Offers

The headline number is only part of an offer. A lower offer from a cash buyer with no financing contingency and community pre-approval is frequently better than a higher one contingent on a loan that may not materialise. Read the whole offer, and weigh certainty against price.

What to look at: the price; whether it is cash or financed and if financed, what evidence of qualification accompanies it; which contingencies apply and how long each runs; who is asked to pay which costs and fees; what personal property and appliances are included; and the proposed timeline for closing and possession.

Expect an inspection contingency and treat it as normal. A buyer who waives inspection on a manufactured home is either unusually well-informed or has not understood the risk, and the second kind often renegotiates later anyway. It is generally better to have an inspection happen, produce findings, and be resolved than to have an unexamined home go to closing.

When you counter, you can counter on terms rather than only on price. A shorter inspection period, a firmer financing deadline, removing a request for you to contribute to closing costs, or an earlier possession date can all be worth more to you than the last portion of the price, and are often easier for a buyer to accept.

Get every agreement in writing, including which appliances stay and which repairs you have agreed to make. Verbal agreements about inclusions are the most common source of closing-day disputes.