Buying a Mobile Home in Virginia? Here’s What you Need to Know

Last week our state guide series concentrated on resources you could use when buying a mobile home in Texas. This week our travel around the country continues with things to know when buying a mobile home in Virginia along with some interesting facts about Mobile Home Living in Virginia and some of the homes we found online.

Facts About Mobile Homes in Virginia

The U.S. Census Bureau says almost 8.5 million people call Virginia homes. Also, according to the state the manufactured housing market has been seeing a yearly increase as more people are choosing mobile homes for their housing needs. Mobile Home Village offers more facts about mobile homes in Virginia:

• The average price of a pre-owned home:   $92127
• Average model year of a pre-owned home:    2007
• Average pre-owned home size in square feet:   1595
• The average number of sites in a manufactured home community:   107
• The average year a community was developed:  1986
• Number of age-restricted communities:   14
• Number of all-age communities:    370

Buying a Mobile Home in Virginia Resources

Virginia State Association

The Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association is the state association that is in place to represent members of the manufactured and modular housing industry. Their consumer section offers listings for manufacturers, retailers, communities, and lenders that are all members of the association. They also offer a FAQ section that explains why manufactured housing is a smart choice. You can reach them by visiting their page or contacting them at:

Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association
8413 Patterson Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23229
804-750-2500

Registering Your Mobile Home

Just like the majority of states across the country, when buying a mobile home in Virginia it must be titled at the DMV. You will need the following when titling the home:

1. Application for Certificate of Title – Manufactured Home
2. Ownership documents
3. Pay the titling fee and the sales and use tax which is 3% for manufactured homes

If you are buying a new home, the dealer usually handles all this at the closing. However, if you are buying a used mobile home from a private seller you will need to handle this paperwork.

If you are placing your home on property permanently your home will be considered real estate. You will need to turn your title into the DMV and they will let the revenue department know so that they can access the taxes on the new property.

Resolving Warranty Issues

Contact the Dealer

One of the many benefits of buying a new mobile home is the one year warranty that is included. All issues or defects that come from the factory or during installation are typically taken care of by the dealer or manufacturer.

Be sure to keep a record of any correspondence with the dealer (typically contact them in writing via certified mail) so that you will have a paper trail in case your issues aren’t handled properly.

Resolution Program

If you have tried to resolve your warranty issues with the dealer and haven’t been successful the next step will be to contact the HUD Manufactured Dispute Resolution Program in the state. All complaints are filed through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Manufactured Housing Division. Make sure to be as detailed as possible and include copies of any documents and correspondence. Mail or fax the form to:

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
State Building Code Office
Main Street Centre
600 East Main Street, Suite 300
Richmond, VA 23219-1321
(804) 371-7160 Office
(804) 371-7092 Fax

Mobile Homes in Virginia

There are some really awesome mobile homes in Virginia. We found over 600 available homes on Zillow scattered all over the state. Tiny homes, double wides, and homes with some cool additions are all included. Take a look at just a few we found.

Related: 45 Great Manufactured Home Porch Designs.

Hopefully, these resources will help if you are considering buying a mobile home in Virginia. Whether you are buying new or used, mobile homes are a wonderful investment in your future. Next week we will continue our state guide series with a quick guide to buying a mobile home in Arizona.

Thanks for reading Mobile Home Living®.