FHA · HUD Handbook 4000.1FHA manufactured home requirements: foundation certification, HUD label and the 1976 rule

Manufactured homes can be financed with a standard FHA Title II mortgage, but HUD Handbook 4000.1 adds a property checklist. The home must be designed as a one-family dwelling with at least 400 square feet of floor area; carry the HUD Certification Label, or a label verification letter issued for HUD, showing it was built on or after June 15, 1976 under the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards; be classified as real estate (though not necessarily for state taxes); be built and remain on a permanent chassis; be designed for a permanent foundation built under the Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing (PFGMH); and have been transported directly from the manufacturer or dealership to the site. If the appraisal shows the HUD label is missing, the lender must get label verification from the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS). The lender must obtain a certification from an engineer or architect licensed or registered in the state that the foundation complies with the PFGMH; a foundation certification from a previous FHA loan can be reused if there have been no alterations and no observable damage since. Additions or alterations noted by the appraiser must be covered by the foundation certification, or else by an inspection from the state agency that inspects manufactured housing or a licensed structural engineer's certification where the state doesn't inspect. In a Special Flood Hazard Area, the home is eligible only if the finished grade beneath it is at or above the 100-year flood elevation – shown by a FEMA LOMA or LOMR removing the property from the flood zone, or by an elevation certificate.