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Manufactured home · plain-English explainer

What is an affixation report?

An affixation report is a PE-sealed document certifying that a manufactured home is permanently attached to its foundation and legally converted from personal property (chattel) to real property — so it can be titled, financed, refinanced, or sold as real estate. In practice it pairs a PFGMH foundation certification with a recorded Affidavit of Affixation.

Also calledAffidavit of Affixation
ConvertsChattel → real property
Sealed byLicensed P.E.
Turnaround5 days
Hands signing documents at a table beside house keys and a notary stamp
01 / The core idea Personal property → real property

What is an affixation report used for?

An affixation report is the engineering evidence that a manufactured home is permanently attached to its foundation, so it can be treated as real estate. A manufactured home leaves the factory as personal property — titled like a vehicle, with a DMV certificate of title. Before it can be mortgaged, refinanced, or sold as real estate, that title has to be retired and the home legally tied to the land. The report is what makes that conversion stick.

Before

Personal property Chattel

The home is titled like a vehicle. A lender can only make a chattel (personal-property) loan against it, usually at a higher rate and shorter term. FHA, VA, and USDA real-property programs are off the table.

After

Real property Affixed to land

The certificate of title is surrendered and the home becomes part of the real estate. It can now carry a real-property mortgage, be refinanced, sold with the land, and be taxed as real property.

02 / Affixed Attached to the land

What does "affixed" mean in real estate?

In real estate, "affixed" means attached to land so firmly that the item is treated as part of the land rather than as separate movable property. A manufactured home is titled as personal property until it is permanently attached to the land; once it is, it can become part of the real estate. The report documents the evidence: pier and footing specs, anchoring, soil bearing, permanent utilities, and skirting.

03 / What's in it Two engineering instruments

What is in an affixation report?

A complete affixation report is built from two PE-sealed instruments that do different jobs — one structural, one legal.

PFGMH foundation certification
The structural evidence. A PE-stamped report certifying that the foundation meets HUD's Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing, Section 3 — pier and footing specs, anchoring, soil bearing, permanent utilities, and skirting. This is what FHA / USDA underwriters and title insurers rely on for proof of permanence. Full instrument breakdown →
Affidavit of Affixation
The legal declaration. A notarized sworn statement by a licensed Professional Engineer declaring the home is permanently affixed to the real estate under the state law that applies. This is the document that gets recorded at the county — book and page numbers issue against it.
04 / Report vs. affidavit Certificate · affidavit · report

How is it different from a certificate or affidavit of affixation?

The affidavit of affixation is one instrument inside the broader affixation report, and the foundation certificate is another. People use the terms interchangeably, but they do different jobs: the certification is the engineering evidence, and the affidavit is the sworn declaration that gets recorded. Most files need both; a few edge cases, like a refinance on an already-converted home, need only one. Ask your lender or title team which documents they require, because the exact requirements depend on the transaction and jurisdiction. For a closing-side checklist, read the affidavit of affixation checklist for title companies.

05 / Who needs one Lenders · title · owners · assessors

Who asks for an affixation report?

Lenders, title companies, closing attorneys, and homeowners ask for one whenever a manufactured home is changing hands or changing loans and needs to be real property.

06 / Cost and quotes What shapes the quote

What affects the cost of an affixation report?

The cost depends on which documents your file needs, the property location and recording county, the closing timeline, and the scope your lender or title team requires. To get a quote, submit the address, the recording county, and the target close through the request form. Quote same business day.

07 / Common questions Affixation reports, answered

Affixation reports, answered.

What is an affixation report for a manufactured home?
An affixation report is a PE-sealed document certifying that a manufactured home is permanently attached to its foundation and legally converted from personal property (chattel) to real property, so it can be titled, financed, refinanced, or sold as real estate. It typically pairs a PFGMH foundation certification with a recorded Affidavit of Affixation.
What does affixed mean in real estate?
In real estate, affixed means attached to land so firmly that the item is treated as part of the land rather than as separate movable property. For a manufactured home, an affixation report documents the permanent foundation, anchoring, and utility connections that show the home is affixed.
Is an affixation report the same as an affidavit of affixation?
Not quite. "Affixation report" is the umbrella term people search for. It refers to two instruments: the PFGMH foundation certification (structural evidence) and the Affidavit of Affixation (the notarized legal declaration that gets recorded). The affidavit is one part of a complete affixation report.
Who needs an affixation report?
Lenders originating FHA, VA, or USDA real-property mortgages; title companies and closing attorneys clearing title; homeowners refinancing or selling; and county assessors taxing the home as real property. It is the document that lets a manufactured home be treated as real estate rather than a titled vehicle.
What's the difference between the PFGMH certification and the affidavit?
The PFGMH certification documents that the foundation meets HUD's Permanent Foundations Guide, Section 3 — the structural evidence. The Affidavit of Affixation is a sworn PE statement declaring the home is permanently affixed and converted to real property under the controlling state statute — the legal instrument that gets recorded.
How do I get an affixation report?
Submit the property address, the recording county, and the target closing date. A licensed P.E. inspects the foundation, drafts and seals the PFGMH certification and Affidavit of Affixation, and returns recorder-ready documents — typically within five business days. Request a report →
What affects the cost of an affixation report?
The cost depends on which documents the file needs, the property location and recording county, the closing timeline, and the scope your lender or title team requires. Submit the address, the recording county, and the target close through the request form to get a quote. Request a quote →

Need a home made real property?

Submit the address, the recording county, and the target close. Acknowledgment within one business day. Quote same business day. Recorder-ready PFGMH certification and Affidavit of Affixation within five business days.

Moved home? Start with the structural report.

A new conventional financing path may require a post-move structural integrity inspection.

Get the moved-home structural integrity report →