The VIN can be found on a document called the data plate, which is actually an 8” by 11” piece of paper which is affixed to all manufactured homes by the manufacturer. The data plate is usually found in a location such as the wall of a bedroom or kitchen closet or the inside of a kitchen cabinet. The number is also listed on the Bill of Sale.

Even if you can’t find any of this paperwork, you can still retrieve the VIN on the outside of the home. Manufactured homes are built on a steel frame (as is the Biltmore House.) The VIN is also stamped into that frame at the “front beam cross-member.” That’s the point on the frame where the hitch is bolted on the frame in order to pull the house to the home site. It will be on one of the narrow ends of the home or home section.

A Note About Terminology: The Department of Motor Vehicles uses outdated terminology in their record-keeping such as “VIN number” and “mobile home.” That’s because their system goes back to decades ago when the predecessor to the modern-day manufactured home was more likely to be moved. The DMV uses its motor vehicle registration system for manufactured homes.

SELLING YOUR HOME

Resources for owners looking to sell their home.

1 out of 5

South Carolina families live in
a manufactured home.

22

Top providers of manufactured homes
in South Carolina.

1/2

of the price per square foot of a
single-family home.

Selling Your Manufactured Home

Studies show that manufactured home owners have a high satisfaction rate. When it is time to move up to a larger home, many opt to buy another factory-built home. It’s a common practice to “trade in” your current home when you buy a new home. Or you may decide to sell your current home yourself.

Here is some helpful information:

• Sales Tax

  According to the SC Department of Motor Vehicles, if a manufactured home is bought/sold between two people, sales tax is not required. This type of transaction is called a “casual sale” and not taxed.

• Locating the Title to Your Home

  In many cases, the title to your home will be needed to complete the sale. The title is the document that proves you own the home.

  If you can’t locate the title, you should be able to obtain a copy from the “DMV,” the SC Department of Motor Vehicles.  

  The steps are outlined below.

  Sometimes getting the title can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have all the information the agency asks for. Your home retailer, lender or closing attorney may be able to help you. Attorney Chris Tuttle said his firm now offers title location as a popular service.

• Obtaining a Duplicate Title

  Step One: Forms

  • Complete this form: Application for Certificate of Title– Form 400
  • Get an “Affidavit of Responsibility” from the county.   This form must be signed and notarized.

  
  Step Two: Mail Documents

  • The Application for Certificate of Title, (Form 400)

  • Affidavit of Responsibility

  • Your check made payable to the South Carolina Department of Revenue & Taxation, in the amount of $5.00. This is the titling fee.

  • The original Certificate of Origin or the duplicate Certificate of Origin you obtained from the manufacturer.

    (Retaining copies of all original documents is advised before mailing to the DOR.)

  Mail the following documents to:
  South Carolina Department of Revenue and Taxation
  Titling Department
  PO Box 1498
  Columbia, SC 29216-0024

• Locate the original Certificate of Origin on your home

  If you can’t locate the original Certificate of Origin on your home, write to the manufacturer, requesting a duplicate of the Certificate of Origin

  • List information such as the model, serial number, and retailer the home was purchased from. (See below, “Finding the Serial Number.”)
  • Enclose a postage paid, self-addressed return envelope.

  Occasionally you may find that the manufacturer doesn’t have a copy of the Certificate of Origin. Or it may have gone out of business. In that case, the DMV is often able to find the title on your home through the Vehicle Identification Number, sometimes called the “VIN,” “VIN number,” or “serial number.” (The serial number is actually part of the VIN.)

• Finding the VIN

  The VIN can be found on a document called the data plate, which is actually an 8” by 11” piece of paper which is affixed to all manufactured homes by the manufacturer. The data plate is usually found in a location such as the wall of a bedroom or kitchen closet or the inside of a kitchen cabinet. The number is also listed on the Bill of Sale.

  Even if you can’t find any of this paperwork, you can still retrieve the VIN on the outside of the home. Manufactured homes are built on a steel frame (as is the Biltmore House.) The VIN is also stamped into that frame at the “front beam cross-member.” That’s the point on the frame where the hitch is bolted on the frame in order to pull the house to the home site. It will be on one of the narrow ends of the home or home section.

  A Note About Terminology: The Department of Motor Vehicles uses outdated terminology in their record-keeping such as “VIN number” and “mobile home.” That’s because their system goes back to decades ago when the predecessor to the modern-day manufactured home was more likely to be moved. The DMV uses its motor vehicle registration system for manufactured homes.

• Selling a Home that Has Been De-titled

  Many manufactured home owners “detitle” their home. The home and land are combined into one property and the owners receive one tax bill for both. Detitling is an option that can get the buyer a lower interest rate.

  The DMV describes the process for selling a detitled home on the agency’s website

  If the title has been retired on a mobile home and the home will be attached to real property in its new location, you do not need to get a new title. The home’s buyer must file a Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit with the county’s register of deed or clerk of court in the county the home is being moved to and the county it’s being moved from.

  If the home will not be attached to real property, the owner must get a new title from the SCDMV. If you’re getting a new title, the lien must be released or the lien holder must consent to transfer the lien to the new home and you must mail all paperwork to the address below:

  SCDMV
  Titles and Registration
  PO Box 1498
  Blythewood, SC 29016-0024

  You must send all of the following documents:

  • Completed Application for Title/Registration of Mobile Home (SCDMV Form 400)
  • Identification proving you are who you say you are
  • Stamped, clocked copy of the Manufactured Home Severance Affidavit
  • Affidavit of Security Interest of Record
    This document is written by an SC-licensed attorney, and identifies, in order of priority, any party having a security interest on the real property.
  • $15 – Please mail a check or money order, made out to the SCDMV, to the address above. Do not mail cash.

  You must file a copy of the completed Application for Title/Registration of Mobile Home (SCDMV Form 400) with the county the home was previously located in.

• Selling a Manufactured Home Which Has a Mortgage

  A good place to start is to get a payoff quote showing how much you owe on your present home and to get an appraisal estimating how much you can get for your home.

  Payoff Quote
  The company that services the mortgage can provide you a payoff quote showing what you still owe on the mortgage. Your lender can give you the address or email to request the quote. These can no longer be requested by phone because the company has to keep track of who requested the payoff information. Payoff quotes are normally good for 15 days and have the daily per diem should the payoff go over the 15 day period

  Appraisal  
  The next step typically is to call an appraisal company experienced in working with manufactured homes. The fee for the appraisal may run from around $295 to $350. 

  Once the seller and buyer agree on a sales price, the seller should once again get a payoff quote from their lender that they can share with the buyer’s lender. 

  If the purchaser is getting a loan, the buyer’s lender will pay the seller’s lender the amount of the payoff at the closing and pay the difference to the seller.  The buyer’s lender will then get the released title sent straight to them so that they can put their new lien on the title.

  For a cash transaction, it may be wise to do the closing through an attorney or closing agent. (“Cash transaction” here means that buyer isn’t borrowing any money, not that actual cash is involved.)

  The extra protection of using an attorney or closing agent may be advisable because there will be no lender involved. Lenders are licensed and bonded in the states they operate in and a buyer or seller would have reasonable assurances that they will get their money and legal requirements have been met.