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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
01 / The core idea Personal property → real property

It makes a home 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. An affixation report is the engineering evidence that 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 / What's in it Two engineering instruments

Two documents, one filing.

"Affixation report" is the umbrella term. A complete 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, citing the controlling state statute (for example, Missouri § 442.015). This is the document that gets recorded at the county — book and page numbers issue against it.
Affixation report vs. affidavit of affixation

People use these terms interchangeably, but they are not identical. The affidavit is one instrument inside the broader affixation report. Most files need both the PFGMH certification and the affidavit; a few edge cases — like a refinance on an already-converted home — need only one.

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

Who orders an affixation report.

If a manufactured home is changing hands or changing loans, someone in the deal needs the home to be real property. That is when the report gets ordered.

04 / Common questions Affixation reports, answered

Affixation reports, answered.

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 →

Need a home
made real property?

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