Before a manufactured home can be financed with home loan guarantees by the Federal housing Administration, the Housing and Urban Development agency as well as many lenders, it must pass strict inspection requirements.

One of the main things sought during manufactured home inspections is the so-called red tag, placed on the home indicating it was built in compliance with the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards.

Any manufactured home on which the red tag, required to be on the rear of each section of the manufactured home is missing, will not pass inspection. The red tag is required to be on all manufactured homes manufactured after 1976 and homes built before then are also not eligible for these types of loans.

Additionally, manufactured home inspections must show that the home has been classified as real estate and taxed accordingly and any mortgage must cover both the home and the land on which it sits with a term of no longer than 30 years for HUD acceptance and 25 years for FHA guarantee approval, if the loan is for the manufactured home and the land on which it rests.

Concerning the grade elevation manufactured home inspections will look at the 100-year flood history in the area to determine if the grade on which the home is situated is above that level.

The manufactured home must also be insulated under the home and allow access to any utilities running under the building and to prevent freezing of any utilities subject to inclement weather.

While the inspections are mandatory for loan applications, they also insure the home will maintain its integrity.

While they may not be required for all loan applicants, manufactured home inspections can provide the buyer an added level of security that the home they are buying will last the length of the loan agreement and quite possibly many years beyond.