HCD 433A. It confirms the home's legal owners have released their interest. Then it records the form with the county recorder, and the home is treated as real property from then on.
HCD's foundation flowchart (revised February 2014) adds what the owner must show. You must own the land, be buying it or hold a transferable lease on it. The home must be free of liens, or the lienholders must agree. Any title or registration for a used home is surrendered.
Before you buy, we check whether the home has already been converted or is still on HCD's records. Names that don't match can slow a closing.
Which loans work for a manufactured home on land you own?
When the home and land are real property together, you have the widest choice. HUD's homeowner resources page says manufactured homes can be eligible for loans backed by FHA, VA and USDA's Rural Housing Service.
- FHA. FHA insures manufactured home mortgages that meet its rules. See our FHA manufactured home loan page.
- Conventional. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide (topic B5-2-02, December 10, 2025) requires the loan to cover the home and your interest in the land, both classified as real property. It allows principal residences in single-wide and multi-wide homes, and second homes only in multi-wide homes. Investment properties aren't eligible.
- VA and USDA. For eligible borrowers and, for USDA, eligible areas. See our USDA loan page.
Fannie Mae (topic B2-3-02, February 4, 2026) adds home rules. The home must be at least 12 feet wide with at least 400 square feet of finished area. The towing hitch, wheels and axles must be removed. It can't have been installed or lived in at another site before, other than a new home from the maker or dealer.
What if the home is in a park or on a leased lot?
Many manufactured homes in the Sacramento region sit in communities where you own the home and rent the space. Those homes are usually personal property, so most standard mortgages don't fit. Fannie Mae (topic B5-2-02, December 10, 2025) allows a home on leased land only in an approved condo or PUD project.
Home-only loans are the usual path. Some lenders make them directly, and FHA's Title I program insures some of them. HUD's Title I page (checked October 22, 2026) says a leased site must have a lease that starts at three years. The lease must also give at least 180 days' written notice before it ends. HUD says that protects owners if the park closes.
Before you buy in a park, read the lease and the park rules. Ask how often space rent has gone up. The rent is part of your monthly cost, along with the loan. Our mortgage calculator helps you test the total.
What should you check before you buy a manufactured home?
A few checks up front can save a failed loan later:
- The HUD labels. One red label on each section. If one is missing, the lender may need a label verification letter.
- The data plate. HUD's Handbook 4000.1 says it's a paper document inside the home, often near the electric panel, in a utility room or in a kitchen cabinet. It lists the maker, serial number, model and date built.
- The foundation. Is the home on a permanent foundation, and is there paperwork for it?
- The title. Is the home real property, or still registered with HCD? Do the names match the seller?
- Additions. Porches, rooms or garages added later may need their own inspection.
Maggie is a real estate broker as well as a mortgage broker. She can check these on the real estate side while the loan is being built.
How do you start a manufactured home loan?
Fill out the loan options form. Tell us where the home is, whether the land comes with it and what you know about its age and foundation. Maggie will look at it and get back to you within 2 hours. You can also call Maggie's cell at (916) 549-3131.
Photos of the HUD labels and the data plate help a lot. Buying a modular home instead? It has its own page. For a short overview of all our specialty loans, see USDA, construction and mobile home loans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a loan on a mobile home built before 1976?
It's hard. FHA and Fannie Mae both require a home built to the HUD Code, which began June 15, 1976. Ask us about the specific home, and we'll tell you what options exist.
What is a chattel loan?
It's a loan on the home only, not the land, used when the home is titled as personal property. The CFPB found in 2021 that these borrowers pay higher interest rates than borrowers with a manufactured home mortgage.
Can I get a mortgage on a manufactured home in a park?
Usually not a standard one, because the home is personal property on rented land. Home-only loans are the common path, including FHA Title I loans that meet HUD's lease rules.
How do I know if my manufactured home is real property in California?
Look for a recorded form HCD 433A with the county recorder. HCD says a home installed on a permanent foundation is no longer registered with HCD. We can help check the records.
Can I buy a manufactured home as a second home or rental?
Fannie Mae allows a second home only in a multi-wide home, and it doesn't allow investment properties. Other programs set their own rules.
Talk to Maggie directly: cell (916) 549-3131 (text or call) · maggie@loveyoursurroundings.coMaggie B. Hopkins, NMLS #349517 · Surroundings NMLS #2528307
Loans are arranged through Maggie B. Hopkins, NMLS #349517 · Surroundings NMLS #2528307. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to credit approval and property qualification. Equal Housing Lender.
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