“Manufactured Housing Improvement Act” and HUD Code manufactured home “enhanced preemption” have hit mainstream media. It is no exaggeration to say that manufactured housing history was surprisingly made on 10.1.2021. What the facts, evidence and common sense will reveal is that something unique and, in several ways, remarkable, occurred due to a regionally published article picked up by Google News. The article was an op-ed published in “The Daily Reflector” entitled “Legal, moral and pragmatic reasons support affordable home ownership and Ayden’s Plant-A-Home program.”  The “Daily Reflector,” per Wikipedia, “is a daily newspaper that serves Pitt County and eastern North Carolina. It is headquartered in Greenville, North Carolina.” But, like any publication that Google or others dubs to be “news,” if the online edition picks a story up, it may as well be ‘national’ or ‘global.’

 

https://www.reflector.com/standard/opinion/editorial_columnists/legal-moral-and-pragmatic-reasons-support-affordable-home-ownership-and-aydens-plant-a-home-program/article_378be022-22ca-11ec-8b8f-433a5b26a726.html

 

That article about manufactured housing, the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) of 2000, and “enhanced preemption” in the Reflector is be linked above.

As an aside, Burns said in an op-ed of his own, that “The Reflector’s motto has long been “Truth in Preference to Fiction.”” In that, he defend the rights of someone his newspaper published that he apparently disagreed with personally. That is in keeping with this motto from that source, “Reflecting you … every hour, every day.”

That noted, among several important points to know is that the article specifically referred to the “Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000” and its “enhanced preemption” ability to preempt local zoning and placement barriers that violate federal law.

The article was co-authored by Ayden, N.C. Mayor Pro-Tem Ivory Mewborn and publisher L. A. “Tony” Kovach. Editor Bobby Burns at the Daily Reflector personally made the decision to publish this item, complete with hotlinks to more information. Burns merits mention in several important ways, because he lived up to the principles of what authentic journalism is supposed to be about. Burns has not weighed in on the topic, so his specific views are unknown. But by making this available for others, he has literally made history among his peers in mainstream media. More on that another time.

 

Beyond those background facts, there is more to know as to why this is surprisingly historic. In no specific order of importance, are these additional ones.

• The Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) was contacted to get involved in this local manufactured housing issue. MHI, their leadership, and attorneys declined to do so. See below.
• The MHI state association affiliate North Carolina Manufactured and Modular Homebuilders Association (nc-mha.org) was contacted first. NC-MHA declined to get involve in what could be an exciting program for manufactured housing, “Plant A Home.”
• This is a zoning/placement issue, meaning it is a post-production issue. In manufactured housing, RVs, automotive, or some other industries, there are production, post-production, and umbrella style trade groups. Both MHI and the NC-MHA are ‘umbrella’ style trade groups, meaning they claim to serve on both production (federal regulatory and legislation) as well as post-production issues. While MHI and their affiliate NC-MHA both declined involvement, the producers trade group, the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) weighed in when asked to do so. Put differently, it is possible that without MHARR’s added weight, this may not have occurred. Certainly, MHARR’s influence did not hurt. Nor is this the only time that MHARR has lent a hand when asked to do so. See below.
• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was contacted and asked to weigh in. They declined to do so, even though it is arguably a HUD issue for manufactured housing reasons, for possible fair housing, and other factors. All four of these bullet’s must be kept in mind. see below.

The date and time of some of those outreaches by MHProNews to MHI and HUD are shown below.

 

from:	L. A. Tony Kovach – MHProNews/MHLivingNews
to:	“Hodges, Tom” MHI Chairman, General Counsel, Clayton Homes, Lesli Gooch, CEO, MHI, David Goch, @WC-B Law, MHI outside attorney John Greiner – Graydon Law MHI outside attorney
Bcc:	Dozens of MHI state affiliates
date:	Sep 7, 2021, 1:55 PM
subject:	Tom, Brad, Lesli, David, John et al – About Allegations of violations of rights of minority manufactured housing seekers

 

from:	L. A. Tony Kovach – MHProNews/MHLivingNews
to:	Teresa B. Payne, J.D., Administrator of HUD Office of Manufactured Housing Programs (OMHP).
date:	Sep 7, 2021, 12:58 PM
subject:	Teresa Payne, media outreach, request for comment from you and/or HUD

