CrossCountry Mortgage ranks as the best overall mobile home lender, with a minimum credit score of 500 and a 5 out of 5 rating based on over 22,000 customer reviews on Zillow. The lender offers conventional, FHA, VA, USDA, non-QM, chattel, and home-and-land loans with maximum loan amounts up to $3.5 million. Terms range from 10 to 30 years for fixed-rate loans and 3 to 10 years for adjustable-rate loans. CrossCountry serves all 50 states and accepts both owned and leased land.
Homes built before June 15, 1976, cannot qualify for conventional, FHA, VA, or USDA mortgages because they fail HUD standards. Borrowers with older manufactured homes may pursue chattel or personal loans instead.
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, effective July 11, removed the permanent chassis requirement from the federal definition of a manufactured home. HUD must still write standards for chassis-free homes. Industry estimates put builder savings at $5,000 to $10,000 per home.
Other top picks include Cascade Mortgage for buying land plus property (40 states, 4.5 out of 5 rating), 21st Mortgage for customer service (46 states, A+ Better Business Bureau rating), Manufactured Nationwide for loan variety (50 states, up to $3 million maximum), Credit Human for existing homeowners (40 states, no loan maximums), Guild Mortgage for low credit borrowers (49 states, 540 minimum credit score with 10 percent down), and Triad Financial Services for chattel loans (47 states, 550 minimum credit score).