Industry Voices
- Getting Results
- Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing
- Re-assessing the Stabenow Amendment to Extend Energy Star Tax Credits
- Post 2012 Tunica Show Industry Perspective
- Community Owner to Community Owners and others in Manufactured Housing Business
- Ben Bernanke Addresses Members of The National Association of Home Builders
- Testimony of Ishbel Dickens, Executive Director, Manufactured Home Owners Association of America (MHOAA)
- What is the latest on SAFE ACT, DODD-FRANK, CFPB (Consumer Finance Protection Bureau) and as an MHC owner, should I care?
- Hall of Fame Announces 2012 Inductees
- Electrifying Event!
Words of Wisdom
- The Five Keys to Turning your Business Around in a Sluggish Economy
- Are you playing the wait and see Game?
- Assumptions, Misunderstanding & Mixed Messages
- What Defines You and Your Future
- Imagination - what's possible for you?
- Do you really think you are secure in any area of your life? - Motivation Booster from Tim
- Read any books lately that set you on fire?
- Expectations, Illusions and Outcomes
- Maintaining Balance in Life
- What Keeps the World Alive
Newsletter Archive
- Oh, the Pain. UMH CEO Sam Landy. MHI Staff Change. Pinterest. MHCC Suspended for non-payment. Committee re-examines Dodd-Frank. UMH adds Board Feet. May Feature Articles, more! - 5/21/2012
- Pinterest. The Case for Free Enterprise. Triad's Glisson Appointed. Getting Results. Housing Starts Edge Up in April. Are you playing the wait and see Game? House Committee Examining Dodd-Frank, New May Articles and More! - 5/17/2012
- Power of Moms. Getting Results. HUD Yields. Vanderbilt Offering. Elements for MH Breakthrough. UMH Announces Financials. Rent Control. Patience and Success. Terms of Engagement, New May Articles and More! - 05/14/2012
- Getting Results. Election Tea Leaves. Cavco, Deer Valley and Skyline gains. The View. Hall of Fame Hunting. Wood Import Law Needs Amendment. English MODs. Canadian MHC Reports Gains. FL Insurer Wants to Trim. Mobile Homes and Tornadoes. Terms of Engagement. New May Articles, much more! - 05/10/2012
- Another New Chattel Lender? The View. Another Industry Arrest. Making Education Richly Pay. Co-ops in DC. HUD Rehab funds. MH destroyed in AL Storms Low. Rising Star of Texas. Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party and Manufactured Home Professionals. New May Feature Articles, Much more! - 05/07/2012
- Shopping Malls and Manufactured Housing. Rising Star of Texas. Making Manufactured Housing SAFE from Dodd-Frank. Deer Valley leaps up. MOD Scam. New May Issue Featured Articles! Augusta Lawsuit. Much more. - 05/03/2012
- Manufactured Housing's Oxygen Supply. Patrick Skyrockets. Sun Shines. Community Closed. Winning the War. MOD Shipments rising. Grocery Stores, Shopping Malls & Manufactured Housing. Read those April Feature articles now, May issue goes live soon! - 4/30/2012
- MHI's Dick Jennison update. Grant $ to replace mobiles. Preserving Access to MH. Romney on HUD. Class Action Settled. Rent Control vs. Decontrol. Wholesale MODs in ND. Congress on HUD. CFOs say revenues will rise. April Featured Articles, More! - 04/26/2012
- Manufactured Housing Rebirth. ReAssessing Energy Star Credits. MH-AP. MOD Plant ReOpens. UFPI a Buy. Record Mod Hospital. IRA as MH Lender. Marketing Game. Art & Science of Selling. Working too much? Ouch, that Burns! They’re Heeeerrrrrrree! April articles and more! - 04/23/2012
- MH-AP. The Road Ahead. UMH acquires MHCs. Student MODs. MultiFam firms buys MHCs. Cancer strikes Buffett. MHARR Lashes HUD. MH on rise Worldwide. Equal Opportunity TX Twisters. April feature articles, much more! - 04/19/2012
Latest Comments
April 2011, Vol. 2, No. 7
Featured Articles and Reports
for Vol. 2, No. 7, 2011
Alphabetically by Category
COMMUNITIES
Edward 'Eddie' Hicks – Manufactured Home Communities
• Who the H*ll Wants to Live in a Trailer Park?
Chrissy Jackson – Land Lease Community Management
• Guidelines for Living: What Should this Guideline Achieve?
