August 5, 2014
A reader asks, “I am applying for refinance on my double wide home and have had an appraisal done and have made all upgrades they have requested. Now they are asking me to have an engineer to come out to inspect the footings that were put in and have a certified engineer sign off on them. I have looked at the requirements and do not see where this is required.”
“Can you give me any advice on this? The footings (pillars) were put in according to the manufactures specifications and were inspected at the time of the installation of the double wide.”
What FHA loan applicants need to know in situations like these is that FHA minimum property requirements are not necessarily the only rules that apply. The answer to this reader question may depend on a variety of non-FHA requirements including state or local building codes or even lender standards.
The best advice in cases like these is to get more specific information from the lender–why are the additional requirements applicable? Is it because of building code issues? Does the lender have a specific requirement in these cases? Knowing the source of the requirement and not just the fact that there is such a requirement is a big step in the right direction when it comes to getting an answer.
Manufactured homes, mobile homes, and modular homes do have very specific foundation requirements from the FHA, but the rules don’t end there. Your state or local authority may require more from the foundation of a mobile home or modular home and depending on the age of the home, the date of manufacture may also be an issue.
Borrowers who talk to the lender but still aren’t sure about the answers they get should contact the FHA directly by calling 1-800 CALL FHA for assistance.
Do you have questions about FHA home loans? Ask us in the comments section. You can get information about applying or getting pre-approved for an FHA loan at FHA.com, a private company and not a government website.
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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