Manufactured Home Mortgages
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HUD Tags,
Compliance Certificates/Data Plates,
and IBTS Certificates
If you’ve ever talked to a mortgage lender about a mortgage for your manufactured home, you’ve likely heard the terms “HUD tag”, “data plate”, or “compliance certificate” at some point. That’s because nearly all mortgage lenders require the manufactured homes they finance to meet HUD safety standards that were enacted on June 15th, 1976. HUD tags certify that the home meets those standards and data plates (also known as compliance certificates) list out all of the details of the manufactured home. If either of these are missing, most lenders will require a replacement certificate from The Institute for Building Technology and Safety, which maintains manufactured home records. Each of these items are explained in more detail below.
HUD tags
HUD tags are metal plates that are affixed to the exterior of manufactured homes built after June 15th, 1976. They certify the home was built to HUD’s safety standards and each one has a unique label number, which will need to be legible enough for an appraiser to read it and take a picture of it. If it is not legible or if it is no longer affixed to the home, an IBTS certificate must be ordered to certify the home meets HUD’s safety standards (see IBTS certs below).
Data Plates/Compliance Certificates
The term data plate can be a bit misleading, as a data plate is not a plate at all. It is a printout on paper or foil, usually about 8.5”x14” and is affixed somewhere on the interior of the home, usually inside of cabinets, in the laundry area, or near the electrical breaker box. These certificates are also known as compliance certificates, which I feel is a much more fitting name. Compliance certificates list out details of the manufactured home, including: manufacturer, model number, date of manufacture, serial number, and HUD label number. If this certificate is no longer affixed to the home and legible, a replacement certificate will usually need to be ordered through The Institute for Building Technology and Safety (see IBTS certs below).
IBTS Certificates
The Institute for Building Technology and Safety is an institution out of Ashburn, Virginia that, among other things, maintains records pertaining to manufactured homes. There are two certificates that can be ordered from them: a Label Verification Letter that certifies the same information as the HUD tag and a Performance Verification Certificate that certifies the same information that is found on the data plate.
For more information on Label Verification Letters and Performance Verification Certificates, including wait times and costs, you can visit The Institute for Building Technology and Safety’s website by clicking on the link below.
