The backdrop to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) 2021 annual “facts” could be outlined in this fashion.  The case could be made that Civic Alliance member Edelman’s claim that there is what they called a “Raging Infodemic” in the U.S. today is quite correct. Indeed, from across the left-right divide, there is evidence that a seemingly growing number of Americans are concerned with accuracy in media, election integrity, and the direction of the country. Millions, per surveys and experts, are concerned about the nexus between big business, big media, and big tech government.  Then, there are concerns about authentic advocates and nonprofits vs. mere posers. The revelation by White House press secretary Jen Psaki that they are working with Facebook on what they claim is “misinformation” is tangible evidence that may be brought up by the Trump legal team in their class action suit against big tech. But beyond that, educational institutions are also being questioned. The mainstream media in the U.S. is largely distrusted, per national and international surveys. Viewership and other ratings for engagement by the public with mainstream media have plunged since the 45^th U.S. President, Donald J. Trump, left the White House. Those who backed the Biden-Harris ticket – operating in part under umbrella groups such as the Civic Alliance – spent billions before and after the 2020 election to get Trump out of office. Clearly, there were reasons that billionaires and multi-billion-dollar corporate brands went all-in to get Trump out and Biden-Harris into the White House. During an affordable housing crisis, manufactured housing only recently reversed a 1½ year downturn. Given that the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) claims to be promoting the industry, it is only natural to examine their 2021 Manufactured Housing Industry Facts report in  this fact-check, analysis, and commentary. The specific context for this initial installment of the MHI 2021 industry facts will be to see what, if anything, it has to say on topics raised by popular financial adviser Dave Ramsey.

Because it is related, it is worth noting that one of the top 10 articles accessed this month on the MHLivingNews website has to do with our report on the fact-check, analysis, and commentary on Dave Ramsey’s arguably flawed – and errantly described – claim that “mobile homes” are not a good investment. Even the image used by Ramsey in that video below reflects either ignorance, bias, or something other than an understanding of the objective facts about modern manufactured homes. Ramsey may be smart on many things, but is demonstrably wrong about his statements on this topic.

 

 

Ramsey is a highly-followed media personality. He is considered an investment and financial coaching guru. There is no extensive research needed to make the point that Ramsey is likely far better known than MHI is. Ramey’s site on 7.20.2021 claims that “The Ramsey Show, reaches more than 16 million listeners each week.”

Given that MHI has a staff which includes a paid public relations professional, why is it that MHI has not addressed that issue? A Google search on this date reveals no evidence that MHI has published a counter to his arguably errant and misguided claims about manufactured homes.

 

 

Here below is the transcript of the Ramsey comment as shown the in the video shown. While that caller said he was from Canada, Ramsey’s audience is on both sides of the border. He has made similar comments to U.S. callers, despite the fact that reams of third-party research has documented that manufactured homes go up or down in value for the same reasons as conventional housing does.  That information summarized has been presented to members of the federal government, which is ironic. Because some of those volumes of third-party research evidence comes from federal research. Additionally, in the U.S. and Canada, the term is manufactured home when it is built to those specific constructions standards found on either side of the border.

 

 

The transcript of this call in conversation, per closed captioning, is shown below. One word has been corrected – [car] – but it is otherwise as in the original generated by the closed captioning.

 

– Ramsey Call on Manufactured Homes –

 

