Did the late Sam Zell overpay when his firm acquired MHVillage and Datacomp? According to MarketScreener, “Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE : ELS) acquired MHVillage Inc. on December 31, 2021. In a related transaction Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. also acquired Datacomp. The consideration for the combined transaction was $43 million. The acquisition was funded with available cash, proceeds from our line of credit, and net proceeds from sales of common stock under our at-the-market (“ATM”) equity offering program.” That purchase by ELS of MHVillage/Datacomp may be more significant than tens of thousands of professionals working or managing in manufactured housing, or the numbers who own a business in MHVille, may realize. There are instances when it arguably pays to analyze an event once sufficient time has been allowed to elapse to see what, if anything, has changed at an acquired organization. More on that further below, but next we will look at a document obtained by a source linked with the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI). Note that on the MHI board’s “executive committee,” ELS has long had an apparently valuable board seat. Indeed, Marguerite Nader has called MHI “our national association…”

 

Part I

Some in MHVille – a term of endearment to the artificially smaller and unnecessarily underperforming manufactured housing (MH) industry – make snap decisions. That’s true in all walks of life, and each of us at times has made judgments based on a superficial or an overly quick assessment of something, some firm, or some person. But each of us have also had an experience where we thought we knew someone – good, bad, or meh. Suddenly, we see or learn a new insight that gives us a completely different take on that individual, for better or worse. Judgments are made based on information available and as information evolves, judgments in some cases should too. Hold that basic notion in mind as we probe this document obtained as a tip by an MHI insider.

Some may wonder if the implied hit on MHI by law professor Daniel R. Mandelker, J.D., the largely negative assessment of MHI by Samuel “Sam” Strommen, or the periodic slap lodged by the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform, and others involved in manufactured housing are unnecessarily harsh.

To be objective and fair, one should consider the powerful lessons from this document produced for MHI which is posted below.

Let’s note that virtually the entire document is true. The document seems to be designed as a handout for public use. There are some technical errors or points that could have been phrased differently. But by and large, the first impression and thrust of this MHI “pitch” to the public is pretty good.

 

 

Assessing a Nice Looking MHI Document, Step by Step

The featured image of the exteriors of those manufactured homes are attractive. Could it have had a nice interior photo spread to compliment the interior image? Sure.

Could the one page handout have been more precise expression this point: “As the nation’s most affordable homeownership option, manufactured housing puts the American Dream within reach for millions.” Absolutely. That remark is NOT necessarily true. An example is warranted, because it is a factor in manufactured housing underperformance in June 2023. As an example, someone could buy a low-cost 26’ travel trailer (a recreational vehicle or RV) in central Florida starting under $35,000. While that may not be someone’s ideal dream home, let’s not kid ourselves. Some singles and couples are desperate for cheap (meaning, inexpensive) housing who may find that 26’ travel trailer and an RV park spot to be an acceptable housing option. The principal and interest payment for someone with good credit on that RV could be $389 monthly, per an online calculator. Someone could have basic housing for under $1,000 monthly. So, for legal, accuracy, and other reasons, MHI ought to have said something like this: “As the nation’s most proven and affordable permanent homeownership option, manufactured housing puts the American Dream within reach for millions.”

Next, MHI cites no sources for their claims. Even if they put a superscript and then had tiny print at the bottom of the page, that builds credibility. Other industries do so, why not MHI? Or better yet, MHI could have a link at the bottom of the document which if is viewed as a PDF could take the reader directly to a page on the MHI website that offers more consumer-focused details. So, that’s a missed opportunity too.

Next, note once more how MHI fails to use every opportunity to pitch the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) of 2000 and the key term “enhanced preemption.” Instead, they said this: “…manufactured homes are built to one uniform federal preemptive code, the HUD Code.” That’s true, but that phase could have also hot-linked to more information. It could have said something like this: ‘manufactured homes are subject to the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) of 2000, which offers enhanced federal preemption and important consumer protections often not found on more expensive conventionally built housing. Click here to learn more.’ But the reality is that MHI fails to use the term “enhanced preemption” on their own website. The same is routinely true of other pro-MHI bloggers publications, including ELS owned MHVillage’s MHInsider. That is true even though on occasion some MHI linked personalities have used that legal phrasing in messages seen by MHI’s own members, say, via email.

