These professionals must routinely complete certified continuing education programs. Retailers typically control the subcontracting functions related to installing the home on the lot of the home buyer's choice. Some homes are sold from sales centers owned and operated by the retailer. Others are sold from a model center located at a land-lease community or subdivision. Many retailers will provide a custom manufactured home on a lot already owned by a consumer or help the prospective homeowner find a suitable lot.
Some retailers specialize in the sale of existing manufactured homes.
Since few manufactured homes are ever moved once delivered to an original foundation site, manufactured homes, even in land-lease communities, are sold on site and the space lease is transferred to the new homeowner. Sales of existing manufactured homes surpassed 60,000 in 2000. A number of California financial service companies and their branch offices have loan programs for manufactured homes. These institutions include banks, savings banks, credit unions, mortgage corporations and commercial finance companies. These companies provide all types of consumer, conventional and government-backed financing plans for manufactured homes.