Purpose of this page
This page discusses transferring a mobile home’s ownership from a seller to a buyer in the great state of Arkansas. This is not intended in situations where the land the mobile home sits on is included in the sale. If the land is included in the sale please reach out to a local real estate attorney to help facilitate your closing. However if you are dealing with an individual mobile home located in a pre-existing mobile home park, on somebody’s rented land, in a lot, or somewhere else than please see the information below.
In the state of Arkansas the process to transfer a mobile home title from one owner to the next is sometime fairly simple and straightforward. Please see the steps and tips below when considering purchasing or reselling a mobile home in the state of Arkansas.
Disclaimer: This page is not intended for mobile home investors. The reason this is mentioned is because you may require extra documents and agreements if you are a mobile home investor. These extra documents would include an after closing agreement if the seller was remaining in the home for a bit after closing, personal property trust agreements, a promissory note or lien paperwork, power of attorney, and more. Below is the minimum paperwork required to successfully transfer ownership from one party to another.
Prior to your Arkansas mobile home closing
Verify seller has the title and he/she is listed as owner: Ask to see the title during your initial walk through of the mobile home. The seller may be willing to text message a picture of the title to you to verify information.
Check for back taxes: Contact the county assessor’s office in the county the home is located. Call with the mobile home’s serial number or VIN to verify taxes are current. Taxes must be current prior to title transfer. Tip: If purchasing the mobile home and the taxes are past due then you may want to deduct this amount from the purchase-price you will give to the seller. This way you can pay the back taxes at the time you transfer title in the near future.
Check for hidden liens: Contact the local Motor Vehicle Office (MVO) in the county the home is located. Call with the mobile home’s serial number or VIN to verify there are no unexpected liens you don’t know about. These liens may or may not be listed on the mobile home’s title(s) in the “Lien’s Holder’s” section of the title.
If inside a mobile home park aim to speak with the community manager to 1.) become park approved, 2.) verify the seller is current on all payments, 3.) ask for a copy of the park rules, 4.) ask if lot rent is increasing in the near future, and 5.) if the park manager see any needed improvements to the mobile home if/when you purchase the home?
Missing Title or No Title or Wrong name on Title? Contact your local MVO office for more help. Have the mobile home’s VIN or serial number before you call. Ask about “Bonded Title” services.
Interesting MH Fact: Arkansas started requiring mobile homes to have physical paper titles only since 1989. Since this time the title-paper has changed in appearance 5 times. This means that there are 5 different possible titles you may see. They will all have the mobile home’s pertinent information. Older titles will typically be smaller square blue pieces of paper, while newer mobile home titles are typically printed on full-size sheets of paper. Tip: On the back of most titles there will be a space for the buyer’s information. If this information is already filled out with another buyers name then it is vitally important the seller obtain a “duplicate title”. A title with crossed off information or a previous buyers name will not be accepted at the MVO.
At Closing
Paperwork needed: Title (Must have), Bill of sale (Strongly suggested – You may create this by hand or use this generic Bill of Sale here.) No notary is needed. One title per mobile home; a single-wide and double-wide will have 1 title.
Pro Tip: If purchasing the mobile home perform one last walk through before closing and handing over any money. The seller wants your money just as bad as you want the property. If there are any surprise repairs needed or trash/furniture you may have to remove then adjust the price accordingly
After an Arkansas closing – Transferring ownership
Bring forms (Title and Bill of sale) to your local MVO in the county to pay transfer tax and transfer ownership. Only buyer(s) must be present at MVO to transfer title, however ideally buyer and seller go to MVO to transfer title to help expedite any last-minute issues that arise at the MVO. All forms should already be signed. No notary is needed.
New title will arrive via mail in 6-8 weeks.
If you are the buyer: Aim to transfer ownership through the MVO soon after you purchase the mobile home to avoid a penalty or complications when you eventually do transfer ownership/title.
If you are the seller: It can be wise to go with the seller to the MVO to make sure the ownership is transferred correctly so that taxes and liability is not in your name moving forward. Some buyers wait years to transfer title/ownership.
If for some reason a lien needs to be placed on the title, this will be done at the MVO while talking with the clerk that is helping you. The clerk will want to know the name of the lienholder and their address. The new title will be sent to the lienholder’s address. The lienholders will then transfer the title to you once they are paid in full.
Taxes moving forward: The new owner on record will receive a yearly tax bill moving forward. Tax bills are sent from your local county assessor’s office between January and April each year.
We hope that the information above has been helpful. If you notice any errors or improvements please contact us immediately at support@mobilehomeinvesting.net. As always, if you have any follow-up questions or concerns never hesitate to reach out or comment below any time. All the best.
Love what you do daily,
John Fedro
