With quick build times, over 40 local retailers, and prices that are around 50% - 75% cheaper than other prefab construction methods, purchasing a manufactured home for sale in Austin, Texas is an appealing option. And while buying a manufactured home could be a good decision for your project, there are several key factors to consider when building a manufactured home.

To determine if a manufactured home (sometimes referred to as a mobile home) is the best fit for your project there are a few important questions you must ask yourself. This includes Where will you place your home? How will you finance your home? What sales center will you work with? And what style of manufactured home would you like to build? After researching and answering these questions, you can determine your suitability for an Austin manufactured home and from there, begin to formulate a project plan.

In order to help you learn about the market for manufactured homes in Austin and purchase a mobile home, we have created a guide to help you understand some of the most important aspects of the process. We have separated our guide into sections on local manufactured housing regulations, financing, a list of retailers and brands in the area, and examples of homes for sale.

Manufactured Homes for Sale in Austin

Austin Manufactured Housing Regulations

Before deciding things like which retail center you’d like to work with and which manufactured home you’d like to buy, a good starting point is determining if your plot of land is eligible to place a manufactured home on it. And if you are not yet a landowner, you can even assess which plots of land make sense for you.

As you read through your city’s local regulations on manufactured housing, it is important to understand what a HUD-certified manufactured home is. Manufactured homes are just one branch of prefab housing, which encompasses all building techniques that use factory-built components (modular, kit, panelized, timber frame, manufactured). And while most other forms of prefab housing are built to local building codes, manufactured homes are constructed to federally set standards, established by the HUD. This code was first put into effect in 1976 with the goal of regulating and standardizing the construction of manufactured homes (up until 1976, called mobile homes).

That being said, because manufactured homes are technically different from other types of homes, they often face different zoning restrictions. While the option exists to purchase a manufactured home and place it in a mobile home park in Austin, buyers can also place their new single or double-wide home on their own property. However, you should first check with your local building department if your property is zoned to accommodate a manufactured home

• Texas Manufactured Housing Regulations

• Austin Manufactured Housing Permitting Process

• New Braunfels Manufactured Housing Permitting Process

• San Marcos Manufactured Housing Regulations

• Round Rock Manufactured Housing Regulations

Financing a Manufactured Home in Austin

Once you’ve determined that you are allowed to build a manufactured home on your property in Central Texas, you must determine whether you can afford to buy a home. In Austin, we see manufactured homes with sales prices averaging between $60 - $120+ per square foot. When you consider that number is a starting point and you must also account for site preparations, shipping, permitting, and setting, even the most affordable manufactured home becomes a nearly $80,000 project.

So how will you pay for your new home? For many, paying cash is an unrealistic option. And similar to zoning regulations, financing for a manufactured house is different from that of other construction types. 

While your home might not be eligible for a standard construction loan and mortgage, some loans that can be used to finance your project include:

• FHA Title I Loan

• Use: buy or refinance a manufactured home, developed lot on which to place a manufactured home, or the two, combined.

• Requirements: home must be the principal residence of the borrower & buyers can lease a lot as opposed to purchasing it. When the land/lot is leased, HUD requires the lessor to provide the manufactured homeowner with an initial lease term of 3 years.

• Max Loan Amount(s):

• Manufactured home only - $69,678

• Manufactured home lot - $23,226

• Manufactured home & lot - $92,904

• Max Loan Term:

• Manufactured home only (or on a single-section lot) - 20 years

• Lot only - 15 years

• Manufactured home on a multi-section lot - 25 years

• Requirements: Borrowers must meet the lender financing requirements (for criteria like credit score and LTV).

• FHA Title II Loan

• Use: Must be used to purchase a manufactured home and a building lot on which to place it.

• Max Loan Term: Up to 30 years

• Requirements: The home must be at least 400 square feet, must be built and remain on a permanent chassis, and be the borrower’s primary residence. Borrowers must meet lending criteria related to LTV and credit score.

• Fannie Mae MH Advantage Program

• Description: Loan to cover the purchase of manufactured homes that meet certain building criteria. Typically, interest rates tend to be lower than other loan products

• Max Loan Term: 30 years

• Borrower Requirements: up to 97% LTV, minimum 620 credit score

• Home Requirements:  labeled as an MH Advantage eligible home, at least 600 square feet, be placed on owned, not leased, land

• Freddie Mac Home Possible Mortgage Program

• Description: Conventional financing for low and moderate income buyers of manufactured homes. Can be used for either primary or secondary residences.

• Max Loan Term: 30 years

• Requirements: A minimum of 5% down payment and buyers must meet lending criteria such as minimum credit scores and LTV amounts.

• Chattel Mortgage

• Description: A loan for a manufactured home or another piece of movable property such as machinery or car

• Max Loan Term: 20 years

• Borrower Requirements: Must meet borrower requirements (minimum credit score 575) & the home must remain on a permanent chassis.

Depending on your project and location, buyers in rural areas may also be able to receive a USDA-backed loan to purchase a manufactured home in Austin. Alternatively, veterans may also be able to receive a VA loan.

To find a HUD-approved lender in the Austin area, you can search their lender database. Because many of these loans have special requirements, both for borrowers and for the homes themselves, it can be helpful to work with a lender in the Austin area who is experienced in financing manufactured housing.

Manufactured Home Retailers in Austin

Given Texas’ status as the largest manufactured home market in the U.S. it is no surprise that there are dozens of sales centers to work with in the Austin area. This lets you compare retail locations based on factors such as proximity to the project location, available homes and brands, prices, services offered, and past customers' experience.

In Austin, manufactured home distributors and sellers include:

To compare sales centers and ultimately choose a location that makes sense for your project, some questions that might be worth asking include:

• Are their homes covered by warranties? For how long?

• What services does the retailer complete vs. 3rd parties?

• In the event that you are placing your home on undeveloped land, can the retailer complete the necessary site work (land clearing, preparing utility connections, laying a foundation)? If they do not, can they recommend a qualified contractor?

• Can you develop a custom manufactured home or do you have to buy a model directly from their lot inventory?

• If you can order a personalized manufactured home, what is the current waiting period for home shipment and installation?

Manufactured Home Brands for Sale in Austin

(Best Manufactured Homes in Texas)

Athens Homes ● Cavco Homes ● Champion Homes ● Clayton Homes ● Deer Valley Homes ● Endurance Solutions Homes ● Fleetwood Homes ● Jessup Housing ● Kabco Homes ● Legacy Tiny Homes ● Meridian ● New Vision Manufacturing ● NXT Homes ● Oak Creek Homes ● Oakwood Homes ● Palm Harbor Homes ● Platinum Homes ● Pratt Homes ● Schult Homes ● Skyline Homes ● Solitaire Homes ● Southern Energy Homes ● Titan Homes ● TRU

Examples of Manufactured Homes for Sale in Austin

For more guides related to building a prefab home in Austin, see our coverage of

• Prefab Homes for Sale in Texas

• Tiny Homes for Sale in Texas

• Container Homes for Sale in Texas

• Best Manufactured Homes in Texas

• Guide to Building a Prefab Home in Austin