I recently appraised a manufactured home for a possible short sale. While performing my inspection, the home owner told me his story that has become all too common since the financial crisis and economic downturn. Lost jobs and mounting debt linked with a declining real estate market had brought forth another sadening statistic of an underwater mortgage. The home owner was visibly frustrated with the manufactured housing lending process or lack thereof. He stated "it would have been nice if someone told us it was so difficult to get a mortgage on one". As I wrapped up and started my journey back to office, I began thinking about a larger question. If this home owner was a "typical" buyer in the market, did he meet the definition of a reasonably informed buyer? This would likely garner several perspectives from appraisers but it seems the simple answer would be that it depends. It is possible that the majority of some buyers may not actual...