Recently a Client of ours that lives near Lake Merritt in Oakland asked us questions about the advantages and disadvantages to purchasing a mobile home for her father.
Her Father currently lives in Contra Costa County and wanted to relocate to Alameda County in the general areas of Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda or San Leandro....
Here is a good article that we found and passed onto her to help her and her father make a more educated decision.

Before You Buy a Manufactured Home
by Janet Wickell
Manufactured homes, formerly called mobile homes, are built on a non-removable steel chassis and transported to the building site on their own wheels. Some manufactured homes look like the houses you see in a traditional neighborhood--they don't all resemble a traditional single or doublewide "trailer." There are important considerations you should make before you decide to buy a manufactured home.
Can You Put it on the Land?
Some communities and developments do not allow manufactured housing. Research local zoning ordinances, deed restrictions, restrictive covenants, and other similar documents before you buy land for a manufactured home.
We're Looking for Growing Equity
One reason most of us want to own a home instead of rent one is for its investment potential. And since we often don't live in the same house for enough years to pay down the balance very far, we depend on the rising cost of real estate to increase our equity, the portion of the home's value that we get back to buy another home when we sell.
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\n\u003cp\>\u003ca title\u003d\"Leased Land & No Perm Foundation OK New or Used, Refi, Cash Out, Const\" href\u003d\"http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/iclk?sa\u003dl&ai\u003dBGuJtARqARsrqLpHqiASO0tW6Do_kliPv9rzdAsCNtwGQ2M0BEAIYAiCopfcBKAg4AFDT87bx_f____8BYMn2-IbIo6AZmAG606wQoAGF19j7A6oBE3ByaW1lZGlhX2hvbWVidXlpbmeyARRob21lYnV5aW5nLmFib3V0LmNvbcgBAdoBRGh0dHA6Ly9ob21lYnV5aW5nLmFib3V0LmNvbS9vZC9tYW51ZmFjdHVyZWRob21lcy9iYi9tYW51ZmFjdHVyZWQuaHRtgAIBqAMBuAMB6AMd6APSA_UDAgAAAA&num\u003d2&adurl\u003dhttp://www.acc-funding.com&client\u003dca-primedia-premium_js\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>\n\u003cspan\>Manufactured/Mobile Loans\u003c/span\>\u003cspan\>\u003cfont color\u003d\"#000000\"\>Leased Land & No Perm Foundation OK New or Used, Refi, Cash Out, Const\u003c/font\>\u003c/span\>\u003cspan\>www.acc-funding.com\u003c/span\>\u003c/a\>\u003c/p\>\n\n\u003cp\>\u003ca title\u003d\"Find homes in your area. Dealer & Community listings.\" href\u003d\"http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/iclk?sa\u003dl&ai\u003dB-lS0ARqARsrqLpHqiASO0tW6DrPfrRaHktCaAsCNtwHA3h8QAxgDIKil9wEoCDgAULTS1Y3-_____wFgyfb4hsijoBmYAbrTrBCgAcX28f4DqgETcHJpbWVkaWFfaG9tZWJ1eWluZ7IBFGhvbWVidXlpbmcuYWJvdXQuY29tyAEB2gFEaHR0cDovL2hvbWVidXlpbmcuYWJvdXQuY29tL29kL21hbnVmYWN0dXJlZGhvbWVzL2JiL21hbnVmYWN0dXJlZC5odG2AAgGoAwG4AwHoAx3oA9ID9QMCAAAA&num\u003d3&adurl\u003dhttp://www.manufacturedhomesource.com/%3Fsource%3Dgoogle&client\u003dca-primedia-premium_js\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>\n\u003cspan\>Manufactured Homes\u003c/span\>\u003cspan\>\u003cfont color\u003d\"#000000\"\>Find homes in your area. Dealer & Community listings.\u003c/font\>\u003c/span\>\u003cspan\>www.manufacturedhomesource.com\u003c/span\>\u003c/a\>\u003c/p\>\u003c/div\>\u003c/div\>\n\n\u003cdiv\>\n\u003ch3\>You Might not Get it with a Manufactured Home\u003c/h3\>\n\u003cdiv\>In general, manufactured homes decrease in value. That's not true for every type of manufactured home or in every instance, but it is true overall. Even your land could decrease in value if it is surrounded by other manufactured homes that are decreasing in value. Do your homework! Learn as much as you can about the resale value of manufactured homes in the area before you buy. A real estate agent can help you find that information.\n",1]
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Manufactured/Mobile LoansLeased Land & No Perm Foundation OK New or Used, Refi, Cash Out, Constwww.acc-funding.com
Manufactured HomesFind homes in your area. Dealer & Community listings.www.manufacturedhomesource.com
You Might not Get it with a Manufactured Home
In general, manufactured homes decrease in value. That's not true for every type of manufactured home or in every instance, but it is true overall. Even your land could decrease in value if it is surrounded by other manufactured homes that are decreasing in value. Do your homework! Learn as much as you can about the resale value of manufactured homes in the area before you buy. A real estate agent can help you find that information.
