Buying or refinancing a manufactured home in Fresno starts with a question that matters more here than in most Valley cities: is the community inside the City of Fresno? The city both inspects mobilehome parks and runs a rent review process, and neither applies in Clovis or in the unincorporated county.
Fresno is the seat of Fresno County. Inside the city limits a purchase usually runs through a land-lease community, where you own the home and rent the space; a home sold with its own land is more likely out in the county.
Santiago Financial, Inc. finances both, and the California hub page covers the statewide basics. This page covers what is specific to Fresno; how seasonal and farm income is documented is covered in the Fresno and Central Valley buyer guide.
Inside Fresno city limits, the city inspects the parks and reviews rent increases
Since July 1, 2021, the City of Fresno has enforced California’s Mobilehome Park Act at every mobilehome park inside the city limits, in place of HCD. Its mobilehome parks page describes maintenance inspections of a park’s common areas, buildings, utility systems, individual lots and the exteriors of the homes. The same page covers the city’s Mobilehome Park Rent Review and Stabilization ordinance, Chapter 12, Article 20 of the Fresno Municipal Code, in effect since 1988, which set up a commission and resident committees to review rent increase applications.
For a buyer, that means two practical questions for the park office: what did the city’s most recent inspection find, and how have space-rent increases been handled under the ordinance? Neither replaces the lender’s review or the community’s own resident approval, which are separate from each other. Statewide, park tenancies come under California’s Mobilehome Residency Law, and HCD runs a Mobilehome Residency Law Protection Program for certain disputes.
Which rules apply to a Fresno-area community
| Where the community is | Who inspects the park | Space-rent rules | Where to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside the City of Fresno | The city, since July 1, 2021 | The city’s rent review and stabilization ordinance (Chapter 12, Article 20) | City of Fresno Code Enforcement |
| Clovis | HCD, unless the city has taken on enforcement | Clovis’s own municipal code | The City of Clovis |
| Unincorporated Fresno County | HCD | No county ordinance found | Fresno County; HCD |
Fresno, Madera and Tulare are different counties, and the records follow the county
Fresno’s neighbors are closer than the county lines suggest. Madera, across the San Joaquin River, is the seat of Madera County; Visalia is the seat of Tulare County; Hanford is in Kings County. Clovis, Sanger, Selma, Reedley and Kingsburg are in Fresno County. The tax clearance, any recorded 433A and the building permits for a home come from the county the home sits in, so settle that before you start calling offices.
For Fresno County, the Assessor explains that a manufactured home installed on a legally recognized permanent foundation is no longer treated as a mobile home for property tax purposes, and that HCD requires a Tax Clearance Certificate from the Tax Collector of the county where the home is located, proving current taxes are paid, before it transfers the title.
Homes sold new before July 1, 1980 may instead be on HCD’s in-lieu fee. Ask which system the home is on and whether a 433A has been recorded before you make an offer, because both change the records the transfer needs.
Summer cooling belongs in your budget
NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 climate normals for Fresno Yosemite International Airport put the average high at about 98°F in July and 97°F in August. Cooling belongs in your own monthly budget beside the loan payment and space rent, and the parts of the home that hold cooled air in belong in the inspection: the age and type of the cooling system, the roof, the insulation and the ducts under the home.
Many Valley homes rely on a rooftop evaporative cooler, a central air conditioner, or both. Ask what the home has, ask the seller for a year of electricity bills, and test your budget against the summer months rather than the yearly average. If the home sits on the county’s foothill edge, look the address up on CAL FIRE’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone map and get a manufactured home insurance quote before you commit, because a lender generally requires acceptable coverage before closing.
If your pay follows the harvest, gather last year’s W-2s or tax return first, then talk with a specialist about which loan path the home fits.
Nearby areas
Fresno sits on Highway 99 between two valley cities with their own pages: Modesto to the north and Bakersfield to the south. Clovis, Madera, Selma, Sanger, Reedley and Visalia are all served; the California service areas list covers the rest of the state.
Every application is reviewed individually, and all financing is subject to credit approval. Local rules change, so confirm them with the city or county; this page is general information, not legal or tax advice.