MHVillage strongly encourages readers to follow guidelines provided by local, state, and national authorities (including the CDC) regarding COVID-19 safety procedures.
A recent MHVillage survey of homebuyers found that despite the current pandemic, 72% still want to buy a mobile home. So, even with most of the nation locked down, there are still people ready and willing to buy. Plus, millions of Americans just received stimulus checks from the government, and some may plan to use that money as a down payment on a new home.
But, with 97% of Americans currently under some form of stay-at-home order due to COVID-19, many have asked the question, “Can I still sell my mobile home?” While there’s no blanket mandate from federal officials, the answer may be “Yes,” depending on several factors.
Follow State and Local Health Protocols
First, if you’re planning to sell your home, consult state guidelines, relevant executive orders, and government-provided public health information to help ensure that the most crucial elements related to selling during the pandemic are addressed.
Even if you are in a situation that causes an urgent need to sell your home, health and safety come first. If in doubt, err on the side of caution with regards to CDC-recommended guidelines.
Selling Your Home Online
With fewer people out-and-about these days due to COVID-19, now is the time to list your mobile home for sale online. And since MHVillage is the largest and most active manufactured housing website in the nation, listing your home on our site helps buyers who are searching for homes find you.
The key to selling your home online is to provide the buyer with as much information and images as possible. For example, be sure to include lots of beautiful, well-lit photos of your home. Currently, MHVillage also offers the ability to include a virtual tour of your home for free to help you capture the attention of interested buyers in these unprecedented market conditions.
Hosting a virtual open house by giving buyers a live, guided video tour of your home and answering questions is a great alternative to in-person open houses. It helps you engage with a prospective buyer, increases their interest in the home, and helps you build rapport. Plus, we’ve just added the ability for you to announce your virtual open house in your MHVillage listing, and include a link to your live video stream.
Other Ways to Sell Your Home
In addition to listing your home for sale online, there are other methods for attracting homebuyers you can use to sell your home. For example, listing your home with a local real estate agent that specializes in manufactured homes is an option you could explore. Using an agent to sell your home takes some of the pressure off you because someone else is working to sell your home for you. And the agent would also handle showings of your home. Since the agent would be there, you could be out of the home when a prospective buyer is viewing it.
Some communities also sell homes. So, it is a good idea to check with your community to see what options they have for listing your home for sale with them. They may even be interested in buying your home from you if it meets their criteria. If not, other companies buy mobile homes for cash, so you can skip the usual process of selling your manufactured home.
Socially-Distanced Showings
If you are in an area that still allows real estate transactions to be conducted in person, be sure to take appropriate precautions to keep yourself, your family, and the homebuyer safe. Here are a few considerations to keep in mind.
To limit the number of people coming into your home for showings, you could limit showings to buyers who are pre-qualified for financing. Also, wearing a mask, gloves, and observing government-recommended social distancing guidelines is a good idea. As an added measure, you could also wait outside the home while the buyers are inside viewing the layout. Just make sure you don’t cross paths in the narrow space around the door. Any questions could then be answered by phone after they leave.
And remember to wipe down all doorknobs, latches, countertops, light switches, and anything else buyers are likely to touch with a CDC-recommended disinfectant before they arrive and after they leave.
Finalizing the Sale
Once there is an agreement-in-principle on the home and the process of finalizing the sale begins, there are other factors to keep in mind. As mentioned in a previous article, the state agencies that process and issue mobile home titles may be operating on reduced hours, by appointment only, or be closed completely until the pandemic is under control. So, be sure to check their availability in your state before finalizing the sale.
Also, even though some states consider businesses that support financial and real estate transactions as “essential,” some do not. So, depending on where you live it may take a while for a professional to be able to appraise your mobile home for the lender. Check with your state’s manufactured housing association to find out if there are any such restrictions in your local area.
Yet, despite these unusual circumstances, many businesses are finding ways to pivot and adapt to be able to continue providing services. For example, in some areas title companies are doing drive-through closings. So, don’t give up on the idea of selling your home if you need to do so. It is worth checking your options first.
Making the Right Move
Sometimes life circumstances make selling a home necessary in market conditions that are not ideal. However, even though the pandemic has created new challenges it is possible to use online tools to list your home for sale, provide buyers a virtual tour, and even host a virtual open house. There are even reports of people buying homes “sight unseen” in today’s market based solely on photos and videos of the home they see online.
To help, continue returning to MHVillage to not only look for or sell a mobile home but to keep up with some of the latest manufactured housing tips as they relate to COVID-19, safety, and market activity.
And, most importantly, follow all state, local and CDC guidelines to stay safe and healthy including washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds, and avoid touching your face.
