“You can get everything out of life you want if you help enough other people get out of life what they want.” Zig Ziglar. Zig can be like an old and true friend or guide, even if he is one that you may never meet face to face. That single piece of advice from Ziglar – “You can get everything out of life you want if you help enough other people get out of life what they want.” – was worth the price of admission to one of his seminars, books, audios, videos, or articles. That said, there are many other similar gems from Zig. Apply that Ziglar insight with the two that follow to the U.S. affordable housing crisis, and the manufactured housing profession in particular. With the proper facts, resources, and motivation, you or anyone could have a wildly profitable and satisfying array of opportunities in 2023 and beyond.
No Title
No Description
Zig Ziglar is not the only advocate of business ethics. Some companies in the late 20th and early 21st century that lacked ethics appeared for a time to do quite well. But once their fundamental problems became apparent, they rapidly collapsed. Madoff, Enron, WorldCom, Theranos, FTX and other examples reveal that cons, abusers, and frauds may well experience a spectacular fall. There are obvious advantages to doing business the right way.
For years, Ziglar’s company provided MHProNews with classic Ziglar articles. Zig has gone on to his eternal reward. But decades before we published Ziglar’s insights, this writer was a ‘student’ of Zig’s noble insights. Before there was an internet, several of Zig’s principles were taught, caught, and lived in word and deed at the manufactured home retail operation that became so successful that when that successful enterprise was sold it allowed me to ‘retire’ in my 30s. That’s mentioned as a reality that sheds light on the concepts outlined herein.
Ziglar was not only a successful professional, but he was also a pioneering believer that advocated applying Christian principles of service to yield a profitable and satisfying career in business.
Ziglar didn’t advocate deception, screwing your competitor over (e.g.: sabotage monopoly tactics), or taking advantage of consumers – all of which were tied to his faith.
Good, ‘old fashion’ honest business principles – professional ethics that were lived – are how you build a team as well as a satisfied customer base referred their friends, family, co-workers, and those in their circle of influence. That higher volume manufactured home retail sales center was about an hour’s drive from the ‘hub’ of manufactured housing sales in that state. Nevertheless, in a rural area, my team’s sales soared during a period when dozens of other retailers in that state failed during a severe downturn.
Excellence in Manufactured Home Consumer, Professional, Investor Experience Plan
Those 3 Ziglar quotes make these points.
- 1). Problem solving requires an understanding and acceptance of objective reality. Talk can be cheap. Success isn’t about making nice sounding claims or brazen talk. Instead, success is about grasping reality combined with the proper resources and motivation to forge a sound business plan and makes its profitable execution possible.
- 2). Someone has to be willing to step back from the ‘rut’ of the status quo in order to achieve maximum success. Zig is correct. Manufactured housing’s rut is an open-ended grave for far too many decent professionals. Literally thousands of manufactured housing firms went out of business in the 21st century. Why? Getting out of the rut of the status quo is similar to the notion of contrarian investing. But it goes beyond it by being inspired by professionals who have a lived faith-based morality. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you may sound dated, but it absolutely can and does work for the savvy, properly equipped, and motivated.
- 3) Authentically deliver on the industry’s potential for consumers, professionals (employees and contractors), and investors. To do so, one must recognize what has been occurring in the industry that has kept it from achieving its true potential.
It should be obvious from the details found in the linked reports herein that manufactured housing has immense potential. Literally millions of affordable homes are needed in the U.S. now, so the demand is there. Manufactured housing is perhaps the best, and certainly the most proven affordable housing option, for permanent housing that can solve the housing gap crisis in all 50 states. Competing prefab technologies or housing construction methods have been discussed and deployed for years. As the reports linked herein reveal, it is widely acknowledged that factory-based home-building is required to close the needs gap.
Nothing comes close to the 22 million Americans who have live in a post-HUD Code manufactured home or a pre-HUD Code mobile home (which routinely have been updated to standards akin to manufactured housing’s). Recall that the HUD Code went into effect on June 15, 1976 and has been periodically updated since.
Third-party research routinely disproves the outdate notions about manufactured homes being death traps that lose value like a car driven off a dealership’s lot. The pull quotes and reports linked below address those notions.
