How to Buy a New Manufactured Home: From Contract to Keys

Aug 28
4 min read

Buying a brand-new manufactured home is a little different from buying a traditional house — especially when the home is located in a manufactured home community. There’s the home purchase itself, but there may also be financing, escrow, community approval, insurance and a few final steps before you get the keys.

The process is very manageable once you know what to expect. Here’s what happens after you choose your new home and decide you’re ready to move forward.

1. Reserve Your New Home

Once you’ve found the home you want, the first step is to reserve it.

One of the nice things about buying a manufactured home through Galaxy Homes is that the purchase paperwork is very straightforward. Our Purchase Agreement is just two pages — a big contrast from a traditional real estate purchase contract, which can involve a much larger stack of forms and disclosures.

You’ll complete the Purchase Agreement with our team and submit an initial deposit to escrow. From there, the rest of the process can start moving forward, including financing, escrow and community approval.

2. Complete Your Financing

If you’re financing your manufactured home, you don’t have to figure out the lending process on your own. Galaxy Homes has an in-house finance department that specializes in manufactured home financing.

Manufactured home loans are different from traditional mortgages, so it helps to work with people who understand this type of financing. Galaxy Homes has relationships with many of the top lenders in the manufactured housing industry, which allows our finance team to help buyers compare available loan programs and secure the best available rate and terms for their situation.

Our finance team can help you complete the loan application, explain your financing options and guide you through the approval process. You’ll provide any documentation requested by the lender, and once everything has been reviewed, you’ll receive your financing approval.

If you’re paying cash, you can skip the financing step altogether.

3. Escrow Begins

Next, escrow gets underway. You’ll review and sign your escrow instructions and deposit your down payment into escrow. If an appraisal is required, Galaxy Homes will also coordinate the home appraisal. Escrow stays open while the remaining pieces of the transaction are completed.

4. Apply for Community Approval

If your new home is located in a manufactured home community, you’ll also need to complete the community’s application process.

You’ll submit the required application and wait for confirmation of approval. Each community has its own process and timeline, so this step can vary depending on where you’re buying. Our team helps buyers understand what the community requires and helps keep this part of the process moving alongside escrow.

5. Complete Your New Home Orientation

Before closing, you’ll walk through your new home with our team. During the orientation, we’ll review the home with you and go over any final touch-ups that may still need to be completed. This is also a good opportunity to become familiar with the home, ask questions and make sure everything is ready for move-in. Remember Galaxy Homes includes a home warranty on every new manufacture home purchase.

6. Secure Home Insurance

Before escrow can close, you’ll need to have insurance in place for your new manufactured home. Galaxy Homes can assist with arranging insurance coverage, and your new home also includes a factory warranty. If you’re financing the home, your lender may also require proof of insurance before the loan can fund.

7. Sign the Final Documents

Once financing, escrow, community approval and insurance are all in place, you’ll move into the final paperwork. Financed buyers will sign their final loan documents, and buyers will also sign their community lease agreement. At this point, you’re very close to the finish line.

8. Get Your Keys

Once escrow is officially complete, it’s time to get your keys and start enjoying your new home. That’s it — you’re officially a homeowner!

How Long Does It Take to Buy a New Manufactured Home?

The timeline depends on a few things — especially whether the home is already completed and ready for occupancy. If you’re purchasing a home that is already complete and available, the process can move fairly quickly:

Cash purchase: As little as 2–3 weeks

Financed purchase: Typically 30–45 days

But many new manufactured homes are marketed and sold before they are delivered to the community or before installation and finishing work is complete. In those cases, the overall timeline will be longer.

You may complete your Purchase Agreement, financing and community approval well before the home itself is move-in ready. The final closing timeline will then depend on things like delivery, installation, utility connections, inspections, finishing work and when the home is ready for occupancy.

Our team will give you an estimated completion timeline when you reserve the home and keep you updated as it moves through the process.

We’ll Help You Through Each Step

There are several moving parts involved in buying a new manufactured home, but the process doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

The Galaxy Homes team helps coordinate the process from the initial Purchase Agreement through financing, escrow, community approval, your new home orientation and closing.

If you’re thinking about buying a new manufactured home in Southern California, contact Galaxy Homes at (833) 459-9467 or info@galaxyhomes.net.

Download our New Manufactured Home Buyer Roadmap.