This article originally appeared on SF Gate by Tony Guerra.
A mobile home gets its name from the permanently affixed chassis that allows it to be wheeled to its home site. Now known as manufactured, these homes comes in several different widths and lengths, and with many amenities and options. If you own a manufactured home and want to sell it, figuring out how to price it also becomes important.
New Prices
Builders set new manufactured home prices. However, selling a used one can be tricky. Like any other home, a manufactured home's condition and its location must be factored into its asking price. Additionally, used manufactured homes of larger sizes and widths may fetch more than smaller homes in similar condition and locations.
Used Prices
The NADA Guides manufactured home appraisal values website provides a good place to start when pricing your manufactured home. Price the home by age, location and main floor square footage. When pricing such a home, also take a look at its current condition and rate it from poor to excellent. Your manufactured home's asking price also depends on any upgrades added by the builder, and any improvements you've made to it over time.
Depreciated Replacement Cost
For non-permanently affixed mobile or manufactured homes, pricing includes depreciated replacement cost in retail dollars. Depreciated replacement cost is the cost to replace an item, less its accrued depreciation. For example, a non-permanently affixed manufactured or mobile home costing $70,000 in 2013 might depreciate over time and be worth only $35,000 in 10 years. According to the NADA Guides, however, your local market affects a mobile or manufactured home's ultimate selling price more than any other factor.
Other Factors
Before pricing your manufactured home, take some time to discover the selling prices of similar homes in your area. These homes don't always depreciate in value over time, especially when they're well-maintained and in attractive locations. Most manufactured homes permanently affixed to foundations are appraised using traditional real estate methods by certified and licensed appraisers, and some hold their value over time.