Frankly, we are not going to give away any more ideas. We could take this document line by line, shake it up, and improve it dramatically. Those points are made to illustrate the following.

1. MHI may have hired someone with little or no experience in manufactured housing or manufactured home marketing.
2. If they did hire and/or use someone with some manufactured housing industry knowledge, once it is carefully examined, the handout document yields a apparently disappointing outcome. Every effort should be made to create a call to action. The MHI document should be more appealing, more informative, and it should be packed with reasons for a reader to learn more.

Why is Enhanced Preemption Topic Important?

For newcomers, a brief segue is useful. This question was put to Bing’s AI Chat and search functions.

Q: Why is “manufactured housing improvement act” and “enhanced preemption” important?

The Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 is important because it enhances federal preemption which bars discriminatory local zoning mandates that exclude federally-regulated manufactured housing¹. The act has a preemption provision that was included by Congress in the original Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974. Later, that provision was significantly strengthened and expanded by Congress as part of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000².

The enhanced federal preemption authority enacted by Congress as part of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 has been used to fight discriminatory manufactured housing zoning and placement restrictions³.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Learn more:

1. bing.com 2. manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org 3. manufacturedhousingassociationregulatoryreform.org 4. manufacturedhomepronews.com 5. manufacturedhomepronews.com 6. einpresswire.com“

What does the above reveal? MHARR launched their website in 2017, MHI has had a website since the late 1990s. MHARR is a fraction of the staff, budget, and scope of MHI. Yet MHARR has more results on a variety of website searches on this issue than MHI does?

One could speculate that MHI’s leaders are confused, forgetful, or inept. They use the term “enhanced preemption” in occasion documents sent to HUD, which MHI may then send to their own members via email. But MHI doesn’t post routinely post their emails on their own website, as MHARR does. MHARR is consistent. MHI demonstrably is not, and has behave in that fashion for numbers of years.

 

Beyond Preemption, What About This New MHI Document? How Well has MHI Promoted It?

Next, look at this online search result. Are there thousands, or even millions of results for this fine looking MHI handout that appears to be aimed at the general public? No, there are rather apparently just four places online, and all four are on the MHI website.  Compare the muscular and successful RVIA GoRVing campaign (see data further below) to this meek MHI effort. RVs are selling at about 5 times the rate as in 1998. Manufactured homes (MH) in 1998 vs. today? Perhaps 30 percent of the same rate, or about a 70 percent drop. Good work, MHI.

 

So, that screen capture of a Google search is from 6.10.2023 at 6:29 AM ET. Note that there are exactly four (4) results, for this search, and all are on the MHI website.

The search term was this:

• “Manufactured Homes Make the Dream of Homeownership Possible” “Manufactured Housing Institute”
• Placing a search between quotes creates a focused result. One would presume that MHI, if they issued a press release using this document, would have said that it was a press release by the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI). Yet, a search for that phrase from the document posted on this MHProNews.com fact check yielded only those 4 results and all on MHI’s own website. It’s like hiding a needle in one haystack out of billions of possible websites online.
• In fairness, MHI has produced more eye appealing information in recent years, since Manufactured Home Pro News (MHProNews) began such fact checks.
• This leads to the troubling logical conclusion that either MHI is inept or this is arguably doing such things as a kind of window dressing.

MHI has several billionaires involved in manufactured housing. One of the top two hot topics in our most recent twice weekly emailed headline news update is the one below.

 

‘Dark Triad’ – Researchers Detect ‘5 Key Characteristics of BILLIONAIRES’ – Evidence how Billionaires, Super Wealthy Think Differently Than Most-Takeaways and Lessons; plus Sunday MHVille Weekly Headlines Recap

From the above is this insight about the “Dark Triad” qualities found among billionaires. This ought to be considered with those who are doing the bidding of billionaires, meaning, trade associations like MHI.

• Duplicity. Aggressiveness. Machiavellianism. Narcissism. Psychopathy.

MHI finally began using the LendingTree data after MHLivingNews and MHProNews pushed that for some time – which begs the question. Why didn’t MHI lead instead of follow? To that point, flashback to 2019 and the report linked below. Time and again, there are examples of MHI, under pressure, doing what one might think is the obvious thing to do if the real goal is robust manufactured housing industry growth.

