Recently released data from the 2005 National Association of Realtors “Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers” show that while the marketplace for existing manufactured homes is less consolidated than that for site-built homes, existing manufactured home are selling; it just might take a little more effort on the part of the seller.  These data, which are heavily weighted toward real property transactions show that buyers and sellers of manufactured homes are not altogether dissimilar from their counterparts who choose to live in a site-built home.

Highlights from the 2005 Data:

• The typical manufactured home seller lives in their home for 6 years, the same tenure as site-built.
• Roughly three in ten MH sellers trade up to a larger home, although many sold because of a job change.
• The typical manufactured home sells in 6 weeks, compared to 4 weeks for site-built.
• Real Estate agents sell roughly half of all existing manufactured homes; owners sell their own homes in 43% of the cases.
• 62% of manufactured home sellers were “very satisfied” with the selling process, compared to 65% of site-built buyers.
• Roughly 45% of existing manufactured home are listed on the internet compared to 85% of all agent-sold, site-built homes.
• Compared to site-built buyers, manufactured home buyers have lower incomes, are less likely to have children, more likely to be first time buyers and are far more likely to live in rural areas.