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Selling your mobile home: what do you actually take home?

Sale price minus loan, commission, escrow, HCD fees, back tax and park repairs. If the park made an offer, see both side by side.

$
$
%
$
$
$
$/mo
Months on the market
Home sections (HCD fees)
Park offered to buy it?
$
You take home (open market)
$0
Sale price$0
Loan payoff$0
Commission$0
EscrowMH escrow is smaller than a house escrow, no title insurance$0
HCD transfer fees$0
Back tax / in-lieuMust be paid for the county tax clearance$0
Park-required repairs$0
Space rent while listed$0
County transfer tax$0 for a home on an HCD title (personal property)$0
Total selling cost: $0 · 0% of price

Open market or sell to the park?

Open market
$0

Sell to park
—

Park side assumes: no commission, about 1 month of space rent, same escrow and HCD fees, no repairs (park buys as-is). Loan and back tax still get paid. Estimates.

Four things sellers miss

The park only gets first dibs if you signed for itSince 1/1/2006 a lease or park rule can't give the park a right of first refusal. Only a separate written agreement, where you got something for it, can (Civil Code §798.19.5).
Repairs at sale have limitsThe park can only require exterior work backed by a law or a park rule that enforces one, and must list it in writing within 15 business days if you ask (§798.73.5). Check it in T171.
You give a disclosureResale of a mobile home uses the Manufactured Home/Mobilehome Transfer Disclosure Statement (Civil Code §1102.6d). Fill it in honestly, leaks and roof first.
Tax clearance comes firstHCD won't transfer the title without an original tax clearance certificate from the county. Old in-lieu or property tax has to be paid out of escrow.
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Next steps

  1. Call your lender for a written payoff, and the county tax collector for what's owed and a tax clearance.
  2. Ask the park in writing for its list of required repairs and its buyer approval standards (§798.73.5, §798.74).
  3. Park made an offer? Don't answer the same day. Put it next to a market price from an agent who sells in parks.
  4. Made a profit? Check capital gains in T22. Use the selling checklist in T169.

Many people get this wrong: "the park has the right to buy my home first." Not unless you signed a separate agreement for it. The park can make an offer like anyone else. You can say no.