An Automotive Comparison
To Ziglar’s apt point about ruts, manufactured housing is demonstrably underperforming. What is the cause of that underperformance? It is certainly not product failure, as the examples above demonstrated. For about half the cost of a similar sized conventional house, someone can buy a modern HUD Code manufactured home. Someone can cook, clean, live, and love much the same in a manufactured home as any other kind of constructed housing.
An analogy might help.
Imagine if someone entered the automobile market and was able to sell safe vehicles that perform much the same as other cars for about half the cost of other vehicles on the road, and yet they are made here in the U.S.A. with all the safety, environmental, and labor standards found in America. With the proper marketing, a good team in place with good leadership, how could someone fail with such a ‘half priced’ new vehicle?
Similarly, someone had a new housing option that is about half-the cost of new construction, and is often less costly than existing housing that has no warranty, if the playing field was level between manufactured homes and conventional housing, how could that product fail to grab a huge market share?
That said, the evidence is clear. The playing field isn’t level for modern manufactured homes.
Zoning boards, per several researchers, have established barriers for manufactured housing, even though the federal Manufactured Housing Improvement Act (MHIA) of 2000 prohibits many if not most of those artificial zoning barriers. More could and should be said about the MHIA and enhanced preemption, as the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) has done (see several MHARR articles linked here), but let’s focus instead on what is already available.
When Freddie Mac’s recent research is properly understood, it is stunning to think that some 25 million renters are “mortgage ready” and living in “MH friendly” jurisdictions. Their research and a related analysis are found in the report linked further below.
Given that opportunities to sell literally millions of more manufactured homes abound in the multi-trillion-dollar U.S. housing market, how is it possible that manufactured housing is once again experiencing a third month of production downturn during an affordable housing crisis?
There are several factors. But certainly, among them, someone should explore the ever-more apparent leadership failures by specific corporate and MHVille trade association figures.
Those leaders that have been critiqued from inside and outside of their Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) centered group (see linked reports) and have taken a ‘no comment’ stance on those evidence-based criticisms. Instead of talking or merely writing about a ‘code of ethical conduct,’ for instance, there are literally millions of opportunities for delivering great service in a truly win-win-win fashion.
Let’s step back and get the factual view of the affordable housing crisis and manufactured housing’s opportunities in it through a series of short statements and quotations followed by linked items.
Evidence of the Scope of the Affordable Housing Opportunity
In new and recent research, consider the following facts, evidence, and statements.
- “NerdWallet survey, remaining consistent in the face of a pandemic, a tumultuous economy and a housing market that has generally benefited sellers” … “About 28 million Americans, or 11% of them, plan on purchasing a home in the next 12 months, according to the NerdWallet survey conducted online by the Harris Poll among 2,051 U.S. adults from December 1-5, 2022.
- “The 11% of Americans planning to purchase a home in the next 12 months hope to spend $269,200, on average, according to the survey. The median (middle-value) anticipated spend among this group is $200,000. This is notable when compared with median home prices across the nation — $379,100 as of October 2022, according to the National Association of Realtors — and indicates some prospective buyers may be disappointed when they begin shopping.”
- A majority of Americans (67%) say a housing market crash is imminent within the next three years, according to the survey. As prices have climbed significantly over the past few years, the fear of a crash may be understandable, though it’s unlikely.
- "Home prices already have been falling, especially on the west coast, and prices will fall in some cities in 2023," Lewis says. "But a drop in home prices isn't necessarily a crash. Home values went up around 40% from the middle of 2020 to the middle of 2022, so most homeowners will have equity even if prices fall 10% or 20%.”
Each of those facts spells “OPPORTUNITIES” for savvy HUD Code manufactured housing professionals. The typical manufactured home is significantly less than the target price point for those tens of millions who want to own.
But there is more direct and obliquely useful and promising information, per Hippo’s recent research.
“78% of respondents (U.S. homeowners) have had regrets about purchasing their [conventional existing] homes within the last 12 months. Of those that have regrets:
- 49% say homeownership is more expensive than they anticipated
- 47% say that they have had too many unexpected issues with their home
- 47% say there is too much maintenance and upkeep involved
- 46% say that they compromised on things they really wanted for their home”
While this may be a kind of hit on buying an existing house, the bulk of these issues could be avoided by homebuyers if they were able to purchase a brand new HUD Code manufactured home and properly install it on an reasonable homesite. See the report linked below.
