Expert Custom Home Builders in The Villages, FL

If you purchase a new manufactured home, the dealer must be licensed with the Division of Motorist Services, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Used manufactured homes may be sold by licensed dealers, real estate brokers (if the land is included in the sale), or the owner may sell his or her own manufactured home just as with a site-built home.

In Florida, a mobile/manufactured home is treated as a motor vehicle in that they require a certificate of title as proof of ownership just like your car or truck. There is a separate title document for each section of your manufactured home (there is one title document for a single-wide manufactured home and two title documents for a double-wide manufactured home). If your manufactured home has been paid for in full, you will receive the title(s) from the Division of Motorist Services headquarters in Tallahassee. If there is a lien on your home, the lienholder will receive the title, and hold it until the lien amount has been paid. In either case, Florida law requires the dealer to apply for the title within 30 days of the date of sale.

The title will show the model year of the mobile/manufactured home. If the home is purchased from a dealer, the dealer must apply for the title on your behalf within 30 days of the date of sale. If no dealer is involved, follow the same procedure as you would to transfer a motor vehicle title. Your Florida county tax collector office will be able to answer any questions you might have concerning title transfer.

No. Section 320.8249, Florida Statutes and Rule Chapter Rule 15C-2, F.A.C., require that only licensed mobile/manufactured home installers may set-up a mobile/manufactured home in Florida. The installation guide that comes with your home provides more detailed information. The important point to remember, however, is that although this guide is informative and detailed, it is not designed to enable you to install your home yourself. Leave installation to the professionals.

Once your home has left the factory, the HUD Code does not include provisions for additions and alterations. Such modifications may jeopardize your home warranty. They may also create malfunctions or an unsafe home. An approved addition should be a free-standing structure that meets local building codes; you may need a permit. Contact your manufacturer, the state agency that oversees manufactured housing in your state, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or local building officials for more information.