 

from:	Mark Weiss, J.D., President & CEO, Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR
to:	L. A. “Tony” Kovach – MHProNews/MHLivingNews Mayor Tripp Ayden, NC. Commissioner Mewborn, Mayor Pro-Tem, Ayden, NC. Commissioner Goff, Ayden NC.Commissioner Langley, Ayden, NC. Commissioner Davis, Ayden, NC. Commissioner Ross, Ayden, NC.
cc:	D Williams NCWeeklies (NC Weeklies are the publisher of the Reflector, other area publications, Williams was the reporter on the original story.).
date:	Sep 9, 2021, 11:34 AM

I apologize for my delayed response.  The various references and third-party materials cited by Mr. Kovach are accurate.  MHARR’s consistent position has been that modifications to federal manufactured housing law contained in the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000, and particularly, its enhancement of federal preemption, bar discriminatory local zoning mandates that exclude federally-regulated manufactured housing. His recitation of these issues is correct.

Thank you and please advise me if I can be of further assistance.

Mark Weiss
President & CEO
Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR)
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 512
Washington, D.C. 20004
Tel. (202) 783-4087
Fax: (202) 783-4075 …”  

##

There was more that could be shown to illustrate the distinction between MHI leaders, HUD, and MHARR, but the above is sufficient document the point that MHARR acted. Meanwhile, others that have a legal duty to respond or react, or other commitment on behalf of manufactured housing failed to even respond.

The groundbreaking Reflector article is linked here, a linked-corrected version is found here, and the article was previously linked above. It is a moderate length column that is a ‘6 minute read.’ It does have hotlinks, which when published and viewed on some handheld devices were not readily apparent, unless you ‘touched’ (on a smart device) or move your cursor over those topics. The publication in a message to MHProNews indicated they would attempt to do something this weekend to see if they could make those links more visible on their site. Additionally, the publisher indicated that an edited version of this letter will be published in their print edition. If so, that’s an added plus, that merits thanks and acknowledgment.

 

Additional Information, more MHProNews Analysis and Commentary in Brief

Per this Google news search below, on that specific search phrase on this date, there are only two places online where this topic appears anywhere online. Think about that for a moment. Some 21 years since the MHIA was enacted, and this is the first mainstream media article that presents this information in such a clear fashion? How is it possible that it has taken so long? Where has MHI been on what they admit is a critical topic?

 

 

The other item shown was comments by this writer posted on the second article shown. If that publisher had removed those comments, as has often occurred, that 2019 era item would not be there either.

Note for accuracy, there may be reasons to believe that this could have been published before via a media release, but that those releases could have been ‘removed,’ as that happens from time to time. This writer, and perhaps others, have on occasion posted comments where they ‘fit’ the issue.

What is happening apparently demonstrates is that MHI and at least some of their affiliates have postured on issues such as enhanced preemption in manufactured housing. How so? Let’s examine that concern.

On paper, MHI and various states have weighed in favorably on this issue in several comments letters. So too has Kevin Clayton. So, objectively, they are ‘in favor’ of this obvious – and per lawmakers involved in the passage of the MHIA, correct – interpretation of enhanced preemption.

 

 

But what this evidence, thanks to Burns and the Daily Reflector, should inform all is this. The post-production trade groups – MHI and their affiliates – that claim that they are in favor of seeing federal preemption fully enforced are clearly not doing all that they could. It is simply not plausible that MHI, or for that matter, several (perhaps not all) MHI affiliate state, could not have accomplished what occurred through the efforts made to get this factual op-ed published.

There are only a limited number of logical options. Here they are:

• MHI or an MHI state affiliate has never thought to do so. If so, that’s akin to what a MHEC member said is “association malpractice.”
• MHI and/or MHI state affiliates may have tried but never succeeded. That’s implausible at best, for reasons that will be examined below.
• MHI made the decision not to try to spotlight the connection between zoning barriers, the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA or 2000 Reform Law), and the “enhanced preemption” clause that aimed to bar locals from effectively limiting or banning manufactured housing. Again, the Mewborn-Kovach letter in the Reflector linked here links up the evidence. The logic refutes that of two local NC attorneys who attempted to subvert the MHIA and HUD Code manufactured home preemption.

