Factory-built homes
Is a factory-built home a "mobile home"?
Why today's manufactured homes are different, and how they become real estate in Arizona.
The dividing line is 1976
Under HUD's definition, a manufactured home must be built after June 15, 1976, to federal construction and safety standards, and it carries a red HUD certification label. Homes built before that date, without a federal safety code, are what the industry calls mobile homes. Every Champion home we sell is a modern manufactured home.
Land makes the real difference
A home titled like a vehicle can lose value and be financed like a car loan. Once it's on a permanent foundation and recorded with the land as one parcel, it's no longer personal property.
Arizona's Affidavit of Affixture
In Arizona, that change happens through the Affidavit of Affixture (ARS § 42-15203). The home is set on a HUD-compliant permanent foundation, the original vehicle title is surrendered, and a notarized affidavit is verified by the county assessor and recorded with the county recorder.
The result
The home and land become one parcel, taxed, titled and mortgaged like a site-built home. It's eligible for conventional, FHA, VA and USDA financing and goes through the same foreclosure process as any house, not vehicle repossession.