Buying a manufactured home can be an exciting and cost-effective way to achieve homeownership. As more and more Americans look to buy a home, millions have discovered manufactured homes – that is, homes built in a factory and then transported to the home site – to be a fantastic, accessible option.
When you buy a manufactured home, you’ll buy it one of two ways: either pre-owned, or brand new.
While both types of manufactured homes offer unique benefits, ranging from cost to amenities, if you’re buying a home in a community, a distinction with new homes in this case is that you can buy them from a dealer.
But how does this process work? Where can I find a dealer near me?
This blog post will answer these questions and more to prepare you to buy your new manufactured home from a dealer.
Differences Between New and Pre-Owned Manufactured Homes
Before we start, it’s important to distinguish between new and pre-owned manufactured homes.
With a pre-owned or used manufactured home, you’re buying a home that has had a prior owner. You may even buy that home directly from the owner, too.
A new manufactured home, however, has had no prior owners, and has not been lived in prior to being listed for sale.
The majority of dealers have a lot of model homes for you to browse to help you with your purchase of a new manufactured home. They offer great service that allow you to become familiar with a specific model of home before you buy it.
From there, the dealer will order that home from the manufacturer, and it will be transported to your home site.
Who Are Manufactured Home Dealers?
Often, you’ll hear talk about buying a manufactured home from a “dealer.” A dealer – sometimes called a retailer – is a person or company that sells manufactured homes off of a lot. While they can sell homes both new and used, they’re one of the only places you can readily buy a new factory-built home.
They act as a crucial link between the consumer and manufacturer to ensure that homebuyers get the highest quality home possible and have a smooth, personable buying experience. This is why they’re so important when it comes to buying a brand new manufactured home.
Dealers aren’t just important when it comes to home sales, though. They’re also great resources for assisting with mobile home insurance, managing the transportation of your new home, and can provide pointers and recommendations for post-sale additions to your home. For instance, your local dealer may have a recommendation on a vendor for mobile home carports if you’d like one installed on your home.
Of course, there are a few different types of manufactured home dealers. Many are independent dealers, which sell homes from multiple manufacturers and offer local, personalized service. Others are factory-direct, which means they offer homes from one specific manufacturer.
We’ve written in the past about the different types of manufactured home dealers you’ll come across, so be sure to take a look there, too.
How Can I Buy My New Manufactured Home From a Dealer?
If you’ve decided to buy a new manufactured home – congratulations! You’re about to take the first step on what may be one of the most fruitful journeys of your life.
Keep in mind the following steps when it comes to buying your manufactured home from a dealer:
Research
This should be the first step in any home purchase. Take some time to research not only the types of dealers in your area, but also what you want personally from your manufactured home.
How many bedrooms do you need? Do you prefer to live in a community, or on your own private land? Do you intend to buy a manufactured home with multiple sections? What about a specific type of floor plan?
These are just a few examples of questions you should ask yourself when you’re getting ready to buy a home. Once you’ve decided what your criteria are, you’ll want to find a dealer in your area (which we’ll cover in more detail below) that has homes available that meet your needs.
Window Shopping
After you’ve found a dealer in your area, you might want to do some “window shopping.” This means visiting the dealer lot to check out the model homes they have on display.
This is another great way to get a better idea of what type of home you’d like to purchase.
By visiting the dealer lot, you’ll also get to meet the staff firsthand, who can provide you with advice and support on your manufactured home needs.
The Purchase
Every dealer may have a slightly different process for buying a manufactured home through their sales center. The process will also differ depending on which state you live in.
Regardless, your dealer will likely order your home from the manufacturer. It’s less common that your actual home will be on the dealer lot – this is because homes are often ordered with customizations to room size and type that are then factored into the construction process.
Where Can I Find a Dealer Near Me?
If you’re browsing for manufactured homes for sale on MHVillage, you can take advantage of a few different features on our website to find new homes from a dealer.
First, you can search for dealers in your area directly from the MHVillage homepage:
- Click on the “Dealers” tab
- Enter your city, state, or ZIP code in the search bar
- Select your desired location in the dropdown menu that appears
- Click “Search”
- You will then be taken to the search results displaying the nearest manufactured home dealers in your area.
If you want to do an in-depth home search focused on homes sold by dealers, here are the steps you can follow:
- Visit the Advanced Search page on MHVillage
- Ensure the “Homes” tab is selected – it should be selected by default when you first visit the Advanced Search page
- Enter your city, state, or ZIP code in the search bar
- Select your desired location in the dropdown menu that appears
- Add any additional home search criteria you would like to filter for, such as number of bedrooms or bathrooms and minimum or maximum prices
- From the Location Type dropdown menu, click “On Dealer Lot”
- Click “Search”
- You will then be taken to the search results displaying the nearest manufactured home dealers in your area that are sold by dealers.
From this page, you can also filter your search for dealers to include those that are registered state association members.
If you’re even considering buying a manufactured home in the future, buying a new home from a dealer is a great way to go. They’re trusted advisors in the world of manufactured housing and provide value to the consumer by ensuring a smooth, successful sale.
Start your home search with a dealer today by visiting mhvillage.com!
