It’s almost axiomatic.
Promises made during a campaign are not always promises kept.
But there is a promise that then Senator Barack H. Obama (IL-D) made during his successful 2008 campaign for the presidency that ought to stand out for all thinking people of independent thought and good will.
Then Senator Obama promised to fundamentally transform America. After 8 years, the U.S.A. was indeed a different place.
Donald J. Trump had never run for any office, but had periodically considering running for the presidency for decades. Like Mr. Obama, Mr. Trump made many campaign-promises.
Every time an investor or professional in manufactured housing – or any other profession – interviews a job applicant, or considers a possible investment, facts are gathered. Those facts are found in resumes, references, and job applications.
In investing, it’s the data and track record about the business or property that are carefully examined. P&Ls, sales, occupancy levels, and other aspects of due diligence aim to give a buyer or investor as close to a real-time and historic snapshot of what is reality.
Reality – the truth – matters in business. Reality can create more certainty, which successful investors crave.
No serious investor wants to put his or her money down blindfolded. Thus, facts and history matter. No smart manager, owner, or executive wants to hire someone without understanding that person’s background, accomplishments, and motivations.
When facts matter so much to hire a candidate for work, or to invest money, why do millions of Americans rely on mere feelings – emotions – or impressions before they vote for someone that could fundamentally change the way their business operates?
Yet that is true for tens of millions who voted in 2016, or in 2008 and 2012. Emotions and impressions mattered more for millions than facts did. A farmer, and voters, reap what they first sowed.
Barack Obama – Remember Hope and Change We Can Believe In?
The list below by Doug Ross at the Journal is only a partial snapshot, but it was largely ignored at the time. Why? Because of what we will call the Danny Glover effect.
Recall what actor Danny Glover said in the highly-awarded documentary movie, Shadows of Liberty.
What needed to be added to Glover’s comment, quoted above, are the techniques of manipulation and how much of the mainstream media favored Senator Obama, and then later, President Obama. Here’s Doug Ross’ fact-based infographic.
The national debt and historically high deficits soared during the Obama years. Frankly, the George W. Bush Administration added to it too, but nothing like the record-holder, Barack Obama. Perhaps the best known broken promise is the one on ObamaCare, documented by it’s own designers as having been based upon lies. They said so, on video, see the article and details below.
ObamaCare Architect Jonathan Gruber – Lack of Transparency needed to pass ACA
Ross’ data-points are only a partial list, but serves to make the point. President Obama favored government “investments” vs. private investing. That historically is a recipe for corruption and failure, regardless of party label.
Some of the New Manufactured Housing Builders
Jessup, Hamilton, and New Vision are just three of the new builders of HUD Code manufactured homes that have emerged since President Donald J. Trump took over the White House.
Look at fairly recent newcomer, Legacy Housing, which is roughly tied with American HomeStar, per the data below. They came into being during the Bush Administration.
By contrast, what happened in manufactured housing during the Obama years? We’ll turn to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) data to see.
How is it possible that so many HUD Code home builders vanished or where absorbed by larger firms during a growing affordable housing crisis? Recall an expert that MHI used to cite, before the Clayton Homes takeover by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway?
When Harvard’s Belsky said that, manufactured housing production was far greater than it is today.
How did the destruction of so many factory builders occur?
In part, the evidence and reflect that capital and lending were choked off for independents. That forced closures and under-value sales. Recall this tip from a MHProNews reader below, which was signed by Tim Williams, of 21st Mortgage, a Berkshire Hathaway Company.
Marty Lavin is a multiple decades successful manufactured home professional, and a keen observer who very must strives to stay abreast of what is happening in MHVille. We’ll share some of his better known quotes in this context. The reason is because his quotes arguably fit.
One or Lavin’s businesses became what was known as Mountainside Financial. That was later absorbed by what today is known as Credit Human Federal Credit Union. Lavin has professionally advised GSEs. MHI awarded him for a reason.
No quote is used to imply that everything else said or done by a person is perfect. Normal people know that. Not this writer, nor any other mortal today, could live up to a standard of perfection. Quotes and facts are used on MHProNews when relevant to a discussion, following a biblical maxim of the separating the “wheat and chaff.”