Under Pressure, MHI Pivots “HUD Must Implement and Enforce its Enhanced Preemption Authority”

Back to the new MHI one page handout. Perhaps the most eye-popping line from a critical analysis standpoint of their document is this line:

• “manufactured housing puts the American Dream within reach for millions.”

That is quite true. But to be blunt, that remark serves to demonstrate just how pathetically poor a job MHI is doing at “promoting” the manufactured home industry. Manufactured housing is crashing downward while MHI puts out a document via email to their own members that the public is unlikely to see that millions should see. Isn’t that a stark disconnect?

• MHARR pointed out last week that the industry should be rising instead of falling, and that MHI should be doing the kind of promotion that would benefit “all segments” of the industry, as MHI claims.
• MHI’s email to their Federated States email list doesn’t even mention the troubling data that reveals the sharp crash, nor the manufactured housing industry downturn.
• Then, MHI takes a decent one-page handout document, have a decent concept, hide it on their website, and then email it out to the “Federated States” mailing list. It is apparently found only on MHI’s own website. Nevertheless, that document may make trusting MHI member-readers think that MHI is promoting the industry, when in fact they are apparently providing feel good window dressing. It is a page that researchers said are billionaire’s “Dark Triad” qualities: Duplicity. Aggressiveness. Machiavellianism. Narcissism. Psychopathy.

There could be arguments for or against MHI. But MHI has yet to agree to discuss or debate their performance in public (see segment near the end of this report).

>>> The proof of MHI performance is in the hard data of manufactured housing industry shipment decline during an affordable housing crisis. More evidence comes from MHI state affiliate, the Texas Manufactured Housing Association (TMHA) and their monthly insights via the Texas Real Estate Research Center (TRERC). Manufactured housing is underperforming during an affordable housing crisis. See the linked reports below to learn more.

Perhaps MHI leaders have hoped that we at MHProNews would forget that we publicly offered gratis plans to MHI leaders years ago while this platform’s management were still MHI members that could have dramatically boosted manufactured housing sales and thus production about a decade ago (plus and minus). Months and years went by. Nothing. Again, that behavior pattern begs the question. Why? Why would MHI leaders appear enthused about an idea, but then fail to implement it?

Indeed, why did this writer have to raise the issues of promotion or other forms protection, education, and promotion (P.E.P.) while our organization was still an MHI member at all? Why didn’t MHI already have loads of items like the above, only better?

The full-sized MHI home ownership PDF document pitch is linked here.

Why is this important? Because MHProNews, MHLivingNews, Samuel Strommen and others, MHARR, and others inside and outside of MHI have wondered for years why MHI hasn’t done an effective job of marketing our industry? When MHI claims that they are promoting all segments of the industry, doesn’t the industry deserve more than this for the millions of dollars that are being spent annually?

• A national image campaign could be created on a range of budgets, starting under $500,000 and running up into the millions. To give a comparison that what could be vs what is, a look at the recreational vehicle (RV) industry’s highly touted and demonstrably successful GoRVing campaign investment vs. results is useful.
• Per the GoRVing website: total 2021 RV shipments ranging between 565,848 and 586,281 units with the most likely year-end total being 576,065.
• Here is a screenshot of high-level results from the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) website.

 

 

• Let’s do the math. $9,800,000/576,065 =$01 per new unit sold.
• Pardon me, but those who have said that they think that MHI corporate leaders and staff are merely being cheap or short sighted are wrong. Their leaders are Once more, the Dark Triad qualities researchers have identified is insightful. C
• Duplicity. Aggressiveness. Machiavellianism. Narcissism. Psychopathy.

Notice: the graphic below can be expanded to a larger size.

See the instructions below the graphic below or click the image and follow the prompts.

MHProNews plans to do a follow up on the ELS-MHVillage-MHInsider connections in this picture. But for now, let’s recall the following previously produced data which will be updated in a follow up report.

Notice: the graphic below can be expanded to a larger size.

See the instructions below the graphic below or click the image and follow the prompts.

 

Part II – Did Zell Overpay for MHVillage/Datacomp?

