Buying a Mobile Home In Michigan

Each week in our series our focus is on another state across the country. Last week our look at Buying a Mobile Home In Mississippi offered some great insight. This week buying a mobile home in Michigan is full of great resources for homeowners.

Mobile Home Facts About Michigan

Mobile Home Village offers some interesting facts about mobile homes in the state of Michigan. The most interesting? They have over 900 mobile home communities in the state, which is the third highest in the country, only behind Florida and Texas. Other interesting facts:

• The average price of a pre-owned mobile home: $44,962
• Average model year of a pre-owned home: 2004
• The average square feet of a mobile home: 1337
• Average size of mobile home community: 180 sites
• The average year a community was developed: 1973
• The number of age-restricted communities: 83

Buying a Mobile Home  in Michigan

Where to Start

The first step to any big purchase is deciding how much you can afford. Once you know your budget, things like finding the right floor plan, knowing where you are placing the home, and any special permits or laws that are in place are important to consider.

The Michigan Manufactured Housing Association is an excellent place to start when thinking of buying a mobile home in Michigan. While there you can explore how a mobile home is manufactured, look at popular options available, find a licensed dealer in your area, and even find a community or realtor to help you find the perfect spot for your home.

Like many states across the country, there are no statewide zoning regulations in place in the state of Michigan. It’s important to contact your local assessor’s office to check zoning laws for your area.

Titling Your Mobile Home

Once you have purchased your mobile home, you will want to make sure that it is properly titled. Any mobile home manufactured after 1978 requires a “Certificate of Manufactured Home Ownership” that is issued by the Michigan Secretary of State’s office. If you purchase your home directly from a dealer, they will apply for the title for you. If you are buying your home from a homeowner, the title is signed over to you and you apply for a new title at a Secretary of State branch office.

Transporting Your Mobile Home

The state of Michigan requires a permit filed whenever a mobile home is moved within the state. They offer very specific regulations, and a required fee and all permits are issued through the Michigan Department of Transportation.  If you are purchasing directly from a dealer, they will likely have their own staff to handle the transport and set-up. However, if you are buying a used mobile home and moving it to your private property, be sure to check the credentials of your transport and setup team. It’s always a good idea to take photos of the home before moving it as well to have a record in case there are any issues.

Who To Contact if There is an Issue

Dealer and Mobile Home Park Issues

The state of Michigan created the Manufactured Home Commission in 1987. They operate under the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and are responsible for the licensing and regulation of dealers and mobile home parks. This agency is also who to contact if you run into issues with your mobile home after the warranty period and cannot resolve them directly with the dealer or mobile home park.

You can file a complaint the following ways:

• Online at https://aca3.accela.com/lara/
• Download the statement of complaint form and email it to LARA-BCC-Compliance@michigan.gov
• Mail the statement of complaint to:

Bureau of Construction Codes/Mobile Home Division
PO Box 30254
Lansing, MI 48909

• Overnite it to:

Bureau of Construction Codes/Mobile Home Division
1^st Floor Ottawa Building
611 W. Ottawa Street
Lansing, MI 48933

Manufacturer and Installer Complaints

The state of Michigan does not administer its own HUD dispute resolution program for mobile homes. However, if you have an issue with a manufacturer or installer that cannot be resolved, the National HUD dispute resolution program can help. It’s important to remember the following if you are considering filing a complaint:

• The retailer, manufacturer, installer, HUD, or the State Administrative Agency was notified of alleged defect(s) within one year after the date the home was first installed.
• The home was not reinstalled.

You can submit your request 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 Michigan

As we mentioned before, mobile home communities are huge in Michigan. There are also close to 1,000 manufactured homes listed for sale on Zillow. These are just a few of the ones that we found to share!

Related: One of our favorite vintage mobile homes, this 1957 Casa Manana Mobile Home is vintage perfection!

We hope you are enjoying our look at buying a mobile home across the country. Stay tuned next week when we talk about one of the most popular states for mobile homes, Florida.

Thanks for reading Mobile Home Living.