Barack Obama had the support of most, but not all, of the billionaires on the chart below. Why? His economic principles were demonstrably wrong. Mr. Obama either made promises in ignorance, or knowing they could not be kept. Either way, the result was the same, terrible for thousands of businesses in our industry. That pattern was repeated by other industries and professions. So millions of Americans were harmed by demonstrably bad policies. But most of the top billionaires backed Mr. Obama, including Warren Buffett.
Tech Billionaires, “Moral Cowardice,” MH Industry, and National Impact
Thousands of independent communities, and retailers vanished during the waning part of the Bush and all of the Obama years. The Daily Business News on MHProNews explored the causes of the 2008 financial meltdown. Warren Buffett knew the fall of the GSEs was coming, he sold all of that stock.
Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Berkshire Hathaway Backstory
It was policies that dated back to the Clinton era, or even Carter Administration years, that led to that 2008 housing/financial collapse. President Bush failed to head it off, in part because people like Barney Frank and their supportive PACs, unions, etc. were getting big campaign donations from the GSEs.
Today, the GSEs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are co-sponsoring MHI events. Why? To NOT make many loans on manufactured housing?
By choking off lending, as described in Smoking Gun 3, Clayton Homes grew rapidly, as numerous independents failed or sold out for less than their real value. The pie charts help illustrate and tell the tale. Isn’t what is occurring with the GSEs now just a variation on that same theme?
Do you see a pattern? Can you spell, “rigged system?”
The 45th President of the United States (POTUS), Donald J. Trump, is keeping his campaign promises. Who says? People like industry veteran Eddie Hicks.
President Trump’s opponents errantly call him a racist and misogynistic, but he’s created more jobs for blacks, women, and minorities. The same people who once praised Trump as a media or business personality, now slur and slander him. Why?
Facts and history matter. Evidence matters. The degree of emotional manipulation that is taking place in our nation is breathtakingly bold, but easy to spot for those who are willing to look with an open mind.
The Great Manufactured Housing Debate
The Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) is in the palms of several larger operations, but most notably, Berkshire Hathaway owned brands. We’ve offered to debate these and other issues with them publicly and via video, so all could see it. MHI has ducked it, while arguably trying to undermine our pro-growth industry work. Why? Why would MHI’s president say the industry should grow slowly, so that Berkshire Hathaway and others could consolidate greater pieces of it?
For a time in 2017, MHI attorneys, or surrogates for MHI, threatened us with various forms of litigation for publishing information that was accurate and supplied to us. MHProNews called their bluff. Their response to our slowly evolving questions or concerns was to first remove this writer from an elected board position in the Suppliers Division, and later to eject the parent company of MHProNews from membership for the spurious reason that we were “News.” By doing so, they ignored the fact that we did consulting and other business development services, just as other MHI members publish news or commentary and do other things too.
With each step, MHI created questions. What are they doing? Why? How? For how much?
The former MHI Chairman, Nathan Smith, supported Barack Obama. Smith and others involved with MHI support today several of the candidates that oppose President Trump’s tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks which allowed some new businesses to emerge since Donald Trump came to office.
MHI is a nonprofit. Kevin Clayton said in the video below that nonprofits are part of the Berkshire/Clayton plan.
It’s nearly an hour long, but the references and his own words spell out “the Moat” that they used to consolidate so much of the industry. That video, and linked articles, explains in detail how that consolidation of manufactured housing was accomplished.
The midterms are mere weeks away. Monopolistic-minded backers knowingly support Democrats that former President Barack Obama or Secretary Hillary Clinton are endorsing or supporting.
President Trump campaigned on several promises. Some have already been kept, like redoing NAFTA, bringing back manufacturing, repatriation of capital, cutting taxes and regulations. Others have been stymied by Democrats who resist and obstruct. The GOP margins in Congress are narrow.
As we did in 2016, as an independent, we once more gladly support the candidates that back the Trump Agenda.