As a placeholder to a more detailed planned follow up on ELS’ acquisition of MHVillage/Datacomp/MHInsider, let’s note that the late Zell’s ELS now owns an array of information that may give them a certain edge against some competitors.

 

So, there is from their viewpoint a positive case to be made for ELS’ acquisition. That said, there are apparent downsides too. Among them?

Briefly.

There may be legal questions involved with a publicly traded firm buying an operation that is producing information (think, for the moment, MHInsider) that is making claims that are apparently misleading, inaccurate, arguably deceptive and which is an element in the consolidation of the manufactured home industry. If what MHInsider publishes arguably remains and/or becomes even more an ELS-MHI communications (agenda-driven propaganda) organ, and legal issues erupt (see below), then buying MHVillage et al  could prove to be a costly error for ELS.

It is now about 4 days since MHI leaders, which includes ELS, were contacted about the questions shown below.

As of noon Eastern on 6.13.2023, there were several confirmations that the emails were received but no known substantive response from an MHI leader, including one from ELS.

information.

 

from:		L. A. Tony K <latonyk@gmail.com>
to:		William “Bill” Boor @cavco.com –Cavco Industries CEO and MHI Executive Committee Vice Chairman, Leo Poggione @forahouse.com – MHI Chairman who leads a unit reportedly owned by Cavco.Tom Hodges @claytonhomes.com – Clayton Homes General Counsel, prior MHI Chairman, Lesli Gooch @mfghome.org CEO of MHI. David Goch @wc-b.com – outside attorney for MHI,Mark Yost @championhomes.com – CEO of Skyline Champion and MHI board member, Kevin Clayton @claytonhomes.com – CEO of Clayton Homes, and prior MHI board member.

Subject: MHI Leaders – Request for comments – BCCs to specific MHI members, federal officials, and other stakeholders

Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) Board, Staff, and Legal Leaders,

In no particular order of importance, please email your responses to each of the following questions of concern thousands of manufactured home professionals and millions of affordable housing seekers.

1) MHI is obviously aware of the now seven (7) month downturn of new manufactured home production. During a recent earnings call, analyst Gregory Palm asked MHI Vice Chairman, and Cavco Industries CEO to explain why is manufactured housing production so weak? Andrew Justus, J.D., in an op-ed to the Hill asked the question, “What is Holding Manufactured Homes Back?” Why didn’t MHI directly address those issues in your communications with members and with the broader public? How can MHI influence public policy without specifically addressing obvious issues?

2) As you know, MHI recently issued an emailed document to the “Federated States” email list entitled “Changes Needed to Support Manufactured Housing.” MHI in general, and “MHI 2.0” current CEO Leslie Gooch in particular, is on record saying that “HUD should implement and enforce its enhanced preemption authority.” why is there no mention of getting HUD and/or members of Congress to fully and properly implement the so called federal “enhanced preemption” under the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) of 2000?

3) Similarly, why doesn’t MHI post its own emailed ‘news’ to its own website as the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) does to their website? If the information is sincere and useful, then why not give it the maximum possible exposure?

4) If MHI is serious about getting “enhanced preemption” under the MHIA implemented, why is there no mention of those two words on the public side of the MHI website? Similarly, why doesn’t MHI uses that term – referred to by Kevin Clayton, Cavco’s Manuel “Manny” Santana, as well as Ms. Gooch among others – whenever you post on social media, or issue an op-ed or press release? Why hasn’t MHI pressed members of Congress to hold new hearings on the failure to fully and properly enforce the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 – as occurred in 2011 and 2012?

5) In “Changes Needed to Support Manufactured Housing” there is no mention of the Duty to Serve Manufactured Housing (DTS) made law under the Housing and Economic Recover Act (HERA) of 2008. Ms. Gooch claimed that MHI was working for that effort. If so, then why did Tim Williams with 21^st Mortgage, who is a prior MHI chair and has long been on the MHI board of directors, said he was “happy” that the GSEs pilot program failed? Why didn’t MHI join the coalition of nonprofits that included some MHI members to press FHFA to get Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to launch a chattel loan program? Hasn’t CFED/Prosperity Now’s Doug Ryan largely been proven correct?

6) MHI finally acted by joining the Texas Manufactured Housing Association (TMHA) in a suit against the Department of Energy (DOE) to stop the implementation of an energy rule that your own attorneys argued would cause “irreparable harm.” Why isn’t MHI mimicking MHARR and the Wall Street Journal editorial and others by calling for “killing” the DOE energy rule entirely?

7) Now that MHI has enjoyed what some might think of as a modest measure of success by getting the DOE energy rule stalled, why doesn’t MHI deploy litigation to get HUD and the FHFA to follow the law on enhanced preemption and DTS? Why not join with MHARR to get Congress to hold hearings and act to see that those good laws are enforced so that manufactured housing can robustly grow again?

8) In the first part of 2023 three attorneys have raised issues that MHI says they care about.

• ‘Frustration and Hope’ – Law Prof Fran Quigley Slams Frank Rolfe and ‘Wall Street Holding a Gun to Mobile Home Residents’ Heads’ – Statements, Apt Manufactured Home Facts, and Expert Analysis Apparently, per sources, MHI has not acted against any of its own members who have apparently failed to uphold your own so-called Code of Ethical Conduct? If there has been any such action, please show evidence of it.
• Andrew Justus’s op-ed in The Hill begs for enhanced preemption to be deployed as a response, doesn’t it?
• Perhaps as or more embarrassing is the remarks by law professor Daniel R. Mandelker in a paper on barriers to manufactured housing argued starting is his abstract that: “A support organization is needed that can provide litigation and legislative support to help manufactured housing advocates with zoning reform. Statutory reform proposals for legislative change should be included in local zoning ordinances.”

9) To our knowledge, MHI has never responded to what attorney Samuel “Sam” Strommen evidence-based allegations in his Knudson Law paper that accused MHI and some of its leading brands of colluding to monopolize the manufactured housing market. Recall Strommen said the following.

“In the year 2000, Congress passed the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act.⁹⁶ This act authorized “enhanced preemption,” which superseded all state and municipal standards, allowing manufacturers to deliver and install manufactured homes in separate jurisdictions provided they meet HUD standards.⁹⁷ In 2008, the Federal Housing Financing Authority [FHFA], under the authority of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, implemented an expanded Duty to Serve regulation, requiring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to facilitate home financing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families.⁹⁸ It should follow logically, then, that it should be cheaper and easier for residents of any state to finance and acquire a manufactured home. Unfortunately, this is not the case.”

That sounds like a different phrasing of what MHARR said earlier this week.

“There may be no greater indicator of collusion by the industry Big 3 through the MHI than HUD’s ongoing failure to implement enhanced preemption and for the [FHFA to compel the] GSEs to follow through on the Duty to Serve mandate. To call this ongoing failure a coincidence is a risible proposition: promotion of these runs contrary to the Big 3—and Clayton’s—interests in particular.”

“MHIs lobbying of the FHFA, or for that matter HUD, seems to invariably result in in policies that either benefit the Big 3, or at the very least, mitigate detriment. The outcome of these lobbying efforts is stultifying at best, and an abject failure at worst.”

Strommen accused MHI and some of it major brands of being guilty of apparent “felony” violations of federal antitrust laws.

Strommen said: “The author of this paper submits that the MHI’s conduct in obfuscation judicious decision-making by the [FHFA and HUD] constitutes a conspiracy to restrain trade under Section 1 of the Sherman Act, and by virtue of the misrepresentative nature of the conduct, should not be afforded Noerr protection.”

MHI has asked MHI corporate and staff leaders several times in recent years to explain the bizarre behavior if in fact MHI is seriously interested in robustly growing the industry as MHI leaders have claimed.

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/longtime-mh-retail-sales-manager-asks-manufactured-home-leaders-why-are-manufactured-housing-production-levels-today-about-half-of-1980s-when-interest-rates-hit-20-5-apr-on-arm-loans/

https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/masthead/4-quick-documented-examples-of-manufactured-housing-institute-leaders-publicly-ducking-out-on-explaining-their-performance-or-lack-thereof-els-howard-walker/

Isn’t Strommen correct in saying that MHI leaders are apparently interested in fostering consolidation?

There is more that could be said. But let me reiterate the offer for MHI leaders, individually or collectively, to respond to any of our articles on either ManufacturedHomeProNews.com or ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com. If there are factual or logical errors, please point them out.

