Ecclesiastes* 3:1-9 says there is

1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2. A time to be born, and a time to die;
   a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3. A time to kill, and a time to heal;
   a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
   a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
   a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6. A time to seek,and a time to lose;
   a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7. A time to rend, and a time to sew;
   a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8. A time to love, and a time to hate;
   a time for war, and a time for peace.*
9. What profit does a man have in his labors?**

Passover is memorialized this week by Jews and it's Holy Week – Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday – for about 2.5 billion Christians world wide.

To all our friends and industry colleagues, we wish them the blessings of the holy days.

I.

During next week's Congress and Expo (C&E), Frank Rolfe will return to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI)/National Communities Council (NCC) stage. At the end of every session, there is typically time for questions and answers.

If you love what they do – or if you hate their vocabulary and some of what they've said published in the New York Times or Bloomberg – what better place to bring your kudos, comments, concerns and questions than there at the big annual industry forum?

FYI, for those who think C&E is pricey, think again!

MHI/NCC's Congress and Expo is about half the price that Frank and Dave charge for one of their "boot camps!" So it's a bargain, so long as you use what you learn to grow your business.

We must not be alone in such views, as something like 950 +/- industry pros are expected at Caesar's Palace next week for C&E. That's a big jump over last year!

We believe in education, professional development and the networking at such events are investments in business growth. Most professions do meetings like these for good reasons! Reading, watching and listening are the primary means we have to learn and grow.

Furthermore, you don't have to agree with someone to learn from them!

Some of the best lessons in my manufactured housing – sales, management, MH Retail center owner; and now publisher, marketing and sales consultant etc. – career came from:

• listening to what someone said,
• then thinking the topic through and if warranted…
• doing virtually the opposite! ;-)

Frank and I are an example of professional disagreement on terminology or image issues and yet we get along just fine.

Not that Frank or Dave Reynolds needs my endorsement for improving the communities they buy, but they are an example of how free enterprise can solve problems that are more difficult – and often, more costly! – for government to do.

To solve the affordable housing and other issues facing our land, we need more entrepreneurs, not less.

American Dream Builders host
Nate Berkus and judges Monica Pedersen and Eddie George
photo credit: Palm Harbor Homes, division of Cavco Industries.

II.

A double Coups! Hats off to those at Cavco who pulled off a double coup, that hit the public eye in an energizing way on Sunday evening's NBC American Dream Builders 'reality' TV show. We know there's scripting that goes into these so-called reality shows, but the better ones are entertaining, insightful and this one was almost all positive.

A pair of the quotable quotes about the Cavco modular homes featured on Sunday's show,

"…so inviting" and

"You really think you are in a penthouse in Manhattan." Wow! High praise from the judges!

The reason this is a double coup is because the winner on Sunday's Cavco modular episode will be featured in an upcoming issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. That's good news for our industry.

III.

We are looking forward to May, when we will feature what could be one of the most historic and memorable exclusive interviews we've shared with you yet!

A Cup of Coffee with...Jim Clayton, is going to be more like a four course meal!

Our interview with Clayton Bank Chairman and Clayton Homes founder – Jim Clayton – will feature both written and video content.

Even Jim's numerous industry friend's will likely learn some things about their legendary colleague when they read and see this big interview.

If you believe, as we do, that successful professionals are invaluable sources of information and inspiration, you'll want to surf in, and share this widely with your colleagues and peers.

Our thanks to Jim for his generously sharing his time and insights, for you and others' benefit.

IV.

While we all anticipate the Jim Clayton headliner interview for May, our A Cup of Coffee with…Chet Murphree is rocking the house this month! We updated that with the 'full length' (ten minute) video interview, if you've not seen that longer video version, please do! The new video compliments the shorter one. Both speak well of their operation, Chet and the capabilities of our Industry.

• Our exclusive interview with Frank Rolfe about the controversial New York Times articles is another red hot read!
• Dirty Laundry by Stacey Epperson, or
• the 'Industry wide Response' to Gary Rivlin and the New York Times, – or
• Investors Discover the Walmart of Affordable Housing,

are all leading articles!

Any of the articles listed on the Living and Future Legends of Manufactured Housing are good, business building reading for pros like you and your associates.

