Buying a mobile home in California is a bit more complex than other states due to two reasons: a wide variety of regulations and a wild real estate market.
California is not a cheap place to live but it’s considered a paradise for good reason. The weather is near perfect and jobs are plentiful so it’s an easy state to live in and thrive.
Mobile Home Living in California
California is most known for cool movie stars but the state has some really cool mobile and manufactured homes too. We’ve shared a ton of gorgeous mobile homes in California over the years. You can see a few luxury mobile homes in the state here.
Over 500,000 homes in California were built in a factory. That’s 3.4% of the housing stock in the state.
We found some other interesting facts on MH Village about mobile home living in California:
The average price of a pre-owned home: $138362
Average model year of a pre-owned home: 1995
Average pre-owned home size in square feet: 1276
The average sites in a community: 131
Average year a community was developed: 1985
Number of age-restricted communities: 851
Number of all-age communities: 1370 (another source we found states CA has over 4800 parks)
Where to Start When Buying a Mobile Home in California
Like most states, California has a state association that promotes mobile homes and mobile home communities. This one is a bit different, though, because it is a very active state association. The California Manufactured Housing Institute site offers valuable information about the current laws and taxes in place that affect home buyers. It also gives current information about members and who to contact for financing and community living.
To learn more about members or if you have questions you can reach them by mail, phone, or visit their site for more information:
California MHI
10630 Town Center Dr., #120
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 987-2599
Registering Your Mobile Home in California
Any mobile home that is not tied to a permanent foundation is required to be titled and then registered on an annual basis by the owner. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has an entire section devoted to Manufactured and Mobile Homes. There you can find any necessary forms, learn about the fees associated with titling and registering and find answers to most any question.
When a home is placed on a permanent foundation in the state of California it no longer requires a title. The Consumer section of the HCD explains the process in detail as well as offers information about other things that are important to mobile homeowners.
Consumer Information Concerning Mobile Homes in California
Also, when visiting the Manufactured and Mobile Homes page you can also find information concerning mobile home park laws and what to do if you have an issue. There is also a section concerning any permits or inspections that are required if you decide to alter your home in any way. We must say we are very impressed with all the information that is available for potential and current mobile homeowners in the state. It’s nice to see a state embracing mobile and manufactured homes.
California MHP Rent Stabilization Ordinances
California is a state that has protections for mobile home park tenants. To get information on each county you can go to the Mobile Home Park Home Owners Allegiance.
The MHPMOA describes the relationship between mobile home equity and mobile home park lot rent:
Typically, under the predatory owner business model, as space rents increase above Fair Market Rates (FMRs), your mobile/manufactured home will depreciate in value (loss in equity) while the land value appreciates (gain in equity). The general industry rule of thumb is that for every $10 per month space rent increase, you lose $1,000 in mobile home equity.
Who to Contact if There’s a Problem With Your New Mobile Home
All new mobile homes include a 1-year manufactured home warranty. This warranty covers defects from the manufacturer as well as issues that may go wrong during installation. If you have an issue, be sure to keep good records of any communications (preferably communicate in writing) so that you have a paper trail showing you have tried to resolve your issues within the first year.
Unfortunately, there are times however that you aren’t able to get your problems taken care of by dealing directly with the dealer. In those cases, you will want to file a dispute with the state to get it resolved. California is one of the states that allows the federal HUD Dispute Resolution Program to handle any disputes between mobile homeowners and dealers and installers.
To utilize the HUD Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program you can submit your complaint the following ways:
Email: info@huddrp.net
Phone: 571-882-2928
Fax: 888-819-5191
Mail (preferably certified) to:
ATTN: Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program
1676 International Drive
Suite 501
McLean, Virginia, 22102Email: info@huddrp.net
Mobile Home Living in California
Mobile and manufactured homes are becoming a more and more popular choice in California. With homes ranging from under $50,000 to over $4,000,000, there are more choices than ever if you are looking for a mobile home. On Zillow alone, we discovered more than 5,000 homes for sale. Here’s just a sampling of what we found:
Register Your Mobile Home California
If you have not registered your mobile home because of back taxes or title issues the new program called ‘Register Your Mobile Home California‘ may be able to help you.
Per their website:
Have fees and back taxes stopped you from registering your mobilehome?
A new state program can open the door to legal ownership, waiving certain fees and back taxes – saving homeowners possibly thousands of dollars.
But mobilehome owners must move fast, applying for and providing the necessary documents for the Fee and Tax Waiver Program.
5 reasons (and there are many more) why registering your mobilehome is the right move
- Most mobilehome parks require legal registration
- Registration helps legally transfer title of mobilehomes to heirs – spouse, children, etc.
- Some home-improvement projects require a building permit – and proper registration
- More mobilehome parks and utility companies are embracing individual rental space connections for services, such as electricity and water, and require registration.
- Fire and flood insurance require registration
Get a move-on, start now!
It’s nice to see that California has decided to utilize and encourage mobile home living in the state. With easy access to resources for buying mobile homes, as well as what to do if you have a problem with a new home or within a park, its easy to see why mobile homes are such a good option.
Be on the lookout for the next installment of our state buying guide. We will be taking a look at what you need to know when buying a mobile home in North Carolina.
Check out our Mobile Homeowner’s State Guides for all the other states we’ve covered.
Thanks for reading Mobile Home Living.
I live in California and looked at a manufactured home starting at 90K since homes are very expensive. When discussing monthly payments it turned out the monthly payment would be just as much as a payment for a house. I asked why, the response is that it in includes the lot. Is this correct.
FYI…
I’m guessing (and hoping) that you intended to write “$4,000,000” (Four Million Dollars) and not $4,000,000,000 or Four Billion Dollars… in the above paragraph regarding the top end of mobile home prices.
“Mobile and manufactured homes are becoming a more and more popular choice in California. With homes ranging from under $50,000 to over $4,000,000,000….”
Just my thoughts.
Grandpa D
Thanks for the catch!
What’s the difference between the mobile home insurance companies and manufacturers home in the state’s of California ? When we bought our 19 year’s ago they said our home was a manufacturer home just 2 year’s ago the farmers insurance companies in Shasta county said that’s our home was a mobile home our insurance gone front $675.00/$1,365.00 ? Are they anything we can do to get the insurance coverage down? Thank you Dianna
Hi Dianna,
The terms mobile home and manufactured home are often used interchangeably. Though technically, mobile home should only be used for homes built before 1976 and manufactured homes were built after 1976. There would be no difference.
Hi Crystal and Readers,
Thank you so much for your website. I’m looking for a contractor to build a porch around my double wide. How do I find a builder? I’m in the California Mono County area.
– Amy
Hi Amy,
It is difficult to find contractors willing to work on mobile homes but I’ve been told that you can find contractors in California but you have to schedule them months in advance (better than nothing, I suppose). I Googled ‘Mobile Home Contractors in California Mono County Area’ and a few came up. It looks like Goodie & Sons is a dedicated mobile home contractor (just click the link). Yelp also showed a few contractors here. You may want to try searching for your particular town too..Best of luck! (PS I am not recommending anyone, I just found them online).
Be sure and vet Goodie and Sons, check for licensing, reputation. If they’re the ones I think they are, due diligence necessary for this underserved community as to contractors.