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In the spring of 2022, nearly 18 million students attended American colleges and universities.

As exciting as this phase of life can be, experiencing some level of homesickness during the home-to-college transition is common. As a parent, you may feel a sense of responsibility when it comes to helping your now-adult child get over their homesickness. And there could be a reason for concern, since studies have shown that emotional or mental distress in college students can impact academic performance.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways parents can help their child adjust to being away from home (perhaps for the first time) and get the most out of their college experience. Read on to learn some simple ways you can help your child feel less homesick at college.

Recommended: College Planning Guide for Parents

Strategies to Help Your Child Cope with Homesickness

Watching your child experience homesickness from afar can be challenging. It may be tempting to rush to the rescue, but it is also important that your child find their footing on campus. These tips and ideas may be helpful as you support your child as they navigate homesickness and life on-campus.

Acknowledging the Situation

It can be comforting to know that you’re not the only one struggling with a given situation. So as a parent, it might be helpful to share with your child how common homesickness is among first-year students. Providing comfort and reassurance that they are not alone and that in time, their feelings of homesickness will pass, can go a long way.

Keeping In Touch

As you and your child adjust to your new dynamic, you may need to find new ways to keep in touch. Keep in mind that while your child is adjusting to on-campus life, you don’t want to be overbearing. Try setting up a weekly video chat or sending over fun updates from home in a text message. Remember to give your child the space they need to find their footing at school.

Sending a Care Package

When packing for college, adding a few items that bring the comfort of home could be helpful if your child starts feeling tinges of homesickness. Things like a favorite book, a blanket, or stuffed animal could be just the thing when homesickness creeps in.

Sending over a care package with some of their favorite cookies, candies, or snacks and a photo of a fun memory can provide a touch of home too.

Encouraging Your Child to Get Help if They Need It

If your homesick college student seems like they may benefit from professional help, you might encourage them to visit their campus counseling center. Many colleges also offer mental health services and counseling on campus, often at little to no cost.

If there are fees involved, they may be covered (at least partially) by health insurance. If your child is no longer on a family medical plan, it’s likely you’ve enrolled them in a college health insurance plan, which is often rolled into costs of tuition, room, and board.

💡 Quick Tip: You can fund your education with a low-rate, no-fee private student loan that covers all school-certified costs.

Helping Your Child Find a New Familiar

It’s probably not the best idea for parents to visit their child every weekend — though it may be hard to control yourself if your child’s university is easily accessible. As lovely as it is that you’re a familiar face, it might be more helpful for your child to find a new familiar.

Instead, you might encourage your child to find ways to make their not-yet-so-familiar home feel more known. If your college student loves coffee, they might want to find a local shop they can visit frequently — turning it into their own personal hang-out spot.

If they’re into museums, discovering the best ones nearby could help them feel more grounded in their new environment.

Getting Involved on Campus

When someone is feeling down, it can be tempting to stay indoors and wallow in those feelings. Getting involved on campus can help students build community and connect with their peers. Colleges have lots of clubs and extracurriculars that can help students find like-minded individuals.

If committing to a club feels like too much, your child might connect with peers in a more casual way, from making friends in class or meeting new people during a dorm hall function.

Developing Healthy Routines

Physical health and mental health go hand in hand, so if your homesick college student is making less-than-healthy choices during this tough transition period, you might encourage them to make some changes in their routine.

This might look like starting their day with a walk to the campus coffee shop or finding a weekly exercise class. Creating a schedule and finding new, healthy routines can give your student something to look forward to.

Recommended: What Percentage of Parents Pay for College?

Developing a Plan to Pay for College

In addition to homesickness, paying for college can be an added layer of stress, for both parents and students. If your child is worried about money or constantly working at a job to help cover costs (rather than acclimating to college), you might want to look into additional sources of funding, such as scholarships and grants and/or student loans.

It’s important to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year, since this is required for a student or parent to qualify for any federal funds or loans.

