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December 2010 Vol. 2 No. 3

Mid-December Update on Louisville Show

by Dennis Hill, Show Ways

LMHS Newsletter Editor’s Note: Heading to the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show January 12-14? The latest newsletter from Dennis Hill at Show Ways has updated information about exhibitors, hotels and seminars that will include information on effective pricing, self-financing and how to dominate your local market. The newsletter contains an up-to-date list of exhibitors including Fairmont Homes and 21st Mortgage Corporation and answers questions about why you should go. Also note the registration cut-off date is December 29. Click here to read the newsletter.

Do YOU Have 'A Sense of Personal Legacy'?

by George F. Allen

George F. Allen photo A Sense of Personal Legacy… doesn't usually blossom overnight, unless you expect to die tomorrow.

And, one's sense of corporate legacy is another matter altogether….

Professionalism, Service, Profits and Advancing the Manufactured Housing Industry

by Michael F.B. Barnabas

Every Industry is made up of companies. Companies are made up of people. You may be in a company of 1, 100 or 1000. Regardless of size, it is the performance of people, individuals like yourself, that make or break a company. So it is individuals like yourself who create and fuel the growth of a company. When enough companies grow, so does an Industry. There is no secret to industry growth; the key is to help people improve, to motivate and empower them to improve bottom line performance. What we are talking about is information, education and inspiration.

Unlocking the Secrets of the Internet; Part Three: Making sure people can find you online

by Chad Carr

Chad Carr photo The first step in any marketing program is to let people know you exist. You can't build a relationship with a potential buyer until they first know about you and your company. Traditionally retailers would use advertising such as Television, Radio and Newspapers to reach out to the consumer with a message about their homes. Once people knew about you, those who were interested in your homes could call or visit your sales center.

Is 2011 going to be a repeat of 2010?

by Tim Connor, CSP

Tim Connor photo Is 2011 going to be a repeat of 2010 or have you learned some lessons so that you can create different outcomes in 2011? Why do I ask this simple question as the year comes to a close?

There's no time like the present...

by Tim Connor, CSP

Tim Connor photo One of the common mistakes of organizations that struggle each year is the failure to spend adequate time in analysis, review or just simple introspection about attitudes, behaviors or outcomes. Well, there are only two weeks left before we begin another year. For you–will it be same outcomes, just a different year? Or, will your

Determine the Marketing Success of Your Facebook Page

by Maria Cucchiara

You've probably heard by now that your business needs a Facebook page. With more than 500 million active users, Facebook is the number-one-ranked social media website in the world. As a social media outlet, it is where your company's consumers go when they are socializing with their friends on the web.

Are Home Shows Still Relevant in Today's Marketplace?

by Suzanne Felber, LifeStylist®

Suzanne Felber photo The Home Idea Factory does more than do just interior design and show houses - we also work with manufacturers on new product design. People either love us or hate us for introducing Home Depot to our industry, but by offering products in our homes that were "residential" instead of just for our industry, we were able to attract a new buyer.

Fair Housing Word Search

by Nadeen Green

Nadeen Green photo It is the holiday season and people of many faiths and cultures will be giving gifts. So in the spirit of the season, here is my gift to the readers at MHMSM.com. A word search giving you some interesting tidbits on fair housing, but only if you are willing to look for them. The clues are below, so learn and enjoy. And if you become stuck or frustrated, I am only an email away with the answers: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Selling your LLCommunity to the residents?

by Edward 'Eddie' Hicks

Whether you refer to it as a trailer park, mobile home park, manufactured home park or LLCommunity, today's manufactured housing land lease community is widely sought after by sophisticated real estate income property investors. However, in today's market, their pricing guidelines can often be less than seller's expectations. And, it may be difficult to sell communities that are not "investment grade," or those that are large enough with sufficient income to provide for expensive full-time on-site management, maintenance reserves, and external management fees; all of which are typical underwriting requirements by many lenders. http://youtu.be/S1V6xJ3x_dM As a result, community owners are finding that their pricing can be substantially higher than these investment-oriented income property firms are willing to sell.

