We hope the smaller square footage will allow us to remodel with not rental quality materials, but not top-of-the-line/high-end either.

Give him a very specific list of what you want accomplished, even down to the materials you want.

Marketing units for maximum exposure Photography/floor plan costs Flyers and other printed marketing materials Paying for features on online platformsEtc. 

If you have a full-time job with a good salary, you may have a 401K that you can take a loan against.The alternative is the HELOC on your personal residence.I don't think you can really go wrong on the two HELOC options.The difference in rate is less than $100 / year per $10,000 borrowed.If you go with the 5 year HELOC, you may be able to do another HELOC in 5 years where hopefully you have more access if your home appreciates more.

There is asbestos in more than 2,000 building materials.

The factory built manufactured homes on permanent foundations which meet the new MHadvantage or ChoiceHomes lending guidelines do offer construction cost savings, but these are HUD standard (1X top and bottom plates, smaller plumbing sizing, different materials allowed) not building code standard and they are constrained to single story etc.

The higher the quality of materials = the more resilient to damages.

The keys that I’ve discovered up north is to build your relationships with realtors and people in the trades to get the best beat on what’s for sale off market, and to keep an open mind out for alternative uses for buildings maybe no one else wants that you can purchase for a discount and then repurpose easily to fit your needs.

@Renee Yarbrough If you're renovating the mobile home for rent, just be sure you put in materials people are looking for with the fix up.

There are some things you can potentialyl break out so make sure you have separate costs for materials/labor for:Land improvements, paint, flooring, appliances, blinds- there are few other more specific as wellA good REI Tax Strategist can help ensure you get the most benefit from your renovation