5 Mobile Home Scams… Exposed

When you are in the market for a new manufactured home, you want an easy, low-pressure, and affordable buying process. Unfortunately, not every mobile home dealership will give you that. In fact, some companies are so focused on making a profit, they will use manipulative tactics to trick you into spending more money.

At Braustin Homes, we want to ensure you have the best home buying process possible, whether that’s with us or another dealership. So if you are talking to other mobile home dealers in the area, watch out for these clear signs they don’t have your best interest at heart.

They won’t show you a mobile home without running your credit.

Some dealerships won’t even give you the time of day if you don’t let them run your credit the minute you walk through their door. Basically, they want get a read on how much money they can get out of you before they even take the time to show you what they have to offer. Even if they do let you look at the manufactured home without running your credit report, they will go through the motions like you are wasting their time. At Braustin, we believe that you need to see what we can do for you before we do something that could impact your credit score.

They ask for a deposit to reserve your manufactured home. 

Some mobile home dealerships will tell you that you need to put down a $500-1000 deposit in order to reserve your new mobile home. They may even claim that this is required by banks. This is not true. Some dealers will not even return the money after you close on the house. If a mobile home dealership asks you for a deposit, run. 

They offer “free” gifts with your purchase. 

Some dealerships will throw in outlandish “free” gifts, such as a widescreen TV. In reality, these “free” gifts are lumped in with the cost of the house. They simply add the cost of the “free” gift to your price tag. This is simply a marketing tactic to entice you to work with them. If they promise you lavish gifts for your business, you should be highly suspicious of this arrangement. 

They claim “free” delivery of your manufactured home.

This is another instance when they will raise the price on the home and claim that the delivery is free within a certain range. The truth is, we are all getting our factory-built houses from the same manufacturers, and they all charge a freight fee. Some dealers will try to entice you by claiming they offer it for free, but you are still paying for the delivery. 

They weaponize trade-ins.

The majority of mobile home dealerships (with the exception of us) do not list their prices upfront. They can use this to their advantage if you are looking to trade in your old mobile home. Essentially, they can determine how much you want to make on your mobile, and raise the price of the new manufactured home to reflect that. This way, they do not have to give you a discount for your trade in but they can make it seem like they are lowering the price for you. 

We hope that these tips help you avoid a negative home buying experience. Whether you work with us or not, we believe in affordable housing and want to help our community thrive. If you are looking for assistance buying your mobile home, we’re here to help! Contact us to speak with one of our Housing Consultants.