For background, this isn’t the first, nor will it be the last, such effort involving this publication’s writer and/or our MHLivingNews sister site. At this time, there are largely 3, and seemingly only 3, sites where a periodic diet of information on manufactured housing and HUD’s enhanced preemption authority can be found. They are MHARR, MHProNews, and MHLivingNews. MHI is nowhere to be found on page 1. The words “enhanced preemption” – as has been periodically demonstrated by MHProNews fact checks – are not on the MHI website. The other examples that are found are often connected to MHProNews, MHLivingNews, MHARR, the late Bob Van Cleef (manufactured home resident-advocate), and the HUD and FHFA websites where this writer asked to have the item published.

 

 

In fairness and for accuracy, MHI’s website, prior to the apparent Berkshire era of manufactured housing industry, had information on it about this vital-to-the-industry and millions of consumers topic. That is known because a tipster provided a specific example of it, shown below. Note the date, 2.17.2003, early into the Berkshire era of manufactured housing.

 

 

What that suggests is that MHI removed that content, and then some techy apparently took the added steps to remove the ‘follow’ link from that then removed, or hidden behind a content login, that was once public. Even outdated content may have a search result online, sometimes for years. These facts points to deliberate efforts to posture without actually intending to achieve what is being postured.

It is arguably evidence of a deliberate form of sly deception by MHI and their leadership.

Per sources at MHARR, they only became involved in enhanced preemption and finance – both post-production issues – after favorable legislation as passed with their assistance and leadership because they felt that MHI was not ‘doing their job.’ MHI at various times worked with MHARR. But those days are no more, as MHI apparently wants to pretend that neither MHARR, MHLivingNews, or MHProNews exists. It is childish, junior high school level behavior – OR – it is part of a scheme, and either way is not a good look for MHI and their leadership.

Logically, if MHI seriously wanted to get these items to be enforced, even if they hated MHARR or our publications, they could hold their nose and do so. But the sobering reality is that MHI has long had the resources to get this done. They have simply failed to do so.

 

 

There is little escaping that, as MHI, their attorneys, and corporate leadership have been given numerous opportunities to engage on this, but have ducked such engagement.

MHARR’s only a fraction of the size of MHI and has a fraction of their budget, per known information from federal (non-association) sources.  That’s stated because MHARR advertises on our site, just as MHI used to do. Ads have demonstrably not kept us from calling out misbehavior by an advertiser. That’s stated as a disclosure, but also because some MHI surrogates attempt to wrongfully imply something else. Perhaps 98 percent of the time, MHARR has no idea what is coming next on our websites, unless they have sent one of their press releases that others could be publishing too. Nor does MHARR know when we publish their press release, which is often, but not always that or the next day. So, there are several things MHARR does not know about us, and we do not know about them, unless it is openly stated.

 

 

 

Thus the need to note that per federal obtained insights, not from MHARR, the facts reveal that MHI dwarfs MHARR’s resources. MHARR apparently has a larger budget than MHProNews/MHLivingNews.

It is entirely possible that other manufactured housing industry focused trade publishers have a larger budget than ours, even though they objectively appear to have far smaller professional audiences. Those competitors are obviously in the MHI orbit, often quite openly so. That is demonstrated in several ways, including MHI membership. Additionally, those wanna-be trade bloggers and publishing rivals – while at times claiming to be for industry independents and consumers – when examine through their demonstrated failure to deal with such key issues – clearly reveal the opposite of any claim to be pro-consumer or pro-independent. They are apparently in the pockets of MHI and their corporate masters.

Perhaps the largest audience among rivals to our platforms are the blogs and items published by Frank Rolfe and Dave Reynolds, who are MHI members. Their platforms are largely about self-promotion, but at times, they weigh in on an industry issue. They appear at times to be critics of MHI. But in hindsight, even some demonstrably true comments made by Rolfe, for example, seem to be window-dressing.

 

Rolfe and Reynolds, if they wanted to do so, could exhibit white hat behavior. But they clearly do not.

