FHA/VA Foundation

For an FHA/Reverse Mortgage loan on a Manufactured home, the opinion of a professional engineer certifying that the foundation meets a national quality standard is required. The Engineer Certification Letter signifies that the home's structural foundation complies with the standards set forth in the HUD PERMANENT FOUNDATION GUIDE FOR MANUFACTURED HOMES.

The reason for this requirement is to establish a national standard of consistency amidst inconsistent state installation standards. While manufactured homes have standardized preemptive structural, plumbing, and electrical standards that need to be met before leaving the factory, installation standards vary from county to county, state to state. Additionally, manufactured homes are unique in that they can either be titled either as personal property (chattel) or real property. In some states the distinction between personal and real property is determined by the type of foundation and underpinnings that support the home. In other states, the classification of "personal" or "real" property is determined by how the property is taxed. Since the individual jurisdictional requirements vary signficantly, the Engineer Certification Letter helps to provide a standard for excellence. This is generally an underwriting requirement for all FHA insured loans, which also include Reverse Mortgages.

If an existing home is already on a foundation, an engineer can provide a certification attesting to the fact that the home meets the guidelines. If it does not meet the HUD guidelines, there are a variety of proprietary or approved engineered foundation systems that can be retrofitted in combination with the existing structural components. OnTheLevel can provide both the necessary retrofits or can assist in the engineering certification process.

On The Level is a certified Department of Veterans Affairs contractor under the (VA) Home Loan Guaranty Program, Builder ID number 4714.