We all know that with any big purchase you have to do your homework. That is even truer when buying a mobile home. That’s why we have been sharing resources for buying a mobile home in different states across the country these past few months. This week we take a look at what you should know when buying a mobile home in Arkansas.
Mobile Home Living Facts in Arkansas
It’s no secret that mobile home living is becoming more and more common across the country. But did you know that zoning laws have been changing to make it easier for new manufactured home buyers to find property? That’s just one of the facts that we found when we started exploring mobile home living in Arkansas. Here are some more interesting facts:
The average price of a pre-owned home: $67388
Average model year of a pre-owned home: 2008
Average pre-owned home size in square feet: 1554
Average sites in a manufactured home community: 78
Average year a community was developed: 1991
Number of age-restricted communities: 5
Number of all-age communities: 131
Buying a Mobile Home in Arkansas Resources
Know Before You Buy
There is no doubt that knowledge is power. That’s why it’s so important to take your time and learn all you can before you buy. Luckily, Arkansas has a lot of resources that can help. Their biggest, the Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association. Their website offers information about why mobile homes are a smart purchase along with tips to help you get the home that is right for you. You can also contact them with questions about reputable dealers, finance options and other deciding factors that go into a home purchase. You can find them here:
Arkansas MHA
1123 South University, #720
Little Rock, AR 72204
(501) 663-8444
www.amha.net
Don’t forget, you will also want to have a definite idea where you want to place your home if you are buying a new one or moving a used one to a new location. Keep in mind, there are zoning laws that will need to be considered. Also, if you are moving into a community make sure that it is a good fit for your needs.
Related: Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Home Parks.
Making Your Mobile Home Yours
Once you have decided on your new or new-to-you mobile home its time to make it legal. If your home is new, your dealer will typically handle all the legal steps that need to be taken to make your home yours. However, if you are purchasing a used mobile home you will need to make a trip to your local DMV to file the appropriate title paperwork to place the home in your name.
Like most states, if your home is on a permanent foundation in Arkansas, it is considered real estate and you will be responsible for property taxes each year. You can check with your local tax department to see what forms are necessary for the property.
Issues After the Sale
We all hope that when we purchase a new mobile home that there won’t be any issues. However, there may be defects from the manufacturer, installation issues or just problems that need to be resolved. Thankfully, all new homes come with a one-year warranty just for these types of problems.
However, if the home was installed incorrectly or damaged during transportation it may be tough to get these issues resolved. As soon as you see an issue, reach out to your dealer. Dealerships and builders typically have a whole staff that is in place just to handle those followup issues Make sure that you keep records of all contact you have with the dealer while you are trying to get your problems resolved and if you can’t get things handled it may be time to reach out to someone else for some resolution.
If you have tried to resolve your issues directly with the dealer/manufacturer and haven’t had any luck, it may be time to file a HUD Manufacturing Housing Complaint. Arkansas is one of about half the states across the country that handles its own disputes. You can find the contact information you need to file as well as the contact information on the Arkansas Manufactured Housing Commissions page.
Gorgeous Mobile Homes of Arkansas
As you can see, buying a mobile home in Arkansas is a pretty straightforward process. And, thanks to the web it’s easy to find plenty of homes to choose from. Sites like Zillow, Realtor.com and even facebook marketplace have tons of new and used mobile homes for you to view. Here are just a couple we found in our search.
We still have several states left to explore in the upcoming weeks so be sure to be on the lookout for our next installment. If you are wondering if we have already added resources for your state be sure to check out our State Guide section with all the states we have added so far.
As always, thanks for reading Mobile Home Living.
