Matthew Silver

Following a 25-year career operating a custom hardwood furnishing business and occasional writing, Matthew Silver has been writing professionally for over a dozen years, six of those for the factory-built housing industry. Otherwise, he may be found performing folk music in the Indianapolis area.

Seattle Architect Designs His Own Prefab Home

A custom prefabricated three-story house left Guerdon Enterprises factory in Boise, Idaho, 60 percent complete, and was finished on site in Seattle 45 days later.  Jetsongreen.com reports the 1,790-square-foot six-module home designed by Greenfab includes mother-in-law quarters, a rooftop deck garden, and an urban chicken coop.  As the company name …

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Pennsylvania House Throwing Water on Sprinklers

As reported on CapitolWire.com, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is on the verge of passing a bill rescinding the sprinkler mandate that came into effect January 1, 2011 for all new homes constructed under the 2009 International Residential Code.  Mary Gaiski, Executive Vice-President of the Pennsylvania Manufactured Housing Association (PMHA), …

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Sprinklers for Homes in Minnesota Legislative Debate

The sprinkler debate in Minnesota attracted a standing-room only crowd to the House Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee, according to the Twin Cities Daily Planet.  The bill would prohibit sprinklers from being installed in new or existing homes.  The sponsor of the bill says the National Fire Protection Association measures …

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House Committee Ending Housing Program Support

Two new programs designed to help the most troubled homeowners were ended March 3 by a vote of the House Financial Services Committee, as noted by HousingWire.com.  HUD’s Emergency Homeowners Loan Program (EHLP) would help out-of-work homeowners borrow up to $50,000 at zero percent interest.  The other program is the …

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Dow Climbs Sharply, Housing Stocks Move Up

The Dow rose almost 200 points, to close at 12,258.20, as U.S. stocks recorded their best day in three months.  Cavco gained 2.61 percent, Nobility Homes was up 1.19 percent and Skyline inched up .85 percent.  Deer Valley remained unchanged.  The Manufactured Housing Composite was up 1.83 percent to close …

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Builders Urge Support of Mortgage Interest Deduction

According to The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), members of the House of Representatives should be urged to show their support for homeownership and the mortgage interest deduction by co-sponsoring H. Res. 25.   “This resolution acknowledges the importance of homeownership to individual households, the economy and the nation,” …

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Modular Home Erected at Omaha Home Expo

KETV 7 in Omaha, Nebraska, reports that the Omaha Home & Garden Expo held in the Qwest Center has been turned into a production site for a modular home that will be displayed during the show, which begins March 3.  Don Hansen, of Nu-Trend Homes, which has built a home …

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Executive Order Calls for Public Comments on HUD Policies

The Federal Register of March 3 notes a directive from the Obama Administration for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to review its regulations to determine if they are “outdated, ineffective or excessively burdensome.”  President Obama’s Executive Order 13563, issued Jan. 18, 2011, “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,” …

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Buffett Says Clayton’s Careful Loans Maintained Solvency

Forbes magazine says that Warren Buffett’s Berkshire letter to his shareholders did not garner much press coverage about his ownership of Clayton Homes, which is doing pretty well compared to other manufactured home producers.  Despite the fact that Clayton’s customers generally have low credit scores, the percentage net loss for …

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Prefab Homes Project the Result of Collaboration

According to the Los Angeles Times, by the end of March, 20 prefabricated homes ranging in size from 400- 1000 square feet will take their place inside a community of factory-built homes.  Los Angeles designer Marmol Radziner Prefab, Golden West Homes and the city of Santa Monica collaborated on this affordable housing …

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Peak’s Island Modular Homes Reflect Colonial History

Home Start was founded in 2004 to ensure affordable housing on Peak’s Island in the Casco Bay just east of Portland, Maine.  The Inter Island News reports the organization bought a 16,000 square foot plot of land in 2007 and is set to erect three modular homes on the site.  Architects …

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Environmentalists Like Prefab Home Efficiency Possibilities

GreenAnswers.com makes a strong case for the eco-friendly features that can comprise prefabricated home.  In terms of time, energy, and materials used, this blueprint of production is more efficient than stick built.  Highly efficient fixtures, appliances, and heating/cooling systems save money and energy.  Reclaimed materials are utilized when possible, cachement …

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Dow and Most Housing Stocks Spike Upwards

The Dow was up 8.78 percent to finish the day at 12,066.80, despite oil prices jumping above the $100 mark.  Cavco finished up 6.29 percent, Nobility Homes added 4.87 percent and Skyline Corp. finished up 3.57 percent.  Deer Valley was unchanged. The Manufactured Housing Composite closed up 5.01 percent at …

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Wisconsin Budget to Promote Manufactured Housing

As reported in Milwaukee’s The Business Journal, the loud news currently coming from Madison, Wisconsin, is the bitter debate in the legislature over collective bargaining.  The good news in Governor Scott Walker’s budget proposal is the exemption from sales and use taxes of “modular and manufactured homes that are sold …

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Manufactured Home Communities Sell in Phoenix

A real estate broker in Phoenix says he has sold three manufactured home communities in the last two months to out-of-state investors.  Russ Warner says the growing senior presence and the stability of the investment are fueling demand across the country.  He notes that investors who have left this portfolio …

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Fleetwood Homes Wins Palm Harbor Bid in Court

Cavco Industries successfully pulled off its takeover of bankrupt Palm Harbor Homes through its subsidiary, Fleetwood Homes, for $83.9 million at a bankruptcy auction March 1.  Fleetwood, which is 50 percent owned by Cavco and 50 percent by Third Avenue Value Fund, will acquire essentially all of Palm Harbor’s assets, …

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Industry Pioneer John Gunter Dies

In 1960, John and Charlotte Gunter arrived in Santa Rosa, pulling a 26-foot factory-built home from Kentucky, reports the PressDemocrat.com.  They began GV Custom Modular Construction in their home in 1972, and over the next 40 years, developed a multi-million dollar business constructing modular homes, classrooms, and buildings for customers …

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Rent Control Issue May Get High Court Hearing

A rent control ordinance at a factory-built community in Coleta, California, may propel a lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The community’s owner, real estate tycoon Daniel Guggenheim, attempted to convert the land into condominiums, and told the residents they either had to purchase their home sites or eventually lose …

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South Dakota Adds a Modular Homes Builder

From Arizona, the Hot Springs Star reports that with 32 homes under contract, the newest modular home manufacturer in the state expects to hire 50 to 70 people when their new facility opens.  Mammoth Homes, in Fall River County, South Dakota, is taking advantage of recent changes in property tax …

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