Our state guide series is continuing and this week our attention is on the information you can use when buying a mobile home in Louisiana. Be sure to check out our other installments by visiting our State Guide section.
The Facts About Mobile Homes in Louisiana
With over 4.7 million people calling Louisiana home it’s no surprise that Louisiana is home to a variety of mobile home manufacturers. Homes are built to the specific specifications for the area and of course, meet all the current HUD requirements. Some of the other interesting facts about Louisiana include:
The average price of a pre-owned home: $64435
Average model year of a pre-owned home: 2011
Average pre-owned home size in square feet: 1491
Average sites in a manufactured home community: 78
Average year a community was developed: 1992
Number of age-restricted communities: 6
Number of all-age communities: 339
Know Before You Buy
Just like with any big purchase its always good to do your homework before you buy. Luckily, before buying a mobile home in Louisiana you can visit the Louisiana Manufactured Housing Association website to learn why buying a mobile home is a smart idea. Their philosophy, the dream of homeownership is no longer a dream when you can buy a manufactured home. And we couldn’t agree more!
Related: 30 Most Helpful Tips for Manufactured Home Buyers
You can learn more on their site, things like the tax advantages of owning a new manufactured home, why they are such a great value, not to mention how far manufactured homes have come in terms of building standards.
Louisiana MHA
4847 Revere Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 925-9041
Don’t Forget This After the Sale…
Once you have bought your new, or used, manufactured home you will want to make sure that your new home is legal. Louisiana has a little bit of a different process for the titling of mobile homes. The home will need to be declared immovable property and the following must be done:
- The original Certificate of Title or Manufacturers Certificate of Origin.
- A bill of sale.
- An affidavit to immobilize.
- The affidavit must contain a declaration by the owner and, if applicable, the lienholder, that the factory-built home shall remain permanently attached to the lot or tract of land described in the act.
- The affidavit must also contain a description of the factory-built home as described on the certificate of origin.
- A completed vehicle application form (DPSMV 1799)
- Taxes on factory-built homes must be paid by the 20th of the month following the month in which the factory-built home was delivered to the purchaser. Delivery will be considered the day the purchaser takes possession of the home.
- A penalty will be assessed at the rate of 5% per 30 days or fraction thereof (maximum of 25%) and interest at the rate of 1.25% per 30 days or fraction thereof (no maximum) on files received after the 20th of the month following the month of delivery.
- Files received after this date must contain either proof of the date of delivery (in the form of a delivery receipt/ticket signed by the customer or installer/deliverer or an affidavit from the dealer or lienholder) or a statement from the buyer stating that no delivery was required.
- The proof of delivery must indicate the customer’s name, description (make, year, and VIN), and date of delivery. The delivery date must be entered in the “tax date” field.
- A file should not be rejected for proof of the date of delivery if the file is received on or before the 20th of the month following the month of purchase as penalty and interest are not due. In this case, the purchase date can be entered in the “tax date” field.
- Applicable sales tax, an $8.00 handling fee, and parish fee (if applicable) must be submitted with each file. Refer to Section IV Policy #47.0 for information pertaining to sales tax.
NOTE: A title will not be generated for a factory-built home that will be immobilized. Source: Office of Motor Vehicles.
Keep in mind, if you are buying a mobile home in Louisiana from a dealer they will probably handle this for you.
If There Are Problems
Every new mobile home includes 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 correspondence (preferably 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. Louisiana 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:
Online Email: info@huddrp.net Phone: 571-882-2928 Fax: 888-819-5191 Mail (preferably certified): ATTN: Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program 1676 International Drive Suite 501 McLean, Virginia, 22102
Mobile Home Living in Louisiana
One of the first things we noticed while searching for awesome mobile homes to share with you in Louisiana were the beautiful views that can be found throughout the state. Here’s just a sampling of them we found on Zillow.
With less than 10 states left to explore our buying guide series is winding down. Next week, what you should know when buying a mobile home in New York!
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