A fresh series of Q&As testing the Bing AI (Artificial Intelligence) Chat tool reveals fascinating insights into modern manufactured housing. The following is a series of questions and answers with Bing AI Chat on 10.31.2023 through 11.5.2023 performed by MHProNews. Note that on these dates, Bing AI does not ask for the identity of the person or organization asking the question(s).
The first few questions were performed on a mobile device.
> “Why has Manufactured Housing Been Underperforming in the 21st Century During an Affordable Housing Crisis?”
- Loose lending standards that crept into the industry.
- Defaults on manufactured housing loans.
- The collapse of the market for manufactured home finance.
- The industry being subsumed by “pernicious forces” that are consolidating power and preying upon the vulnerability of the impoverished in a gross, incestuous symbiosis 1.
Other factors contributing to the affordable housing crisis include:
- Local and state zoning restrictions.
- Stringent building codes.
- Chronic labor shortages.
- High costs of building materials.
- Financing difficulties for affordable options 2.
I hope this helps answer your question!
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> “The Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 had a clause often referred to by industry professionals as “enhanced preemption” which a group of lawmakers said in a letter to HUD Secretary Mel Martinez in 2003 was supposed to be a tool to allow HUD to overcome local zoning barriers for manufactured homes, right? That being so why isn’t the MHIA’s federal enhanced preemption power being properly applied to overcome local zoning barriers?”
I hope this helps answer your question!
Learn more:
- manufacturedhomepronews.com 2. hud.gov 3. manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org 4. manufacturedhomepronews.com 5. manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org 6. manufacturedhomepronews.com 7. manufacturedhomepronews.com 8. einnews.com”
> “What has manufactured housing national U.S. production been since 1995 to 2022?”
According to a report by Manufactured Home Pro News, the total annual new U.S. manufactured home production data by year, starting in 1995, is as follows 1:
| Year | Production |
| 1995 | 344,930 |
| 1996 | 363,345 |
| 1997 | 353,686 |
| 1998 | 373,143 |
| 1999 | 348,075 |
| 2000 | 250,366 |
| 2001 | 193,120 |
| 2002 | 165,489 |
| 2003 | 130,815 |
| 2004 | 130,748 |
| 2005 | 146,881 |
| 2006 | 117,373 |
| 2007 | 95,752 |
| 2008 | 81,457 |
| 2009 | 49,683 |
| 2010 | 50,056 |
| 2011 | 51,618 |
| 2012 | 54,881 |
| 2013 | 60,228 |
| 2014 | 64,334 |
| 2015 | 70,544 |
| 2016 | 81,136 |
| 2017 | 92,902 |
| 2018 | 96,555 |
| 2019 | 94,615 |
| 2020 | 94,390 |
| 2021 | 105,772 |
| 2022 | 112,882 |
I hope this helps answer your question!
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The next Q&A’s with Bing AI were performed using a laptop. Here are those responses to Bing AI search inquiries, starting with does MHI offer production data only to its members?
You are correct. According to my search results, the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) website provides annual production and shipment data for manufactured homes dating back to 1976, but the data is only available to members and is not offered free to the public 1.
I hope this helps clarify your question. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
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> “Here is the quotation attributed to Eric Belsky that I’m searching for in a research document: “there are multiple reasons to expect manufactured housing to do better than site built housing in the decade.”
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I hope this helps clarify your question. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
According to my search results, the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) has been advocating for the enforcement of the Duty to Serve (DTS) provision of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) for several years 1. The DTS provision requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to support the manufactured housing market by providing financing for manufactured home buyers, including chattel loans 2. However, to date, there have been no new chattel loans on manufactured housing made by either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac 1.
I could not find any evidence that the Manufactured Housing Institute has sued to get the federal law properly enforced.”
> “Are there any allegations that you can find online against the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform for failure to properly advocate on behalf of their members?”
I hope this helps clarify your question. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
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> “Okay, I agree with that assessment. By contrast, isn’t it true the several past and present members of the Manufactured Housing Institute have broken away from the trade group for failing to properly represent their interests? For example, didn’t Neal Haney say that two state associations broke with the Manufactured Housing Institute? And aren’t there others who have alleged with evidence that the Manufactured Housing Institute is failing in their claimed advocacy for the manufactured housing industry?”
There are also others who have alleged with evidence that the Manufactured Housing Institute is failing in their claimed advocacy for the manufactured housing industry 34.
I hope this helps clarify your question. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
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Summing Up the BingAI results
So, Bing AI can’t find any evidence that MHARR has ever been accused of failing to properly advocate on behalf of their members.
But in stark contrast, Bing AI found several mentions by both past and present members of MHI for failing to represent the industry’s interests. Furthermore, they provided 16 linked reports in support of those allegations by people in or outside of MHI.
Per the norms of a post-production/production or ‘umbrella’ or “all segments” of the manufactured housing industry has failed to do some commonsense things that MHI leaders are quite aware about.
- MHI has failed to launch an education/image campaign to correct the tumble of manufactured housing from the late 1990s into the 21st century. This despite the fact that a former MHI board member, and still prominent corporate member of MHI, Kevin Clayton said such a campaign was coming. Bing AI found no evidence for such a image or education campaign. By contrast, Bing AI found evidence for the GoRVing campaign, which showed significant and sustained results. Clearly, the RVIA believes the return on investment for that marketing and education has paid off. That RVIA GoRVing campaign has been supported by that industry for approaching 3 decades. Meaning, the logic of such a campaign is there. Yet MHI leaders have for whatever reasons not done so for the manufactured housing industry?
- MHI launched a legal action against the DOE only after months of pressure from MHARR and MHProNews.
- Bing AI could find no evidence that MHI has ever filed suit to get the Duty to Serve (DTS) properly enforced.
- Bing AI could find no evidence that MHI has ever filed suit to get the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA) “enhanced preemption” clause properly enforced.
But during that 21st century timeframe, consider this keen insight.
> “Bing, there is evidence that Fleetwood and Champion were attempting to consolidate manufatured housing retail in the late 1990s, correct? But both firms eventually ended up in bankruptcy. Yet, during the 1990s, production of manufactured homes was far greater than it has been throughout the 21st century, correct? By contrast, hasn’t there been considerable consolidation in the 21st century since Warren Buffett led Berkshire Hathaway began to buy up interest or entire companies like Oakwood Homes, Clayton Homes, 21st Mortgage Corporation, and others? Aren’t there several consolidators who are members of the Manufactured Housing Institute?”
By contrast, there has been considerable consolidation in the 21st century since Warren Buffett led Berkshire Hathaway began to buy up interest or entire companies like Oakwood Homes, Clayton Homes, 21st Mortgage Corporation, and others 3. There are several consolidators who are members of the Manufactured Housing Institute, including Clayton Homes, Cavco Industries, and Skyline Champion Corporation 4.
I hope this helps clarify your question. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.
Learn more:
What’s New from Washington D.C. from MHARR
What’s New and Recent on the Masthead
What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 11.4.2023
Friday 11.3.2023
Thursday 11.2.2023
Wednesday 11.1.2023
Tuesday 10.31. 2023
Monday 10.30.2023
Sunday 10.29.2023
Postscript
Among the reasons we use the term “MHVille” is because manufactured housing is artificially smaller than it historically has been. Zoning and lending are two of the reasons for this 21st phenomenon. A new manufactured housing lending option has been announced by a major firm. It has several possible ramifications. MHProNews has been provided with exclusive remarks beyond that firm’s press release. Watch for that report in the days ahead on MHProNews. ###
Again, our thanks to free email subscribers and all readers like you, as well as our tipsters/sources, sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
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