Arizona is one of the nation’s fastest-growing states, with over 120,000 new residents arriving in 2018 and 2019 alone. The Grand Canyon State’s explosion in population means that many homebuyers are searching for high-quality affordable housing, which means that selling a mobile home in Arizona can be a sound and profitable decision.
In the latest installment of our state-by-state seller’s guides, we’ll discuss how to sell a mobile home in Arizona and the major factors that anyone selling a mobile home in Arizona should be aware of. First up, let’s talk about whether to sell by owner or go through an agent.
Sell by Owner or Use an Agent?
One of the first big decisions for anyone selling a mobile home in Arizona is whether they should sell their home themselves (also known as “for sale by owner” or FSBO) or sell through an agent. Both options offer advantages and potential drawbacks.
First, if your home is in an Arizona mobile home park, the park will almost always provide an agent who will sell your manufactured home for you. However, selling through an agent can still be the best option for a seller who prefers convenience. A real estate agent will help you market your home effectively and connect with buyers. (Make sure to find an agent who specializes in selling manufactured homes, as some agents only work with site-built homes.)
Selling a manufactured home FSBO will provide substantial savings for the homeowner since they won’t have to pay an agent’s fee. However, FSBO can be challenging for sellers because the seller must do everything that an agent normally does, such as creating an optimized listing, reaching out to buyers and coordinating showings.
Appraisal and Inspection
Getting your home appraised and inspected is a critical step in the process of selling a mobile home in Arizona. A professional appraisal helps a seller determine a fair value for a home, while a professional inspection will highlight any major issues that need to be fixed before selling and will help give the buyer confidence in purchasing the home.
MHVillage offers a free mobile home book value with all listings. A book value is an excellent way to get a ballpark idea of how to price a mobile home, although an appraisal and inspection are still highly recommended (and may even be required in some jurisdictions).
Marketing Your Manufactured Home
Even in a hot housing market like Arizona, marketing your manufactured home is essential for attracting buyers. The average seller has two major ways to market a home: through their listings and by making improvements to their home’s presentation.
Creating an optimized manufactured home listing on MHVillage is one important part of your marketing plan. You want photos and descriptions that showcase your home in the most impressive and buyer-friendly way possible.
By far, the top request that we receive from homebuyers is to see more photos – it’s what they care about most.
In fact, so far in 2021, listings with more than two photos received over 250% more views and have generated over 240% more leads than listings with less. This is why it’s especially important to make photos a top priority when choosing your listing strategy.
MHVillage offers for sale by owner listing packages that are designed to help homeowners draw buyer attention effectively. Compare features, pricing, and explore our tips for creating a stellar listing.
On a separate note, it’s equally important to effectively prepare your manufactured home for sale. Simple steps like these will help you increase your home’s appeal to buyers:
- Apply a fresh coat of paint to your home’s exterior.
- Cut your grass and make sure your yard and garden look good.
- If you have a lot of possessions, move some of them out of sight when you’re showing or photographing the home.
- Do some redecorating using neutral colors that will help buyers envision the house as their own.
Mobile Home Paperwork in Arizona
The minimum paperwork required for a mobile home title transfer in Arizona is:
- Manufactured home title
- Tax clearance letter
- Notarized bill of sale
A tax clearance letter certifies that the owner owes no outstanding taxes on the manufactured home, while a notarized bill of sale establishes the conditions and agreed price of the sale. You’ll need to have these documents prepared in advance before the transfer can be completed.
Arizona, like most states, processes manufactured home title transfers through its Motor Vehicles Division. The title transfer process is similar to the title transfer for an automobile. Both buyer and seller are required to sign in fields on the back of the title, and the seller’s signature must be notarized. Some buyers wait months or years to request a formal title transfer, so sellers should ensure that this process is done quickly. Otherwise, the seller may be liable for taxes on a home they no longer own.
If your Arizona manufactured home is affixed to a permanent foundation, it’s considered real property. The title transfer and all associated paperwork will be processed through the normal methods of real estate transfer rather than through the MVD.
Selling a mobile home in Arizona can be a smoother and more profitable process when you use MHVillage. We make it easy to get started with our mobile home listing process—a one-stop-shop for everything you need to prepare to sell a mobile home in Arizona.
