A Guide to Mobile Home Title Transfers
When buying or selling a mobile home, it’s important to be prepared for the sale. The legal change of ownership is all about how you properly handle transferring a mobile home title. Each state has paperwork for a mobile home title, often coming from the motor vehicle division. However, some states issue mobile home titles through Secretary of State or other state divisions.
There May Be More Than One Title for a Mobile Home
When mobile home titles are issued, one title is issued for each section of a home. So, if you have a single-section home, there will be one title. But if you sell or buy a mobile home with multiple sections, there will be an equal number of titles. Each title should change hands in the same way for a single transaction.
What Kind of Information is On a Mobile Home Title?
There are a few common FSBO mistakes to avoid when going about the mobile home title transfer process. You want to make sure all of the information is on the document and is legible. A legitimate mobile home title should have:
- Year the home was built
- Who made the home
- The model number and/or name of the home
- Where the home was constructed
- The identification number for the home (sometimes a vehicle ID)
- Owner of the home
- Lienholder for the home, if any
What Can I Do If The Mobile Home Title is Lost or Missing?
Sometimes when a seller is looking at transferring a mobile home title, they find the document is missing or damaged. There is recourse, but it depends on where you live. Referring back to who the issuer of a mobile home title may be your first step. If the title you are transferring is for one section, the other sections of the home will give you the information you need to find the issuer. However, if the title for a single-section home is lost, you will need to do a little research. A new title can be provided by the issuer, once you figure out what state department is responsible for the documents.
Do Mobile Home Titles Need to Be Signed, Notarized?
Again, each state differs. But you can count on having to sign over possession when transferring the title of a mobile home. In many cases, the parties will need to sign the title before a notary. A notary is a person who’s been registered to witness and verify terms of an agreement in writing. Regardless, you want to avoid going through this process too early. If a sale falls through for any reason, the transaction will be voided and signers will have to verify a new, clean document. To avoid this, ensure all details of the sale have been taken care of prior to signing a title transfer.
