Getting a loan for your manufactured home?

<<>> Here’s what your appraiser will order or check for before you can get your manufactured home loan. This list will help you get ready or allow you to see if your loan has a better chance to pass an appraisal.

Get an engineering certificate. For an FHA loan, the appraiser is required to order an engineering certificate. This is basically when an engineer will come over to your home and check to be sure that your home is tied down correctly and that there is no settling, etc. This could make or break your deal.

Check to be sure your HUD tags are attached to the home. This had tied up or cancelled more home loans than I’d care to admit. The HUD tags are attached to the exterior of each section of your home. If you have a double wide, then you’ll have one of these tags attached to each section. If you have a triple wide home, then you’ll have three. Don’t paint over these tag numbers and don’t take them off of your home or side over them. This is how the industry identifies your home.

Check to be sure that your HUD data Plate is attached to the home. This is a one piece of paper that is on the interior of your home. The HUD tag numbers will be located on this piece of paper along with the serial number of your home, when it was built and how much snow your roof will hold. If the appraiser can’t find this, it will stop your loan until you find this paper or you’ll have to trace your home back to the manufacturer to be sure everything is legitimate. It is best to just keep it attached under the sink, or next to the stove inside the cabinets.

Check to be sure that you’ve maintained your home, paint the exterior, paint the deck, paint the trim, repair the railing, etc. Look, whether you go FHA financing or regular financing, your loan will have a better chance of closing if you maintain your home.

Check to be sure you have no safety hazards. Regardless of whether you're going FHA or traditional financing, you’ll want to correct any safety hazards. Basically, if it looks dangerous of if you think someone will fall or get hurt on your property fix it. Here are a few examples that usually require fixing.

* Missing railing around the deck

*Missing hand rails for steps coming from the basement or steps from the home

*Large roots causing the concrete walk to heave, causing a trip hazard

*Lead based paint peeling from your home

* Exposed wiring sticking out or around your home or electrical panel

*Broken glass in the porch windows or other windows.

Make sure that there is no water in your crawl space. Water located in the crawlspace is a big problem in some areas. Make sure that this problem is corrected before you try and get your loan.