Selling a mobile home when you don't own the land

This is a title transfer, not a real estate closing

When the home is separate from the land, you are generally selling personal property that carries a certificate of title, much like a vehicle. There is no deed involved for the home itself, and the process runs through title paperwork rather than a traditional real estate closing.

That usually makes it simpler. What complicates it is the third party: whoever controls the land.

Who controls the lot changes everything

There are three common versions in Tennessee, and they behave differently.

• A commercial community or park: the community approves or refuses the next owner, sets rules on home age and condition, and requires the lot account to be current.
• A private landowner renting you a spot: a handshake or short lease, and the question is simply whether that owner wants a new occupant or wants the home gone.
• Family land: no rent, but often no written agreement either, and everyone in the family needs to be on the same page about what happens to the lot.

Stay or go?

The second question after ownership is whether the home stays put or has to be moved. Moving a manufactured home is expensive and depends on the age and condition of the home, the route, and whether it can be permitted and set up somewhere else. Many older homes are not practical candidates to move at all.

If a home has to come off the lot, that cost is a real part of the deal, and we will be direct with you about it.

What we ask for

The community or landowner name, current lot rent and whether it is current, the year and size of the home, and photos. If there is a written lease, a picture of the first page is helpful.