\u003c/div\>\n\u003cdiv\>\n\u003ch3\>Land-Home Packages\u003c/h3\>\n\u003cdiv\>We see many people who opt into land-home packages, installment financing options that are are set up by the retailers who sell manufactured homes. The packages include the house, the land, and all work needed to get the home ready for occupancy.\n\u003c/div\>\u003c/div\>\n\u003cdiv\>\n\u003ch3\>But Hold on Before You Sign\u003c/h3\>\n\u003cdiv\>Land-home packages are fairly easy to get approved for, even if you have credit blemishes, but the interest rates can be high. Many people are making higher payments for a manufactured home than they would have made for a traditional or modular home--and those structures are nearly always a better investment. Explore your choices before you assume that you cannot buy a traditional home. You might be surprised at the financing options that are available.\n\u003c/div\>\u003c/div\>\n\u003cdiv\>\n\u003ch3\>Is it on a Permanent Foundation?\u003c/h3\>\n\u003cdiv\>Some lenders will not finance a manufactured home if it is not on a permanent foundation. The dealer will get if financed for you either way, but if you are putting the home on land you own, make sure it's on a permanent foundation. Why should you care? Because if it isn't, and you decide to sell, it will turn off some buyers and limit the number of lenders they can choose from. That means the home will be on the market longer.\n\u003c/div\>\u003c/div\>\n\u003cdiv\>\n\u003ch3\>Other Considerations\u003c/h3\>\n\u003cdiv\>There are other questions you should ask before you buy a manufactured home. Is it built to handle the climate at its destination? What type of warranty does the manufacturer provide? Does the dealer help resolve warranty problems? How long has the manufacturer been building homes? What can they tell you about the home's structural components? Ask as many questions as possible to help you feel comfortable with the purchase and the manufacturer before you say yes to the sale.\n\u003c/div\>\u003c/div\>\n\u003cp\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://homebuying.about.com/gi/pages/mcopyrt.htm\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>\u003cfont color\u003d\"#0073bf\"\>Important disclaimer information about this About site.",1]
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Land-Home Packages
We see many people who opt into land-home packages, installment financing options that are are set up by the retailers who sell manufactured homes. The packages include the house, the land, and all work needed to get the home ready for occupancy.
But Hold on Before You Sign
Land-home packages are fairly easy to get approved for, even if you have credit blemishes, but the interest rates can be high. Many people are making higher payments for a manufactured home than they would have made for a traditional or modular home--and those structures are nearly always a better investment. Explore your choices before you assume that you cannot buy a traditional home. You might be surprised at the financing options that are available.
Is it on a Permanent Foundation?
Some lenders will not finance a manufactured home if it is not on a permanent foundation. The dealer will get if financed for you either way, but if you are putting the home on land you own, make sure it's on a permanent foundation. Why should you care? Because if it isn't, and you decide to sell, it will turn off some buyers and limit the number of lenders they can choose from. That means the home will be on the market longer.
Other Considerations
There are other questions you should ask before you buy a manufactured home. Is it built to handle the climate at its destination? What type of warranty does the manufacturer provide? Does the dealer help resolve warranty problems? How long has the manufacturer been building homes? What can they tell you about the home's structural components? Ask as many questions as possible to help you feel comfortable with the purchase and the manufacturer before you say yes to the sale.