Joanne Stevens – Manufactured Home Community Value
• Top 10 List: What Community and Park Owners Think Makes Their Property Worth More
Don Westphal – Manufactured Home Community Planning
• Extreme Makeover, Community Edition – aka Ryder Park, Milford, CT – Introduction
FINANCE
Paul Bradley – Manufactured Housing Industry Financing
• IBIS Report on "Dying Industry" Misses the Mark
Dave Shanklin – Manufactured Housing Industry Financing
• Record-Low Loan Rates Attracting Buyers of Manufactured Homes in Leased Land Communities
Donna Rishel – Manufactured Housing Industry Finance Commentary
• Are Outside Investors Doomed to Fail?
Kenneth Rishel – Manufactured Housing Industry Finance Commentary
• Is Lease to Own a Safe Harbor from the SAFE Act?
GENERAL INDUSTRY/COMMENTARY
George F. Allen – Manufactured Housing Industry Commentary
• Will Euphemisms Save the Manufactured Housing Industry?
Michael Barnabas – Manufactured Housing Industry Solutions
• A look at Randy Rowe's 5 Point Plan for Manufactured Housing Industry Recovery
Tracey C. Jones – Resources for Manufactured Housing Business Success
• 23 Ways You Can Grow Your Manufactured Housing Community Business
L.A. 'Tony' Kovach – Manufactured Housing Industry Perspective
• The Manufactured Housing Rut
George Porter – Manufactured Housing Retail and Media Education
• Adapt, Migrate or Die – Part I: Adapt
INSPIRATION/PEOPLE SKILLS
Greg McClanahan – Soft Skills and Personal Development
• Thanks, Joe!
Zig Ziglar – Motivation & Inspiration
• ZigOn…Listening to the Coach
Zig Ziglar – Motivation & Inspiration
• ZigOn… Employment Security
LEGAL
Nadeen Green – Legal, Fair Housing
• Top Dog – or, Man's Best Friend Is Fair Housing's, Too!
MANAGEMENT
Tim Connor – Management
• 8 Reasons Why Employee Development (Training) Is a Waste of Money!
MARKETING
Chad Carr – Internet Marketing and Sales
• By the Numbers – Part 2
Bob Stovall – Manufactured Housing Use of Internet & Social Media
• Is Cloud Computing Just Pie-in-the-sky?
SALES
Tim Connor – Sales
• Overcoming Sales Slumps
Mark Hunter – Sales
• Your Customer's Price Investment Ratio (PIR)
Mike Moore & Kirk Chittick – Sales
• 12 Step Program to Recover from the Effects of Traditional Sales Training
Wordplay. Euphemisms increasing being used as a marketing smokescreen of sorts.
IBIS World, an industry intelligence and research group, reported this month on ten industries that might be on the "verge of extinction in the United States." Manufactured home (MH) dealers were cited as one of the ten that are "in the decline phase of their life cycle."
Editor's Note: Last month, Chad described how a dealership can (and he believes should) restructure its income statement to provide a more meaningful representation of what is going on in the business. In this installment, he shares how to calculate critical profit control points for your dealership. Click here to review 
Have you ever really considered how price affects your customer with regard to their perceived benefit? Too often, we use a simplistic approach to determining a price – we figure the cost to produce a manufactured home, tack on some arbitrary percentage, and call it good, right?
When the Community Manager is writing the Guidelines, it is necessary to decide what the result of that Guideline should be when it is enacted and consistently enforced. Often it takes a third party reading over the Guidelines to ferret out potential areas that will not produce the desired results.
Did this title get your attention? I hope so. Let me explain.
Last month was the famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The winner of Best in Show was not Wyatt, a Rhodesian Ridgeback. In fact, Wyatt did not even win his breed event in this prestigious canine competition of 2500 dogs.
Who? Well, me for one. Surprisingly enough, there are a lot of us out there. And for some of us, it is actually our first choice in housing.
Some of the most sage wisdom and most savvy business acumen come from the motivational classics of yesteryear. I recently came across an article my father, Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, wrote years ago called 23 Ways You Can Use Books to Help Your Business Grow.
“A rut is an open-end grave” A. Theodore Tuttle, Zig Ziglar
As baseball season is leaving spring training and headed into the regular season, it seems appropriate to share my favorite baseball story. If you don’t follow baseball, don’t worry – it isn’t really about the game of baseball.
Spring is here, and there has been a noticeable uptick of buyers of manufactured homes in communities.
According to Charles Darwin, all the living things on this planet are compelled every day to make one of three choices. This is not limited to just animals; it includes plants and even businesses as well.
We are now experiencing a ‘new economy’ that requires new intentions if businesses are to grow and prosper. Peter Drucker said, “The purpose of business is to make a customer.”
What makes a park or community more valuable when it comes time to either appraise or sell the property? The fact is, many of the things owners think will bring more money in the market don’t.
You hear a lot of talk these days about "the cloud." So, what is a "cloud”? Basically it's a remote computer set up to allow clients to run applications and store files on the host machine instead of your own computer.