 

 

Insights on several of these next pro-MHI publishers is found or linked from a report found here. ManufacturedHomes has a blog, as does MHVillage, which publishes MHInsider as both print and digital editions. MHVillage has as a ‘contributing editor’ George F. Allen, a retired Marine who may have served honorably, but has since apparently forgotten the meaning of semper fi when it comes to the authentic interests of independents. Allen has his own blog. Ironically, Allen has touched on some of these issues in days gone by. But he has done so in a manner that per his former clients falls into the notion of “With George, its AAA. All About Allen.” So Allen, Rolfe, and Reynolds are blogging mostly for their own benefit. Nevertheless, what’s useful about Allen and at times Rolfe and Reynolds, is that they have made useful statements that their own behavior may belie. Some examples are as shown.

 

 

In a somewhat different category is Kurt Kelley. His publication went from monthly to quarterly, which may reflect readership, content, and budget issues. He politely said in a formal comment that he would not weigh in on industry controversies. But on occasion, in fairness, he has published certain MHARR items. That is more akin to what the now defunct Journal of Manufactured and Modular Housing used to do, allowing MHI and MHARR to each have their own column, while the Journal stayed neutral.

That noted, it is important to say that for some years, MHProNews published MHI and MHARR content, that included years while this publication was still an MHI member. But unlike the Journal, we had editorials that took our own positions that may or may not agree with something that MHI or MHARR had to say. MHI content was on our site at first, because MHI asked for that to occur. But after some years, MHI insisted that MHProNews stop publishing what they previously asked to have published, because they apparently recognized that we had the largest and most engaged audience.

So, while Kelley in some sense ‘stays away’ from these issues, his publication has at times at least shared MHARR views, but more commonly, those of MHI and MHI members. That said, the known evidence suggests that his audience is small, perhaps smaller than any of the others noted.

So, when the various factual and evidence-based dots are connected, or the metaphorical puzzle pieces are lined up, here is the picture that emerges.

• There was MHI behavior pre-Berkshire Hathaway’s formal entry into the industry. For a few brief years before and after the passage of the MHIA, MHI and MHARR worked together on several issues.
• Over time, as Clayton and their affiliated lending influence grew, MHI increasingly fell into line with what they and their apparent corporate allies at MHI desired. As that occurred, items previously posted in an apparently more authentic fashion fell into a less authentic, more posturing category.
• The evidence suggests that while they periodically say things that seem to be in line with what MHARR says, when the actual behavior is examined, MHI and MHARR behave in distinctive ways.
• The purpose of this pattern of behavior? Apparently, per both the evidence and the repeated statements made by several MHI members, consolidation is their goal.
• The various mouth-piece MHI amen corner media have

 

MHI postures support for the good laws that manufactured housing worked hard to enact. Pro-MHI bloggers and pro-trade publishers, along with their self-proclaimed affiliated trade groups, appear to have an ‘amen corner’ echo chamber. Most – and in some cases, all – of the content that comes from those sources are pro-the-MHI party line. Perhaps collectively, they have a similar level of engagement with professional readers as this platform. But the main point is that there is an array of voices that speak largely or wholly whatever MHI desires. On this key example of what on paper MHI agrees is the critical topic of “enhanced preemption,” the screen capture below helps make that point. MHI has been online far longer than MHARR, longer than MHProNews, or MHLivingNews, or several others shown below. Yet MHI did not make page 1 of this search? A relative newcomer to the industry did? It is facts like these that reveal the apparent lip service and posturing of MHI on these issues. But the fact that they are only found in specific places where searched for reveals a pattern of either totally inept or totally treacherous behavior. Take your pick, but either is a bad look for MHI staff and corporate leaders. Note that the most common source for information on this topic is from MHProNews, MHLivingNews, and/or items written by this writer that made it to other federal – or now, a mainstream media – websites.

 

 

So, MHI has postured support, but then has apparently failed to do what logic or common-sense dictate are the obvious things needed to make federal “enhanced preemption” widely known and thus potentially a reality.

Given that enhanced preemption was once visible on the MHI website, and was later hidden or removed from public view, it seems increasingly clear that concerns raised by Strommen, Doug Ryan – and above all MHARR – will not lift a proverbial finger to make their self-proclaimed clout on this a reality.

