Maine Real Estate Information blog

A double or single-wide manufactured home is now eligible for RD (Rural Developement) financing only when purchased from one of their approved dealers. The manufactured home requirements are:

Rural Development - Manufactured Homes
Basic Requirements:

 Units must be new
 Placed on a private lot (not in a park)
 Put on a permanent, approved foundation
 Purchased through approved dealer-contractor

Restrictions:

No furniture, including drapes, beds, chairs, sofas, lamps, tables, televisions, etc.
Furniture does not include refrigerators, ovens, ranges, washers and dryers, etc.

Certification and Inspection Requirements:

 Foundation Plan:
 Must be stamped by a Maine Registered Professional Engineer
 Must be approved/stamped by State Office
 Must transfer all loads below the established frost line
 Home must be permanently anchored to foundation

Manufactured Housing Unit:
Unit must have a properly affixed certification label indicating the construction of the unit is in accordance with Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (FMHCSS):

Must meet agency thermal requirements:
Comfort Heating and Cooling Certification
FMHCCS Uo Value Zone 3 for all of Maine

Required Contractor Statements:
Statement by dealer-contractor that any cash payments/rebates will be deducted from price of unit and not paid to applicant

Statement by dealer-contractor that the proposed cost is the full price of the unit and all development activities

If the applicant is purchasing furniture with other funds, a lien will not be filed against the Agency/Lender’s security property
 
Required Inspections for Manufactured Homes:

Stage 1 Inspection:  Prior to or during placement of permanent foundation, but prior to backfill
Stage 2 Inspection:  Final inspection when construction is complete, unit is in place but prior to occupancy
-FMHCSS Sticker
-Comfort Heating & Cooling Certificate for Zone 3

 Approved Dealer/Contractor to provide:

 Lien Release  for all materials or labor furnished
 Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin indicating that the unit is free and clear of all encumbrances
 Builder’s Warranty
 All manufacturer’s warranties to the applicant

Lender Requirements:

 Recertification or Satisfactory Completion Certificate
 Water Test, where applicable
 Septic System Approval, where applicable

For a list of approved manufactured home Maine dealers,  call our office at: 207-784-2525  or email - mike@meservier.com

MaineHousing yesterday closed its sale of tax-exempt bonds to Maine investors, pulling in $38.7 million to finance its homebuyer program.

The agency put the bonds on the market last week exclusively for Maine investors, with a goal of selling $23 million, according to the Kennebec Journal. The bonds are exempt from state and federal income taxes, and the interest rates ranged from 3.5% on a two-year bond to 6.25% on a 15-year bond. MaineHousing plans to put longer-maturing bonds on the national market in about three or four weeks, according to the paper.

The money will fund the agency’s first-time homebuyers program, which provides low fixed-rate mortgages and other assistance to people who qualify.

Well it’s done and we rolled it out today! It’s a new buyer’s guide to inform Maine home buyers. We had this wonderful idea of helping Maine real estate buyers feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about the home buying process through the use of a user friendly website at http://www.HowToBuyAHomeInMaine.com

Here you won’t be in the least bit intimidated by the Maine real estate home buying process with great content like an easy to understand flow chart, link bookmarks and a glossary with definitions of real estate terms. We discuss key points needed to make informed decisions on your journey into home ownership. Whether you’re a first time home owner or an investor, you’ll see great value in these free tools, documents and information. We are here for you and want to be your REALTORS for life!

So if you are currently renting, moving to Maine or investing in Maine property, visit http://www.HowToBuyAHomeInMaine.com and you’ll soon see why the professional REALTORS at Meservier & Associates of Keller Williams Realty Mid Maine are your trusted resource to home ownership.

This Maine real estate web site is brought to you by Meservier & Associates of Keller Williams Realty Mid Maine - 34 Center Street Auburn, Maine 04210 - Office# 207-784-2525 - 43 years of combined service! Visit us online at these great sites: www.meservier.com - www.mainemls.info - www.mainerealestateexperts.com - www.MaineWaterfrontRental.com 

The National Association of Realtors chart summarizes the first-time homebuyer tax credit provisions of the recent economic stimulus bill - The chart covers areas of eligible property, amount of credit, income limit, refundable, effective date and termination date to name a few. Follow this link to see the chart.  http://www.realtor.org/GAPublic.nsf/files/chart_homebuyer_tax_credit_.pdf/$FILE/chart_homebuyer_tax_credit_.pdf 

This is for First Time Home Buyers Only.