Halon is with us in Canada

00:05

hi Kailin how are you I’m very good are

00:08

you better than I deserve

00:09

what’s up I have a question for you guys

00:12

I’m looking to move out

00:14

I have no debts I’ve got about 15

00:16

thousand dollars in savings and I was

00:19

looking around on real estate websites

00:21

and I found a mobile home that’s for

00:24

$50,000 it’s in kind of disarray but I

00:27

have experience in renovating so I could

00:28

renovate it or should I save up another

00:31

year and buy a condo for 185,000 how old

00:36

are you I’m 20 okay um in your

00:42

experience have you observed mobile

00:48

homes value changes and if you were to

00:54

guess and say this $50,000 mobile home

00:56

if you put 10,000 at renovate it you got

00:58

$60,000 in it what do you think it’ll be

01:01

worth in 10 years I’ve done too much

01:05

research into that part of the of the

01:07

home on Kaitlyn I mean what’s your

01:11

what’s your gut feeling tell you that

01:13

that mobile home is gonna do is you’re

01:15

gonna go up in value or down in value

01:17

probably not very much in value probably

01:20

not gonna go up in value very much not

01:21

gonna go up at all but I’m just yeah I’m

01:23

probably gonna go up but I’m just trying

01:25

to go down as quick as I can right it’s

01:27

gonna go down in value it’s gonna go

01:32

down in value okay

01:32

it’s a [car] you sleep in okay and so

01:38

for a piece of real estate we don’t buy

01:40

real estate that we know has a known

01:42

track record of going down in value okay

01:46

they simply don’t go up in value and so

01:48

that’s why we don’t buy them it’s that

01:49

simple it’s not because we’re snobs it’s

01:52

not because we don’t like them it’s not

01:54

because the construction technique it’s

01:55

not because they’re how nice they are

01:57

they just don’t go up in value they go

01:59

down in value you’re going the wrong way

02:01

so I mean the Christian outweighed

02:04

Kaylin I mean my friend like you said

02:06

weight by condo this is something that’s

02:08

going to actually appreciate I think

02:11

that’s the better plan for you and

02:13

long haul my friend you want to make

02:15

decisions on your finances that the 10

02:19

year from now version of you is smiling

02:21

of yes whatever the decision is you know

02:25

you’re getting ready to turn this amount

02:26

of money into less money or more money

02:29

and over ten years more please

02:32

yeah I’ll take more if that does and you

02:35

know here’s the thing it’s a great

02:37

question Kalin

02:39

whether you’re twenty whether you’re

02:40

forty or whether you’re sixty it’s still

02:41

a great question to bring up you know we

02:44

did a when I first start doing the show

02:46

Chris years ago I saw a study that

02:47

showed that wealthy people the

02:52

especially people people who have built

02:54

their wealth have a different planning

02:58

window a different mentality when

03:00

they’re making a financial decision the

03:02

Bible says where there is no vision the

03:04

people perish and so what the study

03:08

showed was was that wealthy people when

03:09

they’re making a decision have a

03:11

tendency to ask themselves how is this

03:14

purchase or this investment gonna treat

03:17

me ten years or twenty years from now

03:20

and people who are broke and remain

03:23

broke poor and remain poor

03:26

tend to ask tend to think in short

03:29

planning windows like thank God it’s

03:31

Friday oh god it’s Monday that’s right

03:33

and so it adults devise a plan and

03:37

follow it children do what feels good so

03:39

it turns out wealthy people just don’t

03:41

Yolo that’s right you only live once

03:44

nope god I’ve got to have a party on the

03:47

weekend yeah well not to say that

03:49

wealthy people don’t have fun not to say

03:51

that they don’t enjoy themselves

03:52

it’s not to say they don’t do these

03:54

things and as in the process of building

03:55

wealth which they don’t live in a cave

03:57

collect Linnton crippled upon triple

03:59

coupon Thursday but they but they do

04:02

think about their purchases over longer

04:06

periods of time and even for that matter

04:08

when they’re sitting there and saying

04:10

okay we’re going to go on a trip and is

04:14

this trip something when we look back on

04:16

it that’s going to be a high-quality

04:17

memory

04:18

building trip ten years from now or is

04:22

this just the booze cruise for the

04:24

weekend

04:26

which you don’t even remember what

04:27

happens right you know and so it’s a

04:30

different mentality no you’re absolutely

04:32

when you go on those trips or where you

04:34

see the wealthy people when you go on

04:35

the other trips or where you see the

04:37

others the other kind of yeah no you’re

04:39

absolutely right Dave and that mentality

04:41

you know it’s something that in looking

04:44

at it I would think wow how is it

04:46

possible to outgrow that or to shake it

04:48

off and it really is just a decision it

04:51

is a decision and you know I’m seeing

04:53

people you know the debt-free screamer

04:55

that we had on earlier who you know

04:58

talked about her family tree how they

04:59

didn’t do well with money but for her

05:01

she decided and I just I love the power

05:05

in that that regardless of how you were

05:07

raised you can decide and you can pursue

05:09

yep just like that ##

###

 

The problem with several of those comments by Ramsey, of course, is that there are reams of third-party research that demonstrates that it simply isn’t factually accurate. As noted above, Ramsey may be intelligent and correct on several things, but can still be wide of the mark on this topic.

 

 

 

Additionally, while Ramsey asserted that this was not a matter of snobbery, or whatever else, but he nevertheless fails to discern and use the correct terminology. These are not “mobile homes.” In the U.S. and Canada alike, they are properly known as manufactured homes. The evolutionary process is noted below.

 

 

 

But it recently was brought to the attention of MHProNews that it is not only MHLivingNews that has made that point.

Mark Simpson, a MAI certified appraiser, has made the point that myths about manufactured housing are “destructive.”

Simpson’s 1st quarter of 2020 comments mentioned Ramsey by name in a rival trade publication. Also cited problematic PBS reporting. Those and other issues are among the ones MHLivingNews and MHProNews have repeatedly debunked.

 

 

 

 

According to Simpson, myths about manufactured housing – be the spread by Ramsey or others – are “destructive” to manufactured housing interests, and logically, thus to valuations.

While MHProNews would broadly concur with that comment by Simpson, we must also noted that MHLivingNews published a specific report and analysis on Dave Ramsey that made similar points on 2019/11/08 at 2:26 pm.  Did Simpson see our report and decide to do one of his own? If so, there is no mention of that.

