Probate is the highest-intent list a mobile home investor can mail. Distant heirs rarely want the home, lot rent is accruing, and nobody in the family wants to drive to [city] to deal with it. The investors who own this channel source filings direct from the county clerk, contact heirs respectfully in week 4–12 after filing, and close 8–15% of the probate leads they open. Here is the playbook.
- Probate chattel deals close at 0.8–1.2% direct mail response — highest-converting list in the business
- Most filings are available free from the county clerk; no paid data service needed
- Timing matters: contact heirs 30–90 days after filing, not the day of
- Tone matters more than any other list — one wrong sentence burns the deal
Most mobile home investors do not work probate because they assume it is complicated, slow, or insensitive. The truth is the opposite on all three counts: probate filings are public and free, small-estate probates close in weeks not years, and heirs are often relieved to hear from someone who can make the home disappear. The playbook below is what we see working in 2026.
Where to find probate filings
County clerk / probate court (free)
Every county in the U.S. has a probate court. Most have filings available online or at the counter. Pull filings weekly. What you are looking for:
- Small-estate affidavits: Estates under $75K–$100K (limit varies by state). Mobile home chattel often fits.
- Summary / simplified probate: Mid-tier estates handled without full administration. Timeline 30–90 days.
- Full probate filings: Larger estates. 6–18 month timelines. Still worth tracking — heirs get tired waiting.
Paid services ($50–$300/month)
All The Leads, U.S. Probate Leads, and ProbateMail curate daily feeds across multiple counties. Useful for investors working 3+ counties who cannot pull court records weekly. Not necessary for investors focused on their home market.
Cross-reference with chattel title records
Not every probate filing involves a mobile home. Cross-reference your weekly probate pull against the county tax assessor's chattel-titled property records by decedent name or decedent address. The overlap is your mailing list.
Typical county volumes: 50–200 probate filings per month in a mid-size market, of which 2–8% involve a chattel-titled mobile home. That is 1–16 addresses per month per county — small numbers, high conversion.
Timing — the part most investors get wrong
Do not mail probate heirs the week of the filing. It looks predatory and it does not convert. The heir is not ready to think about the home yet.
Best response rates come from:
- Weeks 4–8 after filing: Heir has received the initial legal paperwork and is starting to think about assets.
- Weeks 8–16: Lot rent has accrued, maintenance has started to slip, and the heir wants this settled.
- Months 6–12: Heir has tried listing with a dealer or agent and has given up. Your yellow letter finds them in frustration mode.
Mail multiple touches across this window. Not one letter the day of filing.
Tone — more important than the offer
One wrong sentence burns a probate deal. Here are the rules:
- Never reference the death directly in the opening. Do not write "Sorry for your loss" in line 1. It reads like a cold sales pitch.
- Acknowledge the probate context mid-letter. "I work with families who have inherited a mobile home they don't want to manage from a distance."
- Offer a specific dollar range. Not "top dollar." "$18K–$25K for a home like this, closing in 7 days." Heirs respect specifics.
- Give them an out. "If you'd rather handle it later, toss this and I won't mail again. If it's useful, call [phone]."
- Sign with a real name and a real signature. No business name on the envelope.
The probate-letter template
Hi [Heir First Name],
I work with families who have inherited a mobile home they don't want to keep — usually because nobody in the family wants to deal with lot rent, repairs, or figuring out the park from a distance.
The home at [park name / lot number] is the kind of home I buy. I can pay $18,000–$25,000 for a home like that, close in 7 days, and pay any back lot rent out of the sale. No inspections, no contingencies, no 45-day escrow.
If you'd like to handle it now, call me at [phone]. If you'd rather wait, toss this — I won't keep sending them unless you ask.
— [Your First Name]
[Your phone, hand-written]
That letter mailed to 40 probate addresses per month produces roughly 4–8 calls, 2–4 meaningful conversations, and 1–2 closed deals. Cost per deal: $80–$200. One of the cheapest deal sources in mobile home investing.
When to walk from a probate lead
- Title not yet transferred to heirs. You cannot close until probate is final or the court authorizes sale. Nurture monthly until the title is clear.
- Multiple heirs disagree. Two heirs who want to sell and one who does not can tie up a deal for months. Offer to nurture, not to negotiate.
- Homeowner had an open chattel loan with payoff > value. The estate may disclaim the asset rather than pay off. Check the loan payoff early.
Probate is the highest-converting mobile home investor list on the menu. It also has the thinnest margin for error in tone. Pull filings weekly, cross-reference against chattel records, mail in weeks 4–12 with a specific offer and a respectful tone. Two deals a month from this one list beats most of your paid channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do mobile home investors find probate leads?
Direct from the county probate court, which maintains public filings (most available online or at the counter, free). Cross-reference probate filings against the county tax assessor's chattel-titled property records to identify which estates include mobile homes. Paid services like All The Leads and U.S. Probate Leads curate multi-county feeds for $50–$300/month.
When should I mail probate mobile home leads?
Weeks 4–12 after filing, then again at months 6–12. Mailing the week of filing is premature — the heir has not processed the estate yet. Best response rates come once the heir has started receiving legal paperwork and realizing the mobile home is accruing lot rent while nobody manages it.
What response rate should I expect on probate direct mail?
0.8–1.2% response rate — roughly triple the baseline for generic chattel lists. Lead-to-contract conversion runs 8–15%, producing cost-per-deal in the $80–$200 range. This is consistently the highest-converting list in mobile home investor direct mail.
What should I say in a probate mobile home letter?
Acknowledge the probate context mid-letter ("I work with families who have inherited a mobile home"), offer a specific dollar range (not "top dollar"), commit to a 7-day close, pay back lot rent, and give the heir an easy out ("toss this if it's not useful"). Never reference the death in the opening line — it reads predatory.
When should I walk from a probate mobile home lead?
When title has not yet transferred to heirs (wait until probate is final or the court authorizes sale), when multiple heirs disagree on selling (offer to nurture, not negotiate), or when the chattel loan payoff exceeds home value (estate may disclaim the asset). Nurture these monthly rather than forcing a close.
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