FAQs

Here at the end of 2024, smaller homes usually range in the $50,000 to $90,000 range. While larger homes usually range in the $80,000 to $200,000 range. This varies due to age, condition and location of the homes. If you are interested in learning more about mobile home costs, someone from our office can help you get a good ballpark number for your planning purposes.

The two biggest expenses are lot rent and your mortgage payment, if you get a loan. Like most homeowners, you will also pay for property taxes (if applicable), insurance, water, sewer, garbage, gas and electricity.

Usually the main closing costs are escrow fees, transfer fees, and inspection fees.. Who pays these closing costs are negotiable and we can help you through this negotiation process. In total, the Buyers costs usually range somewhere around $1000-$1200. Buyers will also have an appraisal fee and loan fees if they are getting a loan. The loan fees are charged by your lender and they possibly can be financed in your loan.

Closing dates normally fall between 21-45 days after an agreement has been made. Cash sales take 2-3 weeks, while sales with loans usually take around 30 to 45 days to complete.

Most park rents in the Sacramento area range between $800 and $1200 per month. This fee includes the use of the common areas and other amenities (some parks have a clubhouse and pool, for example). The park owner pays the upkeep on the common areas and underground utility services. They also pay the property taxes on the land. Many mobile home owners find that It is less expensive to locate your home in a park, than on your own property.

Yes. Each community has its qualification process, similar to renting an apartment. Most look at your credit and income. Income normally needs to be 3 times your rent and mortgage payment. Always be sure to get approved to live in a community before purchasing your home.

Yes, most mobile homes have loan programs available to those that qualify. You will want to contact a mobile home lender that specializes in Personal Property/Home only loans, not a regular real estate lender. Qualifying is similar to a home loan, but you will need to include the space rent as a monthly expense. Real Estate lenders usually only have loans available if the home is attached to the land.

Any mobile home built on or after July 1st , 1980 is on the property tax rolls. If a home was built before that date, you would pay Sales tax to purchase the home and a yearly license fee. Some homes built prior to that date, may have been converted to the property tax rolls, this is an option of the buyer. Ask Hanson’s for more details about this sometimes-confusing situation.

If you are paying cash, the answer is no. If you are getting a loan, the answer is yes. In either case, we definitely recommend insurance to protect your investment.

It’s important to understand how mobile home insurance works in California. The insurance industry is in a crisis nationwide and California is no different. The good news is there are companies that insure mobile homes. In some areas of the state, you may need to use what is called the “California Fair Plan”. The key things to remember is to insure your home prior to closing escrow on your new purchase, and never let your insurance policy lapse (getting insurance at this point will be very difficult).

Ownership of a mobile home in a mobile home park is one of the most affordable options for housing in the Sacramento area. Total cost of ownership, including the mortgage, often falls hundreds of dollars below the monthly rent of a 2 bedroom apartment which is nearly $2200 per month in the Sacramento area right now. Total monthly cost can often be in the range of $1000 less than purchasing a similar size real estate property.

We recommend getting an inspection on any home you plan on purchasing prior to closing. It is best to use a C47 licensed mobile home contractor, or be sure your home inspector is educated on title 25 health and safety codes, as they are different than Real Estate codes.

No, if you are paying cash. Yes, if you are getting a loan. If you are getting a loan the lender will set up the appraisal for you with one of their approved appraisers. Hanson’s can always provide you with a free market appraisal if you are looking for comparable sales to value a home.

The most affordable option is to have your home in a mobile home park. The site is fully developed for you. Putting a mobile home on land is much more expensive due to land cost and preparation, utility installation, permits and fees.

Most repair materials can be purchased at your local hardware stores. Occasionally you will need to contact a mobile home contractor, or mobile home specialty store. Feel free to contact us and we can help you locate these options.

You can certainly search on-line for mobile homes, but if you are serious about finding a home that fits your needs, you are encouraged to contact one of our agents who can help you with your search and answer any questions that you might have about mobile homes. They can also send you newly listed homes as soon as they hit the market.

It depends on market conditions and your pricing approach. If your home is priced fairly, most of our listings currently are selling in the first month that they hit the market. In some cases, it may take longer depending on the home’s condition, location and pricing. We give a free market analysis which includes an estimate of time to sell your individual home.

The easiest way to value your home is to contact Hanson’s Mobile Home Sales for a free, no pressure, market analysis. We will come to your home, give you preparation tips, and an honest estimate of your home’s value.

