Mobile Home Purchase Agreement Template — The Contract Behind the Bill of Sale

The bill of sale records the transaction. The purchase agreement is the contract that governs it. What every private-party seller needs in the document before either party signs.

A mobile home purchase agreement is the binding contract between a buyer and a seller that spells out the sale price, contingencies, deposit terms, inspection rights, closing date, and default remedies for the sale of a manufactured, mobile, or park model home. It is the contract that stands behind the bill of sale — the bill of sale confirms the sale happened; the purchase agreement is what the parties are obligated to before it does.

Most private-party mobile home sales skip the purchase agreement and go straight to bill of sale on the day the money moves. That works when both parties are reasonable and nothing goes wrong. When something does go wrong — a failed inspection, a delayed wire, a lien surfacing at title transfer — the purchase agreement is what the parties fall back on. Sellers who have gone through it once, sign one every time after.

The short version

• The purchase agreement is the pre-closing contract. It defines what both parties are agreeing to do before the bill of sale gets signed.
• The bill of sale is the closing document. It confirms the transfer actually happened.
• A one-page template is usually enough for straightforward private-party sales under $50,000 with no contingencies.
• A three-to-five-page agreement is worth it for sales with an inspection contingency, financing contingency, deposit, or delivery term.
• Every state accepts a properly-signed purchase agreement. State-specific real-property forms only apply when the home is titled as real estate.

What a purchase agreement does that a bill of sale does not

The bill of sale is short — usually one page — and its job is to confirm that on a specific date, the seller transferred ownership of a specific home to a specific buyer for a specific amount. It is the receipt.

The purchase agreement is longer — usually two to five pages — and its job is to spell out the terms of the deal before it closes. Sale price, deposit amount, contingencies (inspection, financing, park approval), closing date, what happens if either party backs out, who pays for what, and when possession transfers.

A well-drafted purchase agreement prevents disputes. If the buyer wants to walk after a bad inspection, the agreement says whether the deposit refunds. If the seller wants to keep both offers on the table, the agreement says whether that is allowed. If a lien is discovered before closing, the agreement says who is responsible for clearing it.

The bill of sale cannot do that work. It only records what happened.

The nine sections every purchase agreement needs

A functional mobile home purchase agreement includes:

1. Parties and property. Legal names and addresses of buyer and seller. Home make, model, year, size, HUD label number, and serial number. Land status — whether the home is being sold with owned land, on leased land, or as a portable structure only.

2. Purchase price and payment terms. Total price. Deposit amount and when it is due. Balance amount and how it will be paid at closing (cash, cashier's check, wire, escrow disbursement).

3. Inspection contingency. How many days the buyer has to inspect. What inspection findings would allow the buyer to walk. Whether the deposit refunds in that case.

4. Financing contingency (if applicable). If the buyer is using a loan, how many days they have to secure financing, and what happens if the loan is declined.

5. Park or lot lease contingency (if applicable). If the home is in a mobile home park and the buyer intends to keep it there, whether the sale is contingent on park approval of the new resident.

6. Title and lien terms. Seller warrants clean title. Any known liens must be disclosed and cleared by closing. Who pays the title transfer fee.

7. Closing date and possession. When the sale closes. When the buyer takes possession. Whether there is a rent-back period.

8. Default and remedies. What happens if the buyer walks after the inspection contingency expires. What happens if the seller backs out. Whether disputes go to mediation or court.

9. Signatures and notarization. Both parties sign. Notary acknowledgment where the state requires it (which is most states).

Every clause in the agreement is a "what if this goes sideways" answer. The shorter the agreement, the more the parties are trusting each other. The longer the agreement, the more protected both sides are.

Where to find a real template

Free and low-cost mobile home purchase agreement templates are widely available. The ones worth using:

• The Manufactured Housing Institute state fact sheets reference the state offices that publish official forms
• Most state manufactured housing offices publish official transfer and purchase agreement forms — the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and California HCD publish state-specific versions
• eForms, LawDepot, and Legal Templates all offer free downloadable purchase agreement templates that work for straightforward private-party sales

For sales above $75,000, sales involving liens, sales with a delivery contingency, or sales with any land component, a real estate attorney's review is worth the fee — usually $200 to $500 for a purchase agreement review.

