The short answer
Yes, if the home meets FHA's list. It must have been built on or after June 15, 1976, be at least 400 square feet, sit on a permanent foundation that meets HUD's guide, and be classified as real estate.
FHA's requirements
To be insured as a regular FHA mortgage, a manufactured home must:
- be designed as a one-family home;
- have at least 400 square feet of floor area;
- carry the HUD certification label, or a letter verifying it, showing it was built on or after June 15, 1976 to the federal construction and safety standards;
- be classified as real estate;
- be built on, and remain on, a permanent chassis;
- have a permanent foundation built to HUD's Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing;
- have been moved directly from the manufacturer or dealer to its site.
What those mean in practice
- The date. Homes built before June 15, 1976 do not qualify.
- The label. It is a small metal plate on the outside of each section. If it is missing, a verification letter can be requested.
- Moved once. A home that was set up somewhere else first and then relocated does not meet the "directly transported" requirement.
- Real estate. The home has to be treated as real property, not as a vehicle.
How this applies to homes in parks on rented space, and California's process for converting a home to real property: confirm before publishing.
Down payment help
Both CalHFA's MyHome and GSFA Platinum say manufactured homes are permitted. Down payment help in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties
A checklist before you make an offer
- Ask for the year the home was built. It needs to be June 15, 1976 or later.
- Look for the HUD label on the outside of each section.
- Ask whether the home has ever been moved from another site.
- Ask whether the home is on a permanent foundation and whether there is paperwork for it.
- Ask whether the home and land are taxed and titled together as real estate.
- Measure up: at least 400 square feet.
Any "no" is worth raising with the lender before you pay for an appraisal.
What can go wrong
- The foundation. If it does not meet HUD's guide, it has to be brought up to it.
- Additions. Rooms or porches added later can raise questions.
- Not every lender offers these. That is a lender's choice, not an FHA rule.
What I see in real files
Jamal's own words go here: two to four sentences on what he sees in real files like this. Claude does not write this part.
Questions people ask next
Is a modular home the same thing?
No. Modular homes are built to local building codes and are treated like site-built homes.
Does the score and down payment rule change?
Can I buy the land and the home together?
To confirm from the handbook before publishing.