Selling a Mobile Home With Land in Virginia
When you own both the home and the land, you are usually in the strongest position of any mobile-home seller in Virginia. But the paperwork depends on whether the home was ever legally converted to real property.
Two homes that look identical can transfer completely differently
Under Va. Code § 46.2-653.1, the owner of a manufactured home affixed to land they own may surrender the DMV certificate of title and have the home declared real property. The DMV process involves an affidavit (Form VSA 35) and the resulting document is recorded with the circuit court clerk in the county where the land sits.
If that was done, the home is part of the real estate and conveys with the deed. If it was never done, you are selling two things at once: land by deed, and a home by DMV title. Both are normal. But they close differently.
How to find out which one you have
Look at your tax bills. If the home is assessed as part of your real estate assessment, it has likely been converted. If you receive a separate personal property tax bill for the home, it probably has not.
The definitive answers are at the circuit court clerk's office, where the land records live, and with the DMV, which can confirm whether an active title exists.
What we look at on land deals
Acreage and road frontage, because in counties like Bedford, Isle of Wight and Washington the land can be worth considerably more than the home.
Well and septic. A failed drainfield is one of the most expensive problems a rural Virginia property can have, and it affects what any buyer will pay.
Access. A gravel drive up a hollow in Tazewell County or a long private lane in Franklin County limits who can get equipment in.
Whether the parcel has ever been surveyed and whether boundaries are clear.
You may not want to sell to a cash buyer at all
If your home is a well-kept double-wide on a permanent foundation, already converted to real property, on land with good access in a market like Rockingham or Augusta County, a conventional listing may well net you more than any cash offer including ours.
We will say so. A seller who lists and does better is a better outcome than a seller who later feels they were rushed.
Useful documents
- Your deed, or the parcel number from the county assessor
- The most recent real estate tax bill
- Any separate personal property tax bill for the home
- The DMV title if one still exists
- Well and septic records or permits, if you have them
- Any survey or plat
Common questions
- How do I know if my mobile home is real property in Virginia?
- Check whether the home appears in your real estate assessment and whether you still get a separate personal property tax bill for it. Land records at the circuit court clerk's office and DMV title records are the authoritative sources.
- Can I sell the home and keep the land?
- If the home is still titled personal property, yes. Though the buyer needs somewhere to put it, which usually means moving costs. If it has been converted to real property, it has to be reconverted before it can be separated.
- Does the well or septic need to pass an inspection?
- For a cash as-is purchase, generally no. For a buyer using conventional or government-backed financing, expect requirements. Their condition still affects price either way.