But absent that, based on what an attorney recently advised MHProNews – so long as a conspiracy is ongoing, then the elements of the conspiracy have not had the statues of limitations expire. For instance, the letter by Tim Williams in 2009, which Strommen referenced as an apparent antitrust violation, would still be actionable.

The late Sam Zell said it bluntly. He likes the oligopoly structure of the manufactured home industry. That, per sources, can be construed as evidence for intent to violate antitrust law and other laws.

You know the drill. Please email your reply to each of the questions above.  We plan to publish a report on Sunday. Should you not be able to meet that timeline for whatever reason, please feel free to respond next week.

Thank you.

Tony [for MHProNews/MHLivingNews]

##

There is an array of evidence on the MHIA and “enhanced preemption.” MHI officially says they support that position. Then why aren’t the words “enhanced preemption” found on MHI’s own website? Why doesn’t MHInsider, along with others in the MHI orbit mention it at all? Why is it that MHARR, or MHProNews/MHLivingNews by far the leaders on this key topic, that MHI claims to support?

• MHI leaders are demonstrably paltering.
• MHI leaders are apparently posturing.

MHI is demonstrably NOT working for “all segments” of manufactured housing. As Samuel “Sam” Strommen fascinatingly put it: “The data supplied to governmental officials is likely erroneous,¹³¹ and the attempts by the MHI to obtain governmental intercession on the industry’s behalf is likely a ruse.”

Strommen continued by saying that: “Under Noerr [a court ruling], if obtaining securitization of loans for CrossMod™ homes is in fact MHI’s desired political outcome, its lobbying efforts to support that would be protected under the First Amendment. However, this would appear to be a strategy not dissimilar to the old cup-and-ball trick: a misdirection by MHI at the behest of its principal benefactors—the Big 3—an act of skillful subterfuge to misdirect the government in one area, allowing the Big 3 to engage in anticompetitive in another area unabated. This is supported by more than simple inference: industry leaders have lauded GSEs failure,¹³² sales of CrossMod™ homes remain far below that of traditional manufactured homes,¹³³ and that seemingly every time reform in the industry or intrusion by GSEs is proposed, in nearly the same breath it vanishes.”

An update on the above is planned. But in the interim, see the reports with analysis linked here and here.

Once more from Strommen: “the chief misrepresentation [by MHI] is that lobbying efforts are representative of an industry and not a select few companies.” He added that MHI appeared to be engaged in “a strategy not dissimilar to the old cup-and-ball trick: a misdirection by MHI at the behest of its principal benefactors—the Big 3—an act of skillful subterfuge to misdirect the government in one area, allowing the Big 3 to engage in anticompetitive in another area unabated.”

 

 

When Strommen says it is a “cup and ball” trick or “misdirection” what he is claiming is that MHI leaders are conning their own members on behalf of its “principal benefactors.” While in that specific paragraph he mentions the Big 3, meaning Clayton Homes, Skyline Champion, and Cavco Industries, in the report starting from the headline Strommen indicated that REITs are part of the scandals occurring in manufactured housing too.  So, by implication, they too are part of the ‘con’ job MHI is purportedly engaged in on behalf of its “principal benefactors.”

The flip side of the coin? An industry insider has said to MHProNews that given the choice between conspiracy and stupidity, 90 percent of the time the reason for certain behavior will be stupidity.  Perhaps. But that would presuppose that mere garden variety ignorance is at work at MHI or in the broader pro-MHI segments of MHVille. If that were so, then after those souls read 3 or 4 articles here that hit a similar theme, even the stupid or ignorant will eventually say, ‘hey, wait a minute, we could do this differently and the industry would be growing.’ But that is demonstrably not occurring.

 

‘Weakness and Delay in Washington’ ‘Helped Fuel Decline’ – Manufactured Housing Institute Faulted by MHARR for ‘Shocking’ ‘Decline’ in Manufactured Home Production; plus MHVille Markets Update

 

Rather, despite clear examples of how things could be done properly and more profitably, MHI connected ‘powers that be’ keep doing what they say in their investor relations pitches – namely, consolidating a ‘fragmented’ industry.

There are good reasons why MHI leaders, even their attorneys, are wont to reply to the evidence such as this fact check, analysis and commentary – provided by the editorial Masthead blog on MHProNews. It is because there are good reasons to think that we – and others, like MHARR and Strommen – have unmasked their con job.