That said, the MHLivingNews report on that Dave Ramsey topic is month-to-date ranked #8 out of hundreds of other posts on our MHLivingNews sister site.

There are numerous possible takeaways from that. Among them? It wasn’t just MHLivingNews and MHProNews – both of which have covered that Dave Ramsey’s problematic and arguably incorrect claims about manufactured homes. Simpson, an appraiser, has too. Perhaps independently, or perhaps having read and after being inspired by our own reports, Simpson came to a similar observation. Namely, that this type of report or claim is harmful to the industry in general, but also to manufactured home owners in particular. Is that really what Ramsey wants? To hurt people’s valuations by spreading disinformation?

Now, why bring this up with respect to MHI’s May 2021 updated industry facts? Because among the topics that are missing from a generally okay – but still apparently still lacking – MHI document is one on “appreciation.”  A MS Word search of their report shows zero – no – results for that subject. There is no result on “depreciation.” Yet, that is a common myth, that Ramsey and others happen to believe, albeit errantly, per the FHFA and other federal or other  university-level research.

 

 

There is also no mention in the MHI document of the word “tornado,” another common consumer concern. But in fairness, there are 4 mentions of the word “wind” in lines such as this: “The homes are engineered for wind safety and energy efficiency.” Also, in fairness, MHI has fixed in this document their often oddly self-contradictory claim that manufactured homes will save buyers 10-35 percent. In their 2021 update, perhaps thanks to ongoing pressure from MHProNews and MHLivingNews fact-checks, MHI updated their report to say that you can save up to 50 percent. Here is how they phrased it this year. “Today’s manufactured homes can deliver outstanding quality and performance at prices that are up to 50 percent less per square foot than conventional site-built homes.” That’s an improvement that is supported by the facts and evidence.

 

 

But that brings thinking professionals back to what Tim Williams said MHI would and should be doing with their new public relations person. These comments were in an exclusive to MHProNews which Williams and others praised for years, apparently until our questions, reports of troubling misses, and analysis became too sharp for them to handle .

 

Certainly, there are numerous factors that cause prices to go up or down. Perception is one.  MHLivingNews and this site have explored those in reports like the ones linked below.

 

 

Per Investopedia on June 28, 2021, which cites Ramsey’s site among its sources: “At the age of 26, Dave Ramsey was bringing home a quarter of a million dollars a year and had a $4 million real estate portfolio. Two years later he lost everything.

Today Ramsey, 58, is one of America’s most trusted sources for financial advice. His syndicated radio program, “The Dave Ramsey Show,” is among the top five talk radio shows in the United States, and is heard by 13 million listeners each week on more than 600 radio stations, according to Ramsey’s website.”

If MHI played its hand properly, it could engage Ramsey any number of ways if Ramsey did not voluntarily make a correction based upon the evidence provided by sources such as the Urban Institute, or the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which are among those third-parties that have said that manufactured homes appreciate in value. As noted earlier, HUD Secretary Ben Carson specifically cited the FHFA research in a public and published comment that is found on the HUD website.

There is no excuse for Ramsey or others to put out misinformation when a reasonable amount of due diligence via research with third parties will debunk the very claims he has errantly made.  That said, if Ramsey only went to the MHI website, he might not be persuaded for reasons noted.

Which recalls MHI’s routine failure to address issues that hobble our profession. Who’s side is MHI on? This gets the allegations made – against by insiders as well as third-parties – that manufactured housing is being deliberately subverted to benefit the few at significant cost to the many.

 

According to MHI award-winner Marty Lavin, that answer is simple. MHI is on the side of the “big boys.”

 

 

If MHI played its hand properly, it could engage Ramsey any number of ways if Ramsey did not voluntarily make a correction based upon the evidence provided by sources such as the Urban Institute, or the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), which are among those third-parties that have said that manufactured homes appreciate in value. See the links above.

Which recalls MHI’s routine failure to address issues that hobble our profession. Who’s side is MHI on?

According to MHI award-winner Marty Lavin, that answer is simple. MHI is on the side of the “big boys.”

It isn’t just Simpson, this platform, or MHLivingNews that have directly or indirectly called out MHI. Ironically, a Berkshire brand unit commercial real estate unit leader has too.

 

 

Whose side is MHI on? Just look at their board. Listen to Lavin. Note what the rival Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) has said.

A Manufactured Housing Industry Problem Followed by Third-Party Evidence, Solutions, Analysis, and Commentary

The word ‘failure’ is defined as follows by Oxford Languages.

1. lack of success.
2. the omission of expected or required action.

Manufactured housing has – on paper – the benefit of good laws that were passed by widely bipartisan margins. Additionally, there are literally decades of third-party research that supports an authentic case for modern HUD-Code manufactured homes. For a time, MHI, MHARR, and state associations worked jointly to enact good legislations. There is clear evidence for that, which includes evidence from MHI.

