Resources You Can Use When Buying A Mobile Home In Washington

Published by Kim Alley at September 21, 2018

Mobile Home Living in Washington by the Numbers

Over 7.5 million people are living in the state of Washington. According to Statemaster, around 7.5% of those people reside in a mobile home. Some other interesting facts about Washington from our friends at Mobile Home Village include:

The average price of a pre-owned home: $110796
Average model year of a pre-owned home: 1999
Pre-owned home size in square feet: 1484
Average sites in a manufactured home community: 77
The average year a community was developed: 1979
Number of age-restricted communities: 294
Number of all-age communities: 551

Buying a mobile home in washington

Resources You Can Use When Buying a Mobile Home in Washington

Ask an Expert

Washington has an abundance of resources when it comes to mobile homes. The Manufactured Housing Communities of Washington Association provides resources to Mobile Home Communities and Managers. Their mission is to promote a successful relationship and communication between communities and residents.

They also have in place The Northwest Housing Association, which is full of resources about factory built homes. You can find information about reputable dealers, lenders, insurance options and many other services for potential buyers.

There are also some helpful checklists, worksheets, and videos to help with the process.

NORTHWEST HOUSING ASSOCIATION
1530 Evergreen Park Drive S.W.
Olympia, WA 98502
360-357-5650
info@northwesthousing.org

Register Your Mobile Home

According to AAA’s Digest of Motor Laws, if you are placing your mobile home on your personal property, a title is not necessary. Instead, the home and property are registered within the county property records where it is located. Keep in mind, all fees and taxes must be paid when it is registered.

If the mobile home is located within a community or on rented property, the home will need to be titled through the Washington DOL. You can find all the necessary forms to title or eliminate the title on the Washington State Department of Licensing page.

Keep in mind, if you are buying a new mobile home, the dealer will usually take care of all the paperwork and filings for you. You will want to double check that everything is handled.

Getting Your Issues Resolved

Warranty Issues

As we have mentioned before, all new mobile homes come with a one-year warranty. Any issues that occur in that first year can usually be handled by contacting the dealer. You will want 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 that the dealer is unwilling or unable to resolve your issues. When that happens, you will want to reach out to the Washington Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program. You can complete the form and email, fax, or mail it to:

Mail: Dealer Investigations–Olympia
Department of Licensing
PO Box 9039
Olympia, WA 98507-9039
Email: dealers@dol.wa.gov
Fax: (360) 570-4953

Issues Within a Mobile Home Community

Washington state enacted a law in 2007 to help protect the relationship between tenants and landlords within their mobile home communities. The Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Program is in place to protect both the tenant and the landlord when there are issues that cannot be resolved. Visit the site to learn more about how this program works and to access information regarding filing a complaint.

Washington Mobile Homes Offer Some Awesome Views

Zillow currently offers over 1200 mobile and manufactured homes for sale in Washington. Many of these mobile homes are found in some of the cool scenic areas of the state. So whether you are looking for a vacation spot or a forever home, there are plenty of options available when buying a mobile home in Washington.