 

 

MHProNews has on occasion carved out time to make an outreach like the one with the Greenville Reflector. This time, that effort paid off, thanks to the local support from Mayor Pro-Tem Mewborn and with MHARR’s support too.

But MHI?

Not only did they decline to get involved, as was noted above, but they have options that they clearly have not used. That’s what is metaphorically damning them, because they have demonstrated several times things that they could do, but in fact have not done!

Restated, MHI’s own track record compliments the allegations against them by a growing array of voices inside and outside of manufactured housing.

For example.

• MHI have paid for advertorials in the past. Various advertorials may be picked up like news.
• Then, there are paid news releases too. So even if MHI might claim that they too have tried (doubtful), what is indisputable is that they could pay for a series of press releases and advertorials that could move the needle. There is no evidence, per Google, that they have done so.

“How to Find Affordable Home in Today’s Market,” Manufactured Housing Industry-Statepoint Media Fact-Check

 

In that report, is the following pull-quote from someone with MHI ties: “…you are rapidly becoming the [manufactured home] industry’s institutional memory…” Reports like the one above reveal why doing them was important in the first place. Institutional memory is precisely how this pattern of MHI – and their loyal brownnosing sycophants and fluffers behavior – is revealed.

And the lack of that ‘memory’ on MHI’s own website speaks volumes too. MHARR posts almost everything they do on their website. Why doesn’t MHI? National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and numbers of other trade groups do what MHARR does. Why not MHI?

It is the deliberate absence of that ‘institutional memory’ that betrays their claims. If MHI meant what they said in letters that have demonstrably not moved the needle with federal regulators, then they would make that available on their own site as an absolute minimum.

But instead, MHI behaves more like a corrupt politician that says what a specific audience may want to see or hear. There should be no disconnects between what MHI does, and what they say in letters. But there clearly is such a disconnect. That can’t be dismissed.

 

 

After years of (broken) promises about an industry image and education campaign, MHI did a periodic – and arguably problematic – series of paid “advertorials.” For a time, these were available online on the various sites that they appeared. Let’s note that advertorials done correctly are a useful tool. But today, that advertorial is entirely offline, per this Google search

 

 

The only place it can be found today is on the MHProNews website.  This is an example of institutional memory at work.

The StatePoint MHI advertorials – critiqued then and now, for its execution – not for its theoretically possible merit.

Similarly, the MHI, Clayton Homes, (now Skyline) Champion, Cavco Industries videos done with Clayton-backed Next Step reflects is another apparent example of window dressing. MHI, Clayton, Champion, Cavco et al could have taken out a series of press release to promote those, if getting a lot of views was the goal. But what the then and now example reflects is that these have never been popular.

 

 

By contrast, MHProNews – while still an MHI member – proposed, volunteered, and offered to do more to get an authentic low-cost image and educational campaigns going. MHI said they were interested, but the record is clear. They did not do so.

• By contrast, millions were effectively spent on getting “Preserving Access” passed, but it never did.
• Hundreds of thousands of dollars were apparently spent at various times on research that said that manufactured housing needed a national image campaign. Yet no such serious effort ever occurred.

There are a series of posturing and effectively costly, broken, and treacherous posturing and promises by MHI. Yes, that pattern obviously involves some of their dominating brands.

 

 

Yes, the recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) litigation points to the same concerns that Strommen, James A. “Jim” Schmitz, MHARR, Doug Ryan, Tom Hardiman at the Modular Home Builders Association (MHBA), Marty Lavin, and others inside and outside of MHI have raised.

 

 

The more the “institutional memory” – the more the history of these various MHI claims, posturing, and final outcomes are examined – the more it becomes clear that MHI leadership had no intention whatsoever of doing what they claimed.

• The fact that MHI have taken out full page ads in favor of rental housing means that they know that they could have taken out full page ads in favor of manufacutred housing. The rental housing scheme of “housing coalition” members only serves to be one more puzzle piece that when examined mitigates against MHI being what they claim.
• The advertorials and videos, ditto.
• That Lesli Gooch has been able to get op-eds into American Banker or National Mortgage News only serves to demonstrate that she could have done so in favor of enhanced preemption, which she claims to want to see implemented.

