The Coachella Valley Brief

Buying a manufactured home in a Coachella Valley land-lease community

2026-10-02T00:00:00Z

What you own and what you rent

When you buy in a land-lease park you are buying the structure. The park owns the land, the streets, and the clubhouse. You sign a rental agreement for your space and pay rent to the park every month, on top of whatever you owe on the home.

That split affects everything else: how the home is titled, how it's financed, what you pay in taxes, and who has a say when you sell.

Price the space rent like a second mortgage payment. It's the number most buyers underestimate.

Three ways to own a manufactured home

Setup	Who owns the land	Monthly cost	Typical title
Land-lease park	Park owner	Space rent + loan	HCD registration
Resident-owned park	Residents, through a co-op, corporation, or subdivided lots	Dues or assessments + loan	HCD registration plus an interest in the land
Your own lot	You	Loan + property tax	Can become real property when installed on a permanent foundation

How financing differs

Fewer lenders make loans on homes in land-lease parks, and those loans often carry higher rates and shorter terms than a standard mortgage. Because you don't own the land, the loan is usually secured by the home alone.

Talk to a lender who does these loans every week before you start shopping. They can tell you which parks they will lend in, how old a home they will finance, and what down payment to expect.

Questions to ask the park before you offer

What is the current space rent, and how much has it gone up each year for the last five years?
What does the rent include: water, sewer, trash, landscaping?
Is the park age-restricted? What are the pet, guest, and rental rules?
What does the buyer application require, and how long does approval take?
Are there any rules about the age or condition of homes, or about leaving the home in place when it's sold?
Does a city space-rent ordinance apply to this park?

Inspect the home like a house

Get an inspection from someone who knows manufactured homes. Homes built after mid-1976 carry a HUD certification label and a data plate; ask to see both. Look closely at the roof, the skirting, the tie-downs, and any additions, since add-ons like carports and Arizona rooms need their own permits.

Can you camp in an RV on private land in the Coachella Valley?

2026-10-05T00:00:00Z

How land ownership is layered

Think of land ownership as a set of concentric circles. The outer circle is the federal government. Inside it is the state, then the county, and in some places a township. A parcel can also sit inside a city, a town, a homeowners association or a cooperative.

Each circle can bring its own services and amenities. Each can also bring its own laws, ordinances, covenants, conditions and restrictions, and taxes or assessments. Whatever land you buy fits somewhere in this structure, and more circles usually means more services but also more rules and fees.

Decide what services you want, how much regulation you can live with, and what you can spend on taxes and fees. That tells you which kind of parcel to look at.

Is RV camping legal on the land you want to buy?

Owning land doesn't mean the rules over it will let you camp on it. Some jurisdictions prohibit staying in any temporary structure, including an RV, for any length of time. Others allow it for a limited period. Others have a permit process that lets you use the land indefinitely if you meet its requirements.

Every place has exceptions, but two patterns hold more often than not:

The fewer legal structures a parcel belongs to, the more likely you can camp on it.
The more populated the area, the more land use is regulated, and the less likely camping is allowed.

Don't assume a lot that's cheap and empty is a lot you can camp on. Get the answer in writing before you offer.

How to find out what's allowed

The traditional way is to contact every entity that has jurisdiction over the parcel and ask. That takes time, and the hardest part is often working out who to ask when several governing bodies overlap. Owners and agents who list raw land usually aren't marketing it for camping and may not understand the rules that apply.

When you ask, be specific:

Is camping in a recreational vehicle allowed? Mobile homes, tiny houses and tent camping can fall under different rules.
If so, for how long, and is a permit required?
Does the deed or an association add restrictions the city or county doesn't?

If you'd rather have someone start that list with you, ask us.

How buying RV land works

It's similar to buying a house. You agree on terms with the owner or agent, then open escrow with a local escrow or title company. In escrow the buyer deposits the purchase money, finalizes any financing and completes due diligence. The seller deposits the deed. The title company prepares the deed and arranges title insurance. When every term of the contract is met, the sale closes and you become the legal owner.

How financing differs

Not every bank lends on raw land or on land set up for RV camping, but some do, especially local banks. Ask them directly whether your parcel qualifies. If you're buying inside an association, ask the developer whether a financing program exists. Developers often have already worked with a bank on one.

Some owners will finance the sale themselves. This is sometimes called a land contract, a purchase-money mortgage or an installment sale, and an attorney typically drafts it. It's a fairly common arrangement, but talk to your own attorney first so your interests are protected.

Renting instead of buying

You can also rent RV land. Terms can be by the night, week, month, season or year. When you find a place, contact the owner or agent, ask your questions and negotiate the terms of a rental agreement.

Renting a space for a season is a way to test a location before you commit to buying, and it lets you see whether a place works for you in summer heat as well as winter.

Next: what to check before you develop raw land.