New Research by NerdWallet, Hippo Point to Frustration and Obstacles with Conventional Housing, But Positive Options, Opportunities for Those Who Turn to Modern, New Manufactured Homes
New Research by NerdWallet, Hippo Point to Frustration and Obstacles with Conventional Housing, But Positive Options, Opportunities for Those Who Turn to Modern, New Manufactured Homes, 2022, 2023, survey, research, poll, single family housing, conventional housing, existing, housing, National Association of Realtors, buyers remorse, regrets, manufactured homes, manufactured housing, mobile homes,
But aren’t most consumers opposed to buying a manufactured home? If someone looks at the Freddie Mac research in 2022, that notion is not so. Well over half of new housing seekers would consider a manufactured home, per Freddie Mac’s study linked below.
Additionally, Freddie Mac published a report that aims to debunk ‘manufactured housing myths’ with manufactured housing facts.
The Lincoln Institute for Land Policy cited Stacey Epperson and others in touting the potential for manufactured housing to help close the affordable housing gap.
At the end of December 2022, Bloomberg and the Washington Post featured an editorial board article that called for more manufactured housing.
That’s just some of the reports by third-parties that directly or indirectly point to manufactured housing as a solution for the affordable housing crisis.
But one more example may be the cherry on top of the cake. Freddie Mac did groundbreaking research unpacked in the report linked below. As was mentioned earlier, that research asserts that some 25 million renters are “mortgage ready” and live in “MH friendly” jurisdictions.
Are You or Someone You Know Among the 25 Million Renters Who Could Buy a Manufactured Home Today? Freddie Mac Study 'Identifying the Opportunities to Expand Manufactured Housing' by Aw, Brown, Yea Examined
Are You or Someone You Know Among the 25 Million Renters, Who Could You Buy a Manufactured Home Today?, Freddie Mac Study, "Identifying the pportunities to Expand Manufactured Housing" by Astou Aw, Lariece Brown, Ashley Yea, coauthors Astou Aw Lariece Brown Ashley Yea, facts and analysis,
Goal and solution-oriented professionals eager to leave the ruts of the status quo in manufactured housing behind might wonder. If there are so many third-party indicators that are positive for manufactured housing, then why is manufactured housing performing at such a low level?
Before answering that question, one must keep in mind that problems are often opportunities in disguise. When affordable housing is needed, that’s a problem. When a proven solution is known, but has speed bumps that need to be navigated, savvy and motivated professionals should be able to use the problem solving skills that Ziglar mentioned above.
To Tap Opportunities, Someone Must Understand the Obstacles and Craft Positive Solutions
Pew Trusts research recently featured the manufactured housing solution, but specifically noted common obstacles for home buyers. When someone understands the obstacles, and grasps how they can be navigated, and provides a positive experience for customers, employees, and investors, that’s a formula to legally ‘print’ profits.
Among the reasons why manufactured housing is potentially a hot ticket is precisely because it is affordable. How affordable? Recent research reveals it is about ‘half the price’ of conventional construction. One of the hottest tickets in 2022 was the 2nd report linked below that used the phrase “half priced new homes” in it.
Manufactured housing has several billion-dollar brands, and numbers of organizations that are part of multi-billion-dollar conglomerates. Those big dollar brands and their leaders routinely have a membership in the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), which claims to represent “all segments” of manufactured housing. Per third-party information, those brands routinely have top management and others reading MHProNews/MHLivingNews. So, even if they didn’t have these ideas and observations themselves, which in some ways is almost inconceivable, they would be learning about these facts, evidence, and notions here.
As but one of several apparently bone-headed moves, consider the following. Why is big brand backed MHI pressing for a scheme that was launched some 5 years ago, and has proven to be a market failure with several headaches?
When MHI’s performance is carefully examined, based on facts, evidence, and their own statements, they are behaving oddly at best, or are perhaps behaving in a corrupt fashion designed to help their major brands consolidate the industry instead of focusing on organic growth opportunities.
Over $1 Million! Manufactured Housing Institute Doc Drop! Top MHI Staff Pay Revealed. Additionally, Unpacking Evidence of Perjury, Fraud, Other Possible Federal Crimes; plus MHVille Stocks Update
Over $1 Million Pay For Manufactured Housing Institute Top Staff, Top MHI Staff Pay Revealed.
One must recall that a former vice president and chief economist of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Richard Rahn, Ph.D., ended up blowing the whistle on his former bosses.