When you think about it: Even old Hippies Get the Blues

by Mike Hourigan, CSP

"He's an old hippie and he don't know what to do - should he hang on to the old or grab on to the new?" This verse is from the popular song Old Hippie by the Bellamy Brothers. The song goes on to describe how an old hippy turns 39 and starts to realize the world may have passed him by. He was so cool in the 60's - he knew the hip lingo, wore all the cool clothes, and trusted no one over 30. Now he seems irrelevant and he is questioning his whole existence and wondering what he should do about it.

Upgrading Your Community, Part VIII: Why upgrade?

by Chrissy Jackson

Chrissy Jackson photo Now, just for review–why upgrade? Why voluntarily spend all this money and put yourself through the headaches, and your residents through all the inconveniences? Is it really worth it? Does it really increase the value of your community? Would you be better off not doing it? Let's look at some cold, hard facts to determine the answers to those questions and more.

The Future Landscape of the Manufactured Housing Industry and You

by L.A. 'Tony Kovach

L.A. 'Tony' Kovach photo Not too long ago, a corporate owner/executive called me. We had a fascinating conversation about the future of America. I say 'conversation' in quotes, as I did more listening than speaking. This affluent and successful person stated his belief that within 10-15 years, the middle class in the U.S. would essentially be wiped out. He stated his reasons for thinking this. There would be the rich and the poor. He told me that we must all choose which group that we would want to be in.

The Graveyard Shift

by Greg McClanahan

Greg McClanahan photo The character trait of 'Generosity' claims our attention during the Christmas holiday season. Today's message teaches us that quiet generosity can be found in the most unlikely places. As you read, I encourage you to think of the quiet ways you can make a difference in the lives of your family, colleagues, customers and those you see who are in need.

The Educated Consumer

by George Porter

George Porter photo This entire industry is powered by the wants of the consumers, not necessarily their needs. The consumers may want something and, therefore, feel they need it. On the other hand, if the consumers don't want something, then they probably feel they don't need it. If this seems a little confusing, then bear with me for a few minutes and I will explain.

Lowering Repossessions and Complying with Risk-Based Pricing

by Kenneth Rishel

It is always a surprise when an experienced operator starts talking of repossession rates that near 25%. It is never a surprise to find out that same operator rarely has a mathematically modeled credit matrix from which the underwriters make their credit granting decisions. While a credit matrix is the first line of defense against repossession, many owner-assisted finance operations seem to lack one because they fail to understand just how important this tool is to them.

Lender Announces Record-Low Rates For Homes in Communities

by Dave Shanklin

Dave Shanklin photo In a time when we're all grasping to understand new legislation, one of our industry's lenders delivers a Christmas present: an announcement that they've dropped their rates for short-term loans to a record-low 4.99%.

Creating Memorable Living Places: How About a Good Cup of Coffee?

by Joanne M. Stevens, CCIM

Joanne Stevens photo Sandra Kulli (www.sandrakulli.com) spoke at The Urban Land Institute annual meeting in San Francisco last November. She is a specialist in the business of creating memorable living places. I wanted to hear what Sandra had to say to see if there might be something to learn and apply to Manufactured Home Communities. As a presenter, she is visionary but pragmatic, high energy and inspiring to listen to. A plus about Sandra is that while she has some experience with manufactured homes (she consulted for Fleetwood during the 1990's) and communities,

Deferred Maintenance and Your Marketing Strategy

by Bob Stovall

We all know what it looks like. A house that has been severely neglected - the bane of the banking industry when it comes to the surge of foreclosure properties they need to repair before reselling. It's often easier to just take a bigger haircut and get on with it.

Community Upgrades, A Fresh Start: Part III, The Level III Renewal

by Don Westphal

Don Westphal photo Let's continue our previous discussion with the next renewal level:

Level III Renewal

As mentioned at the outset of this series, each succeeding level of renewal is more involved than the previous one. Level III renewal communities have all the problems and opportunities of the previous two and in addition require some level of improvement of roads, infrastructure and possibly some adjustment of homesite layout. These operations could result in a reduction in density.

