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Homebuyer Guide
Buying a home can be a difficult process, especially for first-time buyers. From learning all the relevant terminology to understanding the different steps involved, it can all get overwhelming. Our Homebuyer Guide aims to lessen this stress by ensuring that you're well-informed and prepared when you start on your home-buying journey. It covers topics like:- The benefits of homeownership
- The benefits of owning a factory-built home
- The four stages of buying a home
- Budgeting
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Factory-Built Homes Cost Comparison
Did you know that a factory-built home costs at least 30% less than a site-built home? From sales price to mortgage payments and monthly costs, manufactured housing is an affordable housing solution. This comparison resource can help you visualize and communicate with others the savings associated with factory-built housing.DOWNLOAD IN ENGLISH DOWNLOAD IN SPANISH -
Factory-Built Housing: A Program Guide for Counseling and Education
This guide is intended to help homeownership counselors successfully inform individuals and families of the options and opportunities related to factory-built homes. It addresses common questions and creates an opportunity for housing counselors to better understand their responsibility to know and present this information to their customers. This guide explores the following core competencies:- Understanding factory-built homes
- How factory-built homes are financed
- How factory-built housing can be integrated into counseling services
- How factory-built housing can be integrated into Program Management Practices
- Key resources and quick facts to expand your knowledge base on factory-built homes
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Client Assessment Checklist
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Housing Advisor’s Guide to Finance Factory-Built Homes
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Down Payment Seeker™
By filling out the simple form below – starting with simple information about the property you are looking to buy – you will receive additional information about homeownership programs that can support your manufactured home purchase with down payment assistance. -
TotalHome+ Cost Calculator
Estimate your monthly payment and get a view of what a factory-built home purchase might look like for you using our home cost calculator for manufactured homes. Select the type of home and where it will be placed to get the most accurate response. The TotalHome+ Calculator is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Calculations are based on national averages and do not account for state, regional, or local variances in pricing. Home pricing and cost may vary depending on criteria established by a retailer, lender, investor, loan insurer, or other parties. *Last updated December 2023.VIEW RESOURCE -
ADU Financing White Paper
Author: Los Angeles Project REACh ADU Financing Subcommittee Project REACh (Roundtable for Economic Access and Change) brings together leaders from banking, business, technology, and national civil rights organizations to reduce specific barriers that prevent full, equal, and fair participation in the nation's economy. Recently, Los Angeles REACh's Homeownership Workgroup (HWG) identified homeownership as one of its key focus areas through a series of meetings. Due to the limited affordable housing inventory in Los Angeles, the HWG looked to other models to expand homeownership and housing opportunities, such as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). However, barriers to financing emerged as one of the foremost challenges to taking ADUs to scale, particularly for lower-income households. This ADU financing white paper reflects the Subcommittee's analysis and recommendations for advancing financing strategies. *The views and positions expressed in the document reflect the individual perspectives of ADU Subcommittee participants and may or may not reflect the views of their respective employers.DOWNLOAD PAPER -
Manufactured Housing: Blueprint for Affordability and Community Impact
Manufactured housing represents an untapped affordable housing resource in communities across the country. Constructed, developed, and financed differently from site-built housing, manufactured housing presents opportunities for NeighborWorks organizations (NWOs) to be resilient in meeting the needs of their communities. A fundamental knowledge gap exists that prevents NeighborWorks organizations from leveraging this type of housing in their existing housing and community development efforts. By developing tools and resources that address three areas of core competency (general information about the manufactured housing space, financing considerations for clients, and development and acquisition costs for organizations) we can foster greater use and acceptance of manufactured homes across the network. Ultimately, successful development efforts will not only generate earned revenue for NeighborWorks organizations but increase access to affordable housing options in the communities that they serve. Why Read this Guide? To address this challenge and help NWOs interested in manufactured housing activities and programs, the Manufactured Housing Strategies cohort, as part of the Learning Community in 2020, collaborated to develop this Blueprint document as a guide for developing new business lines or scaling existing ones to greater production. Leveraging members’ expertise in housing finance, counseling and development, this Blueprint serves as a primer to manufactured housing – and a roadmap for NWOs with the desire to build and scale sustainable programs centered on manufactured housing.VIEW RESOURCE -
Manufactured Housing: A Resource for Engaging Nonprofit Boards and Community Stakeholders
This resource, published by NeighborWorks America in partnership with Next Step, provides nonprofit organizations and local leaders with practical tools to understand, advocate for, and implement modern manufactured housing (also known as factory-built housing) as a solution to the affordable housing crisis.Featured Tools & Presentations
NeighborWorks and Next Step created two tailored PowerPoint presentations:- Nonprofit Board Presentation: Makes the case for integrating factory-built housing into affordable housing strategies.
- Community Stakeholder Presentation: Supports outreach to planning boards, advisory councils, and neighborhood associations.
What Is Manufactured Housing & Why Does It Matter?
Manufactured homes are energy-efficient, factory-built residences constructed to federal HUD standards. They offer a high-quality, lower-cost alternative to site-built homes, helping expand housing access in urban, suburban and rural communities.Key Benefits:
- Up to 20% lower construction costs per square foot
- Faster build and installation timelines
- Custom design features such as porches, garages, and high-end interiors
- ENERGY STAR®-rated whole-home systems
- Potential for property appreciation when well-maintained
- Modern CrossMod™ models are eligible for conventional financing (MH Advantage®, CHOICEHome®)
How to Launch a Manufactured Housing Program
Some steps for Housing Developers:- Engage a Manufacturer or Retailer: Organizations can either partner with retailers for turnkey delivery or become licensed retailers to control the full development process.
- Understand Zoning Laws: Collaborate with local officials to address restrictive zoning or update outdated codes referencing “mobile homes.”
- Select the Right Product: Based on site conditions and financing goals, choose between single-section, multi-section, or CrossMod™ models.
- Build Strategic Partnerships:
- Local governments and planning departments
- Housing finance agencies and CDFIs
- Retailers and manufacturers
- Peer nonprofit developers with proven MH success
Additional Resources Available in the Guide
- Manufactured Housing: Blueprint for Affordability & Community Impact: A primer for nearly all topics related to the use of manufactured housing as an affordable housing tool.
- Nonprofit Board PowerPoint Presentation: This presentation helps you educate boards about the advantages of pursuing manufactured housing as an affordable housing strategy in their communities.
- Community Stakeholder PowerPoint Presentation: This presentation helps you educate planning councils, local officials and the broader community about the advantages of manufactured housing as an affordable housing strategy.
