Title retirement

Title retirement is the process of cancelling a manufactured home's separate certificate of title so the home is legally treated as part of the real property it sits on, rather than as personal property.

Manufactured homes usually start out titled much like a vehicle, through a state motor-vehicle agency. When the home is permanently affixed to land the same person owns, many states let the owner retire that title by recording specific documents in the local property records. After retirement, the home is generally conveyed by deed and can only be transferred together with the land.

Retirement also changes how the home is financed. Once the title is retired, a separate lien on the home typically no longer exists; instead the home is secured as part of the real estate through a mortgage or deed of trust. That can matter for the kind of loan available and how the home is taxed.

The exact steps and effects vary by state. For a specific state, see its title guide. This is general information, not legal advice.