For the past several months, I have written articles on upgrading land lease communities that have become outdated, worn, and in need of various levels of upgrades ranging from simple beautification to major rebuilding on site.
The young athlete who aspires to greatness, generally speaking, learns a number of things from several different coaches. The first one taught him the fundamentals; the second one instilled discipline in him and taught him more of the techniques that must be mastered to excel.Daily Business News Briefs
New Homes Sales Rose in April
OriginationNews says the Census Bureau reports new home sales rose 3.3 percent in April following a 7.3 percent drop in March. MHProNews.com has learned sales of new single-family homes rose to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 343,000 in April from a 332,000 mark in March, besting Wall Street analysts who had predicted 330,000 to [...]...
23 May 2012
Read moreHousing Stocks Close Mixed, but Skyline Justifies its Name
CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average, after brushing with 12,325.00 during the day, climbed back in the last half hour to close at 12,496.15, losing a mere 6.66 points, -0.05%. The weakness in tech stocks and fears of Greece leaving the Eurozone fueled investors’ fears. The Nasdaq gained +0.39 percent to 2,850.12, while the [...]...
23 May 2012
Read moreKit Homes Takes Up where Sears Stopped
In 1970, 30 years after Sears ceased offering prefabricated housing, Shelter-Kit of Tilton, New Hampshire began offering small homes and cabins that could be assembled by aspiring homeowners with no construction experience. MarketWatch tells MHProNews.com customers can choose from a wide variety of options in designing their home, including...
23 May 2012
Read moreUFPI Surprises Zacks
Forbes reports on the heels of Universal Forest Products, Inc. (UFPI) strong first quarter 2012 results, whereby Q1 2011 showed a loss of -0.19 per share to first quarter 2012 return of +0.21 per share, and the recent acquisition of MSR Forest Products LLC, Zacks issued a #1 Rank (Strong Buy) for the stock. Zacks [...]...
23 May 2012
Read moreNew MHC Proposed for Virginia
BellehavenPatch tells MHProNews.com Fairfax County, Virginia is considering developing the North Hill site in Hybla Valley into an MHC for 67 homes and a greenspace. Meanwhile, AHP Virginia LLC has a counter proposal that would involve building apartments on the site, housing 204 families, nine percent of which would be targeted to low-income...
23 May 2012
Read morePhiladelphia Airport Building Modular Housing
DelcoNewsNetwork tells MHProNews.com Tinicum Township officials, as part of a $23 million efficiency upgrade at Philadelphia International Airport, approved a land waiver request to build a 791 square foot modular building near the UPS facility on Hog Island Road. The building would house UPS workers moving from a facility at Ridley Park. The...
23 May 2012
Read moreSale of Previously Occupied Homes Rise
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says reports from across the country show existing home sales edged up 3.4 percent April over March, 2012 for every region of the country. While the increase is a positive sign, the seasonally-adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 4.62 million home sales, just below January’s pace of 4.63 million, remains...
23 May 2012
Read moreImproved Housing Market Bolsters Many U.S. Stocks
CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit 12,575.00 during the day but settled down to 12,502.81, -0.01%, -1.67 points as the day’s trading ended. The rise of sales of existing homes boosted the market, but a downgrade of Japan and a weak global market tempered that news. The Nasdaq dropped -0.29 percent to 2,839.08, [...]...
22 May 2012
Read moreHome Sales Rise in the Heartland
The 13 county Indianapolis metropolitan area marked an 18 percent rise in existing home sales in April from one year ago. As the IndyStar tells MHProNews.com, the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors (MIBOR) says 2,215 homes were sold in April, an increase over the 1,877 sold in April 2011. The median sales price rose to [...]...
22 May 2012
Read moreNew Modular Builder on the Block
The Chronicle tells us another modular player has entered the housing game in the oil boom of North Dakota. Colorado-based Confluence has already set the first of ten units of apartments called Confluence at Harvest Hills, as the initial 12 modules were sited May 15. Occupancy of the first unit is set for Aug. 1, [...]...
22 May 2012
Read moreMOD to House Mental Health Patients
VTDigger says Tropical Storm Irene flooded portions of the Vermont State Hospital in Waterbury, Vermont, and since then some of the patients are being held in state prisons. Now the state is looking into a modular high-security unit in Waterbury to house mental patients being held under court order. Noting that it’s more expensive to [...]...