Also near the top is:

Marketing Lessons for Manufactured Housing? Forbes Reports Online Ad Revenue vs. Broadcast TV

Do you see why so many of your colleagues and peers logon here daily to surf the Daily Business News, read MHARR or MHI news and all the blogs and featured articles?

V.

Speaking of MHARR. In their first major release since the MHARR leadership changed course on their president's messaging, their story about their meeting with HUD linked here was a good sign. Kudos to all involved!

On the down side of that release is the overplay of the relationship with Ishbel Dicken's/NMHOA, which can hardly be said to represent all manufactured home owners. If you aren't in the MHC part of the business, just ask any 10 owners at MHI's Congress and Expo about this next week; maybe 8 or 9 out of ten would say the same.

Perhaps Dicken's will modify some of her over-the-top, anti-industry business stance some day?

On the plus side, it is good to see MHARR's important efforts on behalf of

• enhanced pre-emption,
• representation of the industry's associations on the MHCC, their
• positive stand on the fire sprinkler issue and
• work on GSE reform.

Sources in MHARR also speak of the positive meeting with Carole Galante and the new HUD Code Manufactured Housing program administrator, Pam Danner. We all want to see the best come from these new relationships.

These sound and look like progress! Again, congrats to all involved. May it ever be so.

VI.

Associations in New York and Ohio merit applause for the unique efforts that each is engaged in to advance the political and image issues in their respective states. We plan to bring you reports in May, and encourage you to attend their upcoming events.

Could events like the ones above PLUS other efforts lead us up from 60,000 a year annual shipments to an average of 337,500 new manufactured homes annually?

Over the next 16 years, if you follow the math in this article below, yes, we see could manufactured housing average 337,500 new homes per year. So suggests various insights from experts and facts from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Investor's Discover the Walmart of Affordable Housing

Furthermore! Could we also tap into the potential political power found in the roughly 20 million Americans who live in our industry's homes?

Yes, we can. Interested and willing to move that ahead? Call, email or let's chat next week in Vegas during Congress and Expo. This is a profitable, win-win, no brainer.

Discussions with a serious MH supporter who is preparing to back the ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com and related professional initiatives in a robust way could be part of what help our industry achieve those levels.

Learn more or support and Join the effort.

VII.

Ecclesiastes says there is a time for every purpose under heaven. So then there is a time for business, growth and MHProNews.com (FYI, the typical visit – think reader – does 8 or 9 pages per visit, quite good by internet standards).

There is also a need for the time, talent and treasure to continue the advance of the industry's leading image-building and educational general public focused site, ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com too.

Since knowledge is potential power, please make sure your staff is all on our email list and reading no less than 15 minutes a day. You or your team mates can sign up free at MHProNews.com/subscribe in just seconds.

You'll get a twice weekly emailed updates that look like what you see at this link.

Our emailed news updates are the easiest way to keep up with all that is changing on MHProNews.com, and thus all that is happening in our great industry. You can scan the headlines and hot links, and pick what matters most to you!

VIII.

Week of the Blood Moon.

We may be the biggest site of our kind in MH, but compared to some less focused mega sites out there, not so much. The Drudge Report gets something like a billion page views monthly. Among their finds was the photo shown above and the links with this excerpt from a story on WND about the Blood Moon:

"The first of four, consecutive, total lunar eclipses, which cause a roughly hour-long reddening of the moon known as a “Blood Moon,” will become visible beginning at 12:53 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 15.

Tuesday’s blood moon is part of a “tetrad,” a set of complete and consecutive lunar eclipses that will continue in roughly six-month intervals until October 2015.

Some consider it nothing more than an alignment of the heavens, but others are watching much more closely, because of the alignment with biblical prophecy."

Unlike some, your Masthead blogger isn't saying this is the apocalypse. But it is a striking and stunningly beautiful image.

Something that gets people thinking beyond the here and now could be a good. For a better world, let's remember both temporal and eternal profit. Happy Holy Days ##

The * and ** footnotes above, download here.

(Image credits, in sequence, from to bottom: WikiCommons, Mobile Home U, Palm Harbor, WikiCommons, Amazon/First a Dream cover, MHProNews x2 and Drudge Report.)

  Please do encourage your team to learn more to earn more by reading the Featured Articles and Reports found throughout the links found on MHProNews.com and on Manufactured Home Living News.

See you in Las Vegas next week? ##

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