Green Builder Blu Expanding Internationally

MHMSM.com presents Factory Built Housing Industry News at Noon with Erin Patla.

Coming up, First Eyewitness Report on MHI Summer Meetings

But first…these stories:

Green Builder Blu Expanding

Internationally

Sells Two Homes in Virgin Islands; Signs Caribbean

Distribution Agreement

WALTHAM, Mass., July 15 /PRNewswire. Green builder Blu Homes, Inc. today announced it sold two homes to Indigo Island Homes to serve as model homes. The homes, one a Blu Element design and the other a Blu Origin, are expected to be delivered to St. Croix [croy], U.S. Virgin Islands, in early 2011. Indigo and Blu also signed a distribution agreement allowing Indigo to market Blu’s homes in the U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Indigo Island Homes will sell both Blu brands, Blu Homes and mkDesigns.

“This partnership with Blu allows us to make green, healthy homes available affordably and quickly to residents of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico,” said Anne Wachtmeister, CEO of Indigo Island Homes. “We did our homework and selected Blu because of its high-quality construction, commitment to green [a healthy living environment with a reduced carbon footprint] and ability to efficiently and affordably transport beautiful homes to our clients.”

“We have a great deal of interest for our products both within and outside the U.S.,” said Bill Haney, co-founder and president of Blu. The U.S. housing market is only 4% of the world market so the international market is an important part of our long-term plans. This move into the Caribbean is a valuable first step toward internationalization because 1) the Caribbean has strong demand for affordable, quality construction, which our unique technology lets us supply economically from our factory in Massachusetts, and 2) because Indigo Island Homes has such excellent standing in the local markets.

Today is the day that MHMSM InFocus Reporter Eric Miller’s article on the Gulf Coast MEMA Cottages is available. The award-winning designs of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) cottages were an attempt to fulfill the needs of their occupants and address the challenges of building and protecting a home where land is sometimes below sea level. They have drawn mixed responses.

Read the full, illustrated story at MHMSM.com/eric-miller/mema

[MHMSM.com Market Report, July 16,

2010 Eric prefers that we don’t read the

title]

IN MARKET NEWS, President Obama’s desk is the final stop for what some are calling the most comprehensive reform of Wall Street since the New Deal. The Senate voted 60-39 Thursday to approve the legislation. The measure passed the House late last month. The bill establishes an independent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau housed inside the Federal Reserve, bans so-called “liar loans” and provides mortgage help for the unemployed. In addition, the bill creates a financial oversight council and contains many other provisions including giving the FDIC new powers to take down giant financial firms and banks, and establishes new rules for how all publicly-traded companies pay top executives.

The online marketer of foreclosed properties RealtyTrac indicated the number of foreclosure filings of all types fell during the first six months of 2010. There were 1,654,634 properties with foreclosure filings, a 5 percent decline compared with the previous six months. Nevada and California lead the nation in both foreclosure filings and repossessions.

UBS aid goodbye to the “troubled company” label and issued an upgrade on Beazer Homes Thursday from Neutral to Buy. As reported in StreetInsider.com, UBS Analyst David Goldberg said meetings with Beazer’s CFO Allan Merrill & Treasurer Jeff Hoza assuaged fears that have lingered around operational oversight, and management is taking necessary steps to better control risk. With liquidity concerns in the rear view mirror, the focus is on rebuilding profitability. Beazer Homes closed up 14 cents to $3.96 per share.

Stocks began the day with a more than 100 point decline, but were mostly recovered by mid-afternoon. The Dow closed down 7.41 at 10,359.31. Manufactured home related stocks were mixed in their performance. Deer Valley Corp was down nearly 23 percent to close at 27 cents per share. Skyline Corp was down more than four percent to 18.13 per share. Meritage Homes was up more than two percent to close at $16.90 per share.

“Up next, First Eyewitness Report on MHI Summer Meetings

But first, this podcast of News at Noon is sponsored in part by: Precision Capital Funding, on the Web at CaptiveFinance.net. Precision Capital Funding earned the MHI 2010 Service Supplier of the Year Award.

For more information, email Kenneth Rishel at kennethrishel@captivefinance.net or call 217-971-3968.

“And now, back to the news…”

First Eyewitness Report on MHI Summer

Meetings

by MHMSM Editor L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach

Manufactured Housing Institute, July 13-15th 2010: Summer Meeting Flash Report

“Manufactured Housing Still Rocks!” With those words, Teresa Payne addressed the crowd at the busy L’Enfant Hotel solarium yesterday morning, an apt summation of this important MHI Summer Session meeting.

This will be the first of a series of reports you will find exclusively on the MHMSM.com’s Masthead blog, in articles by INdustry In Focus Reporter Eric Miller and on our Factory Built Housing News at Noon podcasts by Erin Patla.

We start by taking hats off to Thayer Long and the rest of the dedicated MHI staff who worked so hard to make this a productive and informative series of meetings. Much more on those staff members and committee leaders work in future reports.

Some of the items you will see and hear in the days ahead will include details on:

  • Over 80 visits by Industry professionals with Congressional members on Capitol Hill
  • Discussions on key topics such as financing, the SAFE Act, regulatory issues and strategy sessions
  • Meetings with FEMA officials, as a prelude for what can result in new business for manufactured housing and park model home builders
  • Meetings with HUD and DOE officials
  • Meetings with Rural Housing officials on how more retailers can tap into zero down payment financing on manufactured homes, not ‘someday,’ but right now!
  • MHI PAC and other MHI division reports
  • HUD’s MH Program Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Manufactured Housing, Teresa Payne’s comments at the meeting
  • And much more!

In short, this was a busy, busy session indeed! Among the items we plan to look at in more depth:

  • The proposal that the industry consider putting all of the current issues pending before the government into a new single piece of legislation, in order to be pro-active on Industry issues instead of reactive
  • Discussion on a proposal to create a focused lobbying presence on key issues relating to regulatory agencies or Congress

Membership in MHI brings value to those who participate and attend such functions. If you were sitting in those meeting rooms with an open and attentive mind, you would have to walk away with the impression that the Industry is coming to grips with challenging issues in a very direct and positive fashion.

Hats off to one and all! # #

“Read the complete illustrated story at MHMSM.com/10/359.”

“On behalf of Production and IT Manager Bob Stovall, Editor L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach, Associate Editor Catherine Frenzel, INdustry in Focus reporter Eric Miller, and the entire MHMSM.com writing and support team, this is Erin Patla. G’day!”

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