VA manufactured home loans
The VA loan program covers manufactured homes. Most VA lenders refuse them anyway, because the operational complexity (permanent foundation engineering, single-wide eligibility, manufactured-specific appraisal) does not fit the volume model of a normal VA shop. The result: veterans buying manufactured homes get turned away by lender after lender even though they qualify for the program.
Mike runs VA manufactured files routinely. The program rules are clear, the operational steps are workable, and the veterans buying these homes deserve to use their entitlement. If a VA lender has told you no on a manufactured home, this is the conversation worth having.
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Property requirements
- Permanent foundation Per VA's PFGMH equivalent. Engineer certification at appraisal.
- Real property classification — home titled with land as real estate, not as a vehicle.
- HUD Code label — post-June 15, 1976.
- Land must be owned Or simultaneously purchased. No park-leased pads on VA.
- Single-wide minimum 400 sq ft, double-wide minimum 700 sq ft. Single-wide is harder to place — many lenders refuse it. Mike runs single-wides when the property meets spec.
- 'Moved once' history — most VA lenders require the home was moved only once (factory to its current site). If moved twice or more, harder to finance.
Borrower basics
- Eligibility — same as standard VA: 90 days active duty wartime, 24 months peacetime, surviving spouses with full entitlement.
- Down payment — $0 with full entitlement.
- No loan limit With full entitlement (VA Blue Water Act).
- No private mortgage insurance. VA funding fee applies (waived for disabled veterans rated 10%+ service-connected).
- Minimum FICO — Mike's working floor is 620; VA itself does not set a minimum but lender overlays do.
Term length
- Land-home (home permanently affixed to owned land): 30 years.
- Home-only without land: Term capped at 20 years + 32 days. (Rare on VA — most files are land-home.)
- Land-home with substantial rehab or new permanent foundation conversion: 25 years + 32 days, full 30 years if rehab is significant.
Common pitfalls and how Mike avoids them
- Appraiser availability. Manufactured VA appraisals require an appraiser on the VA panel who is also comfortable with manufactured property. Mike maintains a working list of these appraisers by state.
- Engineer scheduling. Foundation certification has to happen during the appraisal window. Mike schedules these in parallel to avoid 2-week delays.
- Single-wide overlay. Many VA lenders have an internal overlay refusing single-wides regardless of program rules. Cornerstone underwrites to VA's actual guidelines.
- 'Moved twice' properties. If a property has been moved more than once, document the moves and pull historical permits to demonstrate compliance. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not — Mike will tell you straight either way.
Talk to a VA manufactured specialist
One conversation, real numbers. Direct line: (480) 296-6513 or use the contact form.