Five Tips for Selling Your Mobile Home in Lane County and Beyond

Selling a mobile or manufactured home isn't quite the same as selling a site-built house. The paperwork has its own quirks, buyers have their own worries, and where the home sits matters as much as what's inside it. These five tips apply across Lane County and the rest of Oregon, and they'll save you time whether you list the home or sell it directly to a buyer like us. Most of what goes wrong in these sales is avoidable with an afternoon of preparation.

Tips 1 and 2: Sort out the paperwork and the setting

First, find the title and any related documents before anyone looks at the home. Buyers and title companies want to confirm that you own it, that the name on the paperwork matches yours, and that nothing is owed against it. If a loan is outstanding, find out the payoff amount. If the title was lost, or never transferred after a purchase or an inheritance, start sorting that out early, because it's one of the most common reasons a mobile home sale stalls. Second, know whether the home sits on land you own or in a park. A home on owned land is usually sold along with the land, much like any other house. A home in a park may come with requirements about who can move in, the age or condition of the home, and what the lot rent covers. Read your lease and ask the park manager what a new buyer would need to do, because a buyer who has to wait on park approval is a buyer who may walk away. A local title company can tell you how your situation is handled. Having these answers ready also tells a buyer you're serious, and it keeps a deal from stalling halfway through.

Tips 3 and 4: Be honest about condition and price from real sales

Buyers of any home worry about what they can't see. In a mobile home, the roof, the floors, the skirting, and the plumbing under the home raise the most questions. Walk through your home with a critical eye and repair what's quick and inexpensive, like a loose handrail, a cracked window, or a dripping faucet. For bigger problems, don't hide them. Get a rough idea of what the fix would cost and let the buyer factor it in, because a buyer who feels surprised later will renegotiate or leave. Once the home is clean, take photos in good light, because they help whether you list or not. A quick check before the first showing helps:

• The roof, and any stains on the ceilings that suggest a leak
• Floors, especially near bathrooms, kitchens, and entryways, where soft spots tend to show up first
• Skirting, steps, decks, and porches, which are the first things a visitor touches
• Windows and doors that stick, and locks that don't work
• Heating, the water heater, and the appliances that stay, so you can say exactly what's included
• Damp spots, odors, or signs of pests, which are worth dealing with before a buyer finds them

Tip 5: Decide how you want to sell

What you paid, or what you still owe, doesn't set the price. Comparable sales do: similar homes of the same age, size, and condition, in similar locations, that actually sold. Look at what sold, not only what's listed, and match homes in parks with homes in parks, since they're rarely good comparisons for homes on owned land. Priced too high, a listing sits and buyers wonder what's wrong with it. Then pick your route. You can list with an agent, try to sell it yourself, or sell directly to a cash buyer. Listing may bring a higher price, but it usually means more waiting, more showings, and a buyer who may need a loan, which isn't always easy to line up for an older mobile home. A direct sale is faster and simpler, though the offer reflects the condition of the home and the speed you get. Whichever route you pick, set a timeline for yourself, so a listing that isn't moving doesn't drift on for months.

We buy mobile and manufactured homes across Oregon, in any condition, with no repairs or cleaning on your part. There are no fees or commissions, we pay the closing costs, and we can get a cash offer to you in about 24 hours. You can close in as little as 7 days, or on a later date you pick. If our offer doesn't suit you, we can help you list the home on the MLS for a set period. To talk it through, call Bill at (541) 236-3095. The conversation is free, and there's no pressure to sell. Bill can give you a clear sense of where your home stands before you commit to anything.