 “Advancing Racial Equity Through Manufactured Housing” Lesli Gooch, Manufactured Housing Institute CEO’s Impressive Op-Ed – Manufactured Housing Institute’s National Mortgage News Analysis

If Gooch meant any of that, why didn’t she and MHI weigh in on the Taft family issue?  It is in examining MHI claims, and then carefully watching MHI’s behavior in the light of their own claims, that makes them appear to be hypocrites at best, or an organization that is as Strommen and others believe, guilty of felony illegal actions.

 

Through years of fact checks, analysis, evidence and common sense based reports and analysis, the only trade media in our profession that has bothered to hold MHI and their ‘big boy’ masters accountable has been MHProNews and/or MHLivingNews.

 

All of this is potentially coming to a head. The SEC is suit vs. Cavco is a reason for hope.

But there are reasons to believe that more federal, state, and other probes are coming. Stay tuned.

##

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

The Business Daily Manufactured Home Industry Connected Stock Market Updates.  Plus, Market Moving Left (CNN) – Right (Newsmax) Headlines Snapshot. While the layout of this daily business report has been evolving over time, several elements of the basic concepts used previously are still the same. For instance. 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’ news items.

 

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

Headlines from left-of-center CNN Business – from the evening of 10.01.2021

• Car sales plunge
• Photo taken on Oct. 1, 2020 shows a Chevrolet dealership in northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, the United States.
• The chip shortage and other supply chain issues are simply choking off the availability of vehicles
• Snowcone the Happy Unicorn is the latest victim of manufacturing chaos
• Why October 19 could be a catastrophic day for the US economy
• America could be hit with a debt downgrade for the first time since 2011
• Congress prevented one crisis. Another looms
• Time running out to save UK industry from worker shortages
• A 19-year-old from India created this startup. Now it plans to raise $1 billion
• As gas prices soar, people are mulling alternatives to heating their homes. Here’s what to know
• 80 million European households struggle to stay warm
• Goldman Sachs CEO: One way to help solve the nation’s labor shortage
• Housing is so hot that a burned-out home listed at $400,000
• Employer vaccine mandates are growing more popular
• Hollywood is preparing for its most important October ever
• OPINION Jack Lew: How to get the wealthy to pay the taxes they owe
• Amazon’s controversial vision for the future of your home security
• Content by Quicken Loans
• Why You Should Refi ASAP
• A worker prepares a meal at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in New York on Tuesday, October 9, 2018.
• Low-wage workers are getting ‘eye-popping’ pay raises, Goldman Sachs says
• The Blue Origin rocket factory is viewed at the Kennedy Space Center, Wednesday, May 27, 2020, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
• Blue Origin: Essay alleges sexism, ‘dehumanizing’ culture at Jeff Bezos’ rocket company
• Pedestrians carry Nike shopping bags in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021. Prices paid by U.S. consumers rose in August by less than forecast, snapping a string of hefty gains and suggesting that some of the upward pressure on inflation is beginning to wane.
• A key measure of inflation surged to a new 30-year high
• AUTOS
• Rolls Royce Spectre
• Rolls-Royce to stop manufacturing gasoline cars by the end of the decade
• Rivian builds the first electric pickup truck
• Toyota’s Tundra is going hybrid
• See Aston Martin’s $123,000 James Bond car for kids
• Ford makes its biggest manufacturing investment to build EV factories
• LAW + ORDER
• Scarlett Johansson and Disney agree to end lawsuit
• Activision Blizzard will pay millions to settle lawsuit
• Lawmakers grill Facebook over impact on teens
• China jails former chairman of liquor giant for life
• Macy’s sues to block an Amazon billboard next to its flagship store

