This article whether you have a mobile home deed or title. Mobile home titles are legal pieces of paper giving you ownership of your mobile home and that is why it is important to have them in your name and in a safe place. A mobile home title will look just like a car title (see image below).
Mobile Home Deed or Title
Surprisingly, a mobile home is considered a motor vehicle in all states. The title is always in a specific color per state. If you have one that isn’t colored you might just have a photo copy of your title. If you can’t find your title where do you look. Look where you keep your personal files in your home. If you can’t find it there then your local Bureau of Motor Vehicle or our local county courthouse might be able to help.
Pictured below is a title from the State of Ohio. This title would be for an Ohio Manufactured Homes. This will give you an idea of what they look like. Each state will typically have different colored titles. For instance a Manufactured Homes Michigan typically has a green title.
Titles for Mobile Homes
Mobile home titles tell you the make, model, year and serial number of your mobile home. They also will show the owner of the mobile home as recognized by the state in which the mobile home resides.
Mobile Home Deed or Title: Title Services
If you are missing your mobile home title. You will need to go down to your nearest Bureau of Motor Vehicle or your Secretary of State. Wherever you would normally get your car title is the office that you want to go to. A mobile home is considered a motor vehicle in every state. At these offices you can give your name to have the title looked up. If you find that the title isn’t pulling up under your name then you will need to find the serial number of the mobile home.
If you are in Texas then scroll to the bottom of this article to learn about that state. There you can learn more about a Texas mobile home title.
Mobile Home Title Transfer
Transferring a mobile home title is quite easy. If the title is currently in your name you will want to look for an area that says sellers signature. There you will sign your name just as it appears on the title. If your middle name is included be sure to sign with that name included.
Next you will see an area that says sellers name print. Again print your name just as it appears.
If there is more than one seller on the title, usually a husband and wife, and only one seller signature area. One person needs to sign and then leave room for the next person to sign on the same boxed area or the same line.
Loan on Mobile Home Title
If you have a loan on your mobile home your title will probably state your banks name. Under lien holder on the title is where you would find this information. In some states the bank will hold your title until you have paid the loan off in full so you won’t have the original title the bank will.
Check out our article on Clear Title Meaning for more information on this subject.
Mobile Home Title: Won’t Tell You
Many people are surprised to learn that their mobile home title doesn’t tell the length and width of their mobile home. Measuring a mobile home is easy especially if you have a 100 ft tape which you can get at your local hardware stores.
Do Mobile Homes Have Deeds?
If you have a property deed and it mentions the mobile home on it there may be no title to the mobile home. A deed looks just like a regular piece of paper. It will mention the owners name at the top and the address to the property. It will also give a legal description of the property (see image below).
Mobile Home Title Loans
If you have a loan against the home and land a bank will require that you dispose or abolish the title to the mobile home. Banks require this so that they can finance the home like a regular stick built home. Banks don’t want to give you a loan on the land and mobile home only to have you sell the mobile home to someone else and have it moved. This is the way banks fix that by destroying the title.
There are ways to get a title reinstated, in most states, but it can be a process.
Will A Mobile Home Ever Have More Than One Title
A singlewide mobile home will typically just have one title. If you have a doublewide there may be two titles: one for each side of the home. Triplewides will sometimes have three titles. Having multiple titles is the case in just specific states. Again, it is important to refer to your local Bureau of Motor Vehicles for the most up to date information.
Buying a Mobile Home Without Title
If someone offers to sell you a mobile home without title don’t purchase the home. Without a mobile home title someone else could own the home that is being sold to you. A bill of sale for a mobile home is no good typically you will want a title to the home. You typically need an actual title to transfer the ownership of this home.
Mobile Home Titles in the State of Texas
In the state of Texas many times you are not given a title to a mobile home. Texas has its own database known as the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs that you can search. Titles in this state are commonly referred to as SOL’s. On this website you can transfer ownership. You can also find out a bunch of great information about your mobile home.
Mobile Home Deed or Title: Conclusion
Mobile home titles are important. It is important that you keep them in a safe place such as a fireproof box or a safety deposit box in case of a fire. You will need your title to transfer ownership or to prove that you own the mobile home. So keep it safe! I hope this helps to distinguish between a mobile home deed or title.