First Time MH buyer

[Starbuck]

I'm in process of buying my first used mobile home from owner without benefit of real estate person or attorney. Should I have papers looked over by a professional or use an escrow company, if that's even possible. Thank you.
Home is SW, 12 x 47 1971.

[David Oxhandler]

Even if your getting the best price in the state you want to be sure you have clear title and that you are not inheriting any liens on the property.

Many people in Florida use title insurance companies for real-estate closings. There is a lot of research and requirements that goes into insuring clear title then recording ownership of the real-estate and home in your name. With out these you are not the the legal owner.

You want this done professionally... If you have never been through the process before you would be wise to hire a good real-estate lawyer to handle the closing and watch your back.

[Starbuck]

Thank you. In my case, this mobile home would be classified as real estate as I will be leasing a lot in a park and the home is not permanently attached (except sitting on blocks and appropriately tied-down. From what I have read, title search is not available for mobile homes that are classified as personal property. Approximately 12K is the amount involved if that makes any difference. Also, I have looked at the certificate of title. And, from my research, if there was a lien, the title would not be in the possession of the owner but in the possession of the lien holder. I'm not disputing but sharing my research content. I certainly appreciate your input. Do you have any further advice? Thank you again.

[David Oxhandler]

You are correct You home will NOT be classified as real-estate. You will get a title and registration from the Florida DMV. This becomes a much simpler transaction. Under state law you are purchasing a motor vehicle. You can get the serial number and check with the DMV to find out if there are any liens... if the seller has the title and there are no liens recorded on it then it is his free and clear.

On the day of the transaction it would be best for you and the seller to go together to the nearest tag office and make the title transfer while you are together to insure that there are no surprises.

The only other thing that I would recommend would be to have a licensed home inspector visit the home and give you a full written report on the condition so that you can be assured that there are no hidden structural or mechanical (electric, plumbing, heating etc) problems.

In may land-lease communities management must approve any new residents.... so it would be a good idea to visit the park office, find out if there are any rules or restrictions you may need to know about.

Without seeing the location or condition the price sounds very reasonable. Best of luck in your new home

[rmurray]

David has been an active dealer in Florida for a number of years and knows the state rule quite well..You can go to the DMV and have a title search done. While there check with the local tax collector and be sure all taxes are up to date. Often cash buyer still go to attorneys to have a public records check done as well..If the seller has an open judgment or federal or state tax lien it will show up there. There are many types of liens that do not show on the title. Among them are judgment liens, tax liens and mechanics liens. They will show up in a public records check. You are lucky since Florida has almost all public records on line. You can go to http://www.myflorida.gov/ and find the link to county records. If your county is listed you can search yourself for info in the sellers name. If you are like me $12K is a lot of money and your caution is smart..