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For Seniors 62+ · Manufactured Homes

Your Manufactured Home May Qualify for a Reverse Mortgage

Manufactured homes can often qualify for reverse mortgages when FHA guidelines are met.
If you’re 62 or older and own a manufactured home on your own land, you may be able to stop making mortgage payments and access your home’s equity — with no monthly payment required.
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Serving homeowners across multiple states
Reverse Mortgage Eligible Homes
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Home Types & Requirements

What Type of Home Do You Have?

Select your home type to see how a reverse mortgage works and what your property needs to qualify.

A manufactured home can qualify for a government-backed reverse mortgage—but it must meet four specific property requirements. Here’s what each one means in plain language:

🏗️ Permanent Foundation
The home must be secured to an engineer-certified foundation—not just resting on blocks. A licensed engineer will simply need to sign off that the home is permanently attached before your loan closes.

Acceptable

Poured concrete walls Concrete block piers on footings Concrete slab systems

Not Acceptable

Stacked blocks, no engineering Resting on wood, tires, or dirt No certification on file

🏷️ HUD Label & Data Plate
Every qualifying home has two “ID cards” from the factory that prove it meets safety standards. Both must be visible.

📍 Where to look

The HUD Label: A small red metal plate found on the outside of each section of the home.
The Data Plate: A paper sticker found inside (usually in a kitchen cabinet, bedroom closet, or on the electrical panel door).

  • Note: If these are missing, don’t worry! In most cases, we can help you get replacements. Don't assume you don't qualify just because you can't find them.
⚙️ Steel Frame Anchored

A manufactured home is built on a strong steel frame. For a reverse mortgage, the home simply needs to transition from “mobile” to “permanent.”

Stays

The steel frame remains—it is permanently bolted or strapped to your foundation.

Must Go

The wheels, axles, and tow hitch must be removed to show the home is a permanent part of the land.

📋 Land Ownership

To qualify, your home and the land it sits on must be treated as one piece of real estate.

Qualifies

You own both the home and the land.

✘ Doesn't Qualify

The home is in a park on rented land (Lot Lease).

  • Note: If your home and land are currently on separate titles, don't worry—we can usually combine them for you during the closing process.
Full Checklist

Does Your Home Qualify?

We can review your property and tell you quickly where you stand. Most homes that meet these simple conditions qualify:
  • Built After 1976: Your home was built on or after June 15, 1976, with a valid HUD label on each section.
  • ID Labels Present: The Data Plate (ID sticker) is inside the home and can be read.
  • Solid Foundation: Home must be on a permanent or engineer-certified foundation.
  • Permanently Anchored: The steel frame is secured to the foundation, and the wheels/axles have been removed.
  • Property Ownership: You own both the home and the land (or we can combine the titles for you at closing).
  • Size & Use: Your home is at least 400 sq. ft., is your primary residence, and you are age 62 or older.

A modular home is also built in a factory, but it is assembled in sections on your land and set on a permanent foundation from day one. Unlike some manufactured homes, modular homes are built to the same local and state codes as a house built from the ground up.

Because of this, lenders treat modular homes exactly like traditional “stick-built” houses. They are fully eligible for Reverse Mortgages as long as they meet standard FHA property requirements.

  • Better Value: Modular homes often have stronger resale value because they are appraised just like traditional homes.

  • More Options: They offer more design flexibility and customization.

🏠 Key Requirements

✅ Built to Local Codes: Meets the same standards as a traditional home.

✅ Permanent Foundation: Set on a permanent foundation at the building site.

✅ Easy Financing: Eligible for all major loan types, including Reverse Mortgages.

✅ Standard Appraisal: Valued the same as any other home in your neighborhood.

A construction loan is a short-term financing solution used to cover the costs of building a new home from the ground up. Unlike a traditional mortgage used to buy an existing house, these funds are released in stages—known as draws—as specific construction milestones are met.

How Construction-to-Permanent Financing Works

This “one-time close” option is the most common way to streamline the process:

  • The Build Phase: During construction, the loan is short-term. You typically make interest-only payments based on the amount of funds already “drawn” to pay builders.

  • The Transition: Once the home is complete and a certificate of occupancy is issued, the loan automatically converts into a permanent mortgage (such as a 15- or 30-year fixed-rate loan).

  • One-Time Closing: You only have to go through the closing process once, which saves on total closing costs and simplifies the paperwork.

Why Choose This Option?

  • This is an ideal path for buyers who want a home built to their exact specifications on a specific piece of land, rather than purchasing a pre-existing property.

Know Your Home Type

Manufactured vs. Modular vs. Site-Built

These terms are often used interchangeably — but they’re different, and the distinction matters for your financing options.

Manufactured Home

Built in a factory to federal standards. To qualify for a reverse mortgage:

  • Home must be on a permanent or engineer-certified foundation.

  • It must be permanently sited on land that you own.

  • We can help you gather the right documentation to prove it meets these simple standards.

Modular Home

Built in factory sections and then assembled on your lot.

  • These are set on a permanent foundation from day one.

  • Lenders treat these exactly like a traditional “stick-built” home.

  • They qualify for reverse mortgages under standard guidelines.

New Construction

Built on-location from the ground up.

  • These are financed with a construction loan that turns into a permanent mortgage.

  • You can qualify for a reverse mortgage once the home is fully complete and you are living in it.

Why Goff Housing Solutions

Why Work With Us

Manufactured Home Specialists

Steel frame — becomes part of the permanent structure We know the specific requirements — and how to help when a property needs a little work to get there.

Clear Guidance, No Surprises

We review your property before you apply so there are no unexpected issues at closing.

No Pressure, No Rush

We'd rather give you an honest answer than push you toward a loan that isn't the right fit.

Common Questions

Manufactured & Modular Home Financing FAQs

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What's the difference between a manufactured home and a mobile home?

While people often use these names for the same thing, the date your home was built is what matters most for a reverse mortgage:

  • Manufactured Homes: These are homes built after June 15, 1976. Most reverse mortgage programs require your home to be built after this date so they can verify it meets modern safety standards.

  • Mobile Homes: This term usually refers to homes built before June 1976.

Yes — in many cases. The home needs to be built after June 15, 1976, on a permanent foundation, with the home and land deeded together (either now or at closing). It must also be at least 400 sq ft and your primary residence. We can review your specific property and tell you quickly whether it qualifies.
This is common and often workable. The home and land can typically be deeded together as a single property during the closing process. Each state handles this slightly differently, but it’s something we help borrowers navigate regularly.

Yes. Home must be on a permanent or engineer-certified foundation. To qualify, your home needs to be permanently attached to the ground rather than just resting on blocks. Common setups that work include:

  • Poured concrete walls

  • Concrete block piers on footings

  • Full concrete slabs

Don’t have the paperwork? Don’t worry. Most homeowners don’t have their foundation certificate handy. If your home is permanently attached, we can help arrange for a simple inspection to get the certification you need for the loan.

A missing label doesn’t automatically disqualify your home. There’s a federal process to verify and re-issue the certification through a third-party agency. Contact us before assuming your home won’t qualify — we’ve helped homeowners work through this before.
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