"Corrupt" Nonprofits, Biden-Dem Plans - Institute For Global Economic Growth Chairman Richard W. Rahn Rages Against Federal Policies, "War on Small Business," Harm to Workers - MH Analysis, Markets
"Corrupt", Nonprofits, Biden-Democratic, Plans, Institute For Global Economic Growth, Chairman Richard W. Rahn, Cato Institute, U.S.
Then, more manufactured housing specific, one should look at what a former MHI VP had to say about the troubling status quo, in the report linked below.
That former MHI vice president broke with that trade group and launched a new manufactured home producer’s trade association. That association was originally called the Association for Regulatory Reform (ARR) but has since been rebranded as the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR). MHARR has been pointed in their critiques of MHI and their problematic form of ‘advocacy.’
But MHARR and Ghorbani are hardly alone. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but not long after MHARR called for a new post-production manufactured home trade group, Neal Haney and others broke from MHI, citing inadequate representation. He specifically said that the national trade group (i.e.: MHI) was failing at their own claims.
Not everyone is Danny Ghorbani of MHARR fame. While NAMHCO has since fizzled, perhaps due in part to what in hindsight might seem like a tactical blunder by their contracting a former MHI VP to do their lobbying (did NAMHCO leaders consider that he might still have loyalty to MHI and their corporate masters?), they nevertheless launched. One takeaway ought to be is that growth-oriented operations should eschew the rut-like herd mentality of joining MHI. Another is that MHARR’s faithful efforts for decades combined with a new post-production trade organization could be part of a formula that should ‘set the woods on fire.’
Because the opportunities in manufactured housing are measured in the millions of potential sales. For a big ticket item to have that much opportunity ought to be magnetic.
Among the reasons for a new post-production trade group is because key pieces of federal legislation already exist that if properly deployed could fuel robust manufactured housing industry growth. The exclusive Q&A with MHARR President and CEO, Mark Weiss, J.D. - linked below - sheds light on that topic.
When Silence Isn’t Golden
What have MHI and their leading brands have to say about the critiques of their performance and questions about the true intention of their dominating brands? In recent years, mostly silence. Others besides MHARR, MHProNews, and MHLivingNews do not normally raise these issues openly or directly with them.
For outsiders looking in, a few facts are warranted. MHI is an ‘umbrella’ trade organization that represents both production and post-production sectors of the industry. MHI would be somewhat akin to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) being under one roof. By contrast, MHARR is a producer’s trade group. Only builders of HUD Code manufactured homes can be a full member of MHARR.
So, when much of the ‘rut’ that manufactured housing is in is tied to the post-production sector of the industry, that suggests that something must supplant MHI.
Certainly, a newcomer or existing company(ies) in manufactured housing that have ‘deep enough’ pockets could do their own lobbying and legal efforts, without the need for a new trade group.
That said, part of the ideal of a trade association is that it is representing broader interests.
So, the idea of a properly organized and operated post-production trade group that can ‘partner’ with MHARR is one of the ways that the opportunities in manufactured housing could best be tapped.
The good news is that MHARR has offered to help the right people to forge such a post-production trade group. MHARR members want growth. MHI’s dominating members may say they want organic industry growth, but they have routinely pushed consolidation through mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
Association or other politics aside, as this review has revealed by evidence-based statements that connect the dots between various third-party statements, manufactured housing is the most proven form of permanent affordable housing in modern American history.
- Millions of renters could become a manufactured homeowner.
- Millions who own a conventional house sell every year and buy a different home.
The potential is enormous. Zig’s insights, referenced above, point to how that potential could best be tapped. Every one of the obstacles, properly understood, are opportunities in disguise. Perhaps as a potential cherry on top of an ice cream sundae, if the right operation(s) stepped up and did what is necessary, millions of current manufactured home owners would likely end up cheering those who elevate their prudent housing choice. As the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. observed, it is always the right time to do the right thing. It is always the right time to stop zagging, and start Zigging: “You can get everything out of life you want if you help enough other people get out of life what they want.” - Zig Ziglar. ##
[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="139941" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
Stay tuned for more of what is 'behind the curtains' as well as what is obvious and in your face reporting that are not found anywhere else in MHVille. It is all here, which may explain why this is the runaway largest and most-read source for authentic manufactured home “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)
By L.A. "Tony" Kovach - for MHProNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He's a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC's and/or the writer's position, and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