Developing raw land in the Coachella Valley: a due-diligence checklist

2026-10-05T00:00:00Z

What to look for when you walk the land

Developing raw land can be exciting and rewarding. It also takes research to avoid surprise costs and delays.

Before you make an offer, make sure the land will work for what you want to build. Walking it gives you a more realistic picture of what you can do with it, and what you can't. It also prevents the kind of buyer's remorse that cancels a contract once the buyer sees the lot in person.

As you walk it, ask:

Where would the building or main use go?
Is there enough level ground?
Where do I get the best views, or the most shade?
Does a driveway exist, and can it handle the vehicles I need, including delivery and construction trucks?
Is there room for a shed or other structures once you account for setbacks?
Do I need to clear trees or vegetation?
Are there low spots or washes that could flood?
Can I still get to the land when the weather changes?
What are the adjacent properties used for?

Then sketch the lot on paper, or print a map of the parcel and draw on it. Add the driveway, the building site, the utility connections, trees you want to keep and any structures you might build later. The plan will change, but it gets you thinking like a developer.

Why in the Coachella Valley the details matter

Rules change from city to city and between the cities and unincorporated Riverside County. Washes and flood zones matter in the desert, and summer heat affects how you power and cool a building. Ask about all of it on the specific parcel, not the general area.

Build a due-diligence checklist

Do this before you make an offer. If questions remain when you do, specify them as conditions in the offer. Contract wording has legal consequences, so work with a real estate agent or an attorney licensed in the state where the land is.

Start with a list of everyone who has legal jurisdiction over the parcel, then add the providers of every utility or service you want. Not every item will apply to you, and you may have others to add.

Who to contact	What to ask
City or county planning and zoning office	What is the zoning, and what does it allow? Does it allow your intended use, such as a house, a cabin, an RV, a mobile home or a tiny house? These can have different rules. Is there a time limit or a permit requirement? Which uses need a conditional use permit or other exception, and what does that process cost and how long does it take?
Planning office and environmental health department	What are the setbacks from property lines and roads for buildings and structures, and the required distances for a well and for a septic system? Those distances to each other, to property lines and to washes or water can shrink the usable part of the lot.
County recorder	Pull the deed. Has a developer restricted the land's use? Are there easements you didn't expect?
FEMA, CAL FIRE and the California Geological Survey	Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood maps, CAL FIRE's fire hazard severity zone maps and the state's earthquake fault zone maps. Ask the county about washes, drainage and wind exposure too. Hazard zones can change what you can build, what it costs and what insurance you'll pay, so ask insurers for quotes early.
Association directors	What are the rules, how do you get approval for changes, and what are the upfront and ongoing fees?
Water provider	What does a connection cost, and how long does it take? If there's no service, ask local contractors about drilling a well or hauling water. You'll likely need a plumber or contractor to run a line from where water enters the property.
Sewer agency or septic contractor	If there's municipal sewer, ask about the cost and timeline. If not, a contractor can do a perc test and tell you whether a septic system will work, what it costs and which permits you need.
Power company	Is service available? Tell them what you're building, since programs and costs can differ by use. You'll likely need an electrician for permits, a meter and a panel. If there's no power, ask about solar panels, generators and batteries.
Phone, internet and cable	Which providers serve the lot? If none, cellular, hotspots and satellite internet such as Starlink may work. Availability and speed can vary even across one property, so test before signing a long-term contract.
Propane and gas	If natural gas isn't available, you may rely on propane for heat, cooking and hot water. Ask about delivery, or how far you'd drive to refill.
Garbage and recycling	Is pickup available, or do you haul your own to a facility?
Post office, FedEx and UPS	Is there delivery or are there PO boxes? FedEx and UPS may deliver where USPS doesn't, but call their local centers.
Excavators	Driveways, grading and tree removal add up quickly. Get estimates and understand setback requirements up front.
General contractors	Do you want one to manage the work, or will you hire subcontractors yourself? Check licenses and references.

Get it in writing

As you work through the list, ask each entity for something in writing. If you can't get that, keep notes with the date and the name of everyone you spoke with. Make sure you understand every restriction, requirement, ongoing fee and tax that applies. Be upfront about what you plan to do, so there are no surprises later.

Check the numbers against your budget

When the checklist is done, finish your sketch and compare the costs to your budget. The sketch is also useful when you talk with contractors and apply for permits. As with any building project, leave room in the budget and schedule for unexpected costs and delays. The more due diligence you do, the smaller they tend to be.

Work with us before you buy

There's a lot of work in developing raw land, but the reward is a property set up where you want it, the way you want it.

You don't have to do it alone. Work with agents who are experienced in raw land, like us. Jeff and Ryan can walk the checklist with you for a specific parcel, help you find out who has jurisdiction, and write the right conditions into your offer. Send us a note before you make an offer on land.