Mobile Home Titles in Florida: Why They Require Extra Attention
If you’ve ever bought or sold a mobile home in Florida, you may have noticed that the title process can be a little more complicated than a traditional home sale. That’s because mobile homes fall into a unique “gray area”. Sometimes they’re treated like vehicles, and other times like real estate.
In Florida, a mobile home can have one of two types of titles:
Vehicle Title – Issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), much like a car title.
Real Property (RP) Title – When the home is permanently attached to the land and the title has been retired, it becomes part of the real estate.
Knowing which type you have is important because it determines how the home can be sold and transferred. Before a closing can happen, a title agent has to verify whether the mobile home’s title has been retired. If it hasn’t, they’ll need to track down the original title(s) and make sure everything checks out. This includes confirming that:
The VIN and title numbers match
The owner’s name is correct
There aren’t any liens or loans attached to the title
The agent also makes sure that the property’s legal description includes all the mobile home’s identifying information such as the VIN, title numbers, make, and model. Missing these details can cause delays or issues even after the sale is complete.
Mobile home closings can be a little more detailed, but that’s exactly where an experienced title company makes all the difference. By handling every step with care - from verifying titles to confirming ownership - your title team helps ensure a smooth, stress-free closing for everyone involved.