The title company ensures that the property’s ownership is clear and protected. They do this by reviewing the title of the property and making sure there are no outstanding liens or other title issues. They will then issue title insurance policies, an owner’s title policy and a lender’s policy, to protect their ownership interest and any third-party claims after the transfer. An Escrow company is a neutral third party that looks after both the buyer’s and the seller’s interest during a real estate transaction. The escrow company holds and protects funds temporarily until the contract terms are finalized, and the transfer of ownership is completed. An escrow company is there to handle the paperwork, coordinate with lenders, insurance companies and other involved parties. Escrow and Title companies often handle both of these services in the transaction.

An Escrow Company is a third party who holds funds, and looks out for both the buyer’s and seller’s interest during a transaction. An Escrow account is an account set up by a buyer’s lender to collect and pay for the buyer’s taxes and insurance. The lender will pre-collect money for a portion of the taxes and insurance at escrow closing and then collect an amount that is1/12th of the total bills for taxes and insurance on a monthly basis. This way the escrow account will pay the property tax and insurance bills for the buyer when they come due. It is basically a savings account to pay these bills so you have the funds to do so when the bill comes due. If this seems complicated, don’t worry! We are happy to answer any questions that you might have about how this process works.

That’s why we are here. Our agents will be there to lead you through every step of the process. From arranging financing and appraisals, locating homes that fit your needs, advising you on negotiations, getting the proper inspections on the home you are purchasing, understanding title reports and disclosures, and coordinating your escrow closing. We will make all of these steps seem easy for you, and you will have an exciting home buying experience!

Yes. We are experts at helping our customers value and negotiate terms on the homes they are purchasing. We will work closely with your lender and the title company to calculate the downpayment needed and help you understand all the costs and fees that will be incurred, including closing fees, lender fees, taxes and insurance.

The first thing you should do before starting your home search is meet with a lender or mortgage broker to get pre-qualified, and get a pre-approval letter. This important step allows you to understand what you will qualify for and what your payments will be. Sellers will not consider offers without a lender’s pre-qualification letter. You can find a lender on your own, or we can share a list of lenders that can assist you. It can be good thing to shop more than one lending option.

Under Proposition 13, the property tax rate is fixed at 1% of assessed value plus any assessment bonds. As a result of these assessment bonds, property tax rates in Sacramento County average roughly around 1.1% countywide. Annual tax bills may also include other items such as special assessments, special taxes, direct levies, and Mello-Roos Bonds. These items are commonly referred to as “direct levies”. Sacramento county has a home-owners exemption of a $7000 discount from value on your primary residence, which equals a discount of a little over $70 per year. There may be other exemptions for disabled veterans, welfare, charitable, and institutional exemptions.

You can call directly for quotes from all the major insurance companies, or locate an insurance broker. Due to the insurance crisis in California, it is very important to get insurance quotes right after you get in contract on a home. Some homes are in high-risk areas and insurance can be very costly. It is always a good idea to shop quotes with more than one company.

The best way is to have one of our agents come to your home and give you a free, no pressure, market analysis. We can provide you with comparable sales, and determine your home’s value based on it’s features and condition. Websites like Zillow can give you a general idea, but are often not correct. Never use your tax bill as a value for your home value, it is based on adjusted values from when you purchased your home.

If you need to sell your home prior to buying another home it can be a little tricky. There are many steps and details to be accomplished to make this happen smoothly and give you the power to negotiate buying another home. We have helped many customers do this and we know how to get it done. In short, we will help you sell your home to a new buyer, based on a condition that we can find you an acceptable home to purchase. We will also negotiate with the seller of the home you are buying, with the condition that you close escrow on the home you are selling. There are important details and timing issues to make this happen, but we know how to do it.

A HomeOwners Association (HOA) is fairly common in our area. Currently in Sacramento County there are HomeOwners Associations in a little over 25% of the homes. Most of these are small HOA’s composed of around 150 homes. These communities charge a monthly HOA fee usually ranging in the low hundreds. These communities have their own set of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs). They are rules and property limitations of a planned community neighborhood. They are designed to protect property values in the community and tell you what you can and can’t do while living in a home in that HOA. They are there to protect property values. We will help you know if a home is located in a HOA.

Being prepared is the biggest advice we can give you (and we will help you with this). For example, having your pre-qualification letter and verification of funds to submit with your offer will give it strength. Also, when you decide to make an offer, we will advise you on comparable home values so you can be educated in making an effective offer. Negotiations can be stressful. We know how to help you best submit an offer for success. Be reasonable when making the offer, and don’t get caught up on little things that can break the deal. Offers may be accepted, but often you will receive a counter offer, which you can accept, counter, or reject.

As of late 2024, it is taking around 3 weeks on average for a home to sell in the Sacramento area. Of course that is an average and this can change over time. The amount of time to sell often depends on the pricing, condition and location of your home.. Check with a Hanson’s agent for up to date time frames.

Normally, it will take 30 to 45 days to close on your sale after you have a completed contract.