Zig On...Being Nice

by Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar photo I'm seated in the Tampa airport on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7. A gentleman recognized me and approached me saying, "Greater love hath no man for his wife than to always open her car door." That's something of a takeoff on what I've been talking about for many years, that it's the little things husbands and wives do for each other on a regular basis, not the big things once or twice a year, that breed long-term, successful marriages and lots of honeymoons instead of just anniversaries.

Daily Business News Briefs

Canadian Development may Include Manufactured Housing

A fifteen acre parcel of land in Kings County, Nova Scotia, Canada has been approved for retail and residential development, as the Kings County Council voted unanimously to give the second and final reading to the rezoning proposal for the property in Kentville. The redevelopment by Kent Building Supplies Limited would include a new retail [...]...

18 Jun 2013

Housing starts increased 6.8 percent in May to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 914,000 units due to a jump in multifamily construction. Single-family production remained steady at 599,000 homes, but multifamily activity grew 21.6 percent to 315,000 units. Regionally, the South posted a gain of 17.8 percent in combined starts and the West a...

18 Jun 2013

Most Tracked Housing Stocks Advance, as do the Three Major Indexes

All three indexes advanced, with the Dow moving up over 120 points, as inflation remains low and housing starts increase, despite concerns of what the Federal Reserve may reveal Wed., June 19, about possibly tapering the quantitative easing. CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained +0.91 percent, +138.38 points, to end the day at...

18 Jun 2013

Improving Manufactured Housing’s Image to Increase Sales

With image being a key component to selling more manufactured homes to cash and credit worthy buyers, that may explain the growing daily commentary in favor of the start of the ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com image campaign. Nancy Geer, Executive Director of the New York Housing Association said: “Manufactured Home Living Website is a great r...

18 Jun 2013

Portfolio of Manufactured Housing Communities Changes Hands

Birmingham, Mich. based Q10 l Lutz Financial Services has arranged $108 million for the acquisition of a portfolio including 47 manufactured housing properties and three apartments. Neither the seller nor the buyer nor the number of homesites were identified by Lutz, a commercial real estate financial services firm. As nreionline tells MHProNews,...

18 Jun 2013

The transportation package that was passed by the Virginia General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Bob McDonnell includes tax increases that go into effect July 1, 2013. The titling tax for manufactured homes remains at $10, but the retail sales and use tax, which covers modular homes, will increase from five percent state [...]...

18 Jun 2013

Emergency Modular Housing May Go to Oklahoma

MODS International Marketing of Appleton, WI is set to deliver shipping containers converted into modular housing for the tornado victims in OK. MODS (Modular On Demand Structures) specializes in providing emergency housing for long and short term. The units arrive fully furnished, as MHProNews has learned from newson6.com. Costing $40,000 each,...

18 Jun 2013

New Executive Director for Alabama Manufactured Housing Association Announced

The Alabama Manufactured Housing Association (AMHA) has announced the decision of their board of directors to promote Doris Hydrick to the position of Executive Director as of July 1, 2013. Ms. Hydrick served as assistant director for 16 years, with responsibility for planning meetings, education seminars, and regulatory matters, and was also...

18 Jun 2013

Housing Market Index Posts Largest Gain in over Ten Years

For the first time in seven years, builder confidence for newly-built single-family homes has surpassed the 50th percentile mark, which indicates builders see the market as good rather than poor. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) gained eight points to 52. Based on a survey the NAHB has been...

17 Jun 2013

Affordable Modular Homes Available; Applicants’ Credit Lacking

The North East Community Action Agency (NECAC) in Hannibal, MO has joined the Next Step Network which gives them the opportunity to buy modular homes from Clayton Homes at 10-15 percent below market price. The goal is to provide low cost housing for people of modest means. Carla Potts, NECAC’s deputy director for housing development, [...]...

17 Jun 2013

Universal Forest Products, Inc. Spikes; Three Major Indexes Gain

Even though investors are edgy about the possibility the Federal Reserve will announce Wednesday that it will begin to wind down its quantitative easing, the markets managed to advance for the day, with the Dow picking up over 100 points. CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained +0.73 percent, +109.67 points, to end the [...]...

17 Jun 2013