Perhaps it's our marketing side of the brain, but we love slogans and tag lines! Arby's slogan from some years back – "Different is Good" – comes to mind on issues touching manufactured housing. We'll do a rapid-fire look at a number of MHIndustry examples of how diffERent iS gOOd.

ROC vs. ROC vs. Investor

For those who thought there is only one resident owned community – ROC – conversion option for our industry, guess again. This month Deane Sargent sounded off on the subject, here is their take on No BS about ROCs, with Paul Bradley providing his five fingered reply, here. This is friendly, “Dueling Columns.”

Of course, investor buy-sells still dominate the land-lease community space. If you are the owner/operator of one or more of the estimated 50,000 MHCs in the nation, it pays to know your options! Please read both articles above.

Once more, "We Provide, You Decide."  Ⓒ 

And if you're coming to Louisville, make sure you check out the ever-popular community lending panel on day two, moderated by Dick Ernst of FinmarkUSA.com.

Regulatory Relief and Financing Revival Tool?

Looking for an alternative tool to give us what the MHIA of 2000 promised – but has not yet delivered – or what HERA 2008 promised (the so-called Duty to Serve or DTS) manufactured housing, but FHFA took away?

Then consider what thousands have found to be a compelling concept in our special report on, Writ of Mandamus.

Mandamus has catapulted up in our readership, quickly catching the MHI LO Comp rule featured article that had a head start.

We heard from an attorney who told us off-the-record that he has used the Writ of Mandamus process successfully a number of times.

We aren't saying it's a silver bullet. Nor should it replace the legislative efforts! What we suggest is that it is a different option and deserves to be explored, as sadly the witching hour of yet another impact on industry lending is now upon us. "We Provide, You Decide."  Ⓒ 

Ferocious Financing

Do you get a kick out of alliteration? As with tag lines, its a weak spot – we enjoy it – on this end.

Some exaggerate and say there is “no lending,” but they are right to say there is even less now that Dodd-Frank regs have kicked in.

While it is true that the CFPB regulations will force a tightening of lending that will hurt millions of manufactured home owners and thousands of businesses, there is still third party lending available. Yes, even in this ferociously challenging "man caused disaster" environment.

If you haven't already read this report on Dodd-Frank, you may be one of the last in the industry, we've had tens of thousands of hits on that article! It has also had a number of updates since first published, so even if you've seen it, please check the added updates at the end of the article linked above. Use it in your own efforts to inform Congress, the media or others who need to know.

Here is a related recent post on how the CFPB's Richard Cordray is Missing the Mark.

That said, in fact, new players continue to emerge in the MH Lending space.

Stay tuned, as we expect to have news for you in the days ahead.

For now we will only say that your scribe has personally talked to two new-to-the-industry MH lenders, and there are others we know about or are researching entry into the manufactured housing market.

To check out almost all of the Dodd-Frankenstein/unSAFE/CFPB approved lending accessible today, be at the Louisville Show in the KEC's seminar room at 10 AM sharp!

http://LouisvilleManufacturedHousingShow.com/louisville-2014-show-money-seminars/

 

To orient you so you can find the Seminar Room at the KEC, the photo and map below should help.

The North Wing of the KEC entrance looks like this:

If you are looking at (facing) the registrations desk (see map below), the seminar room will be to your right.

I'm told there will be signs and carpet that will 'lead you' to the seminar room as well. Keep a close eye, because a normal sized sign in that huge lobby at the KEC is not always easy to spot!

Market Smarter, Sell More Homes

We may not like it, but what is certain is that our industry is being FORCED to change.

IMHO, the biggest losers – those harmed the most by the CFPB's policies – are current manufactured home owners with low balance loans or low cost homes they may want to sell or refinance someday soon.

Next, will be the potential buyers and all of the industry's street retailers, communities, builders, lenders and other suppliers who will also have their businesses hit by the regulatory impact.

If new manufactured home sales drop, associations will also be hit.

Blessing in disguise? Given the troubling new regs, how can this be a blessing in disguise?

It could be if thousands of industry professionals now feel COMPELLED to reach UP for the more credit qualified home buyers. The entry level market needs to be served, but the feds are making that tougher all the time, so we need to strive to serve ALL of the mainstream housing shoppers too.

The upper end of the market dwarfs the potential for the entry level market.

Professionals of all types will have to embrace ways to change the image of our product to attract and then sell those buyers.

We've pushed – and will continue to push – for HR 1779 and S 1828 passage. We will continue to support efforts to make the GSE's legally mandated Duty to Serve manufactured housing and non-implemented parts of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA 2000) a reality.

But we also looked ahead to this day. We've been preparing – for months and years – for this day. It's a key reason why we launched MHLivingNews.com. You can positively change the image of our homes in YOUR market and for YOUR Business, by taking some common sense steps!

We've developed with MH Retailers and Communities a marketing and sales approach that can successfully engage today's home buyers who might be thinking about a conventional home, condo or other housing option, when they ought to buy a new manufactured or modular home!

To get an overview of the tools and systems that can make you MORE money in 2014 – yes even with lending restricted – join our panel seminar at the Louisville Show – at Wed 11:10 AM – 12 noon. On Modern Marketing that sells more homes and fills more vacant home sites! 

Don't take my word for it that our process makes sense and has bottom line value. Please see the many endorsements found at this link. I will also bring a special guest with me, who has also been preparing for this date. We will share the stage for a few minutes, hopefully to the insight of all involved.

AT the Louisville Show, in about an hour, we will cover free, low cost and good ROI ways of growing your business via sound marketing and sales practices that work today. Please don't miss it. We will immediately follow the home finance panel seminar, also in the Seminar Room, see map above.

Also, don't forget the CRM panel presentation at 9:30 on the same date.

FYI our booth at the show will be #115, right by the main entrance into the show floor. Please ask our little guy – Tamas Kovach (pronounced Tah Mash Co-Vatch like a Watch), “The Youngest Exhibitor!” – for his free business-building handout. Its part of his education, please make it a fun part for him, with my personal thanks.

Some say that the genius, Albert Einstein, was the one who coined the phrase, that the popular definition of insanity is for people to do the same things the same way and expect a different result.

Charles Kettering's quotable quote below is similar.

Let me close this column with a simple observation and call to action. Charles Kettering's quote above is only partially right. There are some things that are timeless! Good manners, integrity and good customer service are among the points that immediately jump to mind.

But Kettering is correct in suggesting that times change and we have to adapt with the changing times. I've heard that the U.S.A. only has one buggy whip manufacturer left today, and there were over 100 when 1900 rolled around.

Your phone, TV, fax, computer…they've all changed. We must adapt too.

Working together, we can go farther and faster. The call to action is simple. Come to the 2014 Louisville Show! Talk to the movers and shakers – dozens of them will be there.

Talk to the CEOs and executives at Louisville. Hundreds of them will be there.

Invest in your future. Scientia potestas est. Knowledge is potential power! Learn more to earn more at the 2014 Louisville Show. Over 2400 industry pros will be there, how about you?

See and learn how something diffERent is gOOd. ##

L. A. 'Tony' Kovach
ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com | MHProNews.com |
Business and Public Marketing & Ads: B2B | B2C
Websites, Contract Marketing & Sales Training, Consulting, Speaking:

MHC-MD.com | LATonyKovach.com | Office 863-213-4090

Connect on LinkedIN:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach