Readers like yourself decide what makes the 48 out of the top 50 that follows from the 2020 Manufactured Housing Year in Review. This evidence-based month-by-month look of which reports and issues drew the most traffic or ‘hits’ from readers sheds light on numerous and ever timely topics. Among those subjects are those that are routinely avoided by would-be rivals in manufactured housing trade media. Because bloggers and competing trade publishers decline covering such issues, those hungry to know – as well as those curious to see what is being revealed – determine by the ‘vote’ of their time, browsers, and devices the top 4 articles for each of the months of the year 2020 as shown.
Put differently, these first 48 are the ones people like you made the runaway most popular in all of manufactured housing. As a quick reminder, direct contact from readers as well as third-party sources tell us the industry professionals from the full spectrum of organization and businesses sizes are the core audience here. Investors are among those readers. Public officials, including significant numbers from Washington, D.C., are in the mix. So too are researchers, including other media, universities, nonprofits, state, and local officials.
It must be acknowledged that some of these reports that persist in uniquely high readership levels indicate the public at large must be reading those reports in order for the high engagement levels to make sense. Some of our top reports in 2020 broke 500,000 to 1 million plus hits apiece.
That would suggest that we have reports that solo – by themselves – may equal or surpass all of the professional rivals in manufactured housing trade media. To give additional context to reports that had such high engagement, the Forbes article on Clayton Homes by Kori Hale shows its views (reader engagement) detail on the date and time shown below. These are indicators that in and out of manufactured housing, MHProNews often dominates.
In addition to the top four for each month, de facto selected by readers like yourself, there are two bonus articles that will be mentioned. They were reports that MHProNews management deemed important that were near the top 4 for each month cut-off, but did not quite make it.
In presenting information, each blank page has a wide array of possible methods of presentation. For instance, for this listing, it is tempting to go in reverse monthly order – from December backwards to January 2020. But in the year the Wuhan, China originated coronavirus pandemic upended the U.S. and the globe, it is worth while looking at this list starting in January. After all, in that month, relatively little attention was being paid to the events unfolding in Communist China’s city of Wuhan that would quickly dominate and influence other events globally including housing and our profession.
Following the January 2020 – December 2020 listing, all per third party Webalizer data provided by the largest of our numerous cPanels for the specific period in review – there will be the two bonus picks, additional information, plus more MHProNews Analysis and Commentary.
The date, month, and year the report was first published follows the link to the specific report. So, in case you missed it, or would like to refresh yourself on the information, just click the link and read to your heart’s or mind’s desire.
With that introduction, let us dive in.
January 2020
The top four for the month as measured by hits from reader engagement were as follows.
February 2020
Note: that some reports persisted in the top 4, as in the example of the Case Against Clayton Homes report linked below. It should be noted that Clayton Homes, their attorney, as well as the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) were repeatedly offered opportunities to respond or react to that report, as well as others shown in this review. Note too that months after that September 4 publication date, the engagement by manufactured housing professionals, investors, and other interested parties remained high. Note too that pandemic related topics had not yet broken into the top 4 for the months above and below, even though MHProNews had already mentioned and/or reported on that concern.
March 2020
By March 2020, three of the top four articles were directly related to the COVID19/Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. The fourth article, and the most read for the month, was on the topic of “Never Let a Serious Crisis Go To Waste.” That report was published on October 9, 2017. While not specifically a coronavirus related topic, it was doubtlessly sparked by those researching the Saul Alinsky/Rahm Emanuel principle – which was arguably playing out even in the early days of the pandemic. Note too that on this date, the MHProNews’ report on “Crimson Contagion” beats in Google searches results the huge New York Times’ report that broke the news on that topic, and topped the Washington Posts’ report on that same subject.
Note to first time visitors. Until you access several of these reports, you will not completely appreciate the evidence, reasoning, source-citing, and ‘follow the money trail’ that occurs here on MHProNews. Readers here routinely cheer or jeer this or that report. Why do they keep coming back? Because they find that the reports stand up to close scrutiny. That is arguably one of the reasons that Clayton, Berkshire Hathaway, MHI, Cavco Industries, Skyline Champion and their respective attorney others do not challenge our evidence and reason based reporting and analysis.
