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MEMO
#1015: Mobile Home Inspections - 10/23/02
Whenever
inspections are performed, it is vital to our clients that
mobile homes are accurately identified and timely reported
as such. The foreclosure process for mobile homes often requires
additional steps in order to obtain title and convey
the property to the investor/insurer or to a third party.
Following
are a number of criteria you can use to identify mobile homes
during inspections.
1. All
manufactured homes are required to have a Department of Housing
tag affixed to the rear section of the home. This requirement
has been in effect since 1977. This small metal tag will include
the point of origin and the home's serial number. If the home
is more than one section (double-wide, triple-wide, etc.),
each section will have a tag.
2. Multi-section
homes always have a marriage line, a seam where the sections
of the home are joined together. Identification of the marriage
line is often the best way to identify a manufactured home.
Note that the marriage line is often concealed by a trim strip
on the front and back of the home.
3. The
"peak" of the roof can also be a good indicator
that these homes are manufactured homes. Most, although not
all, roofs will also have a roof cap along the center of the
roof. This roof cap is usually visible from the street. Occasionally
older mobile homes will have flat roofs, but these are usually
located in mobile home parks rather than on private property.
4. When
manufactured homes are located on private property (ground-set),
there will be a vapor barrier line around the home. This is
a wood strip abutting the ground along the bottom of the home's
siding.
5. On
all ground-set homes, a ground access panel will be evident
even from some distance away. Ground-set homes may be located
on private property or in mobile home communities.
If you
have any questions regarding this memo or about identifying
mobile homes, please contact your Regional Coordinator.
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