Do Manufactured Homes Depreciate? Here's the Proof They Don't
October 15, 2026
The value of a manufactured home, mobile home, or any home for that matter, depends on condition, location, and demand.
There's a long-running myth that mobile and manufactured homes lose value like cars. The numbers tell a different story. The value of any home, manufactured or site-built, comes down to three things: condition, location and demand.
The short answer: A well-maintained manufactured home in a desirable community can hold and grow its value, just like a site-built home. National price data and decades of Hames resale history point the same direction.
Reality 1: Manufactured Home Values Keep Pace with Site-Built Homes
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) now tracks manufactured home prices alongside site-built homes. From early 2000 to mid-2024, manufactured home values rose a cumulative 212%. Site-built homes rose 213% over the same period.1
Manufactured homes even outpaced site-built homes for a stretch. From 2015 to 2020, they appreciated about 9.5% per year, compared with 5.9% for site-built homes.1
FHFA's index covers manufactured homes sold together with land. That's why our own sales history matters too.
Reality 2: Hames Resale Prices Have Climbed for Nearly Two Decades
Used homes sold through Hames keep getting older, and their average prices keep going up.2
| Year | Average Age of Used Home Sold | Average Sale Price |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 12.8 years | $29,964 |
| 2018 | 18.6 years | $40,197 |
| 2021 | 22.1 years | $51,133 |
| 2025 | 24 years | $59,895 |
From 2008 to 2025, the average resale price roughly doubled, even though the average home sold was more than 11 years older. Buyers know manufactured homes are one of the best housing values in America, and that demand supports resale prices.
Real example: This 1995 Skyline Sabre Supreme (3 bedrooms, 2 baths) sold new for $33,720. It later resold for $44,900, an increase of 33%.
Reality 3: "Depreciation" is an Accounting Term
In accounting, depreciation spreads the cost of an asset over a set schedule for tax and bookkeeping purposes. It's a formula on paper. It doesn't measure what a buyer will pay for a home.
When a manufactured home, condo or site-built house sells for more or less than it did a year earlier, the cause is a change in its location, condition or demand.
Reality 4: Every New Home Carries a Premium
Brand-new homes of every type sell for more than pre-owned ones. Many buyers will pay extra to be a home's first owner.
So if a manufactured home appraises below its model-year purchase price, that gap reflects the new-home premium. The same thing happens with brand-new site-built houses, and nobody says those homes depreciate.
Reality 5: Location, Location, Location
Unlike a car, a manufactured home's location plays a big role in its price. Several years ago, a family in a nearby, less desirable community couldn't sell their home. They moved it to a Hames community (not an inexpensive move) and sold it for $12,000 more than their original asking price.
Hames communities, Summit View and Grand View, are well maintained with on-site managers. Desirable neighborhoods support the value of residents' homes.
Reality 6: Today's manufactured homes are built to last
The old "trailer park" stereotype lives on in folklore and country music. Today's manufactured homes are spacious, comfortable and built with the same building materials as site-built homes, to a strict federal construction standard. They cost less because they're built indoors, in climate-controlled factories.
For an extreme example, MarketWatch reported in 2017 that about 90 manufactured homes in a Malibu, California community were valued between $1.8 and $2.5 million.3 Go ahead and call those "trailers."
How to Protect Your Manufactured Home's Value
- Keep up with maintenance. Condition is one of the three biggest drivers of value.
- Choose a well-managed community. Location and neighborhood upkeep shape what buyers will pay.
- Keep your paperwork in order. A clean title makes your home faster and easier to sell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do mobile homes depreciate like cars?
No. A home's value depends on condition, location and demand. FHFA data shows manufactured home values rose 212% from 2000 to 2024, nearly matching site-built homes.
Why might a manufactured home appraise for less than I paid?
Brand-new homes of every type sell at a premium. A lower appraisal after purchase reflects that new-home premium, which site-built homes experience too.
What affects a manufactured home's resale value?
Condition, location and buyer demand. A well-maintained home in a well-managed community is in the best position to sell for more.
See the Value for Yourself
Come see the quality and durability of a Hames manufactured home in person. Our knowledgeable sales team will show you why so many families choose the manufactured housing lifestyle. Call Clint or Curtis at (319) 377-4863, visit our sales office at 5410 Wabash St. SW in Cedar Rapids, or browse homes for sale online.
Financing is available for qualified buyers through Circle Finance LLC (NMLS #366020). Thinking about selling? We buy homes, too.
Sources
1 Federal Housing Finance Agency, Developmental Quarterly House Price Indexes for Real Property Manufactured Homes, Technical Note (October 2024). Purchase-only index, Q1 2000 to Q2 2024.
2 Hames Homes historical sales data.