 

 

But once enacted, those laws – including, but not limited to, the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) of 2000, or the Duty to Serve Manufactured Housing, Rural and Underserved Markets by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been routinely thwarted and/or misdirected.  Some 21 and 13 years later, those laws are not properly implemented. Says who? Ironically, Kevin Clayton, arguably the dominating force behind MHI. Those pull quotes from Clayton were submitted under “Truth in Testimony” certification and made to members of Congress.

 

 

 

As CNN correctly noted on July 14, 2017 “even if unsworn,” “Federal law makes it a crime to “knowingly and willfully” give “materially” false statements to Congress…”

So, Kevin is not likely to recant that testimony. That testimony, as MHProNews has noted in an in depth Masthead analysis, on paper looks to be much like what MHI independent producer’s trade rival MHARR has said before and since.

 

 

It is simply not plausible, for example, that MHI could have been so wrong on CrossMod^TM if their research and focus group was authentic. Research and reporting published in Tierra Grande, which quotes a CrossMod^TM developer and advocate, helps shine a bright light on just how misguided the project has proven to be. That report is shared and unpacked in the analysis linked below.

 

 

Following the Clayton-backed and MHI announced “new class of manufactured homes” that MHI later relabeled as CrossMod^TM homes, manufactured housing took a 2½ year slide in production. That was accomplished during an affordable housing crisis.

 

 

It was not until the last 3 months that in a hyper-heated housing market that manufactured housing has begun to reverse that trend. Put differently, it is not because of CrossMod^TM which has a documented and pathetically low actual performance, per data provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but despite the apparent head-fake that the recent improvements in production and shipments have occurred.

 

 

While there are numerous elements to this downturn. They include, but are not limited to, what Warren Buffett has preached as the Moat. Kevin Clayton has confirmed that moat methodology in a longform video interview and transcript that is linked here. Another loyal MHI member has also pointed to the moat and financing as a ‘barrier of entry’ for would-be competitors.

 

 

 

 

A self-described longtime Buffett admirer, Robin Harding at the Financial Times, identified the moat as a monopolistic ploy.

 

 

But beyond that, there are other interlaced factors.

Among them, there are years of what can thus accurately be described as a string of failures by MHI can be traced back to many causes that include Berkshire/Buffett related ones, but also includes structural issues. Says who? Danny Ghorbani, who was an MHI Vice President for some time before becoming the founding president of what became the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR), made this keen observation.

 

 

Note that like an attorney, an engineer – which Ghorbani is by training – are intellectually rigorous in their use of facts and evidence. Ghorbani has said for years that there is a need for a post-production trade group that MHARR could team up with to advance the industry’s implementation of good existing laws. More on that shortly.

But first, an entirely different personality who has served for years as an award-winning state association executive, made a complimentary observation to Ghorbani, though it may not have been intended as such.

 

 

Note that while MHI and MHARR have a presence at the Manufactured Housing Executives Council (MHEC), at least hypothetically, MHEC is supposed to be independent meetings and idea sharing between state executives.  That noted, MHI has in practice has effectively coopted the group, which routinely meets in conjunction with an MHI event. Because MHI monitors the MHEC message system, MHEC is arguably a shadow of its potential. Why? Precisely because it is NOT independent of MHI in a meaningful sense. Who says? In essence, that is part of the takeaway from insights from several MHEC members.

 

 

 

Additionally, while MHEC members are at times willing to communicate with MHProNews, in recent years, that is typically off the record. MHEC members are apparently so under the thumb of the big brands that dominate MHI, that they are seemingly fearful of being exposed and potentially losing their job(s).

On paper, MHI and MHARR seem to say similar things. But when carefully examined, the evidence that emerges from among MHI’s own members is that they want to stunt growth in order to consolidate the industry. Note that consolidation only makes sense in a relatively static market. If a market is robustly growing, while M&A may still make sense, it would not be as lucrative as when a market is static. That’s simply big business/economics 101 and applied common sense.

The Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate clearly dominates MHI. Then, as MHI’s own board of directors reflects, there are a relatively small group of larger firms that make up the effectively governing/controlling body.

 

 

While MHI encourages the presence of independents, MHProNews published some time ago a report that explained why. Those independent members could be labeled as part of “Buffett’s Buffet.” Those smaller members are there for consolidators to create an ersatz or other ‘relationship’ with during meetings and events. Then, those smaller firms become the targets for consolidation. Is there evidence for that claim? Yes, and again, it comes directly from MHI members, as well as from nonprofits that are funded in part by Buffett-backed nonprofits.

