Engineer's Cert in Arizona

[Janis Arendsen]

We are retrofit contractors that specifically work for lenders (conventional and FHA) to meet requirements for HUD 1996 Handbook or 433A (California) for affixation. Suddenly 3 lenders that we work for are looking for an engineer or retrofit contractor like us in Arizona. Does anyone have any ideas? Does Arizona have anything like we have for local jurisdiction inspection which is the 433A that can be recorded?

 

[Otis Key]

I'm not in AZ but would think that you're best bet would be to go to the direct source - AZ Manufactured Home Division.

 

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

No there isn't any thing like CA forms in Arizona. Arizona does not require tie downs--a requirement is being discussed but hasn't been finalized. A few cities doe require tie downs. Contact the the Office of Manufactured Housing at: http://www.dbfs.state.az.us/

The recorded Affidavit of Affixture in Arizona is only a paper trail that enables the unit to be taxed as real property. There are no physical requirements or inspections required before an Affidavit of Affixture can be recorded. The owner has to surrender their title or the MSO to the Motor Vehicle Department and then the Affidavit is filled out, notarized and recorded.

An inspector (state or county employee) for the Department of Building of Fire Safety, Office of Manufactured Housing inspects the installation and eventually issues a Certificate of Occupancy which is not recorded. When a professional installer works on that installation, they are required to affixed a professional installer's insignia some where on the exterior of the home. If several installers work on the installation or it has to be redone to meet the inspectors requirements another insignia is affixed to the unit. I have seen homes with 3-4 installer insignias attached. Installation does not have to be done by a licensed installer, the home owner can do it--when that happens there is still the same inspections but no insignias.

 

[Janis Arendsen]

Thanks Jo Ann, you are so knowledgeable. Do you know any engineers that dare venture in this area in Arizona.

 

[Jo Ann Meyer Stratton]

Typically, the FHA required inspections are completed by a registered civil engineer. And there are "skippy" engineers out there just like appraisers. Just heard of one that charged $600 for his inspection which consisted of five minutes of walking around the looking without any observation of underneath the home or footings, etc, etc. The homeowner was very upset. Since FHA loans are in a decline, there are fewer installations inspected by engineers then in the past. I don't have any data to support that opinion, but it just seems a logical sequence. Contact the state office as your first step, that will get you the direct information and a place to start.

The engineer's inspection for a FHA loan is not recorded. There could be circumstances where a property sells several times with FHA financing several years apart each time. No body knows where the engineer's inspection report is so then it has to be inspected by an engineer again for the new FHA loan. Both the Santa Ana Homeownership Center and myself have advised lenders, dealers, homeowners that they should record that enginner's inspection--but very, very, very few individuals have acted on that suggestion.

 

[Janis Arendsen]

I agree---in California, we won't do an engineer's cert without the accompanying 433A because that is recorded. The engineer I work with is licensed in Arizona and he will work with us if we get properly licensed for retrofits. When we inspect, we crawl under and look at each contact point, check for attachment at the perimeter wall, make sure the skirting is the correct material, etc. The problem is that most manufactured homes rarely meet all the HUD requirements and now that reverse mortgage is becoming such a big deal, we know we will have to do some minor to major retrofits. It's troublesome that AZ doesn't have something like the 433A---but if you're saying the engineer's cert can be recorded, I think that's a plus.