In conclusion, if MHI, corporate leaders, and/or their attorneys want to sincerely advance the industry’s sales and production, then let them take the proven steps followed inside or outside of manufactured housing, as is evidenced from examples shown. If they sincerely don’t know what to do, they could hire us. But both evidence and experience tell us that they simply can’t be this inept. The industry ought to be doing 500,000 to a million-plus new homes annually. Strommen wrote his report before the industry re-crossed the 100,000 threshold, but we now see that the 100K annual production mark has quickly been taken away from the industry’s sellers. That said, once more Strommen said: “Why has manufacturing yet to cross the 100,000 unit threshold, much less come anywhere close to its most recent 1998 peak?” Then, recall what MHProNews exclusively reported in MHVille trade media: how Greg Palm pressed Cavco’s Bill Boor: ‘Why is Manufactured Home Industry Production So Weak?’

Why can’t Boor, ELS, MHI, or their attorneys answer those pointed but relevant questions? Are they afraid the answer may send them to prison if a felony antitrust case – as Strommen proposes – were brought? The download of the MHI 1 page handout is linked here. See the linked reports to learn more. ###

 

III. Daily Business News on MHProNews Markets and Headline News Segment

 

Headlines from left-of-center CNN Business – from the evening of 6.12.2023

• Boomers are living it up
• Gen Z and Millennials are scrimping. Older generations are splurging on cruises and restaurants
• This new tool helps teenagers think about careers that will actually last
• Grubhub is laying off 15% of staff
• FTC to seek federal court order temporarily blocking Microsoft-Activision deal
• ‘Bumps and pain’ coming for the US economy, says Goldman Sachs CEO
• Americans haven’t been this optimistic about inflation in two years
• Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan steps down
• Here’s how Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi made his billions
• JPMorgan reaches $290 million settlement with Jeffrey Epstein victims
• 20230609-as-equals-carolina-moscoso
• People are missing out on job opportunities on Facebook because of gender, research suggests
• Will the I-95 collapse in Philadelphia hurt the economy? Look at other cities for answers
• Deciding what to do when your employer changes the rules on remote work
• A massive UPS strike could devastate the economy. It could be just eight weeks away
• Forget space tourism. This company wants to make drug manufacturing the next big extraterrestrial business
• Thousands of Reddit communities go dark to protest company’s controversial new policy
• George Soros has handed control of his charitable and political activities to his son Alex
• 7-Eleven’s Slurpee is about to look a lot different
• The AI boom is here. Is it too late to invest?
• Goldman Sachs cuts oil price forecast by almost 10%
• Former Samsung executive charged over alleged plans to build copycat chip factory in China
• UBS completes Credit Suisse takeover. Here’s what it means
• New York City will charge drivers going downtown. Other cities may be next
• The Fed meets this week. What can investors expect?
• Manufacturing is sputtering in the world’s largest economies