 

 

 

 

In such an environment, it becomes clear that short-term growth is not the goal.  Indeed, given the Berkshire massive war-chest for investing. How massive? Per Bloomberg on May 1, 2021 “That helped push Berkshire’s cash pile up 5.2% from three months earlier to a near-record $145.4 billion at the end of March.” Kevin Clayton said in his own words that “Warren” told him that there was plenty of money for anything that Clayton might want or need. Given those facts, does anyone seriously think that Clayton and Berkshire are unable to properly educate the public on the truth and value of modern manufactured homes?

 

 

During an affordable housing crisis, with millions of new housing units needed, manufactured housing might be operating at about 30 percent of its 1998 last high-water mark. It is only about 20 percent of its all-time high in the early 1970s.

 

 

If Berkshire-Clayton-MHI, which has at times been referred to as the Omaha-Knoxville-Arlington Axis, wanted to advance manufactured housing in a robust manner, they have all of the resources needed financially and thus legally too. It is a matter of enforcing existing laws, not getting new laws passed.

 

 

Says who? Ironically, MHI’s prior President and CEO, Richard “Dick” Jennison, told dozens of industry members in a video recorded statement at a Louisville Show that the industry should have a goal of 500,000. He said that goal was achievable. Even this reasonably brief outline makes it clear that the industry is operating at a shadow of its true potential.

 

Would Ramsey, or anyone else, likely be unjustly slamming manufactured homes, if Berkshire deployed millions of dollars for educational and legal funds to go after anyone who dared demean the industry?

Even rival Modular Home Builders Association (MHBA) Executive Director Tom Hardiman, a competitor to manufactured housing, has said that he will not say a bad word about manufactured homes. He makes the argument that modular housing is superior, but that manufactured homes are necessary, good, and important.

 

 

That review of facts from source inside and outside of MHI should make it clear that MHI is by accident or design acting to consolidate the industry. The more obvious case is that they are doing so intentionally.

When attorneys and leadership for Berkshire, Clayton, and MHI were asked to respond to allegations by Samuel “Sam” Strommen of Knudson Law, they were mute. Would they be silent if they could disprove these claims?

 

 

A potential MHI member emailed MHProNews to ask the question ‘Has MHI been asked to defend the industry?.’ While it is a fair question, which will be replied to below, several points should be noted. One is that MHI claims under oath to be working to grow the market. If that were so, then there is no need to ask them to defend the industry.

Additionally, as was previously noted, Tim Williams, President and CEO of 21^st Mortgage Corporation and former MHI chairman said that defending the industry from unjust media attacks made sense.

 

Then, Williams announced that a role would be created that would do just that.

Now, years after MHI has had such a media relations professional, were is the evidence that MHI can offer that they have in fact done that defense against harmful myths that Mark Simpson, an MAI certified appraiser, asserted that debunkable myths about manufactured housing are ‘destructive’? Once more, there is silence to several documented and direct inquiries by MHProNews poised to members of the Omaha-Knoxville-Arlington axis.

But beyond that, there are specific examples of MHProNews asking MHI to get engaged in issues such as unjust zoning/placement barriers in states such as Arkansas, Indiana, California, and Texas. In each case, MHI stayed mute. Two of those examples are linked below.

 

 

 

Understanding and outlining a problem is the first step toward a solution, said the late Zig Ziglar.

 

 

Talking about problems is useful, but ultimately there is a need to move toward solutions. This is not about whining and woes. Rather, it is to establish the predicates necessary to move toward solutions that would be profitable for white hat professionals of all sizes. Note that more white hats would also be good for consumers.

• That includes the estimated 111 million renters that the Apartment List says are in the U.S.
• That also includes the bulk of the 22 million Americans living in manufactured homes.
• But ironically, it can also benefit conventional housing owners too. More on that below.

 

 

A Goal-Oriented Solution Outlined – a New Style of P.E.P. Manufactured Home Advocacy

To set the stage for this part of this report and analysis, the following is a useful backdrop. In the conventional housing market, there is a trade group for production – the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Also in the conventional housing market, there is a trade group for post-product sellers – the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Then there are multifamily, finance, and other conventional housing trade groups. Something similar exists in the Recreational Vehicle (RV) industry. There are producers, post-production retail, campground, and other member groups and associations.

Why are manufactured homes misunderstood and underperforming? Perhaps in Ramsey’s defense, or other equally misguided and misinformed souls, it is because Buffett bucks-backed nonprofits are missing, spinning, or weaponizing reality in ways that fosters consolidation. Defending the industry and putting out good information is not high on their agenda.

 

 

These are just some examples of why manufactured housing is underperforming during an affordable housing crisis.

As noted, MHARR has for years pushed for a third-national trade group that would be post-production focused, that they could work with. See the report linked above.

Following that MHARR report, some former MHEC member state associations in fact broke away from MHI affiliation.

 

 

 

However, NAMHCO arguably made a tactical mistake by hiring a former MHI VP and then partnering with the very people that they had broken from.

 

Those are lessons that can be learned from.

What might a good post-production trade group look like?