Headlines from right-of-center Newsmax – evening of 10.01.2021

• Texas Gov. Abbott Looks to Add More Teeth to State’s Tough New Voting Law
• (Joel Marinez/The Monitor via AP
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is asking his state legislature to increase the penalty for anyone convicted of illegal voting. Meanwhile, former President Trump is lauding efforts by some Texas officials to conduct a more intensive audit of Lone Star State ballots cast in the 2020 presidential election. [Full Story]
• Newsmax TV
• Perry: Infrastructure Impasse Shows Biden, Pelosi Not in Charge | video
• Arrington: ‘Trouble in Progressive Paradise’ Over Spending | video
• Stewart: Getting Votes to ‘Destroy the American Dream’ Isn’t Easy | video
• Fallon: ‘Regressive’ Dems Hold House ‘Hostage’ on Infrastructure | video
• Rob Wittman: ‘Very Disturbing’ Biden Lied or ‘Can’t Recall’ | video
• Comer: Hunter Biden Art a ‘National Security Problem’ | video
• More Newsmax TV
• Newsfront
• WH Presses US Airlines to Quickly Mandate Vaccines for Staff
• The White House is pressing major U.S. airlines to mandate coronavirus vaccines for employees by Dec. 8 and showing no signs of extending the deadline, four sources told Reuters on Friday.White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeffrey Zients spoke to the chief executives…… [Full Story]
• Related Stories
• California Becomes First State to Require COVID Shots for All Schoolchildren
• Unvaccinated Federal Employees Can Be Disciplined After Nov. 9
• CDC: US COVID Cases, Hospitalizations Down 15 Percent From Last Week
• Merck Pill Raises Hope of Preventing COVID-19 Deaths
• Agenda in Peril, Biden Huddles With Democrats on Capitol Hill
• President Joe Biden traveled to Capitol Hill on Friday to try to mend [Full Story]
• Related
• Dems, in Conflict, Strain to Pare $3.5T Plan
• Biden Administration Urges Judge to Block Texas Abortion Law
• The Biden administration on Friday urged a federal judge to block the [Full Story]
• Milley’s Successor More Likely to Be ‘Woke Warrior’ Than Military Warrior
• After overseeing the botched U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and [Full Story] | platinum
• US Official in Haiti Apologizes for Treatment of Migrants
• A top U.S. official on Friday apologized for how Haitian migrants [Full Story]
• Melting Frost in Arctic Could Release Cold War Radioactive Waste
• Radioactive waste and new viruses could be released by the melting of [Full Story]
• Maricopa County Election Audit Highlights Possible Fixes for Future
• An independent audit of more than 2 million votes cast in Maricopa [Full Story] | platinum
• Former FDA Commissioner Gottlieb: Merck Pill ‘a Game Changer’
• Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said [Full Story]
• Pat Robertson Steps Down as Host of ‘700 Club’
• Pat Robertson, who turned a tiny Virginia television station into a [Full Story]
• White House Launching 30-Country Meeting on Cybercrime, Ransomware
• The Biden administration plans to bring some 30 countries together [Full Story]
• California Gov. Newsom Signs ‘#FreeBritney’ Bill to Reform Conservatorship Laws
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed the “#FreeBritney” bill into [Full Story]
• China Marks National Day With Mass Air Incursion Near Taiwan
• Taiwan’s air force scrambled again on Friday to warn away 25 Chinese [Full Story]
• Chinese COVID Whistleblower Reemerges After 600 Days Missing
• A Chinese lawyer and self-described citizen journalist who went [Full Story]
• Justice Alito Defends Court’s ‘Shadow Docket’ Decisions
• Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday defended the Supreme Court’s [Full Story]
• Consumer Spending Beat Expectations in August; Inflation Rises
• S. consumer spending increased more than expected in August, but a [Full Story]
• Biden’s Approval Slumps After a Slew of Crises: AP-NORC Poll
• President Joe Biden’s popularity has slumped after a slew of [Full Story]
• Polling Suggests Democrats Set to Lose Control of Senate in 2022
• Democrats appear to be in trouble as they try to retain control of [Full Story]
• Scott, Rubio Question Limits on COVID Treatment
• Florida’s Republican Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, in a letter to [Full Story]
• California Becomes First State to Require COVID Shots for All Schoolchildren
• California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced the nation’s first [Full Story]
• California Takes Step to Return Land to Black Couple’s Heirs
• Kamala Harris in Damage Control for Failure to Reject ‘Ethnic Genocide’ Remark
• Vice President Kamala Harris faced backlash after offering supportive [Full Story]
• Justice Kavanaugh Tests Positive for COVID-19, Has No Symptoms
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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.

 

 

As the Summer of 2021 draws to a close…

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 12th 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.

· For expert manufactured housing business development or other professional services, click here.
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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 also 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.