For some students, federal student loans and other sources of aid may be enough to fund their college education. If it’s not, parents also have the option of taking out loans, such as the federal PLUS loan or a private student loan. You might also consider cosigning a private student loan for your child.

When comparing federal vs. private student loans, keep in mind that private student loans aren’t required to offer the same borrower protections, like deferment options or income-driven repayment plans, as federal student loans. For this reason, you generally want to look at private student loans only after you’ve exhausted federal loan and aid options.

💡 Quick Tip: Parents and sponsors with strong credit and income may find much lower rates on no-fee private parent student loans than federal parent PLUS loans. Federal PLUS loans also come with an origination fee.

The Takeaway

The transition to college life can be stressful for students, as well as their parents. Being in an unfamiliar environment, while trying to balance classes and making new friends can lead to feelings of apprehension, anxiety, and homesickness. As a parent, providing support from a distance can include things like sending a care package, checking in with a video call once a week, and encouraging your child to get involved in extracurricular activities.

Hopefully, in time, your child will settle into their life on campus — finding a new normal. If money worries are adding to your child’s (or your own) college stress, it can also be a good idea to explore funding options you or they might qualify for. Once the financial side of college is taken care of, your child will be free to focus solely on assimilating into campus life and fully embracing this exciting time in their life.

If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Terms and Conditions Apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. SoFi Private Student loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, such as completion of a loan application and self-certification form, verification of application information, the student's at least half-time enrollment in a degree program at a SoFi-participating school, and, if applicable, a co-signer. In addition, borrowers must be U.S. citizens or other eligible status, be residing in the U.S., and must meet SoFi’s underwriting requirements, including verification of sufficient income to support your ability to repay. Minimum loan amount is $1,000. See SoFi.com/eligibility for more information. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change. This information is current as of 04/24/2024 and is subject to change. SoFi Private Student loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to a traditional house, you might consider buying a mobile home. The price of a mobile home (also known as a manufactured home) is typically much lower than a standard single-family home. Plus, these homes aren’t necessarily temporary. These days, factory-made homes can be just as permanent as houses that are built on-site. They can also be customized in many of the same ways as a traditional home.

While mobile homes don’t always qualify for a traditional mortgage, there are several types of financing that can help make buying a factory-built home more affordable. Read on for a closer look at the process of buying — and financing — a mobile, manufactured, or modular home.

What is the Average Cost of a Mobile Home?

According to the Census Bureau’s February 2022 Manufactured Housing Survey, the average price of a new manufactured home is $128,100.

More specifically, the average price for a single-wide mobile home is $89,200 and average for a double-wide mobile home is $160,400.

However, mobile home prices can vary significantly by region. The highest prices tend to be in the Northeast, where the average cost of a new mobile home is $107,000 for a single-wide and $167,800 for a double-wide.

The lowest prices are typically in the South, where the average price for a single-wide is $88,200 and average cost of a double-wide is $157,900.

In the West, a single-wide mobile home averages $92,800 and a double-wide averages $170,000, while in the Midwest, a single-wide mobile home averages $85,300 and a double-wide averages $158,800.

Recommended: How to Budget for Buying A House

Differences Between a Mobile Home, Modular Home, and Manufactured Home

The terms mobile home, manufactured home, and modular home are often used interchangeably. While all three refer to homes built in a factory rather than on-site, there are some differences between them. Below, we break it down.

Mobile Home

A mobile home is a prefabricated home built on a permanent trailer chassis that was constructed prior to June 15, 1976. That is when the U.S. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enacted the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act. After that date, new safety standards went into effect, which led to a new designation for these homes.

Manufactured Home

Like a mobile home, a manufactured home is built almost exclusively in a factory rather than on-site. However, these homes were built after June 15, 1976, when HUD put new safety standards into effect for mobile homes and changed the name of these structures from “mobile” homes to “manufactured” homes.

Another difference between mobile and manufactured homes is that manufactured homes typically are not moved after assembly. That said, it is possible to move a manufactured home if it has a pier and beam foundation. Manufactured homes need to not only meet HUD standards but also local building standards for the communities where they will be located.