First, let’s consider what former MHI President and CEO Chris Stinebert aptly said.

 

 

Quite so. It is intolerable for manufactured housing to be at odds with potentially millions of their own customer base. Partially with that in mind, plus based upon reasoning by MHARR, here is an outline that could prove to be:

 

• good for current and future manufactured home community residents;
• good for manufactured housing ‘white-hat’ independents;
• thus, good for actual and potential affordable housing investors who have white hat principles;
• good for conventional housing owners, who routinely are taxpayers;
• good for American politics, because decades of housing policies have for a range of reasons failed to solve our housing problems. It makes no sense to spend trillions more when the trillions previously spent have not solved the issues.

 

Broadly speaking, a new post-production trade group should be forged with these basic principles.

 

1. The post-production group should coordinate as much as possible with MHARR and white-hat consumer trade groups that work in the manufactured housing space.
2. Such a group should have a clearly stated set of principles that members adhere to that would include anti-trust and pro-growth in an sustainable and ethical fashion.
3. Such a group should be so prestigious, and good for marketing, that being a member is an ‘award.’ There would be no need for phony awards that go to favored brands.
4. Such a group should have state-regional trade shows that include trade days and public days.
5. Such a group should be P.E.P. committed. Protect, Educate, and Promote.

 

Ramsey, if he is as Christian as he claims to be, knows that the Bible condemns falsehood and deception. If he has acted out of ignorance, ignorance is not a sin. We are all ignorant of many things. But once understanding comes, that is when the honorable should find the humility and courage to change.

 

 

That goes for manufactured housing professionals too. Some are understandably fearful of being the next firm eaten by Berkshire and related moat-building monster. But as ROC’s Paul Bradley said on a different topic, being the last one eaten by a lion is no award.

 

 

 

At some point in time, devilishly clever but arguably pernicious and apparently illegal methods used by those in the Omaha-Knoxville-Arlington orbit have to be more broadly exposed and legally acted upon.

 

 

 

To be clear, MHI does posture and produce items that appear to be useful. But it is not until the track record/historic record, and additional details such as those noted and linked above are explored that the problems of MHI and their big boy masters become apparent.

 

To learn more see the linked reports.

Next up is our business daily recap of yesterday evening’s market report and related left-right headlines.

The Business Daily Manufactured Home Industry Connected Stock Market Updates.  Plus, Market Moving Left (CNN) – Right (Newsmax) Headlines Snapshot. While the layout of this business daily report has recently been modified, several elements of the basic concepts used previously are still the same. The headlines that follow below can be reviewed at a glance to save time while providing insights across the left-right media divide. Additionally, those headlines often provide clues as to possible ‘market-moving’ items.

 

Market Indicator Closing Summaries – Yahoo Finance Closing Tickers on MHProNews…

 

Headlines from left-of-center CNN Business = evening of 7.20.2021 

• Mission accomplished
• LIVE UPDATES Jeff Bezos thanks Amazon customers, employees who ‘paid for all this’
• A pledge: Bezos donates $100 million each to CNN contributor Van Jones and chef Jose Andres
• Video: Inside capsule during Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight
• Bezos: Seeing Earth during spaceflight was ‘more profound for me than I expected’
• Ready to return: 82-year-old Wally Funk says ‘I want to go again, fast’
• Looking ahead: Bezos said Blue Origin is nearing $100M in private sales
• The ultimate goal: Blue Origin wants to colonize space
• A record: The oldest and youngest people to travel to space just made history
• Watch: Blue Origin spacecraft touches down
• Here comes the pitch: Blue Origin wants to sell you a ticket to space — so how much will they cost?
• Invest: You don’t have to be rich to cash in on space
• History: Jeff Bezos just went to space and back
• Passengers cheer: ‘It’s dark up here!’
• Bezos: ‘I could have done this flight as CEO of Amazon’
• Admission: Jeff Bezos concedes that billionaires-in-space critics are ‘largely right’
• MORE TOP STORIES
• Trader Aaron Ford works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, July 19, 2021. Resurgent pandemic worries knocked stocks lower from Wall Street to Tokyo on Monday, fueled by fears that faster-spreading variants of the virus may upend the economy’s strong recovery.
• Dow surges more than 600 points after biggest drop of the year
• $30,000 signing bonuses, childcare help: What companies are doing to attract workers
• Joe Biden wants to overhaul global tax rules. Ireland stands in the way
• This crucial industry is still a major threat to the recovery
• America’s Covid recession is officially over. It was the shortest on record
• Bitcoin falls below $30,000 as Delta variant fears spread
• How to profit from greener bitcoin miners
• Former Apollo CEO Leon Black admits to affair and ‘extremely poor judgment’ but denies abuse
• Instagram users can now control how much sensitive content they see
• Taco Bell is facing a food shortage
• Fox has quietly implemented its own version of a vaccine passport while its top personalities attack them
• Ben & Jerry’s will stop selling ice cream in Palestinian territories
• RETURN TO ‘NORMAL’
• Fox has quietly implemented its own version of a vaccine passport while its top personalities attack them
• Why salad bars may never come back
• Amazon to end Covid testing for warehouse workers
• Lyft is bringing back a version of shared rides
• Some parents are seeking out permanent virtual school
• AROUND THE WORLD
• Pedestrians on Bow Street, on so-called “Freedom Day” in the City of London, U.K., on Monday, July 19, 2021. Boris Johnson’s plan to get the U.K. back to normal is in disarray, with Covid-19 cases rising the most in the world and a public outcry over the prime minister’s perceived attempt to dodge isolation rules.
• Worker shortage is forcing UK businesses to close as Covid cases spike
• It’s taken a pandemic to crack the glass ceiling in India
• China’s economy is growing but recovery is slowing
• Xiaomi wants to surpass Samsung next
• Mastercard banned from issuing new cards in India