22 May 2012
Read moreLatest Daily Business News
- New Homes Sales Rose in April
- Housing Stocks Close Mixed, but Skyline Justifies its Name
- Kit Homes Takes Up where Sears Stopped
- UFPI Surprises Zacks
- New MHC Proposed for Virginia
- Philadelphia Airport Building Modular Housing
- Sale of Previously Occupied Homes Rise
- Improved Housing Market Bolsters Many U.S. Stocks
- Home Sales Rise in the Heartland
- New Modular Builder on the Block
- MOD to House Mental Health Patients
- New HARP Spurs Lending
- Clayton Homes Receives Honor
- Modular Hospital Replaces Tornado Damaged Facility
- Dow Bounces Back; Nobility gets Banged Up
- MHC Owners' Fees to Rise
- Manufactured Housing Dollars Double
Featured Articles and Reports - May 2012 Vol. 3 No. 8
Everything Old is New Again
by Katy Weldon Something amazing is happening to older mobile and manufactured homes in certain areas of California. They are in demand! Mobile and manufactured homes built in the 1970’s and 1980’s... Read more
MARKETING
Your Attention Please
by Jeff Templeton A recent study found that the average American sees approximately 1600 advertisements a day. In a single day! Those ads are seen online, in newspapers, magazines, billboards, TV,... Read more
MARKETING
Featured Articles May 2012
Featured Articles and Reports for Vol. 3, No. 8, 2012 Alphabetically by Category COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL) • “What’s in a Name?” by Nadeen Green, JD The fact that you are reading MHProNews.com to... Read more
index
Creating a Budget
by Chrissy Jackson Simply put, a budget is a tool. When effectively used, this tool can enable you to have a manufactured home land lease community that is financially sound. A... Read more
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL)
“What’s in a Name?”
by Nadeen Green, JD The fact that you are reading MHProNews.com to gain insight into the manufactured housing industry shows that you are engaged and embracing the world of online information... Read more
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL)
Terms of Engagement
by Andrew Peters It’s easy for professionals in the housing industry to forget just how extensive the language of mortgage lending can be. We’re often quickly reminded, however, when we try... Read more
FINANCING
Promissory Notes How to take, buy or create a Note, then sell it for cash
by John Merchant, JD Many manufactured home communities and some MH retailers have – over the years – created their own notes. The following is an outline of the things and... Read more
FINANCING
While Waiting on The Supreme Court: What is happening to Health Care Cost…
by Kurt D. Kelley, J.D. For the last six months, I’ve served on The Woodlands, Texas Chamber of Commerce Health Care Program Committee. These efforts culminated on April 27th with a... Read more
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
Frames
by George Porter A Manufactured Home is a more complicated piece of engineering than most other homes. Our building code makes us have a multi-purpose chassis. Strangely, we don’t move all... Read more
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
“Mobile Homes” and Tornadoes
by Margaret Clark (Editor's Intro: The following is a letter written by manufactured home community owner Margaret Clark to KWWL-TV reporter, Kera Mashek. Ms. Clark was writing in response to a... Read more
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
The Industry's Need to Profitably Communicate
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach Trade media exists because there is a need to communicate facts and ideas relative to the industry being served. A robust online trade journal (e-zine) complements... Read more
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
Manufactured Housing Institute and National Communities Council 2012 Congr…
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach If a picture is worth a thousand words, then there are tens of thousands of words captured in the photos that follow. The Manufactured Housing Institute... Read more
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
National Industry Awards Presented at 2012 National Congress & Expo
Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV - April 11, 2012. Members of the manufactured and modular housing industries gathered today at an awards luncheon to recognize individuals and companies for outstanding... Read more
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
Manufactured Home Shows - Touring a Model Home at Tunica 2012
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach Manufactured home trade shows are a wonderful way to bring products and professionals together in one place. The home shown in this photo gallery carousel below... Read more
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
Do you know the single factor that determines; employee productivity, profi…
by Tim Connor OK, have you figured it out or are you just waiting for my take on this topic? Come on – give it some thought – it might prove... Read more
MANAGEMENT
Is there Anything New under the Sun? Getting Bottom line Results for Manufa…
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach If you are holding a smartphone, an iPad or are looking at a laptop, etc. you already know the answer to this article's headline's question. But... Read more
MANAGEMENT
Fear, worry, and stress – are you a victim?
by Tim Connor, CSP If you are not aware of the simple fact that fear is the major contributor to stress, illness, failure, worry and a whole host of other negative... Read more
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS, MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION
Zig On Doing Things Poorly
by Zig Ziglar Several years ago I was teaching a Sunday school class at First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas.Recalling G. K. Chesterton's paradoxical “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly,”... Read more
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS, MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION
Patience – The secret tool for sales success
by Tim Connor I just finished reading for the fourth time - one of my favorite books, The Power of Patience by M. J. Ryan. As I was reading, it struck... Read more
SALES
Sales Tips 101 – Objection Handling; Isolating the Objection
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach Let's begin a periodic series of articles on some classic – but often unused or overlooked – sales tips and strategies. We will begin with the... Read more
SALES