This president is doing more for our industry, and other professions, than anyone else in decades.
Facts are facts. There is a monopolistic pattern of powerful people that have been using the Democratic Party for years. It is not the party that it was during the Kennedy years, when President John F. Kennedy cut taxes and spurred economic growth.
We said in 2016 that Donald J. Trump could win, in spite of the barrage of anti-Trump media. Trump backed candidates can win again this year. As we track key Senate and other races, several pro-Trump Republicans are ahead in recent polls, others trail narrowly. It can all change by election night, on November 6. It call comes down to turnout and voting.
MHI, people like Warren Buffett, Nathan Smith, Barack Obama, The Clintons or others will be supporting the opposition of President Trump.
There are thousands who believe as Eddie Hicks does, sometimes quietly, at other times, publicly. When was the last time a president did what President Trump has done for our industry?
President Donald J. Trump Visit to Manufactured Home Community, Video, Hurricane Florence Update
We proudly stand for the President and his America First agenda.
- American jobs.
- American steel.
- American oil.
- American coal.
- Smarter immigration.
- Finishing the Wall.
- Making tax and regulatory cuts permanent.
- Rising wages.
- More capital creation.
- More free market competition.
We’ll close for this morning by saying that we expect a successful GOP and President Trump to take serious aim at housing barriers and monopolies. HUD Secretary Ben Carson has already sent those signals. They mirror what our regulatory comments said to HUD, and what the YIMBY vs. NIMBY article below indicated.
YIMBY vs. NIMBY, Obama Admin Concept Could Unlock $1.95 Trillion Annually, HUD & MH Impact
Should pro-Trump Congressional representatives and Senators win by enough margins, before President Trump leaves office after 2024, expect Berkshire Hathaway, Clayton Homes, and other big-tech monopolistic forces to be broken up by federal action.
Should that happens, expect more Rollohomes to emerge. One new producer, building some 60,000 new homes, because the demand was there, and the regulatory environment wasn’t insane.
People like Judge Brett Kavanaugh are being smeared for political purposes. President Trump has taken the smear tactics head on. An army of deplorables of all races, religions, and genders has formed. People like Kanye West are breaking the stereotypes.
The Importance for Businesses and Investors in Manufactured Housing for Selecting the Next Supreme Court Justice
Predictability in law is the key to a prosperous Republic. Laws must be interpreted based on the language in them first and foremost. Only, when the language is unclear, should a judge seek evidence on related legislative discourse and legislative intent at the time the law was passed to help interpret it.
The result of a red wave election could make the Americans Dream more real than it has been in decades. It can upset the socialistic minded candidates, who made and make false promises that they can never fulfill.
The alternative? Venezuela, where a once prosperous nation a decade ago has been turned into a basket case economy, where some 2 million have fled, and the average person remaining has lost about 19 pounds due to hunger.
An avoidable socialistic tragedy, that they voted in, due to false promises.
There is no free lunch. Democrats can promise things that they can’t pay for, just as has occurred in Venezuela. Look at Detroit under Democratic rule and bad trade policies.
Free Trade or Economic War?
Anyone going to school in the U.S. after WW II has learned the breakdown in world trade was a primary, though not only, cause of the Great Depression. It is said import tariffs and barriers caused world trade to be constrained. There is little doubt it was a cause.
The choices are increasingly clear.
But one must look beyond emotional manipulations, to the facts and evidence. In about 20 months, much has been accomplished. Give the 45th president the Congress and Supreme Court Justice he needs to finish the job he has started so well.
Let’s keep the momentum going, together. “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (News, analysis, and commentary.)
(See Related Reports, further below. Third-party images and content are provided under fair use guidelines.)
Tony is the multiple award-winning managing member of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
Office 863-213-4090 |Connect on LinkedIn:
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Related References:
S 2155, Manufactured Housing,”Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act” Back Story
S. 2155 is poised to pass the House today. It’s styled ” Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act.” Should the bill pass – and Skopos Labs/GovTrack say there is a 56 percent chance of enactment – then the following is what you can expect from the Arlington, VA based national manufactured housing association and their surrogates.