Headlines from right-of-center Newsmax – evening of 7.20.2021

• House GOP Report: Biden ‘Precipitated a Massive Immigration Crisis’
• Newsmax TV
• Carter: Pelosi Weaponizing Jan. 6 Against Conservatives
• Waltz, Obernolte: Funding Not Specified for Infrastructure
• Ron Johnson: ‘State of Denial’ on Vaccine Effects |
• Van Drew: Pelosi Shouldn’t Nix Panel Picks |
• RNC’s McDaniel: Left Tells ‘Absolute Lie’ About GOP Voter Bills |
• Jordan: Being on Select Jan. 6 Panel No Tough Decision |
• Malliotakis: No Surprise AOC Wants to Prop Up Cuban Regime
• More Newsmax TV
• Newsfront
• Schumer Heads for Infrastructure Vote Defeat as Talks Drag
• Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s attempt to begin Senate debate Wednesday on a still-unfinished bipartisan infrastructure bill is on track to fail, with Republicans saying that there is no way a deal can be reached by then and that they won’t vote to open debate…… [Full Story]
• Related Stories
• Boebert Slams Dems ‘Ineptitude’ on Infrastructure
• Waltz, Obernolte to Newsmax: No Funding Specified for Infrastructure Plan
• Ruddy: Biden’s Good Job on the Vaccine
• As a journalist, I believe in giving credit where its due. [Full Story]
• Whistleblower: Hasbro Teaching Employees That Kids Have Racial Bias
• Hasbro partnered with an organization to teach its employees about [Full Story]
• CDC: Delta Variant Now Accounts for 83 Percent of US Cases
• Health officials say the delta variant of the coronavirus continues [Full Story]
• Related
• Paul, Fauci Trade Accusations at Senate Hearing
• Texas AG Paxton to Newsmax: Hard to Determine Texas Dems’ End Game
• It’s hard to tell what the end game is for the group of Texas [Full Story]
• Biden ‘Misinformation’ Crusade ‘Blurs’ Government, Big Tech
• Free speech advocates, a Republican senator, and social media’s [Full Story] |
• Cawthorn to Newsmax: Fauci ‘Trying To Further His Own Career’
• Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., on Tuesday blasted White House medical [Full Story]
• Blinken’s Invitation to UN’s Racism Envoys Is ‘Disgraceful’
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s high-profile outreach to United [Full Story] |
• This Stock Signed an Exclusive Counter-Drone Tech License Agreement.
• Rasmussen Poll: Voters Agree With Trump’s Call for Election Reform
• Sixty-one percent of likely voters agree with former President Donald [Full Story]
• Putin Hails Russia’s Air Power as New Fighter Goes on View
• Russian aircraft makers on Tuesday unveiled a prototype of a new [Full Story]
• Marxist Teacher, Activist Declared New President of Peru
• A teacher in one of the poorest communities in the Andes who had [Full Story]
• DEA Agent Arrested For Taking Part in Capitol Riot
• S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Mark Sami Ibrahim [Full Story]
• The Animal Most Likely to Kill You in Every State, Florida is Terrifying
• StandardNews
• House GOP Report: Biden ‘Precipitated a Massive Immigration Crisis’
• House Republicans on the Oversight and Judiciary committees on [Full Story]
• Poll: Unvaccinated Believe COVID Vaccines Riskier Than Virus
• Unvaccinated Americans say the COVID-19 vaccines are more dangerous [Full Story]
• Trending Reports
• Jeff Bezos, World’s Richest Man, Completes Inaugural Space Voyage
• Jeff Bezos, the world’s richest man, and three crewmates soared high [Full Story]
• Iraqi President, Other Heads of State Potential Pegasus Surveillance Targets: WashPost
• The phone of Iraq’s President Barham Salih was on a list of 50,000 [Full Story]
• Apple Delays Office Return to October as COVID Spikes
• Apple Inc. is pushing back its return to office deadline by at least [Full Story]
• Harvey Weinstein Extradited to California to Face Second Rape Trial
• Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was extradited from New [Full Story]
• New York, Drug Distributors Reach $1.18 Billion Opioid Settlement
• The three largest U.S. drug distributors agreed mid-trial to pay up [Full Story]
• Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan ‘Free Britney’ Bill to Help Conservatorship Victims
• Two House members are introducing a bipartisan bill to restore and [Full Story]
• White House Official, Pelosi Aide Test Positive for COVID-19
• A White House official and a staff member for House Speaker Nancy [Full Story]
• Radio Host Larry Elder Files Lawsuit over California Ballot
• Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder has filed a lawsuit [Full Story]
• Paul, Fauci Trade Accusations at Senate Hearing
• Rand Paul and Dr. Anthony Fauci clashed at a Senate Health [Full Story]
• Gallup: 2020 Officially Most Stressful Year in Recent History
• More people across the globe reported experiencing negative feelings [Full Story]
• 23-Year-Old Ex-Trump Staffer Running for Congress in New Hampshire
• A 23-year-old former White House spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, on [Full Story]
• Judge Dismisses Challenge to Georgia US Senate Runoff Results
• A Georgia judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the [Full Story]
• Man Linked to Haitian President’s Killing Under Investigation in Florida
• The Florida Agriculture commissioner has launched an investigation [Full Story]
• NJ Woman Faces Daily Fines for Displaying Profane Anti-Biden Signs
• A New Jersey woman faces daily monetary fines if she refuses to [Full Story]
• US, Germany to Announce Deal on Nord Stream 2 Pipeline: Sources
• The United States and Germany are expected to announce in coming days [Full Story]
• Twitter Suspends Marjorie Taylor Greene Over COVID-19 Vaccine Tweets
• Twitter has suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s account for 12 [Full Story]
• Trump Issues Free Gift To All Supporters, (Liberals Are Demanding It Be Banned!)
• com
• More Newsfront
• Finance
• Comcast CEO, ViacomCBS Chairman Discuss Streaming Partnership
• Comcast Corp. Chief Executive Brian Roberts and ViacomCBS Inc. Chairman Shari Redstone met recently in New York to talk about a variety of possible business partnerships that would permit… [Full Story]
• Schumer Heads for Infrastructure Vote Defeat as Talks Drag
• New Cybersecurity Order Issued for US Pipeline Operators
• Port Chief Sees Import Surge ‘Easily’ Lasting Into 2022
• Dem Senate Finance Chair Proposes Cap on Trump-Era Business Deduction
• More Finance
• Health
• Your Physician’s Gender Could Affect Your Hospital Stay
• A large, new study published in JAMA Network found that your physician’s gender could affect how well you fare while in the hospital. The study followed 171,625 patients in hospitals in Canada and found that those cared for by female physicians had a lower in-hospital… [Full Story]
• Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked to Reduced Dementia Risk
• Your Child’s Education Impacts Your Health
• US Issues Toughest Travel Alert for Britain As COVID Cases There Climb
• One-Dose Blood Thinner Could Slash Blood Clot Risk After Knee Replacement