Recommended: How Much Does It Cost to Build a Manufactured Home?

Modular Homes

Like mobile and manufactured homes, modular homes are built in a factory and shipped to the land where they will be set up. However, modular homes are often delivered in two or more modules (hence the name) that are then put together on-site by a contractor.

Modular homes are not designed to be relocated and are placed on a permanent foundation. Once put together, these homes have a lot in common with on-site built homes. They may have a basement and/or crawlspace, come in a variety of layouts, and can be one or two stories.

Like manufactured homes, modular homes must adhere to local building codes.

💡 Quick Tip: Buying a home shouldn’t be aggravating. Online mortgage loan forms can make applying quick and simple.

Things To Consider When Buying a Mobile Home

To find the best mobile home for your needs, here are some things to keep in mind.

Location

As with any home purchase, location is key. You can install your mobile home on land you already own, or purchase land for your mobile home. In either case, you’ll want to make sure that local zoning regulations allow for the installation of mobile homes and that the local utilities are able to connect a mobile home.

Another location option is to rent a plot of land in a mobile home community. If you find a community you like, it’s a good idea to find out what their restrictions are for home size and features before you buy a mobile home.

Size

Mobile homes are usually classified by their width. A single-wide is slightly under 15 feet wide and around 70 feet long. A double-wide mobile home is usually the same length but double the width — around 30 feet wide.

Due to their long, narrow shape, single-wide homes have fewer floorplan options and can work best for individuals or couples. Double-wide homes offer more space, as well as design options, and can be ideal for larger families.

Keep in mind that larger homes will, of course, be more expensive and also require a larger lot.

New vs Used

These days, you find new manufactured homes with all kinds of bells and whistles, including vaulted ceilings, walk-in closets, and luxurious bathrooms. If you’re looking to save money, however, you might consider going with a used mobile home. Just keep in mind that a used home may show signs of wear and tear (depending on how well it was maintained) and that some mobile home sites don’t allow homes made before a certain date.

Financing a Mobile Home

Once you’ve decided on the type and size of mobile home you want to buy, it’s time to figure out how you are going to pay for it. While it can be harder to find a loan for a mobile home than a traditional home, there are still a number of options. Here are some to consider.

Fannie Mae

While not all lenders finance manufactured homes, some may offer Fannie Mae’s MH Advantage program. These loans come with terms of 30 years, competitive rates, and down payments as low as 3%.

However, they also come with strict qualification criteria: The manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide, have a minimum of 600 square feet, and can’t be on leased land. The home also needs to have a driveway and a sidewalk that connects the driveway, carport, or detached garage.

Freddie Mac

Another option for manufactured home financing is the Freddie Mac Home Possible mortgage program. This program offers 15-, 20- and 30-year fixed-rate loans, as well as adjustable-rate mortgages. Like Fannie Mae, these loans typically come with low rates and down payments as low as 3%. Freddie Mac loans also have strict criteria for qualification: The home must be considered real property, have at least 400 square feet of living space, and be built on a permanent chassis.

FHA

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which offers loans for traditional homes with flexible credit and down payment requirements, also offers manufactured home loans called Title I and Title II loans.

You can use a Title I loan to buy a manufactured home (but not the land it sits on), provided that the property is your primary residence, is connected to utilities, and meets FHA guidelines. These loans typically come with terms up to 20 years and relatively low loan amounts.

Title II loans, by contrast, can be used to purchase both a manufactured home and the land it sits on together. However, the home must count as real property and have been built after 1976.

US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

If you’re a member of the military community, you may be able to qualify for a loan insured by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to purchase a mobile or manufactured home. To qualify for a VA loan for a manufactured home, your home must be on a permanent foundation, meet HUD guidelines, and must be purchased with the land underneath it. These loans often offer 100% financing with no money down; terms can range from 20 to 25 years.

