VA Home Loan Mobile Park

Investor · New Braunfels, TX · Member since 2022 · 3 posts · 4 votes

I have a few single family homes but my wife and I are looking to make a pivot to MHP. I plan to use my VA loan to secure the land and first mobile home. We will have to live there for a year to fulfill the VA residency requirement but we can get in for $0 down. Has anyone used a VA loan like this? Is there anything I should know when using the VA loan this way?

Still trying to source the land. Brand new to MHP. Any recommended books out there? Like everything else, it seems a little overwhelming at first.

4 Reply

1,328 views

5 Replies

Jump to latestLatest

Sort by

Bill B.
Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 10k+ votes
2mo
Most communities wont allow you to build a new MHP, did you find one?

Have you looked in to utilities? That could EASILY be $100-$500k or more depending on distance and requirements.

Hopefully you can get on city water/sewer or it’s probably cost prohibitive don’t forget streets, streetlights, grading, etc etc etc Maybe drive a couple local MHPs check them out and then talk to a local developer about duplicating their setup, BEFORE you go with the va loan unless syou’ll be happy living there if you can never expand we reminds me get it in writing that the city/county will allow it even that is probably worth nothing but if they won’t writ4 it down don’t even start

Just be careful you don’t spend 30% more than the cost to buy an existing one. You might get in for zero. But unless you have 100’s of thousands lying around you’re going to need to refinance that loan, and the new lender is going to want 25% down. So you’re only getting 0% down for that first year. You’re actually going to need 25% of that loan plus 25% of the improvements

0 Reply
Shuff MauldinPro Member
Investor · MS AL TN, GA · Member since 2019 · 70 posts · 45 votes
2mo
Welcome to the club!
Ask if at any point VA will have a problem with you selling the Mobile Home land leasing the land to the tenant. It might be an option you like to have down the road.
0 Reply
G. Brian DavisPro Member
Investor · Hatboro, PA · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 866 votes
2mo
The residency requirement is really the tricky part since most park land isn't zoned the way lenders expect for a single owner occupied home. Before you go further I'd get zoning and utility capacity confirmed in writing from the county, since running water and sewer to raw land can run into six figures fast and kill the deal math. For books, I'd start with Frank Rolfe's park writing, it's the closest thing to a real operating manual for this asset class.
0 Reply
Drew SygitBusiness Member
Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 12k+ posts · 9k+ votes
2mo
Quote from @William Idleman:

I have a few single family homes but my wife and I are looking to make a pivot to MHP. I plan to use my VA loan to secure the land and first mobile home. We will have to live there for a year to fulfill the VA residency requirement but we can get in for $0 down. Has anyone used a VA loan like this? Is there anything I should know when using the VA loan this way?

Still trying to source the land. Brand new to MHP. Any recommended books out there? Like everything else, it seems a little overwhelming at first.

To get a FNMA/FHLMC, FHA or VA mortgage, a home must be permanently affixed to the foundation and the house & land tied together via deed.
Many cities will not issue a building permit to put a mobile home on a permanent foundation.
This is where YOU will want to learn the differences between the types of manufactured homes and what cities will issue building permits for:
1) Mobile homes are one type, built in a factory on steel chassis that axles & tongues are attached to for transportation. Has to meet HUD guidelines.
2) Modular can be built on same assembly line as mobile, but have no steel chassis. So have to be transported on trailers. They meet US building codes, not HUD.
3) Panelized are built in sections in a factory, shipped to site and put together like legos.
4) Kit homes are like what Sears & Roebucks used to sell in catalogs. All the pieces are precut and numbered, shipped to site to assemble like a 3-D puzzle.
So, not sure how you will get VA to approve a "mobile home" on land.
Best bet is to put a modular on large parcel of land, then rezone/split afterwards.
CHALLENGE: getting lender to partially release parcels from the loan. Will require multiple appraisals and probably a paydown on the mortgage to lender's Loan-To-Value (LTV) stays the same.
[email protected]248-209-6824
Logical Property Management4.9459 Reviews
Website View Page
0 Reply
Vijay FriedmanBusiness Member
Miami, FL · Member since 2026 · 766 posts · 122 votes
2mo
Quote from @William Idleman:

I have a few single family homes but my wife and I are looking to make a pivot to MHP. I plan to use my VA loan to secure the land and first mobile home. We will have to live there for a year to fulfill the VA residency requirement but we can get in for $0 down. Has anyone used a VA loan like this? Is there anything I should know when using the VA loan this way?

Still trying to source the land. Brand new to MHP. Any recommended books out there? Like everything else, it seems a little overwhelming at first.

@William Idleman
That's an interesting transition from single-family rentals into MHP investing. One thing I'd spend extra time on early is confirming local zoning, utility availability, and permitting requirements before committing to a piece of land. Those factors can have a much bigger impact on the project's success than the purchase price alone. Best of luck with the new venture!
786-656-0387
DreamPoint Capital
Website View Page
0 Reply

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.