April 2020
Once more in April, coronavirus crisis related stories dominated. Because some of those top 48 reports were already linked above, we added below the next hottest links so that the ‘top 48’ unique reports would be properly reflected. Once more, reports that were published weeks or months before dominated, which indicated ongoing interest by researchers on these issues. Without going into detail at time, some mainstream media reports were apparently influenced by information found first on MHProNews.
May 2020
By May, the detail-minded will once more notice that among the top read reports on MHProNews are repeats of those shown above. So, once more, to round out the Top 48 individual reports read by people like yourself, the next 3 most-read for the month of May are shown. Some of these reports have had hundreds of thousands of cumulative hits. It is worth mentioning anew for clarity that this data is from the largest cPanel report provided by third-party Webalizer’s metrics. Because that software is embedded on the server, this data should be the most reliable. By May, most, but not all of the top reports for that month were still apparently pandemic related reading.
Among the interesting ‘surge’ reports below is the one about the infamous quote by Clinton strategist and ally, James Carville. It is an open and interesting question why that report would surge in May 2020?
The “arrested” report is an indicator that when charges or other legal activities involving manufactured housing are reported on MHProNews, they often are among the most read reports for a specific month. It is also worth mentioning that there is solid evidence to support the contention that problematic news about manufactured housing routinely involves MHI member companies. What does that say about the largest trade group in the manufactured home industry?
June 2020
For the first time in 2020, the first report linked below about Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Black Lives Matter and Antifa funding obtained over 1.12 million hits in less than a month. That report remains actively accessed, over 6 months after it was published.
As in the examples above, because “Never Let A Serious Crisis Go To Waste” persisted in the top 4, in order to round out a complete 48 ‘most read’ by professionals and individuals like yourself for the year, the next highest read for June (i.e.: #5, as well as the top 1-4) is also included.
It should also be noted that the pivot by readers to racial unrest and riot related topics are still to some extent pandemic related. A fair question that historians will examine is would those events have been as severe in the absence of the Wuhan China originated pandemic? In a word, ‘doubtful.’
July 2020
Notice. Right or wrong, MHProNews is not a follower of the Q-anon movement and related theories. There is only so much time, and that is not where we have opted to use it. That disclosure made, it would be foolish not to wonder to what extent those who follow Q-anon are among those who made the Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell article linked below one of the most read on MHProNews for 2020. Additionally, President Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and others are spotlighted in that hotly-read report. While the “Dark Money” report linked above, which stayed a hot read in June and beyond had more readers, that Arrest and Indictment of Ghislaine Maxwell “sexual predators” report was the runaway most read for July. As in the examples above, when previously linked reports were in the top four, in order to achieve a total of 48 most read reports in 2020 accessed by readers like you, the next most-read for the month below are also included.
Additionally, the “We are Trained Marxists” report on Black Lives Matter was among the most read for the month, and continued to be among the most accessed reports for months thereafter. In a typical month, the top cPanel on MHProNews reports over 15,000 referral paths to accessed reports. Put differently, among the top 20,000 reports published on MHProNews since our launch in mid-October 2009, a large percentage of those reports continue to be read months or years later. The depth and breadth of content are among the reasons MHProNews totally dominates in manufactured housing industry reports and expert analysis. Unlike numbers of others in media, a report here – precisely because it is a specialty publication with decades of industry expertise behind it – lives on and are periodically read.
Note that there is an apparent interplay between some reports and others. When Warren Buffett or Bill Gates are a topic, it is perhaps no surprise that there is a surge in readership related to the “Case Against Clayton Homes.” Even contact with a Berkshire board member that is an attorney brought no comment to these reports, fact-checks, and analysis. Put differently, the articles stand unrefuted.
Note too the surge in a report published by MHProNews about Buffett’s then board member and buddy Bill Gates and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, below? That surge occurred over 6 months after that report was first published.
Last but not least is the increased interest in the appearance of Brian Kilmeade’s radio show by this writer, which rounded out the most read for the month of July as shown.
August 2020
“Dark Money” and the Gates-Buffett-Ghislaine Maxwell report continued to hold number 1 and 2 for the month. Among the new ‘top four’ for August was the murder of a 5 year old in a manufactured home community, apparently sparked by the racially fueled tensions of the summer.
The Jim Clayton helicopter crash report was among the new and most read for the month. Note our MHProNews coverage in that and a subsequent report on that same topic brought original insights from investigators as well as details found in no other news media.