Headlines from right-of-center Newsmax 6.12.2023

• Trump Vows ’25 Retaliation After Biden Broke ‘Seal’
• Devin Nunes: DOJ Creating ‘Fog’ Around Trump Charges
• Trump Heads to Miami for Tuesday Court Appearance
• Pam Bondi: Disgusting to Use Espionage Act on Trump | video
• Tim Burchett: Timing of Trump Indictment Very Suspect
• I&I/TIPP Poll: Trump’s GOP Lead ‘Appears Insurmountable’
• CBS Poll: Trump’s GOP Primary Lead Grows to 38 Points After Indictment
• Whitaker: Biden ‘Using Police Power’ in Trump Indictment | video
• Judicial Watch’s Fitton: ‘Indictment Won’t Survive Scrutiny’
• 80% of GOP: Trump Should Be President Even If Convicted
• Trump Will Deliver Tuesday Night Address in N.J.
• Trump Fires Back at Barr: ‘Disgruntled Former Employee’
• Ramaswamy: ‘Even More Convinced’ to Pardon Trump
• Mark Levin: Barr ‘Repulsive’ for Ignoring Precedent
• Riley Gaines: Biden WH Out to ‘Erase Women’
• Blaine Holt: Ukrainians Are ‘Going for It’ | video
• AG: Biden Using ‘Deception and Gamesmanship’ | video
• Kirk Cameron: Time to Spotlight Humility Not Pride | video
• Giuliani: Bidens Likely Committed 10-12 Felonies | video
• Ogles: No Prez Should Be Treated Like Trump | video
• Fallon: Border Patrol Appointment Won’t Matter | video
• Van Drew: WH ‘Purposefully’ Behind Border Crisis | video
• Alan Dershowitz: Trump Made Smith’s Life ‘Much Easier’ | video
• Newsfront
• Supreme Court to Consider Hearing Guns/Domestic Abuse Case
• The Supreme Court is set to decide whether to hear an appeal of a decision that vacated the conviction of a drug dealer because his Second Amendment rights were violated…. [Full Story]
• Fox Sends Tucker Carlson Cease-and-Desist Letter
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• Israel Plans News Settlements in West Bank
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• Trump Vows ’25 Retaliation After Biden Broke ‘Seal’
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• Nike Shows ‘Hypocrisy’ With ‘Woke’ Pride Month Kids Line
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• US Budget Deficit Soars as Medicare Outlays Jump
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• A recently declassified U.S. Intelligence Community assessment [Full Story] | Platinum Article
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• Ukraine Claims 4th Village Retaken in Counteroffensive
• Ukrainian military officials said Monday their troops have retaken [Full Story]
• Remains in Ukraine Could Be From World War II
• Skeletal remains seen after the destruction of a key Ukrainian dam [Full Story]
• Marine Vet Denies Subway Chokehold Lasted 15 Minutes
• Daniel Penny, facing manslaughter charges in connection with the [Full Story]
• Utah Woman Accused of Killing Husband,Writing Grief Book Is Denied Bail
• A Utah mother of three who wrote a children’s book about coping with [Full Story]
• Biden Reschedules NATO Meeting After Root Canal
• President Joe Biden is rescheduling a meeting with the head of NATO [Full Story]
• Publisher Fred Ryan Steps Down at The Washington Post
• The media landscape continued its turnover Monday as the publisher of [Full Story] | video
• Gallup Poll: More Say Birth Gender Should Dictate Sports Teams
• The share of Americans who say that a person’s birth gender should [Full Story]
• Amazon Left Scrambling As Shoppers Find out About Secret Deals
• Online Shopping Tools
• DeSantis’ First Presidential Priorities: Border, Economy
• Closing down the southern border and opening up energy and the [Full Story] | video
• FTC to Block Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Acquisition
• The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will file an injunction blocking [Full Story]
• Children Survive 40-Day Amazon Jungle Nightmare
• Details continued to emerge Sunday of the 40-day ordeal that four [Full Story]
• Trump Heads to Miami for Tuesday Court Appearance
• Former President Donald Trump left Bedminster, New Jersey, on Monday [Full Story]
• Trans Cyclist Wins Elite North Carolina Race
• Cyclist Austin Killips, a transgender woman, on Saturday won the [Full Story]
• Watchdog: Nuclear States Modernizing Weapons, Chinese Arsenal Is Growing
• The nine nuclear-armed states continue to modernize their arsenals [Full Story]
• Americans See Inflation Easing to 4.1%: NY Fed
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• I&I/TIPP Poll: Trump’s GOP Lead ‘Appears Insurmountable’
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• Blumenthal Launches Probe of PGA Tour, LIV Golf Agreement
• S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Monday asked the PGA Tour [Full Story]
• CNN Legal Analysts Rip DOJ for Hunter Biden Inaction
• Two CNN legal analysts said the Department of Justice should stop [Full Story]
• FDA: New COVID Vaccines Should Target XBB Variants
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• Miami Mayor Hints at GOP Presidential Bid Launch
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• Police: 3 Dead, 3 Wounded in Shooting at Maryland Home
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• US Rejoins UNESCO, Pays Back Over $600M in Dues
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• Trump: ‘If We Don’t Win . . . Our Country Is Finished’
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• Finance
• Goldman Sees S&P 500 Rising to 4,500 by Year-End
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• Bill Wirtz: Gov’t-Run Retirement Plan Cause for Worry
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• Health
• Study: Common Sugar Substitute May Damage DNA
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