We just bought a park in San Antonio and will be bringing in ~40 new homes over the next 1-2 years. We are not sure of the Texas MHA membership requirements and/or TDHCA licensing requirements and are hoping to connect with park owners in TX who have navigated this path before.
Texas MHA:
It seems that a TDHCA license is needed in order to join the Texas MHA as a community owner. Is this true?
Texas DHCA:
We need help with insight into the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) licensing types. We want to own and operate parks in Texas while also filling in vacant lots with new and used homes. It’s unclear to us whether we need to be a:
You do not need to have a license to join the TMHA. It is worth it to joint the TMHA, it is one of the biggest MHA’s since Texas has the most MH of any state IIRC. They have lots of helpful sample paperwork to use in your business.
To sell new homes in Texas you MUST have an installers license as well as a retailer’s license. (Although you should still use/subcontract to a licensed installer). To sell (only) used homes you need a retailer’s license. To get licensed you will have to attend a three-day course in Austin.
Anyone you employ who will be in sales will have to get a salesperson’s license and attend the first day of the same course. It is offered approximately once a quarter. The course is quite interesting and they give you all the answers to the final exam (everyone passes). It is not a big deal to have your manager take it.
The TDHCA will conduct annual inspections and look over random samples of your sales paperwork. If you are not compliant they will tell you what you have to start doing. They try to also inspect 90+% of new installations to make sure your installer did the job right.
In my opinion, they run a good program that serves the needs of the different stakeholders effectively.