Several of the repeats from prior month are shown, as well as sufficient new top read reports to round out the 48 most accessed reports for the year 2020. Many, but not all of the reports that followed had Black Lives Matter/Antifa/Buffett-Gates ties, or COVID19 related themes.
September 2020
Several ‘returns’ from prior months, but new and exclusive reports Skyline Champion broke into the top reports for the month of September. Included in that group was Nathan Smith, Kurt Keeney, and Flagship Communities IPO plan.
Because MHI apparently declines acting upon their own so-called Code of Ethical conduct, per MHI insiders, that may shed light on why MHProNews reports on prominent MHI members that stir up ethical and/or legal issues continue to be among the most read for a given month.
Furthermore, because MHProNews often links up past reports from new reporting, those prior accounts are not ‘forgotten.’ That may shed light on why some reports surge, such as the “Case Against Clayton Homes,” which are among those linked below.
Notice that our report on the ‘Quiet Company’ and their growing involvement in manufactured home communities included original insights not found in mainstream media reporting on that same topic.
October 2020
The alleged murder of a manufactured home community manager roared to the top spot in October, 2020. The top report cited university level third party research that make clear that while manufactured home community living is as safe as other housing, nevertheless there may be a growing risk for managers in the growing ‘pressure cooker’ of American society in a post-COVID19/BLM/Antifa rage fueled scenario.
Original legal insights were part of our number 2 report for the month on former manufactured home community leader, Richard J. “Dick” Klarchek.
The surge in the Ilhan Omar report is one of numerous reports in 2020 that arguably add to the case that the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) ignores as well as periodically misinforms its members about looming risks and dangers to industry professionals. Those risks may come from public officials and their proposed plans, as in the case of the Omar report. If Joe Biden and Kamala Harris become the next president and vice-president, those risk factors could grow exponentially. More on that further below. But the point is that there are years of reports on MHProNews that arguably indicate that conflicts of interest and failures to act in accordance with their own stated claims exists.
The Tim Connor, CSP, pensée linked below is one of the perennial favorites from that popular best selling author featured in our Words of Wisdom department. Such gems periodically surge in interest for whatever reason.
November 2020
While some readers wince that MHProNews tackles controversial topics, that include politically-charged themes, how else are industry professionals, investors, advocates, and others going to be made aware of such issues when MHI or other trade media decline covering them?
Since our first Great Reset report in November, that has been a top read, surging into the 6 figures in monthly hits range. As our more recent Great Reset report reflects, this topic has specific threat vectors for the vast majority of manufactured housing professionals, as well as property owners in general.
The loss of Charles “Chet” Murphree shook scores of industry professionals. It was the number 2 most accessed report for November. He is missed. May he rest in peace.
Those two reports may have obliquely given some cover to what could be one of the most important revelations from an MHI connected source for all of 2020, and there have been many as this year in review reveals. The number three report is the shocking admission by Tim Williams, former MHI chair and still President and CEO of 21st Mortgage Corporation, a Berkshire brand, as it relates to financing in our industry. It is a must read and re-read for those troubled by the lack of progress and how MHI and Berkshire figure into that reality.
The former President Obama-era VP Joe Biden article was pre-election but surged in November.
Several hot reads from earlier in 2020 continued to dominate in November, a the listing below reveals.
While COVID/2020 violence related reports continued to be hotly accessed, there has been an apparent pivot among industry readers into topics that shed light on the 2020 election related topics. Several of the most-read reports have an ethics component to them.
Notice that our most read for the month, the Great Reset report, was for a time one of the highest ranked on Google searches for that topic. It is one more indicators that while we are industry-focused trade publishers, some of these issues have far broader implications. When others find them, they are apparently sharing them in various ways with others – thus readership levels that sometimes dwarf the total of those working in manufactured housing occur.
December 2020
The Great Reset once more dominated in December. Other reports that stayed among the most read-most accessed returned, as the list below reflects, but as usual, there are new topics on emerging issues in manufactured housing as well. That includes the UMH Properties connected report. Be it coincidence or not, following our reports on UMH, their stock (NYSE: UMH) took a significant drop.
For over 2 years, Cavco Industries has continued to produce routine levels of ‘drama’ related to the “debacle” of November 2018. See the report linked below.
MHProNews has published thousands of reports that we do not necessarily think will become top 5, 10 or even top 25 for the month. They are nevertheless published because we believe the subject matter is relevant to our industry and advocates.
