How to Get an FHA Certificate for a Double Wide

The FHA will only finance a mobile home if a foundation compliance certification has been extended.

The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) is the lending arm of the Housing and Urban Development administration. The FHA is not a direct lender; rather it approves certain lenders, insures their secured loans, and maintains the rules and guidelines for mortgage financing. The FHA does allow for manufactured home mortgages (mobile homes, double wides), but those mortgages must be approved with a foundation certificate. A professional engineer must review and approve these certificates.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Title to mobile home

1. Apply at a FHA-approved lender. See Resources for a list of FHA-approved lenders in the United States. Provide your loan officer with your income documents (pay stubs, W2s). This will expedite the pre-approval process.

2. Give your lender a copy of the title to the double wide. This document must confirm that the home was built after June 15, 1976--this is a non-negotiable aspect of the property compliance certificate. Any property built before this date is not eligible for FHA financing.

3. Hire a professional property engineer or schedule an appointment with your lender's engineer. Most FHA lenders have engineers available on a sub-contract basis. This person will conduct the foundation assessment necessary to grant an FHA certificate of compliance.

4. Keep a copy of the title to the mobile home for when the engineer arrives--she may need to double-check the ownership report. Clear all debris, vehicles, lawn decorations, and patio furniture from the base of the mobile home. FHA lenders want to make sure the mobile home is no longer "mobile." This means the engineer must find sufficient evidence that the home sits on a viable foundation. He must be able to see the entire foundation.

5. Answer any questions the engineer has about the structure, the land and when you purchased the property. Be prepared to show the engineer the interior of the mobile home, too.

6. Contact your loan officer a few days after the visit by the engineer. This should be a sufficient period of time for the underwriters and loan officer at the FHA-approved lender to review the report, and deny or approve the foundation certificate.

References

• HUD: Financing Manufactured Homes
• HUD: Manufactured Homes Foundation Compliance
• HUD: Manufactured Homes: Eligibility and General Requirements--Title II

Resources

• HUD: FHA Lender List