Where do I find the value of a mobile home?

Since you are looking at buying rather than selling, let me give you the valuation method and then the thing that actually determines whether this is a good buy, which is not the home's book value. The method first. The reference guide for manufactured housing used to be published as the NADA Manufactured Housing Appraisal Guide and is now JD Power Values. You enter the year, manufacturer, model, dimensions, region, condition and options, and it returns a base retail book value. That is what appraisers and lenders reference, and consumers can buy a single report without a subscription. For a 14x74, that is a single section home, roughly 980 square feet. Then adjust off that book value for what you actually see. Roof condition and any evidence of past leaks. Floor soft spots, especially near the tub and toilets. Whether the windows are original single pane. Furnace age and whether it has been serviced. Skirting and whether the belly wrap is intact. Level and condition of the piers and tie-downs. In northern New York, insulation and heating cost matter enormously, and a 1990s-era single wide in Lewis County is expensive to heat. Ask for a full year of utility bills. Also find the HUD certification labels on the exterior and the data plate inside a cabinet or closet. Anything built on or after June 15, 1976 has them. Missing labels create real financing headaches later, when you go to sell. Now the part that matters more than any of it. The home is in a park, which means you are buying the structure but leasing the ground. That single fact changes the entire economics, and here is why. Lot rent never goes away. Your mortgage on a house amortizes to zero eventually. Lot rent does not. It goes up, typically every year, usually with no cap. So before you agree to a price, get the current lot rent in writing, get the last five years of increases, and read the park's lease and rules. Ask specifically: what has the rent done since the park last changed ownership, and has it changed ownership recently. Parks bought by institutional operators very often see steep increases afterward. The home also depreciates while the lot rent inflates. A structure on leased land is closer to a vehicle than to a house in how it holds value. That is not a reason not to buy, plenty of people are very happy in parks and it can be by far the cheapest way to own your living space, but you should go in understanding that this is housing, not an appreciating asset. Three more questions to get answered before you write anything: 1. Does the park approve buyers? Most do. If you cannot resell to whoever you want, your exit is controlled by the park, and that reduces value. 2. Can the home stay on the lot when you sell, or does the park require older homes to be removed? Some parks have age caps. If yours does, and the home is close to it, your resale is worth far less than you think. 3. What is the financing? A home on leased land is personal property, or chattel, and gets a chattel loan, which means a higher rate and a shorter term than a mortgage. Get a real quote before you agree on price, because the payment may surprise you. You said "a mobile home I looked at," so one more piece of advice. Hire an inspector who specifically does manufactured homes. Not every home inspector does. The failure points are different from a site-built house, particularly the frame, the piers and tie-downs, and the ductwork under the belly. It is a couple hundred dollars and it is the best money in this transaction. One honest note: you posted this in 2021. Guide values, lot rents and chattel loan rates have all moved considerably since. Pull current numbers. I am a real estate professional, not an appraiser or a lender, and New York has its own rules on manufactured housing titling and park tenant protections that a local professional should confirm for you. I am Zoltan Peresztegi and I work in Los Angeles and the South Bay, including the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Lewis County is not my market. Message me and I will connect you with a strong local agent up there at no cost to you. Get the lot rent history before you get the book value. That is the number that decides this. Zoltan

Google "real estate appraiser," followed by your city and state and results will populate. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Real Estate Operations in ALL 50 States

You can check recent sales in your area, use online valuation tools for manufactured homes, or request a professional appraisal. Age, condition, land ownership, and location all affect value.

Hi Pam, The best bet is to either contact a local real estate professional to provide a BPO (Broker Price Opinion) or a CMA (Current Market Analysis), or a licensed appraiser to come perform an appraisal on the property, or contact the park management company and see if they have anyone willing to make an offer. You can also do some research yourself to find other similar comparable homes that have sold in the last 6-12 months that are the same type of property.

Best way to get an accurate value is to reach out to a local agent familiar with the area.