Mortgage Navigator • FHA • Title I

FHA Title I is not the same loan as an FHA 203(b) mortgage.

Title I is a separate FHA insurance authority that includes manufactured-home financing and property-improvement lending. Its collateral, loan limits, terms and lender availability differ from standard Title II FHA mortgages.

Manufactured homes and lots

Title I can insure eligible financing for a manufactured home, a manufactured-home lot, or a home-and-lot combination under current HUD parameters.

Leased lots

Unlike a standard Title II real-property mortgage, HUD permits qualifying Title I manufactured homes on leased lots. Current HUD consumer guidance includes lease protections such as the required initial lease term and advance termination notice.

Property Improvement Loans

Title I also includes FHA insurance for qualifying property-improvement loans. This is different from 203(k), which finances rehabilitation through an FHA mortgage on the property.

Real-world issue: Title I lender availability can be much narrower than standard FHA 203(b). Program eligibility should never be represented as proof that a local lender currently originates it.

Official program sources

Primary sources are HUD/FHA program pages and Handbook 4000.1. Program availability and lender participation can be narrower than statutory eligibility, so a program's existence does not mean every FHA lender offers it.

HUD Single Family Mortgage Programs · Handbook 4000.1