For any who’ve sold or bought homes – factory-built or otherwise – they know that it’s an emotionally-charged process for many shoppers. It’s a visceral experience.
The mainstream media run stories on our homes and communities. Often, its tales of ‘mobile home’ fires, park closures, wind-storms, flooding, etc.. As if those things were limited to pre-HUD code “mobile homes!”
When industry professionals see ‘downer’ media stories, is it surprising when many housing shoppers think less of our homes as a result?
When a community operator is in the news because they’re facing a class action law suit, or other seemingly bad MH news hits, how does that help sell more modern manufactured homes?
We see some interesting factors coming together. First, the positive examples.
Many are “discovering” modern manufactured housing, in a good way. Some find appeal in:
> the energy savings, check!
> Green or net zero designs like Steve Lefler/Modular Lifestyles promotes, check!
> The lower-costs during a growing affordable housing crisis, check!
> Fits the budgets of low and modest income Americans. Check!
Image credit: OpenSource and FlickerCreativeCommons
The MH Industry-fueled Dichotomy
We see MHC leaders like Randy Rowe, Steve Adler – see Steve’s fine, insightful interview, linked here – and others in MH that are doing their level best to create good homes and an appealing lifestyle.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are stories coming out of some communities that – if you read the media accounts – just don’t seem to be doing what’s right. Here’s a DBN story on a sad, dubious example. If the allegations are true, the class action suit is understandable.
On our popular Daily Business News (DBN), we cover the bad news, good and in between. That’s our policy. For example, when Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) had a nice article in the news, we covered it, see this link.
But when that huge judgment against ELS was awarded earlier this year, we covered that too. We also shared expert commentary on the case, two examples of ‘failure to maintain’ are here and here.
We strive to be fair and balanced, because that is pro-industry.
When an apparent bad news story has unfair media handling, we want to present both sides when possible – see another example, linked here. We are NOT in business to make the industry look bad, but nor are we in business of ignoring reality. The truth well told is powerful, and often favors MH.
The High Cost of Division
Industry division – the family feud and more – all carry a high price tag. We have evidence and market facts that suggest that manufactured housing ought to be doing much better than the sub-70,000 shipments we’re currently seeking.
One caller today, who’s operations has sold thousands of homes into both fee simple (land/home deals) or land lease communities, told me he thinks in the current economic conditions, we could be doing 500,000 home a year.
“The REAL Competition” you face isn’t the retailer down the road – in some markets, way down the road – or the other nearby MHCommunity.
Image credit: Scott Maxwell FlickrCreativeCommons
The far bigger competition is
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Apartments
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Condos
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Townhouses
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Duplexes
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Conventional housing
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Subsidized rentals, etc.
The other competitor is the media. The solutions?
> Fostering our own media
> Getting more of our good stories into the mainstream media.
> Not embracing those who cause bad stories, we ought to “police our own.”
> Teaming up with others to grow your business.
> We need our own ‘network,’ surprisingly doable today.
A respected industry association exec wisely said (close paraphrase), ‘Tony, we’re not in the business of defending the bad behavior of an industry member.’
More next time. Please check out the read-hot December featured stories and the popular Daily Business News. Your feedback is encouraged. ##
