I’m buying a manufactured or mobile home on land. How does the title work?

A manufactured (or mobile) home starts life as personal property with its own title issued by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), much like a vehicle. To sell or finance the home together with the land as a single piece of real estate, that separate title generally must be eliminated and the home legally converted to real property. In Idaho, this involves recording a statement of intent to declare the home as real property with the County Recorder and surrendering the ITD certificate of title so the home is taxed and conveyed with the land. If that step was never completed, the home may still be titled as personal property even though it sits on the parcel, which affects how it is sold, financed, and insured. On any purchase involving a manufactured home, the escrow officer confirms whether the title has been eliminated and, if not, coordinates the paperwork so the home and land transfer together cleanly.