February 4, 2026
If you’ve ever been involved in selling a mobile home park, you’ve probably heard this question more than once:
“How are the park’s mobile homes titled?”
It sounds like a paperwork issue. It’s not.
In a mobile home park sale, POH titling impacts whether homes transfer with the deed or through separate DMV title assignments, which directly impacts what’s being sold, how ownership is transferred, how taxes are billed, and how lenders underwrite the deal.
In this article, I’ll give a simple breakdown to clarify the different ways park-owned homes can be titled, and why it matters when selling a mobile home park.
While there can be slight variations between states, most manufactured homes in parks fall into one of three categories:
So let’s break each down to understand the differences.
This is the most common scenario that newcomers in the industry think of when the subject of a mobile home park comes up.
When a home is classified as personal property, it’s treated more like a car or truck than real estate. Ownership is proven and conveyed usinga DMV Certificate of Title rather than a deed. When the home sells, the title gets signed over, similar to selling a car.
It’s still a home. It still produces rent. But legally, it’s not considered true “real estate.”
In some situations, manufactured homes are legally converted to real property. That usually involves some combination of permanent installation and a legal conversion process at the state or county level to “Surrender” the DMV title.
Once converted, the home becomes what is known as an “improvement” that is part of the land and treated like a traditional house. It is assessed and taxed as part of the real property and conveyed with the real property’s deed during the sale.
This one creates a bit of confusion, even for experienced investors.
As an Improvement on Leased Land (IOLL), the home is treated as a real property improvement sitting on leased land. While the owner can be the park owner, or even some other 3rd party, it is typically assessed, taxed, and conveyed separately from the land.
While it’s true that the County Treasurer may be the collection point for taxes on manufactured homes that are treated as real property and personal property, there is one simple question that helps clarify the difference:
Does the home have its own parcel identification number (PIN), also known as an Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN)?
If it does, the home is typically assessed separately as real property (commonly seen with IOLL-type setups).
If it doesn’t, then the home is usually either included as an improvement within the park’s parcel (real property), or treated as personal property (DMV titled / chattel).
Where a manufactured home’s titling becomes critical is when a park’s sale includes park-owned homes (POH) or even Rent-to-Own (RTO) homes.
One common assumption among novice investors and owners is that if the park sells, the park-owned homes can simply be financed in the same deal. Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it’s not.
In either case, it’s absolutely critical for both sides of the closing table to understand how the homes are truly titled, because it impacts what transfers at closing and what a lender will (or won’t) finance.
This is where titling becomes more than a legal detail, since it can directly affect financing.
Many older park-owned homes that are titled as personal property and don’t have a HUD stamp, either because of their age or because the stamp is missing, can be a deal killer.
In most cases, traditional lenders won’t even consider lending on these homes at all. Even if the park’s cash flow looks strong, homes titled as personal property without a HUD stamp often have to be treated as legacy inventory rather than financeable collateral.
From a buyer’s perspective, this can reduce the amount of “financeable value” which directly impacts loan structure, down payment requirements, and underwriting.
That said, this doesn’t mean the deal can’t be financed. In many situations, hard money lenders, seller financing, or other non-traditional options may still support the transaction. It just reduces the financing options a buyer would otherwise have.
Because financing drives buyer demand, sellers should consider how their older homes are titled as a way to increase the odds of a successful sale.
If a seller has the ability to legally convert older park-owned homes from personal property to an improvement as part of the park’s land parcel, it can often improve the park’s salability by reducing a buyer's financing friction during the underwriting process.
In many situations, making homes real property can expand the buyer pool and make it easier for a lender to underwrite the transaction as a clean real estate deal rather than a blended real estate sale that includes personal property.
While it’s not always possible, and the process varies by state, doing so can give a seller a meaningful marketing and sale advantage.
Every park is different, and titling is one of those items that can look simple on the surface but create major issues later if it isn’t addressed early. Whether you’re preparing to sell or evaluating a purchase, it’s worth confirming how the park-owned homes (if any) are titled and how that may affect closing logistics and financing options.
If you’re unsure whether your POHs are properly titled, request a Mobile Home Park Valuation to help clarify how your park-owned home titling may impact a sale, or reach out to our team directly at 402-615-9165.
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