If you own land in Knox County, Tennessee with a mobile home on it, you might be wondering: Can I sell them together? Should I sell them separately?
This situation is more common than you think. Many parcels in Knoxville, Powell, Halls, Corryton, and rural Knox County include older single-wide or double-wide mobile homes, manufactured homes, or trailers. Some are livable, others are damaged, many are too old and aged out of their life span and many have complicated title situations.
The challenge is that selling land with a mobile home isn’t as simple as listing a house. Mobile homes can be treated as personal property or real property, depending on whether the title is retired. This affects how you sell, who will buy, and what paperwork is required.
The good news? Whether your property has a mobile home in great condition or one that needs to be hauled away, there are clear paths to selling quickly — especially if you work with a local cash buyer.
👉 Get a Free Cash Offer on Your Land and Mobile Home in Knox County Today
Is the Mobile Home Considered Real Property in Tennessee?
The first step in selling land with a mobile home is figuring out whether the mobile home is considered part of the real estate or still treated as personal property.
Personal Property
- Mobile homes are originally titled through the Tennessee Department of Revenue (DMV/Vehicles/Taxes), just like a car.
- If the title has not been “retired,” the home is still considered personal property and treated like a titled vehicle.
- To sell, you must transfer the title to the buyer, just like selling a vehicle – or consider selling the mobile home on a bill of sale (reduces your number of buyers and reduces mobile home, manufactured home, trailer value).
Real Property
- If the title has been retired to the land, the mobile home or manufactured home becomes part of the real estate.
- In this case, the home and land are sold together under one deed in one closing.
- Most lenders require a mobile home or manufactured home to be converted to real property before financing.
📌 Why this matters: If the mobile home is not retired, you may need to handle two separate transactions — one for the land, one for the home. Cash buyers often simplify this by buying both in one deal.
Common Challenges When Selling Land with a Mobile Home
Selling this type of property is often more complicated than selling a traditional house or vacant land.
- Unretired Titles – Many older mobile homes in Knox County still have active Vehicle titles. If heirs or owners don’t have the paperwork, sales can stall.
- Poor Condition Homes – Mobile homes built before the mid-1990s may be outdated, undesirable, damaged, outlived their life span or considered “non-livable.” Buyers and banks may see them as a liability rather than an asset.
- Financing Issues – Traditional lenders do not finance single-wide mobile homes or double-wide mobile homes built prior to 2000. This limits your buyer pool significantly.
- Land vs. Home Value – In the majority of cases, the land itself is worth more than the mobile home, which changes how buyers evaluate offers.
📌 Example: A seller in Powell owned 3 acres with a 1978 single-wide. Realtors explained that buyers couldn’t get financing due to the age of the home. The best solution was a cash buyer who purchased both land and home together.
Your Options for Selling Land with a Mobile Home
When you’re ready to sell, you generally have three main options:
Option 1: Sell the Land and Mobile Home Together
- Easiest if the mobile home title has been retired.
- If not retired, you can still sell both in one deal, but buyer must accept two transfers.
- Best option if you’re working with a cash investor.
- If title is has not been retired: Expect offers from buyers or cash investors to be for land value only if the mobile home, manufactured home, or trailer was built prior to 2000 or if an older single-wide mobile home is present.
Option 2: Remove the Mobile Home and Sell the Land Only
- If the mobile home, manufactured home, or trailer is in poor shape or unlivable or older than 20 years old, removing it can increase buyer interest in the land.
- Downsides: removal and demolition costs typically run $4,000–$8,000 depending on size and condition and timeline. If the mobile home can be salvaged and moved, your buyer will need to budget a minimum of $10,000 for a single-wide or $20,000 for a double-wide for transport costs in order to relocate the mobile home.
- This works well in suburban areas like Farragut, Knoxville or Halls, where land demand is high but buyers don’t want an old trailer, mobile home, or manufactured home.
- Giving the mobile home away will avoid these costs and solve your problem quickly.
Option 3: Sell the Mobile Home Separately
- If the mobile home is still titled as personal property, you can sell it like a vehicle.
- The land is then sold separately.
- This may attract two different buyers, but also doubles your marketing efforts.
- In our personal experience, selling to a local mobile home cash buyer equipped to move the home is the simplest, fastest, and straightforward solution.
Legal and Paperwork in Knox County
To sell land with a mobile home, you’ll need to handle the correct paperwork.
- If Title Retired → Only the deed transfer is required at the Knox County Register of Deeds.
- If Title Active → Both the Clerk Office (mobile home title) and Register of Deeds (land deed) must be transferred and updated.
- Additional Paperwork May Include:
- Bill of sale (if selling separately for the mobile home)
- Tax receipts for land and/or mobile home
- Lien releases (if applicable for mobile home/manufactured home/trailer)
- Survey (optional but helpful for buyers)
📌 Tip: If you’re unsure whether the title is retired, check with the Knox County Register of Deeds, 400 Main Street, Knoxville, TN 37902.
Fastest Route: Sell to a Cash Buyer
Most sellers in Knox County choose a cash buyer when land has a mobile home. Here’s why:
- Cash buyers purchase regardless of the condition of the mobile home.
- They handle both land and mobile home transfers in one deal.
- No realtor commissions (saves 6–10%).
- Close in as little as 2–4 weeks.
- You avoid the hassle of marketing, showings, and inspections.
Cash sales are especially common for:
- Inherited land with old trailers
- Out-of-state heirs
- Parcels with tax liens or title issues
- Properties that need repairs or vehicle titles mobile homes, manufactured homes, trailers the banks won’t finance
Final Steps to Close
- Verify title status (retired vs. active).
- Collect deed, tax receipts, and mobile home title (if applicable).
- Decide if you’ll sell both together, separate, or remove the mobile home, manufactured home, or trailer.
- Choose your selling method (cash buyer, realtor, or FSBO).
- Close at the Knox County Clerk/Register of Deeds office or with attorney or title company.
📌 Reminder: If the mobile home is not retired, you’ll also need to transfer the mobile home’s Vehicle title.
Sell Land with a Mobile Home in Knox County the Easy Way
✅ Inherited or own land with a mobile home? Don’t let outdated trailers, confusing titles, or buyer financing issues hold you back.
We buy land with mobile homes across Knoxville, Farragut, Powell, Halls, Corryton, and rural Knox County. Whether the mobile home is livable, needs repairs, or just needs to be removed, we’ll make you a fair cash offer.
👉 Get a Free Cash Offer on Your Land and Mobile Home Today
