//Guide 01   Lot Inventory

What is actually on a lot, and why it changes weekly

How to read a dealer's inventory, what "available" really means, and why the home you saw online might already be spoken for.

Why the website is always a little bit wrong

Most manufactured home dealers update their website inventory manually, and most of them are running a lot with a handful of staff. A home can be sold on a Saturday afternoon and still be sitting on the site the following Wednesday. This is not dishonesty, it is a staffing reality.

It also runs the other way. Homes arrive on a lot faster than anyone photographs them, so what is physically available is frequently larger than what is listed online. Calling or texting is genuinely the only way to know.

The difference between on the lot, ordered, and orderable

  • On the lot means you can walk through it today. What you see is what gets delivered.
  • Ordered means the dealer has it coming from the factory with a build slot assigned. You can usually still pick some finishes.
  • Orderable means it is a floor plan the dealer can order but has not. This is the one that surprises people, because the lead time is measured in months rather than weeks.

When a listing does not say which of the three it is, assume orderable and ask.

What to actually ask

  • Is this specific home on the lot right now, or is it a floor plan?
  • If it is on the lot, has anyone put money down on it?
  • If it is ordered, what is the current build and delivery estimate?
  • What changed on this model this year? Manufacturers revise floor plans more often than buyers expect.

This guide is here because dealers kept getting asked these questions and nobody had a straight page to send people to. If you run a lot and want this handled automatically, that is what Cass does. If you are a buyer, just take the questions with you.

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