Those are the words of Sherry Norris, Executive Director of the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association (AMHA), commenting on the new modular apartments rising in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. As we reported in the Daily Industry Business News Blog on May 27, the two city blocks where dilapidated housing once stood are …
Factory-built “Housing Built in Alabama for Alabama Citizens” (cont.) Read More
Exclusive MHMSM.com Industry In Focus Report The March 2011 IBISWorld report that cited manufactured home dealers as a ‘dying industry’ has made news inside and outside of the manufactured housing industry. MHMSM.com has contacted a variety of Industry leaders and personalities from coast to coast to get their comments. On-the-record …
The IBISWorld Controversy and the Manufactured Housing Industry Read More
Depending on which association you ask, a recent executive order on over-regulation is either a mandate for change or a simple political maneuvering. The White House issued an Executive Order earlier this month similar to one issued by President Clinton in 1993 to improve regulation and regulatory review. Following the …
MHARR Hits HUD Hard With Executive Order, MHI Cautions Approach Read More
A November 16 article in the Virginian-Pilot carried the headline Fast-moving fires pose special risk in mobile homes. At first sight, this headline would seem another instance where the media unfairly implies negative judgment on the quality and safety of factory-built housing. But the article then quotes fire officials who …
The Indiana Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has been performing outreach to manufactured housing retailers and communities in order to insure compliance with the SAFE Act. Mark Bowersox, Executive Director of the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association (IMHA) told MHMSM.com his organization was previously told by the state that enforcement would …
Indiana Department Investigating for SAFE Act Compliance Read More
Setting up a manufactured home in the parking lot of a big-box retailer like Target, Costco or Ikea is not a new idea, but a presentation at the recent meeting in Washington of the Urban Land Institute Manufactured Housing Communities Council adds some additional components that may help go beyond …
Marketing Plan Would Reintroduce Homes, Help Overcome Stigma Read More
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Palm Harbor Homes is experiencing liquidity issues and is currently in discussion with potential lenders and is looking restructure its balance sheet and acquire additional capital funding. Palm Harbor spokesperson Colleen Rogers confirmed the company is looking for a “well-backed …
Palm Harbor Looking for a “Well-backed Financial Partner” Read More
Those attending the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) in October found out HUD had altered the committee’s charter earlier this year without input from the committee. Outgoing committee chair and executive director of Manufactured Housing Communities of Arizona, Susan Brenton, told MHMSM.com that HUD made the decision under the authority …
MHCC Members Challenge Changes Charter, Proposal Process Read More
In the biggest gain in the House of Representatives in decades, Republicans were swept into at least 60 seats in elections Tuesday. Some familiar faces to the manufactured housing industry stood despite the sea change. Indiana Democrat Joe Donnelly, Massachusetts Democrat Barney Frank, Florida Republican Bill Posey and Mississippi Democrat …
Despite Wide Turnover, Most Industry Friends Return to Washington Read More
Races important to the manufactured housing industry seemed to be tightening Tuesday as Americans went to the polls. Receiving a morning endorsement from the Elkhart Truth and news of ever decreasing margins, Indiana Congressman Joe Donnelly awaited the outcome of his race with opponent Jackie Walorski. Election projection.com favored Donnelly …
Election Night a Nail Biter for Voters and Manufactured Housing Caucus Candidates Read More
A program now in place in New York promises to begin the replacement of older mobile homes throughout the state. Moreover, a bill currently in Congress would provide incentives to replace older manufactured homes with modern energy-efficient models. Officials in New York say the new program implemented by that state’s …
New York is National Leader in Replacing Older Mobile Homes Read More
Despite a HUD Code that some Manufactured Housing Industry pros would contend preempts local requirements on manufactured housing, Oregon is gearing up in the face of testing and mitigation requirements for radon. Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that occurs worldwide in the environment as a byproduct of …
More than ten years of federal preemption bolstered by the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) of 2000 – and it remains untested as to whether the HUD code preempts local regulations including zoning and aesthetic requirements. MHIA was said to have bolstered the reach of federal preemption and to have …
Experts Say Full Power of Federal Preemption Unrealized Read More
Many states and municipalities are currently faced with sprinkler mandates for newly-constructed, single-family housing, including manufactured housing. The International Residential Code (IRC), including the fire sprinkler requirement, has been adopted by California, Pennsylvania, Maryland and South Carolina, with many other states and local jurisdictions planning to consider this requirement when …
Several state associations have launched an exploratory effort to look into whether the industry could benefit from additional lobbying help in Washington. A high-profile lobbyist could both help provide a unified voice and aid in making sure legislation doesn’t lose its intent in the regulatory process. “I’ve talked to our …
States Taking Initiative to Explore Idea of Additional Lobbying Help Read More
Legislation sponsored by Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) is aimed at helping the two million owners of mobile homes built before June 1976 to replace them with new models. On August 5, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee adopted the Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Act (S. 1320). The House passed …
Bill Would Spur Replacement of Pre-June 1976 Mobile Homes Read More
What is Floor Plan Financing? In its commitment to provide small businesses with the tools and resources needed to survive the current economic crisis, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering the Dealer Floor Plan (DFP) financing pilot program. Floor plan financing is a revolving line of credit that allows …
The manufactured housing industry as a whole may be in a valley, but that hasn’t kept membership at the Arizona Housing Association (AHA) from increasing. The association reported a ten percent increase in membership over a seven-month period from the convention in 2009 until May. AHA President Ken Anderson says …
Arizona Association Membership on the Rise, Members Look to Return of Financing Read More
Staunton, VA, July 15, 2010. It’s a rare breed these days: a newly-established manufactured home community. In the foothills of Western Virginia the town of Staunton is home to just that. More than ten years in the making, Augusta Woods opened in March. Augusta Woods is the pride of Jeanie …
New Manufactured Home Community Opens in Staunton, Virginia Read More
GULFPORT, MI, July 13, 2010-Five years after Hurricane Katrina, the most costly in U.S. history, a unique approach to housing known broadly as Katrina Cottages and locally as Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) cottages have been tried, tested and battled. The award-winning designs attempt to fulfill the needs of their …
MEMA Cottages Loved and Hated Five Years after Hurricane Katrina Read More