Contingencies — the clauses that protect both sides

Contingencies are the "conditions that must be met for this sale to close" clauses. The four that matter most for a mobile home sale:

Inspection contingency. Standard is seven to fourteen days. The buyer hires a home inspector (typically $300 to $600 for a manufactured home) who reports on the structural, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and roof condition. If the report surfaces major issues, the buyer can walk with a full deposit refund, or negotiate a price reduction, or ask the seller to make repairs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's manufactured home standards are the reference point for what qualifies as a defect.

Financing contingency. Standard is twenty-one to thirty days. If the buyer is using a specialty lender like 21st Mortgage, Triad Financial, or Cascade, the loan approval process takes two to four weeks. If the loan is declined, the buyer walks with a full deposit refund.

Title contingency. Standard is fifteen days. The buyer has the right to review the title and confirm it is clean. Any surfacing liens must be cleared before closing.

Park approval contingency (park sales only). Standard is fourteen to twenty-one days. If the home is being sold in-place in a mobile home park, most parks require the incoming resident to be approved by park management. If the park denies the buyer, the sale is void and the deposit refunds.

Each contingency is a checkpoint. The sale advances only when the contingency is met or waived. When all contingencies clear, the sale is "clear to close" and the bill of sale can be signed.

Portable vs stationary — which contingencies apply

The physical mobility of the home changes which contingencies matter.

For a portable home (single-wide, park model, tiny house on wheels, container home) being sold for delivery to a new location:

• Delivery contingency — who arranges transport, who pays, and what happens if the destination lot rejects the setup
• Setup contingency — who is responsible for the pad, hookups, permits at the destination
• No park approval — the home is leaving the park

For a stationary home (foundation-affixed double-wide or triple-wide) being sold in-place:

• Park approval contingency (if in a park)
• Title conversion status — is the home titled as real property, personal property, or in transition
• Occupancy — when the seller vacates

The purchase agreement template needs to be adapted to which category the sale is. A generic template misses these clauses and creates ambiguity at closing.

The deposit — what it does and who holds it

The deposit (also called "earnest money") is the buyer's commitment to the sale. It signals that the buyer is serious enough to put money down before closing.

Standard deposit amounts for mobile home sales:

• Under $30,000: $500 to $2,000
• $30,000 to $75,000: $2,000 to $5,000
• Above $75,000: $5,000 to $10,000, or 5% of purchase price

The deposit should be held in escrow — not directly by the seller, and not directly by the buyer. licensed escrow is the standard for private-party mobile home sales. The escrow account holds the deposit until closing, at which point it credits toward the purchase price. If a contingency fails and the buyer walks legitimately, escrow refunds the deposit. If the buyer walks without a contingency reason, the deposit typically forfeits to the seller as compensation for the time off-market.

Direct-to-seller deposits are where the horror stories come from. The seller cashes the deposit, the buyer walks, and now the buyer is chasing the seller for a refund. Escrow prevents that.

What PERCH does with sellers

PERCH is the marketplace for modular, manufactured, container, tiny, and small-format homes. Sellers who list on PERCH get a purchase agreement template calibrated to the seller's state, escrow handling for deposits through licensed escrow settlement in all fifty states, and closing coordination that keeps both parties on the same timeline.

Listing is free right now.

When you are ready — we will feature your home to pre-qualified buyers, handle every inquiry, and settle through licensed escrow. List your home →

Or get the Seller's Field Guide — free PDF, twenty pages, everything you need to price and list. Send me the guide →

Sources

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Manufactured Housing Programs
• Manufactured Housing Institute, State Fact Sheets
• Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Manufactured Housing Division
• licensed escrow — deposit-holding framework, all 50 states
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Manufactured Home Purchase guidance

Related on PERCH

• Bill of Sale for a Manufactured Home
• Sell a Manufactured Home Without Losing 20–40% to a Cash Buyer
• The Field Guide (PDF, free)