Statesman says Palm Harbor Homes announced it will close its Kyle, Texas, manufacturing plant in early June, idling 129 employees. The company filed bankruptcy last November, and was acquired by Cavco Industries through its Fleetwood subsidiary under a bankruptcy court auction in March for $84.9 million. Palm Harbor has eight …
Zacks reports that Encore Wire Corporation (NYSE: WIRE) saw revenue increase in the fourth quarter of 2010 to $265 million from $177 million for the same 2009 period. Encore makes a variety of copper electrical wire for residential and commercial building, including manufactured housing. Although copper increased 31 percent for …
Word on the street coming to MHMSM.com says the first quarter manufactured home shipments in 2011 continued to slide. “It will be a rough first quarter,” a normally reliable source said.
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) issued a press release announcing that John Bostick has been elected at their annual meeting in Tunica, Mississippi, to serve as chairman of the association. The president of Sunshine Homes of Red Bay, Alabama, he has been a board member since 1994, …
The News and Sentinel says Washington County, Ohio, has higher rates for the annual inspection and licensing fees for manufactured housing than adjoining Athens County. Because of a new state law, third-party inspectors can operate anywhere in the state. The Washington County Building Department in Marietta said it will lower …
MH Inspection, Licensing Fees in Ohio No Longer Jurisdictional Read More
The Sequim Gazette in Washington reports that housing professionals in Sequim have declined in numbers as the economy has declined and credit has tightened. Even people who could put 50 percent down were unable to get financing. The owner of Heritage Homes of Sequim, Don Nelsen, has been selling manufactured …
Optimist in Small Town Hopes to Keep His MH Business Afloat Read More
Fridley Patch reports Resident Owned Communities (ROC) USA partnered with the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) and Northcountry Cooperative Foundation (NCF) to help Park Plaza Cooperative become the fifth cooperative manufactured home community in the state. Located just north of Minneapolis in Fridley, the community’s previous owner said he is …
National Public Radio reports that IBISWorld research indicates that manufactured housing dealers lost $4,538,000 in 2010, which reflects a decline of 73.7 percent in the decade since 2000. It suggests part of the problem resulted from the housing bubble when people were buying conventional homes, but it also says the …
IBISWorld Forecasts More Doom and Gloom for Manufactured Housing Read More
SourceMedia Group News reports from Iowa that Senate bill 252 has been defeated 23-25. This bill was designed to protect manufactured homeowners from predatory lenders, and give residents rights equivalent to those of apartment dwellers. But according to Joe Kelly, Exec. VP of the Iowa Manufactured Housing Association (IMHA), it …
According to Bloomberg, shipments of manufactured houses rose to a seasonally-adjusted rate of 45,000 for January, an increase of 5,000 over December. Dealer inventory was down by 1,000 units to 22,000 for the same period, and placements declined from 47,000 to 36,000 units, all seasonally-adjusted rates. The average sales price …
Bloomberg reports Walter Investment Management Corp. (NYSE: WAC) of Florida is acquiring Green Tree Credit Solutions (NYSE: GTCS), commonly known as Green Tree, of Minnesota, for $745 million. Green Tree’s $37.5 billion portfolio includes manufactured housing loans as well as consumer loans and residential mortgages. The goal stated by Walter’s …
The Winnipeg Free Press says a Canadian company that has shipped nearly 12,000 manufactured homes to Japan in the past ten years, will send 200 temporary shelters within the next two weeks. Viceroy Homes, Ltd. is building a basic structure with a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom that normally sells for …
Canadian MH Builder Expects Japanese Orders to Spur Business Read More
The Mount Vernon Gazette reports from Virginia that a long-awaited plan for affordable housing on North Hill will be coming to a final vote June 21 before the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The board first has to approve the $13 million bond issue to develop the infrastructure for the …
The New York Times reports that in some areas of the country, the land that manufactured housing communities sit on is becoming more valuable, and owners may be interested in selling to developers for apartments and condominiums. Residents, especially retirees, are concerned that rents may increase beyond their affordability. Several …
Resident Ownership of Communities Protects from Developers Read More
North County Now in New York reports that the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation has been home to General Fine Homes since 1993 when George and Rowena General began selling log homes. Modular and manufactured homes were later added, with customers in France, Canada and throughout the state, but their Native …
Loan to Native Americans to Spur Growth on Reservation Read More
StockMarketsReview.com says with the cost of gasoline, food and other commodities going up, inflation is just around the corner. But inflation is a positive sign for manufactured housing communities because it’s an inexpensive housing option, and many of the residents are employed in service-related industries that are somewhat inflation protected. …
The Register-Guard of Oregon reports the Manufactured Housing/Oregon State Tenants Association (OSTA), primarily an advocacy group for residents of manufactured housing, has set its sights on helping disadvantaged students in public schools with meals, supplies, and support. Each community across the state has been asked to adopt a school and …
Non-Profit Organizing MH Communities to Help Students Read More
The East Dubuque Register reports that effective Jan.1 of this year, the Illinois legislature has changed the method for taxing manufactured homes. If you remain in a licensed manufactured home community, you will continue to be taxed based on the square footage and the age of your home according to …
Illinois Law Penalizes for Moving Manufactured Home Read More
Chicago, IL. Allegations circulated by email claimed a second Capital First Realty property, Sunset Village in Glenview, IL, may be closed as a manufactured home community. The email from an unidentified source alleged that letters were issued from the bankruptcy court to residents, giving them one year to vacate. While …
Capital First Realty Denies New Rumor about Second LL Community Read More
News-press.com in Florida offers a legal Q & A column. Questioner lives in a manufactured home community six months of the year, pays for lawn maintenance, but has a rock garden instead of grass. They have to weed their own rock garden despite paying for lawn care, and have to …