💡 Quick Tip: You never know when you might need funds for an unexpected repair or other big bill. So apply for a HELOC (a home equity line of credit) brokered bySoFi today: You’ll help ensure the money will be there when you need it, and at lower interest rates than with most credit cards.

Chattel Loans

A chattel loan is a loan designed to purchase different types of expensive personal property, such as cars, boats, and mobile homes. You don’t have to own the land your home will sit on to get a chattel loan, so this can be a good option if you plan to rent a space in a mobile home community. Some lenders also offer chattel loans that are insured by the FHA, VA, and the Rural Housing Service (RHS) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Chattel loans typically have higher rates and shorter terms than traditional mortgages. Like a traditional mortgage, however, these loans hold the property being financed as collateral for the loan. That means that if you run into trouble making payments, the lender can seize and re-sell the mobile home.

Personal Loans

Since mobile homes generally cost far less than traditional homes, you may be able to finance your purchase through a personal loan.

Personal loans are typically unsecured loans with a fixed interest rate that can be used for virtually any purpose (including the purchase of a mobile home). These loans don’t have restrictions on how your mobile home is built, so you can likely qualify even if it’s fully movable and not attached to a permanent foundation. Also, personal loans don’t put your home at risk, and the application process and time to funding tends to be shorter than other types of mobile home loans. However, interest rates may be higher.

While some lenders offer maximum personal loans of $40,000 to $50,000, others will let you borrow $100,000 or more. If you can find a larger personal loan, it may be enough to finance a mobile, manufactured, or modular home.

Recommended: How Much Is a Down Payment on a House?

Getting Approved for a Personal Loan

If you’re thinking about applying for a mobile home loan, here are some steps that can help streamline the process.

1. Check Your Credit Reports

Whenever you apply for any type of financing, a lender will likely look at your credit history to help them determine how much they will lend to you and at what rate (or if they will lend to you at all). It’s wise to look at your three credit reports, see where you stand, and make sure there aren’t any mistakes or inaccuracies that could negatively affect your credit. You can get free copies of your credit reports from the three consumer bureaus — Equifax®, Experian®, and TransUnion® — at AnnualCreditReport.com.

2. Determine Whether You’re Buying Land and a Mobile Home

This will determine how much money you need to borrow, as well as what your financing options are. Some lenders will only offer mobile home financing if the home will be permanently set up on land that you own.

3. Save For a Down Payment

While it’s not always required, you may also want to think about saving for a down payment on your manufactured or mobile home.

4. Find the Right Lender

Interest rates can vary from one lender to the next, so it can definitely pay to shop around and compare offerings from banks, credit unions, and online lenders. Some lenders will allow you to “prequalify” for a loan with a soft credit check (which doesn’t impact your credit score). This will allow you to get an idea of the loan amount and rate you may be able to qualify for before you officially apply.

The Takeaway

While mobile and manufactured homes are typically more affordable than a traditional home, you may still need financing to cover the cost of the purchase. You may be able to get a loan from the same sources as traditional mortgages (such as FHA and VA loans). Other options include specialized manufactured home loans through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, chattel loans, and personal loans.

Looking for an affordable option for a home mortgage loan? SoFi can help: We offer low down payments (as little as 3% - 5%*) with our competitive and flexible home mortgage loans. Plus, applying is extra convenient: It's online, with access to one-on-one help.

FAQ

Can you get a personal loan for a mobile home?

Yes, a personal loan can be used to buy a mobile, manufactured, or modular home. Applicants will need to meet qualification requirements of the lender they’re working with.

What is the maximum personal loan amount for a mobile home?

The maximum loan amount is dependent on the lender. Many have maximum loan amounts of $40,000 and $50,000 but some will offer up to $100,000. The amount you can borrow will also depend on your income, credit score, and other factors.

Where can I get a personal loan to buy a mobile home?

Traditional banks, credit unions, and online lenders may offer personal loans to buy a mobile or manufactured home.

