Stepping Stones
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Buying your home direct from the factory unlocks the kind of savings most shoppers never see. From production to placement, you keep more of your investment working for you. It’s a smarter, more transparent path to homeownership—one that delivers superior value, with exceptional craftsmanship, and maximum savings straight from the sourc
Get a general vision of the home you're looking for by visiting championhomesdirecthamilton.com—whether it's a certain layout, size, style, or must-have features. Once you have an idea of the home that will best fit your needs reach out to one of our knowledgeable team members through phone, email or our contact form. We’ll answer your questions and walk you through the next steps with clarity and confidence.
Design
Designing your manufactured home is an exciting, collaborative experience—and we partner with you throughout the journey. From the moment you share your vision, we’ll help you explore floor plans, tailor features, and choose finishes that fit your style, budget, and lifestyle needs. With expert guidance and a deep understanding of what’s possible, your salesperson helps transform ideas into a beautifully planned home that feels uniquely yours.
Purchase
Navigating the financial steps of buying a manufactured home is simpler than many expect, especially with the right guidance. Whether you’re exploring loan options or planning an all-cash purchase, we’ll help you follow a clear path that helps you understand budgets, timelines, approvals, and total project costs. Each step is designed to move you closer to confident, informed homeownership. With straightforward financing choices and the ability to buy outright if you prefer, you can move forward knowing exactly what to expect—every number, every milestone, every step of the way.
Let’s quickly go over a few options and considerations in regard to paying for your new manufactured home…
Option #1: Cash Purchase
Some homebuyers have ample monetary reserves and choose to pay for their new homes in full and upfront. If this is your situation – congratulations! There is little-to-no need in considering financing as a purchase option.
Cash purchases are generally the fastest route to homeownership.
Option #2: Conventional Mortgage
With a conventional mortgage, your new home is financed and purchased as real property. This means that the home and the land are bought and/or financed together. There will be a loan application and credit approval process – usually through a bank, credit union, or independent mortgage broker. Once your loan package is finalized with your lender and your land/home combination in order, you will attend a ‘closing’ where the ownership process is finalized.
Remember, the conventional mortgage approach is usually taken when your new home and building site land are purchased together.
Option #3: Chattel Mortgages
Chattel Mortgages are personal property loans. This method is used when only the home is financed. That is, chattel mortgages are utilized when you do not yet own your land – or – already own (or have documented possession of the land) where we will be placing the new manufactured home.
Unlike a conventional mortgage, you will be provided a Title instead of a Deed with Chattel Mortgages. Only when land is included in the purchase will you receive a Deed.
If you are buying a home that will be on leased property, a chattel mortgage may well be the only financing option available. This type of ‘leased land’ financing is common in planned communities or manufactured home parks, where the buyer doesn’t actually own the land.
The Closing Costs
These fees are similar across the board for all home buyers, regardless of credit history, income level, or other considerations. The really good news is that these closing costs are included in the loan amount in over 90% of our transactions. That is, you typically do not have to come up with large sums of money to pay closing costs out of pocket.
The Down Payment
Whether you finance with a conventional or a chattel mortgage, you will need some form of down payment and enough funds to cover closing costs.
Down payments can be as low as 3.5% of the total home cost. Example: With a home price of $50,000, your down payment would be $1,750. However, an average down payment is usually about 10% of home price.
Finding A Lender
Your common credit score means very little when it comes to financing a manufactured home. What is important is a FICO score (this is a very specific ranking of your credit for mortgage purposes).
If you allow one or more entities to pull your credit prior to your manufactured home purchase, you risk damaging your FICO score. Additionally, some unscrupulous re-sellers of homes will intentionally steer your credit ranking and credit application towards financial institutions they own and/or control (which can lock you into higher than market interest rates).
Champion Homes Center Factory Direct works with several independent, reasonably-priced financial institutions. We actively and tirelessly seek to ensure that you get the best possible sales price on your new home as well as the smallest down payment, the lowest competitive interest rate, and most affordable monthly payments available based on your financial status and monetary position.
Move In
Moving into your new manufactured home is an exciting milestone, and a smooth transition starts with careful planning. The process begins with site preparation, ensuring your land is level, utilities are ready, and foundations are set for a safe, stable installation.
When preparing your home site please consider:
- Access to the site – Homes are delivered on heavy, oversized trucks, so road access is important.
- Zoning, permits, development fees – Are there any regulations that would keep you from installing your home?
- Utility location – Is there access to gas, electricity, water, sewer? If not a public sewer, space for a septic system?
- Site readiness – The land needs to be cleared, graded, and made ready to accommodate your new home.
Next, delivery and installation bring your home to life on its permanent site, followed by thorough inspections to confirm everything meets quality and safety standards. Finally, you can enjoy personalizing and settling in, arranging your space, and making it truly yours. Each step ensures your move is seamless, safe, and stress-free, so you can start enjoying your new home right away.
If you have any questions about the process, our team is always available to provide guidance and support every step of the way.
