We’re traveling in parts of the U.S. – the original 13 colonies – that witnessed the birth of this great Nation. The last few days have been in Vermont and New Hampshire, which are amazingly green. The forests seem endless. The lakes are alive with fish and watercraft of various kinds. Hotels are packed for a busy part of their tourist season. In the midst of all that are the many who live day by day in their manufactured homes, or who are plying their trades in the manufactured housing industry.
Listening to the locals talk politics, “feeling the Bern,” or sounding off in favor of Donald Trump’s call to “Make America Great Again,” or others in the largest field of GOP or Democratic candidates in years must be part of the culture. But let’s set the politics aside for the MH view of the world.
VT is home to manufactured and ‘mobile home’ lender, Mountainside Financial’s Eastern U.S. offices. When they heard we were heading in their general direction, we promptly received a warm invite to lunch and a tour of their offices.
Technology was paired with people at Mountainside’s Eastern HQ. Two or three laptop/computer monitors were visible per station. Their conference room featured a large flatscreen with video conferencing capabilities. The tech stood in stark contrast to the quaint looking building in downtown St. Albans, not far from the rivers, Lake Champlain and the scenic mountains that clearly inspired the operation’s name.
Josh Ducharme took us to a fine local lunch/dinner spot, filled with photos of the history of that town. Outdoor temps were near ideal, so we ate under the umbrella on the busy restaurant’s patio.
Meeting with Marty
We also had the pleasure of Marty and Pat Lavin’s hospitality. Their home is simply amazing. They’ve personalized it to the 9s. Good taste and flair intersected there under their watchful eyes. I couldn’t help gazing up often at the crown molding, which was 13.5″, alive with rich colors. But unique pieces and touches were visible all around, so those tall ceilings and amazing crown molding were by no means the sole attraction.
We broke out our Inside MH video cameras, and did an interview with Marty, focused on industry finance, consumers, MH owners and related issues. It will be powerful. It will likely be viewed by many in Congress, their staffs, CFPB and perhaps even in the White House, besides thousands of MH pros. Will there be ripples in the wake of this interview? Stay tuned in and find out.
Many who know him, may be surprised – or shocked! – by what Marty had to say. The timing on this, given the upcoming Senate bill, is going to be a big deal.
We’ll produce this potent video interview soon, keep your eye out for it.
170 ROCs and counting!
We also had the pleasure of sitting down with Paul Bradley, of ROC USA fame. They recently celebrated their 10,000th home site! This is quite an accomplishment, placing them among the top 15 MH Community operators in the U.S..
We met at one of their local ROC cooperatives, and had the pleasure of interviewing Paul as well as the president of that community’s board. The streets, flowers, shurbs and homes reflected owners who love their place in the NH sun. We’ll be brining you a series of insightful interviews in the days ahead that will touch on many aspects of ROCs, MHCommunities and MH in general. It should be a good reflection on that growing slice of the MH Industry.
Other surprises and features are in store, so thanks for staying tuned here to the Industry News, Tips and Views that Pros Can Use ©. More videos and insights into the wide world of MH to come! ##