SoFi Mortgages
Terms, conditions, and state restrictions apply. Not all products are available in all states. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

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The typical options investor is trying to leverage options trading to speculate on directional moves in the prices of underlying assets. However, there are more sophisticated traders who would like to profit from other characteristics of options.

To pursue these trading strategies, investors need to minimize the effect of price changes and create portfolios that profit from and are more sensitive to these other factors. Delta neutral approaches allow investors to create these portfolios.

What Is Delta?

Delta is one of the Option Greeks and measures how much an option will change in price, given a $1 change in the price of the underlying asset. By definition, the delta of the underlying asset is always 1.

What Does Delta Neutral Mean?

Delta neutral means that a position’s value will not change when there are small market price changes. By holding a combination of assets and options, or combinations of various call and put options, a trader can create a portfolio with an overall delta of zero (in actual practice, very close to zero).

Traders use delta neutral strategies to minimize the effect of price changes while aiming to profit from shifts in implied volatility, the time decay of options, or simply to hedge against price movements.

How Does Delta Neutral Function?

A portfolio’s overall delta is determined by the sum of the deltas of its individual positions. Let’s take a closer look at the delta in options and securities.

Basic Mechanics

A trader holding shares (“going long”) benefits one-for-one from increases in the stock price. The delta for long shares is 1.

Investors short a stock will experience losses one-for-one as the share price rises, but they will benefit in the same amount when it falls. The delta for short shares is -1.

In the options trading world, a long call option has a delta of 0 to 1, while a long put option has a delta of –1 to 0.

Deep in the money long call options are most likely to feature a delta near 1. Deep out of the money long call options will have a delta near 0. At the money long call options typically have a delta near 0.5.

Deep in the money long put options typically have deltas near -1. Deep out of the money long puts have deltas near 0 and at the money long puts have deltas near -0.5.

Deltas values are for each individual security held and need to be adjusted based on your actual holdings. If you own 200 shares of stock, the delta for this position is 200. If you own an at the money call options contract, the delta for this position would be 100 x 0.5 or 50 due to options representing 100 shares of the underlying asset.

If you are writing (“going short”) options, the deltas values are reversed. If you write a call option with a delta of 0.75, then the delta for the position would be -75. Similarly, the delta for shares sold short is -1 per share.

The investor must also be aware that any delta neutral portfolio will only be neutral over a range of asset prices. An option’s delta is always in flux as it moves in and out of the money. A portfolio must be constantly adjusted to maintain delta neutrality – many delta neutral trades must be executed.

An Example of Delta-Neutral in Use

A trader might employ a delta neutral trading strategy when they are long shares of stock but are concerned about a near-term pullback in its price. Assume the trader owns 100 shares of XYZ stock at $100 per share. A long stock position has a delta of 1. Multiplied by 100 shares, the position has a total delta of 100.

The goal of a delta neutral strategy is to use a combination of calls and puts to bring the portfolio’s net delta to 0. One possibility is to purchase at the money put options that have a delta of -0.5. Two of these put option contracts have a total delta of -100 (-0.5 multiplied by 200 options). Recall that an options contract represents 100 shares of stock.

Here, the $100 strike is the delta neutral strike. As the underlying price moves away from $100, the delta of the portfolio will move.

Combining the deltas of 100 shares together with 2 long put option contracts with a -0.5 delta yields a delta neutral portfolio.

Stock position delta = 100 shares x delta of 1 = 100

Long put position delta = 2 contracts x 100 shares/option x delta of -0.5 = -100

Portfolio delta = stock position delta + long put position delta

Portfolio delta = 100 + -100 = 0 or delta neutral

The net position is protected from losses by being long put options while still having exposure to upside from the long stock position. Of course, there is a cost to purchasing put options.

A diagram might help illustrate what is delta neutral.

Profit & Loss Diagram Using the Above Example (Not Including the Put Option Cost)

Profiting From Delta-Neutral Trading

It is possible to profit from changes other than price movements in the underlying stock. For example, an options trader can use delta neutral strategies to benefit from declining or rising volatility. Vega is the Options Greek that tells a trader how much the price of an option will move in response to changes in volatility.

