Buying a Mobile Home in Oregon

Every week our attention turns to another state across the country and the resources needed to buy a mobile home in that state. Last week it was all about Buying a Mobile Home in Delaware, and this week our focus is on the resources for potential homeowners when Buying a Mobile Home in Oregon.

The Mobile Home Living Facts About Oregon

With over 4 Million people residing in Oregon, it’s no surprise that mobile homes have a huge place in the state. Mobile homes offer the same amenities as any stick built home, all while being an affordable option. Mobile Home Village offers these facts about mobile homes in Oregon as well:

• The average price of a pre-owned home: $90035
• Average model year of a pre-owned home: 2001
• The average pre-owned home size in square feet: 1363
• Average sites in a manufactured home community: 71
• The average year a community was developed: 1978
• Number of age-restricted communities: 225
• Number of all-age communities: 511

Buying a Mobile Home In Oregon

The First Step

There are so many things to consider when buying a mobile home. Things like, how much home do you need? How much can you afford? What features are you looking for? Where are you going to place the home once you buy it? These are all questions that need answers before you make a final decision. Thankfully, Oregon, like most states, has an in-depth resource to help get you on the right path to home ownership.

The Oregon Manufactured Housing Association is set up with everything you need to make an informed decision. It includes listings of:

• Manufacturers
• Dealers
• Lenders
• Transport Options
• Mobile Home Supplies & Services
• Real Estate Options available

With all this great information, it will make buying a mobile home in Oregon so much easier! Be sure to visit their site to learn more or contact them with any questions:

Oregon Manufactured Housing Association
2255 State St.
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 364-2470
www.omha.com

Recording Your Mobile Home With the State

As it turns out, Oregon is one of the few states that do not require your mobile home to be titled by the DMV. Instead, The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, Building Codes Division, maintains manufactured structure ownership records for mobile homes that are not permanently attached to the homeowner’s property.

According to the site, an application must be completed that includes a county clearance form that shows that there are no issues with the home, such as back taxes. The application also needs to have an up to date tax certification from the county it is in. Keep in mind, there may be other requirements when filing the form with the state. You can take a look at the Manufactured Home Ownership Document Transaction Guide to get all the ins and outs of registering your home. Typically, dealers will handle the initial paperwork of registering your new mobile home, but if you are buying a used mobile home privately, you will need to make sure that the taxes are current before finalizing the purchase and recording the new ownership.

If you are buying a mobile home in Oregon and planning to place it on land that you own, the county assessor will consider the home and land as real property. You will need to check with your county about any zoning laws and to record your new homeownership.

What If There is a Problem

Unfortunately, there are times when everything doesn’t go as planned with your new mobile home. When that happens, don’t hesitate to reach out to the dealer, manufacturer or installer of your home. You have made a huge investment when buying your mobile home and if there are issues they need to be resolved. If, after reaching out, you don’t get the issues fixed, it may be time to file a complaint with the state building code division. Don’t forget, your new home typically comes with a one year warranty, so be sure to express any concerns during that time.

Be sure to include the following on the complaint form:

1. A detailed description of the install and setup and who performed it.
2. All documents regarding your new home.
3. Anyone who was involved with the install process and anyone who was around and witnessed it.

Make sure to be as thorough as you can, you may have to provide additional information as the investigation progresses and the complaint is reviewed. Once you have completed the form you can submit it the following ways:

Email: [email protected]
Fax: 503-378-2322
Mail: Building Codes Division
Attn: Enforcement
P.O. Box 14470
Salem, OR 97309-0404

Mobile Home Community Resources

The state of Oregon has an entire division devoted completely to helping mobile home park owners and residents maintain a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship. The Manufactured Communities Resource Center can answer questions about the laws regarding landlords and tenants, park rules and regulations, park closures, registering a park and how to help resolve any disputes. The goal is to help keep parks running smoothly and giving residents a nice, safe community to live in. They included several ways to contact them:

Call/email/fax:
Hotline: 1-800-453-5511
(Toll-Free in Oregon)
Phone: 503-986-2145
FAX: 503-986-2006

Mailing Address:
Oregon Housing and
Community Services
ATTN: MCRC Section
725 Summer St. NE, Suite B
Salem, OR 97301-1266

The Mobile Homes That Can Found in Oregon

Oregon is well known for their scenic views. So, it was no surprise to see more than 1300 mobile homes for sale in Oregon on Zillow that offered up some of those gorgeous views. We also came across several tiny homes, including one of our favorites, the Park Model Home. Take a look at just a few of the homes we found:

Related: These Park Model Homes with Amazing Views are Dream Homes.

It’s nice to see states becoming involved in making mobile homes an attractive option for so many families. For example, Oregon’s Manufactured Community Resource Center is a great way to ensure mobile home communities are places that families want to live in.

Have a question or comment about buying a mobile home in Oregon? Comment below, we want your feedback! Be on the lookout for next weeks installment when buying a mobile home in Alabama is up next.

Thanks for reading Mobile Home Living.