Hurricane-Damaged Home Near McGregor
A Fort Myers owner sold a storm-damaged manufactured home without coordinating roof, moisture, flooring, and exterior repairs.
What happened in this sale
Storm damage made this manufactured home near McGregor in Fort Myers difficult to occupy, and the owner moved in with family. Its condition was major repair, with storm-related exterior and moisture damage. The list of problems included roof leaks, water intrusion, damaged flooring and exterior storm damage.
The owner sold as-is for cash without managing contractors, and the sale closed in 16 days, in October 2019. That meant no coordinating of roof, moisture, flooring and exterior repairs for the owner. The site was cleaned, and damaged materials were repaired or replaced where practical.
- Property type
- Manufactured home
- Condition
- Major repair condition with storm-related exterior and moisture damage.
- Why the owner sold
- The owner moved in with family after storm damage made the property difficult to occupy.
- Biggest challenge
- Roof leaks, water intrusion, damaged flooring, and exterior storm damage.
- Purchase method
- Cash
- Closing timeline
- 16 days
- Closing month
- October 2019
The outcome
The owner sold as-is without managing contractors. The site was cleaned and damaged materials were repaired or replaced where practical.
The documented transaction closed in 16 days.
General information for sellers
Everything from here down is general information for sellers in a similar position. It is not part of the verified record of this sale, and it is not legal, tax or insurance advice.
Selling a manufactured home in Florida: rented lot or your own land?
These are Florida rules as they read today, some of them newer than this October 2019 sale. How this home and its land were held is not part of the record. For any manufactured home, that question comes first.
On a rented lot, Chapter 723 protects your right to sell in place. Under section 723.058, the park cannot make you remove the home just because you are selling it, and it cannot take a commission unless you hired it in writing as your agent. The park can screen the buyer under properly adopted rules, but its approval may not be unreasonably withheld. If the buyer has not been approved 5 days before closing, the buyer may cancel.
If you own the land too, the home may already be real estate. When a home is permanently affixed to land owned by the same person, section 319.261 lets the owner record the title and have the state retire it, and the home then sells by deed with the land. If the title was never retired, the land and home transfer separately. Financing also splits the market. Conventional mortgages generally require a permanent foundation, land ownership and a home built after June 1976.
What does storm damage change about a Florida sale?
Owners can repair first, sell before or after a claim is paid, or sell as-is. Repaired homes can bring more from retail buyers once permits are closed out. For a loss today, section 627.70132 generally gives one year to notify the insurer of a new or reopened claim, and 18 months for a supplemental claim. Flood damage is usually covered only by a separate flood policy.
Manufactured homes have their own insurance limits. Florida’s 15-year roof law does not apply to mobile home policies, and Citizens asks for documentation of a full roof replacement on mobile homes with roofs more than 25 years old, with some exceptions. The old roof guide has more, and a licensed agent can say what applies today.
In a FEMA special flood hazard area, when the cost to repair reaches 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value, the building generally has to meet current floodplain rules, and the local official makes that call. An as-is sale does not end disclosure either. The seller disclosure guide explains the flood form and what else a seller owes a buyer.
Fort Myers and Lee County: records to check and what sets the timing
Fort Myers combines an older urban core along the Caloosahatchee with newer suburban and coastal growth, and its low-lying areas carry flood and storm risk. That is a general picture, so check the exact address on FEMA’s flood map rather than relying on a neighborhood name.
The Lee County page lists the official starting points, including the Property Appraiser and the Clerk’s recorded deeds, liens and judgments. County code offices generally cover their own jurisdiction, so a home inside a city may need a separate city search. Title-policy and closing-charge allocations here are contract terms, not statewide mandates.
This sale closed in 16 days. That is one transaction, and the timeline for a cash sale elsewhere turns on title, the condition of the property and the closing date the owner picks. Manufactured homes add title questions, since a title may be lost, may have been retired, or may be one of several on a multi-section unit. Gather the title or deed, park rules, lot-rent statements, the insurance policy, adjuster reports, estimates and photos. Florida Cash For Home buys as-is and can close in about 10 days once title is clear, or later if the seller prefers. Any insurance claim stays between the owner and the insurer.
Questions about selling in Fort Myers
General answers for sellers in a similar position.
A park cannot make you remove the home just because you are selling, and it cannot adopt rules that deny or abridge your right to sell within the park. It can screen a buyer who wants to stay under properly adopted rules, but approval may not be unreasonably withheld. A Florida attorney can advise on a dispute.
Usually, but the title problem has to be resolved as part of the sale. Lost and retired titles are common with manufactured homes. A home in a park is sold with its title, which the county tax collector transfers for the state. Ask the tax collector’s office or the title company what your home needs.
Not for an as-is sale. You are not agreeing to make repairs, although protecting the home from further damage is wise. You must still disclose known facts that materially affect value and are not readily observable, so share any reports or estimates. A financed buyer’s lender may not close on a home with open damage.
Official records for Fort Myers homes
Public sources for checking a parcel, recorded documents and code matters:
Guides that go deeper
Plain answers to the questions that come up in a sale like this one:
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