1998 Manufactured - Now Single Family Home?

[JUrwin]

We bought new, a 1998 manufactured double-wide home ~ 2000 Sq. Ft. built in York, NE. Tried to sell it in 2001 but housing market was in the dump - we would have taken a big hit. We bought 2.5 acres in Minnesota, built a beautiful walkout basement for the foundation, with 12 feet concrete walls, and had the home moved on to the foundation; adding another 2000 sq. ft. - which now sports a 2 car attached garage, 2 more bedrooms, huge family room, utility room, and a big full size bathroom. We had to remodel the manufactured part (now the upstairs) to allow for the steps, among other enhancements. It's now a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom home on 2.5 acres with none of the steel beams showing except a little in the utility room in the walkout basement where the furnace (now zone heat/air), sump, water heater and water filters reside. The upstairs walls are 2x6 with more insulation than a stick built home requires. Wiring was changed to mesh with the walkout basement, etc.
No one believes the upstairs started as manufactured, but that's beside the point.
To the point: Our jobs are moving us after 17 years, and now we need to sell our home. How do we go about getting our city inspector to change the original status of 2001 manufactured home to, at the very least, a single family dwelling? See attached file - I welcome your thoughts.

 

[Dublin ohio]

In the lending world. Once a manufactured home. Always a manufactured home. Just because you cannot see the steel undercarriage. Does not mean it does not exist. Also, moving the home creates a whole new set of problems with the lending world. I am not familiar with your local requirements. But I highly doubt that any governing entity would change it and classify it as a conventional built home. Possible liability problems and legal entanglements.

 

[CindyR]

i appraised a similar one of these many years ago and we still considered it a manufactured home. The manufactured home part of it was still built somewhere else and moved to the site so there is really not an easy way to now call it a 'site built' home. But that does not mean you should not try to change the classification if you wish. It may be something they can do or will do but there is no standard way to do it that i know about. Was this something discussed with the permit folks when you got the permit for the moving/raising/modifying?
And you might have trouble selling it as a 'site built home' because buyers and lenders could claim you misrepresented it in some way by not disclosing it's prior classification. You would probably do better marketing it as a really nice manufactured home rather than an oddly constructed almost site-built home...

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Sell... disclose situation if asked.

How do we go about getting our city inspector to change the original status of 2001 manufactured home to, at the very least, a single family dwelling?

If the inspector catches on, don't have any idea the consequences. I seriously doubt that they would change the status. It is a MH.

 

[JTip]

It was born manufactured....no matter how many operations were performed, it will ALWAYS be manufactured.....

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

Look for cash buyers as financing will be difficult for a manufactured home moved from its original site.

 

[J Grant]

It is what it is- a very improved and enlarged manufactured home that has been modified from the original on a nice large site of land. Find a RE agent who specializes in them and dont' try to re classify it...

 

[Vermonter]

Look for cash buyers as financing will be difficult for a manufactured home moved from its original site.

Exactly. I've seen some very interesting franken-MHs over the years. Some very nice, some not so much, but it always comes down to the financing.

 

[Fritz in NY]

UGH, Your not in a good spot financially. I hate to say it but, a severe OVERIMPROVEMENT for a manufactured home. (My Region)
You will not only have financing issues but I expect marketing issues. Structurally will challenge most home inspectors.
Try finding Manufactured comps, NOT...
I'm rarley at a loss of words but I don't have anymore for you.
Good Luck

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

I'd tell your story to the city inspector and whoever else you need to and see if they will change it. I doubt it but why not try. You will still have to disclose when you sell, though, so may not be worth the trouble. Good luck with the sale.