We are periodically asked for an executive summary of the issues that have caused the purported manipulation of the most affordable kind of permanent housing in America. What follows is that executive summary, and it will include two complimentary threads. Read the text. Then look at the illustrated cartoon-style pictures. Or reverse that order, but either way, watch the videos posted in this report too. It all ties together.
Journalism, Fact Checks, and Analysis
In classic journalism, the dedicated reporter seeks the answers to these questions. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
In doing fact-checks and analysis, the dedicated journalist, looks for evidence, wants corroborating testimonials, follows the money, and examines the claims of the subject using a measure of skepticism with sound reason. They do a logical evidenced-based analysis, not using mere opinions.
The ethical journalist looks at all sources, not just selected ones.
MHI sent out a “housing alert” last night, after 6:30 PM ET. They did so within hours of our Daily Business News on MHProNews — #NettlesomeThings report — which is linked in the clickable text/image-box below.
MHI Allies Respond, Provide Confirmation to #NettlesomeThings, Facts, and Clayton/Berkshire Exposés
Did Arlington, VA based MHI seek to disprove a single claim or allegation by our MHProNews report and analysis yesterday? No.
Instead, MHI arguably did another head fake, using literal head shots. Photos of people in positions of authority with MHI ‘leaders’ that they want to impress their readers with.
MHI can get photos made with prominent Democrats or prominent Republicans. What does it prove? Isn’t the bottom line still the bottom line?
How do these MHI photos with Trump Administration officials impact YOUR bottom line? How do these photos help more Americans get more affordable lending and housing that they could own instead of rent? There are also photos of MHI ‘leaders’ with Obama Administration officials. Did those prior photos help the rank and file of our part of the affordable housing industry?
Public officials will do a photo opportunity – a photo-op – with almost anyone. Candidates running for office will do the same too. What do those MHI photos actually prove?
As an ex-MHI member told MHProNews, isn’t their photos just more ‘razzle dazzle?’ Where are the RESULTS for the Majority of our industry’s independents? Why are the once thriving numbers of independents in our industry shrinking for years?
What’s happened to our once far larger MH INDUSTRY? How is it possible that with an affordable housing crisis, that manufactured housing could be underperforming so badly?
Or where are the lower cost Government Sponsored Enterprise loans by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac on ALL HUD Code manufactured homes, which the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) arguably required for the benefit of the Majority of Manufactured Home Owners and potential MH buyers?
Tim Williams said it himself in an MHI meeting room in San Antonio, Texas in 2017. A few dozen where in that MHI meeting room, including this writer. Williams said that Berkshire Hathaway owned 21st Mortgage and Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance (VMF) had not turned over their data to the FHFA regulated Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Other manufactured home lenders did. Why not 21st and VMF?
Because it would cut into what Kevin Clayton said in this video below is the most profitable part of the manufactured housing industry for them, financing.
Kevin Clayton, full length video interview, with commentary for clarity. None of the interviewer’s or Kevin’s statements were edited.
The Kevin Clayton video interview is about a 57 minutes. Properly understood, almost everything Kevin says has significance to investors, to industry professionals, to affordable housing advocates, to public officials, to antitrust experts in government, or for class action plaintiffs’ attorneys.
Several federal investigations are in fact underway. Democrats, Republicans, and independents wanted those investigations of the Omaha-Knoxville-Arlington Axis.
Mainstream media and our own MHProNews sources have confirmed these federal investigations.
The article linked above had three videos on it, all from third party media. We are reposting them here for your convenience.
The first is from local media, and it confirms – including with a Clayton Whistleblower – that investigations of Clayton and their lenders are underway, which of course Clayton denies any wrongdoing.
The next video is by Democracy Now, and focused on just one of Clayton Homes serious public scandals involving their handling of the Haitian crisis. They are a progressive group.
The next video is by a more conservative media outlet, and they mention that same case in Haiti ath Democracy Now did involving Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation. Both the left and right-wing media pointed to similar issues involving the same company, Clayton Homes.
These three videos demonstrate that this isn’t about party labels. It’s about posturing vs. results, the lack of results by MHI for the majority, and what caused those poor outcomes. Follow the money, who benefited? Wasn’t it the Berkshire brands and their MHI allies?
While the affordable housing market has arguably been manipulated for years, the federal government has spent billions of dollars a year on housing programs. It doesn’t matter if the president has been a Democrat or a Republican, HUD Housing Programs have never been enough to keep up with the needs for affordable housing.
And yet, a big part of the solution has been hiding in plain sight. Modern manufactured homes. It takes a kind of brilliance to devise such a slow motion scheme to obscure the most proven solution, doesn’t it?
MHI’s response to our #NettlesomeThings is to send out these photos, and then ask you to sign up with MHI, or renew your MHI membership. Who cares who they get their photo made with?
There’re logically three basic options.
- MHI, Clayton and the Berkshire Brands don’t know how to grow the industry, but they claim and posture that they do, while taking independent company’s dues money. Or
- They know what to do to grow the business, but they just aren’t doing it now, while they consolidate more independents at a discount.
- Some combination of bullets 1 and 2. Do you see any other reasonable explanation that fits the facts?
All truth passes through three stages, says the notable author in the quote below.
Which of these three stage are you in?
Please read the related reports, linked above and below from those respective text/image boxes. BTW, it goes without saying, MHI and their string-pullers have the same First Amendment rights that we all do. They can support who they want to, as they want to do. But when they claim to be doing X, and are doing Y and Z, that’s a different matter. They are collecting money from members under arguably false pretenses.
Our thanks to you, our thousands of daily readers, our sources, and sponsors.
Speaking of sources, one must acknowledge those that went before us. MHARR has fought the good fight for years, and have arguably had MHI try to grab credit for work that they often did or led the initial charge on. There have been others who patiently ‘schooled’ us on what is occurring in manufactured housing, some of whom are current or former MHI members. Think Marty Lavin, Frank Rolfe, Dick Moore, Bob Crawford and others.
Collectively, you’ve made this trade media the runaway #1 “News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use” © in MHVille. And the MHLand response to our years of facts checks, follow the money, and analysis has caused our readership to more than double in the last year alone. Our sincere thanks to all who’ve made that true and possible. “We Provide. You Decide.” © ## (News, commentary, and analysis.)
By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.com.
Tony is the multiple award-winning managing member of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
Office 863-213-4090 |Connect on LinkedIn:
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The Masthead
Political correctness – the PC movement – is arguably a form of manipulation and control. 40+ years ago, long before the PC culture took hold, people were aware of the notion that we should be polite and respectful of others.
