Joe Kelly at the Iowa Manufactured Housing Association alerted us to another story about manufactured homes making the pages of the Des Moines Register. MHMSM.com recently responded to a story in the paper about fire safety in manufactured homes, pointing out mis-use of terminology. The use of the terms showed …
From Arizona, the Portales News-Tribune reports the City of Portales is on track to issue the same number of building permits this fiscal year as last year. The permits are based on fiscal years, which run July through June. According to records, the city issued permits for 20 single-family dwellings …
Arizona Reports on Permits for Manufactured Home Replacement Read More
A new Colorado law requires builders of new homes to present buyers with the opportunity to select water-efficient appliances and fixtures up front. From a post on the website of Baravista Homes, we learn the intent of this law is to encourage water conservation by making sure that customers have …
Freddie Mac released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey Thursday showing lower mortgage rates for both long- and short-term rates. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.77 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending January 6, down from last week when it averaged 4.86 percent. …
From Housingwire comes a report from Altos Research that home prices were down 1.63 percent in December and new listings were entering the market with an even steeper decline. The report indicates prices fell in each of the 27 markets studied by Altos. Prices fell 4.77 percent in San Francisco, …
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) introduced legislation Wednesday that would repeal the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The bill, which President Obama signed into law in July, represents the most extensive overhaul of financial regulations since the Great Depression. Bachmann says the law grossly expanded the federal government …
Now we can say three times is a charm. Three days into the New Year and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has recorded three days of gains. Stocks added another 31 points Wednesday to close at 11,722.89. Deer Valley and Universal Forest Products closed down, but other stocks on our …
From Minnesota, the Free Press reports that the city of St. Peter is planning to participate in a pilot program aimed at upgrading or demolishing mobile homes. The report indicates the plan would provide both rehabilitation incentives for homeowners with homes built to the HUD Code and buyout assistance for …
From Arizona the San Pedro Valley News-Sun reports there’s less red tape involved with installing manufactured homes in the community of Benson. The report says the city council there approved an Inter-Governmental Agreement between the city and the Arizona Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety, Office of Manufactured Housing …
From the Terrace Standard of British Columbia comes a story about the completion of modular housing units for disabled seniors. The 24 modular units were constructed by Langley-based Britco, and were brought up from its Penticton plant in June. Work on the siding, footings, plumbing, electrical, roofs, beams, landscaping and …
USA Today ran an article Wednesday on the ten best green homes if 2010, including an over-all winner. Number seven on the list was a home in St. Paul, Minnesota, one of a dozen models designed by Hive Modular, a Minneapolis-based prefab company, and built by a factory partner. The paper …
From Long Island, New York, the Riverhead News-Review ran a story this week titled “Who knew a modular home could look this good?” As the report relays, Roy Dower decided to fix his family’s waterfront property in Flanders for his aging mother, but wranglings with Southampton Town made him decide …
Wrangling Sends New Yorker from Remodel to Modular Read More
Insurance Networking News reports that Moody’s has assigned an Aa2 rating to $1.5 billion of senior unsecured notes being issued by Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corp. Net proceeds are expected to be used to repay a like amount of BHFC notes maturing in January 2011. Moody’s says the rating outlook for …
UMH Properties, Inc., announced this week that it will be presenting at Sidoti & Company’s 2011 Semi-Annual Micro-Cap Conference on Monday, January 10, 2011. The Forum will be held at The Grand Hyatt in New York City. Eugene W. Landy, Chairman of the Board, and Michael P. Landy, Vice President …
UMH to Present at Sidoti & Company’s Micro-Cap Conference Read More
Iowa Manufactured Housing Association Executive Vice President Joe Kelly says the city of Des Moines is concerned about how older factory-built homes are sold on contract. The City Attorney, Bruce Bergman, expressed to Kelly that Des Moines is considering requiring all community owners, if they are selling a home in …
Des Moines Considering Regulatory Changes in MH Titling and Inspection Read More
The Associated Press reports New Orleans officials have told the last remaining residents of the temporary housing units known as “FEMA trailers” to be out by the start of 2011. Residents told the reporter that meeting this deadline will be difficult. At one point, some 23,000 homes were in the …
New Orleans Looks to Turn Page Past Katrina and “Trailers” Read More
The new appointees announced by HUD on January 3, 2011 to the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee as reported by the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform are: (1) William Freeborne, described by HUD only as a “retired engineer,” who will be joining the “General Interest and Public Officials” group, becoming …
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) sent out a message to manufacturers indicating its view that the already diminished role and authority of the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee (MHCC) as an independent check and balance on the power of HUD regulators took another major step backward on January …
MHARR Says Committee Selection Process Sets MHCC Back Read More
Stocks roared into the New Year Monday as 98 points were added to the Dow. The index had been up more than 120 points earlier in the session. Manufactured housing and related stocks also performed well. UMH Properties and Drew Industries each added more than four percent, Sun Communities added …
MH Stocks Gain on First Day of Trading in New Year Read More
Bankrate.com reports the zero-down mortgage is still alive in the form of the USDA home loan. The property must be in a designated rural area; however, some eligible properties are in places that most people would not consider rural. USDA Spokesman Jay Fletcher explains to MHMSM.com the department has …