Delta neutral strategies can also be used to profit from time decay or – as in the earlier example – to hedge an existing long stock position. Writing options allows you to benefit from the effect of time decay, but there is a risk of assignment. If the underlying stock price moves significantly, the contracts could be assigned to you.

Shorting Vega

Shorting vega is a more advanced options trading strategy. A delta neutral approach can be used to benefit from collapsing volatility.

You might look to short volatility after a period of extreme movements in the market or a single stock. The key is to short vega when implied volatility is still high and you expect it to come back down.

When implied volatility is high, you pay a significant premium to be long options. You can take advantage of expensive options when implied volatility is high by selling options while still being delta neutral. The risk is that implied volatility levels continue to jump, which can lead to losses on a short vega play.

Waiting for Collapse in Volatility

A short vega position relies on the implied volatility on the underlying security to drop in order to turn a profit. It might take patience for implied volatility to drop to historical norms. To remain delta neutral, other positions might have to be put on to mitigate the risk of a change in the underlying stock price.

Pros and Cons of Delta Neutral Positions

Some of the pros of crafting a delta neutral portfolio have been highlighted, but there are downsides as well. Having to closely monitor your portfolio can be a burden, while trading costs mount as you constantly layer on or reduce hedges to keep near delta neutral.

Delta Neutral Straddle

A delta neutral straddle uses a combination of puts and calls to keep the position’s delta near zero while having exposure to volatility changes.

For example, if XYZ stock trades at $100, and it’s at the money call has a delta of 0.5 and it’s at the money put has a delta of -0.5, you can buy the put and call with the goal of selling them after implied volatility jumps. With this delta neutral long straddle strategy, your delta is effectively 0 but you are long volatility.

A delta neutral short straddle is an options trade that seeks to profit from minimal changes in the underlying stock price and a large drop in implied volatility. So, the reverse of a long straddle can be used when you believe implied volatility will drop.

Other options trading strategies used to profit from changes in volatility and time decay are calendar spreads, diagonal spreads, iron butterflies, iron condors, among others.

The Takeaway

Building and maintaining a delta neutral portfolio can be a challenging task, but profiting from time decay and changes in volatility can make it worthwhile and profitable.

Delta neutral trading can also hedge your portfolio from short-term declines while continuing to hold stock for the long-term.

Investors who are ready to try their hand at options trading despite the risks involved, might consider checking out SoFi’s options trading platform offered through SoFi Securities, LLC. The platform’s user-friendly design allows investors to buy put and call options through the mobile app or web platform, and get important metrics like breakeven percentage, maximum profit/loss, and more with the click of a button.

Plus, SoFi offers educational resources — including a step-by-step in-app guide — to help you learn more about options trading. Trading options involves high-risk strategies, and should be undertaken by experienced investors. Currently, investors can not sell options on SoFi Active Invest®.

FAQ

How do you make money with a delta neutral strategy?

You profit from a delta neutral option strategy when there are changes in a stock’s variables other than its share price. Changes in implied volatility create opportunities to go long or short volatility while being agnostic to the stock price’s change. You can also benefit from time decay by selling options while being delta neutral.

What is a delta neutral strike?

A delta neutral strike marks the price at which a portfolio is precisely delta neutral. In practice, it is more of a theoretical price rather than an exact level. When the underlying asset price moves up or down from the delta neutral strike, its delta will stray from zero; it will take additional hedging trades to get back to delta neutral.

How can you calculate the value of your delta neutral position?

To calculate your position’s delta, simply multiply each security’s delta by your position size. For example, one call option contract with a delta of 0.75 has a delta of 75 (0.75 x 100 options per contract). While being long 100 shares of stock with a delta of 1 has a delta of 100 (1 x 100 shares).

You combine the deltas of all positions in your portfolio to determine your overall delta. At that point, you can trade options to make your portfolio delta neutral.

Photo credit: iStock/Delmaine Donson

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