Definition of Permanent Foundation on Mobile Home

[hspinnler]

Can anyone tell me what is considered a permanent foundation on a mobile home? What criteria must be met for a mobile home to be on a permanent foundation. This is a question a realtor asked me as it pertains to obtaining bank loans. Although I have not peformed any inspections on a mobile home in over a year, it may help to know for future inspections. Maybe the answer is in Gerry B's course?

[Mikel J. Craig]

As a rule it is a perminant installation if it has shoring and the axles are removed and it is tied down.

It is not permanent if the axles are still attached it is scirted and not tied down. I hope the photo's will show up.
Axel removed

Tie Down

Tie down strap
Axel atached, no tie downs, Skirted

[gbeaumont]

Hi Hank,

yes the answer is inmy course, do you want to wait for November 10th for the answer??



OK, I thought not.


The issue in Georgia (like other areas) is really about how the property is titled, most financial institutions will not lend on manufactured homes that have a personal property title rather than a real property title. A real property title is what you can get for a manufactured home when it is perminantly sited on a piece of deeded land.

Here are the Georgia regulations: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/cgi-bin...l?code=8-2-181

BTW, many jurisdictions also concider a manufactured home to be perminently sited if it has a full masonary perimeter wall system, and has the axels and tow gear completely removed from the frame.

http://www.dca.state.ga.us/intra_non...0foundation%22

Hope this helps

Regards

Gerry

[Mikel J. Craig]

Gerry the title thing is right, but in my area they want to know if the axle is on and if it is tied down as a deffinition of being permanent. so I reffur back to my last post.

[gbeaumont]

Originally Posted by mcraig

Gerry the title thing is right, but in my area they want to know if the axle is on and if it is tied down as a deffinition of being permanent. so I reffur back to my last post.

Hi Michael, yes I was delayed in posting and hit the subitt button after you had posted.

Different states and different financial institutions apply different rules here, but yes the minimum would be some type of perminent foundation and the complete removal of axles and towing equipment.

Regards

Gerry

[hspinnler]

Michael & Gerry,

Truly excellent replies with much helpful links and photos. Glad I did not have to wait for the release of your course Gerry. Maybe this will help someone else down the road when they do a search on the topic. Thanks again!!

[gbeaumont]

Originally Posted by hspinnler

Michael & Gerry,

Truly excellent replies with much helpful links and photos. Glad I did not have to wait for the release of your course Gerry. Maybe this will help someone else down the road when they do a search on the topic. Thanks again!!

Hi Hank,

Am I going to be seeing you Here on Nov 10th & 12th?

http://www.nachiatlanta.org/default....ive_page_id=68

Regards

Gerry

[roconnor]

Originally Posted by mcraig

As a rule it is a perminant installation if it has shoring and the axles are removed and it is tied down.

Originally Posted by gbeaumont

BTW, many jurisdictions also concider a manufactured home to be perminently sited if it has a full masonary perimeter wall system, and has the axels and tow gear completely removed from the frame.

I would agree with those as a good general guideline. Local mileage based on specific regulation provisions may vary ...

JMO & 2-nickels ...

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

Originally Posted by gbeaumont

Different states and different financial institutions apply different rules here, but yes the minimum would be some type of perminent foundation and the complete removal of axles and towing equipment.

That's the case in my area as well. Strapped or bolted to a PIP or masonry perimeter foundation, with no tow gear left in the crawl.

[Frank Nihei]

Hi Hank and guys...

I believe I can shed some light on this question as we just completed over a year of home-searching, including a number of manufactured homes now converted to real property.

The question indicates to me that the prospective buyer is probably applying for an FHA loan.

As such, HUD requires that the property comply with it's published "Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing".
That guide can be found here: http://www.huduser.org/publications/...permfound.html

Anyone can download the guide and the associated software (free on the same page) and use it, however, you may recognize that it's directed at engineers.

The reason is that HUD requires a state-certified and licensed (Structural) Engineer / Professional Engineer (PE) to inspect the installation and certify that it complies with the guide.

This applies mainly to manufactured housing that has been de-titled and converted to real property, on its own land, as opposed to mobile homes in parks, or still registered as a vehicle or personal property.

Unless that certification is obtained, often for $300-$600 or so, the property would not qualify for an FHA loan. Typically, once an engineer goes out, if the property doesn't comply, they will simply tell you so and leave.

Any corrections would have to be made and a re-inspection with another fee can be expected. That would repeat until the property meets requirements. At least according to one engineer I called on it.

Sellers, LENDERS THEMSELVES and realtors will often claim a manufactured home has a permanent foundation because it has tie-downs, out of sheer ignorance. That isn't necessarily true. Often times the home may have "masonry skirting", but on closer inspection, you'd see it doesn't even rest on the masonry, but is really held up with conventional mobile home jacks and may have an anchor or two.

That is NOT a permanent foundation as far as HUD is concerned and someone will be very unhappy - usually the buyer - when that fact is uncovered.

This would not stop the buyer from obtaining a non-FHA conforming loan from a bank, private lender or investor. They just won't be able to obtain an FHA-insured loan without it.

I hope that helps. It's a pretty interesting read, but unless you're a certified and licensed engineer AND you've read and fully understood this Guide, don't let a realtor get you in trouble by convincing you to "certify" a foundation complies with the HUD definition.

It may have anchors, but that doesn't mean it complies.
Been there, done that (as a potential buyer)

Hope that helps.
Frank Nihei