That noted, there are times when some reports frankly surprise us as to how engaged readers are on that topic. The “Williams Principle” found below is among those.
Another is the new wrinkle in the Buffett-Moat published near the end of December, yet it still made the top read articles for the month. Perhaps when people realize that a ‘system is rigged,’ they want to understand how it is rigged, and how that might be unrigged. More on that further below.
The final listing for the articles that readers liked yourself made the most-read for 2020 ranking is one that got some in mainstream financial media scratching their heads, as a message from an editor to MHProNews reflected. To paraphrase while protecting the source, they said that it had not dawned on them that the manufactured home community sector might be overheating. Now, they said, they will strive to keep that in mind. It should be kept in mind because potentially a million or more mobile home and manufactured housing homeowners are impacted by the trend in that report. So too are manufactured housing independents.
A close look at the above clearly reflect that fact checks and analysis matter. The recent example below is but one of numerous instances where fisking and fact checks prove to be useful.
Two Top Bonus Reports for 2020, plus additional MHProNews Analysis and Commentary
Among the most read reports for 2020, that did not quite make the listing above, is this one.
Several MHARR related reports, including the monthly production shipment data, Washington Updates, and their “Issues and Perspectives” are near the top of monthly accessed reading. It goes without saying to those who are devoted readers of MHProNews that MHARR brings up issues that MHI either downplays, ignores – if deemed useful, that MHI has arguably errantly claimed credit for doing – or otherwise reflects what has been called MHI’s “association malpractice” by a long-time connected professional with MHI.
As three added bonus is another highly access report where Marty Lavin comments further ripped the band aid off the Duty To Serve (DTS) process.
Tom Hardiman’s public assault on MHI and their CrossModTM project made plain to detail minded industry professionals that MHI’s scheme was experiencing serious headwinds.
Other sources and reports made it clear that the CrossModTM project was going nowhere, despite years of promises by MHI, Clayton and other ‘big boy’ backers of the project that this would be the industry’s game changer.
Last and not least – with respect to this report – are the revelations about the outcome of the Florida Manufactured Housing Association’s (FMHA) multiyear promotional demonstration project.
Our industry specifically has been suffering for years. To ignore the trends are akin to burying a head in the sand.
Prior to the COVID19 fueled drama, America in general was recovering from years of economic malaise. While other professions and employment in general saw recovery, manufactured housing is per the most recent data in year two of a year-over-year decline in production/shipments.
- The only way to cure a problem is to first admit that it exits.
- Then, once the problem is acknowledged, the underlying issues should ideally be understood so that a correct remedy is proposed.
- Only with candor and understanding can authentic solutions be proposed.
- It should be clear that those who have claimed for years to be ‘leaders’ – but failed to produce their promised results – should not be given the lead in addressing the industry’s 15 plus year malaise that in several respects goes back to the behaviors connected to the entry by Warren Buffett led Berkshire Hathaway into the manufactured housing market.
- The loss of potentially millions of units of manufactured housing and the loss of development of potentially hundreds of thousands of new manufactured home community sites has harmed the interests of residents, independent professionals, and those housing programs that pay for people to rent housing that might otherwise own a manufactured home.
Rephrased, much of the above may be manufactured home specific. But the broader ‘castle and moat’ with sharks and gators stratagems deployed by Warren Buffett and his ilk – which have demonstrably undermined manufactured housing from within – are arguably being used in the broader undermining of the American Dream and the American Republic.
To address those issues, see the report linked below.
Do what we have done, send your lawmakers messages that demand that they act promptly before and on January 6, 2021.
Postscript
Several of the top reports are longer and deeper dives. While some tout the notion, which might work for them on some level, that shorter articles are ‘better,’ often the most engaged articles on MHProNews are longer than mainstream media or bloggers tend to produce. Facts, details, and evidence matter. MHProNews hereby thanks our supporters, sources, sponsors and readers for their ongoing support that makes this dominating platform in affordable manufactured housing publishing possible. Thank you, and best wishes for the new year ahead.
Greenwald’s news and analysis article, shown linked below, confirms much of what this trade publication has been reporting on for years. To learn more, check out the linked and related reports above and below.
See the full report, linked here. That’s a wrap on this installment of “News through the lens of affordable housing and manufactured homes” where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHLivingNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing. For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com. This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Recent and Related Reports:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