 

 

Manufactured Housing Industry Investments Connected Equities Closing Tickers

Some of these firms invest in manufactured housing, or are otherwise connected, but may do other forms of investing or business activities too.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • NOTE: The chart below includes the Canadian stock, ECN, which purchased Triad Financial Services, a manufactured home industry lender
                        • NOTE: Drew changed its name and trading symbol at the end of 2016 to Lippert (LCII).
                        • NOTE: Deer Valley was largely taken private, say company insiders in a message to MHProNews on 12.15.2020, but there are still some outstanding shares of  the stock from the days when it was a publicly traded firm.  Thus, there is still periodic activity on DVLY.

Spring 2021…

Berkshire Hathaway is the parent company to Clayton Homes, 21^st Mortgage, Vanderbilt Mortgage and other factory built housing industry suppliers.
· LCI Industries, Patrick, UFPI, and LP each are suppliers to the manufactured housing industry, among others.
· AMG, CG, and TAVFX have investments in manufactured housing related businesses. For insights from third-parties and clients about our publisher, click here.
Enjoy these ‘blast from the past’ comments.

MHProNews. MHProNews – previously a.k.a. MHMSM.com – has celebrated our 11th year of publishing, and is starting our 12the year of serving the industry as the runaway most-read trade media.

Sample Kudos over the years…

It is now 11+ years and counting…

Learn more about our evolutionary journey as the industry’s leading trade media, at the report linked below.

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Disclosure. MHProNews holds no positions in the stocks in this report.

That’s a wrap on this installment of “News Through the Lens of Manufactured Homes and Factory-Built Housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, stock, investing, data, metrics, 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.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship along with numerous awards in history. There have been several awards and honors and olso recognition 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.