Fast February raced by and we have march-ed on to March. Legislative efforts, the 2013 Tunica Manufactured Housing Show and the onset of the Spring sales season will be on the radar for many. Let's start with links and facts related to the Manufactured Housing Institute's Legislative conference last week.
The bottom line report (action steps) link is found here:
http://MHProNews.com/blogs/tonykovach/phenomenal-solution/.png)
The biggest surprise from the meeting was reported here first:
A new face was introduced:
MHProNews.com/blogs/daily-business-news/gay-a-westbrook-new-face-at-mhi/
Plus Richard A. 'Dick' Jennison is celebrating his first full year on the job as MHI's CEO.
Some 80 industry pros met with current and former Congressmen, Senators, governor, Washington DC columnist Byron York, an economic report, update by lobbyists and Bill Matchneer from the CFPB, about a dozen presenters in all. The prep for Capital Hill visits were well done by Jason Boehlert and the MHI team. We also heard from Dick Jennison about positive efforts at work between MHI and MHARR.
After 12 years of the long slide down from the peak hit in 1998, we have seen two years of modest upticks. There was optimism in the air among attendees and exhibitors at the Louisville Show, which has had its best outcome in years.
With pre-registrations for the Tunica Show showing an increase of over 178 attendees compared to the same time last year, optimism may be expected there too. If that pattern holds, Tunica could see over 1200 attendees, and about 2200 'all in' attending at their big annual event!
Housing starts are rising. Real estate sales are march-ing ahead too. This makes sense, because rents are going up as vacancies in apartments are low. This is a good time for manufactured and modular home pros to be planning ahead, marketing and selling boldly.
Fresh Brain Food!
You'll find an array of business building and safeguarding topics geared for communities, factory home retailers, marketing, management, sales, legal, on financing and much more in the Featured Articles that follow. Let's jump right into the March-ing On line up!
Featured Articles and Reports for Vol. 4, No. 6, 2013
Alphabetically by Category
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL)
• Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty…Nice Doggie!
by Nadeen Green, JD
Lots of laws and legal issues seem to originate on our West Coast, particularly in California. In fact, many of us just roll our eyes when we hear of something that is going on “out there.” But it is not unusual for California ideas to waft northward and eastward (perhaps due to the jet stream) and take root in other areas of the country.
• Maintaining an Age 55 and over Senior Exemption in a Challenging Housing Market
by Robert G. Williamson, Jr., Esq.
Let's start with a brief Fair Housing background. The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) which prohibits, among other things, discrimination in the rental or sale of manufactured housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin is well known.
FINANCING
• How to Persuade an MH Lender to Approve an Applicant with a Recent Short Sale or Foreclosure
by Dave Shanklin
For years, our industry’s lenders have had a zero tolerance policy against MH loan applications if the applicant has any type of mortgage default in their history.
However, in recent months, our major lender based in Seattle, CUFBL (CU Factory Built Lending), has been approving applications with recent mortgage defaults.
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
• Results Rising for Retailer/Communities and other MH Pros at 2013 Tunica Manufactured Housing Show
by Keith Bennett
It is a great pleasure to announce that both the manufacturers space and the service & supplier space are sold out! Pre-registrations are up significantly too, as the report below will prove.
We will have over 80 manufacturer displays and 101 service & supplier booths at this year’s 2013 Tunica Manufactured Housing Show.
• A Cup of Coffee with… Dennis Hill
1) Who, What and Where: (Your name, and your role/job title at Show Ways Unlimited and how it relates to manufactured housing)
Dennis J. Hill, President and CEO of Show Ways Unlimited, Inc. a trade show organization that specializes in producing industrial trade shows for the manufactured housing industry since 1978.
• The Evolution of Print to Digital
by Suzanne Jarmusz
Remember the days of typewriters, pagers and facsimile machines? Well, that time has passed. Business communication tools are not what they used to be. We live in an advanced digital world now.
• Fair, Balanced and Broad-based Trade Journalism
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach
CNN and Fox News have their unique political tilt. But each makes their own effort to be 'fair and balanced.' CNN may have, for example, commentary from a right of center conservative, such as Newt Gingrich. Fox News has left of center Juan Williams or Alan Colmes as routine commentators.
• Manufactured Housing: Strategy and Tactics
by L. A. 'Tony' Kovach
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The Business Dictionary defines a strategy as:
A method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future,
such as achievement of a goal or solution to a problem.
• A Giant Step Forward – INTRO Day
by Lisa Tyler
If you were unable to attend the 2013 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show, you missed out on many fantastic opportunities to increase your knowledge of the industry and improve your organization’s performance. One of the biggest obstacles facing the industry is changing the negative stigma and stereotypes often associated with manufactured homes.
MANAGEMENT
• Expecting different results . . .
by Tim Connor, CSP
. . . you’ve heard it, we’ve all heard it (expecting different results from the same repeated behavior is a mild form of insanity!) So why remind you of it once again?
MARKETING
• Reasons to change your logo
by Beth Monicatti Blank
Many of the world largest brands have changed or revised their logo at least once. Many have changed their logo several times throughout their histories. Some companies have kept their logos similar to their original designs while others have undergone dramatic changes.
• Modular Housing is Tired of Being Housing's Niche Market
by Gary Fleisher
What’s wrong with being a niche market? If that niche is 3-5% of the total new homes built in the U.S. every year, there’s nothing wrong with it.
Now that the housing market “appears” to be going in the right direction for a change, maybe the modular home factories that have always built single family residences and small multi-family projects can get back to profitably doing that again.
• Modular Marketing 2013. Let’s get busy.
by Scott Stroud
We are well into a new year… and there are new opportunities. So, here’s the question: What are you prepared to do to ensure that 2013 is a better year for you?
Projections are ‘cautiously optimistic’ for 2013 – slow but consistent growth in the number of new home permits, starts and home sales in general.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS, MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION
• It’s Complicated
by Tim Connor, CSP
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It’s complicated . . . ever said that? Heard it? Thought it?
I will bet that as you begin to read this that there is some area of your life that is complicated – that you wish would improve, change or disappear sooner rather than later. I know I have a few . . .
• The Road to Purpose
Greg McClanahan
On the road to finding purpose in my life I’ve discovered a number of important things and continue to better understand what living with purpose really means to me on a daily basis.
I’ve discovered that in life, I find what I look for. If I look for hope, I see promise all around me.
• ZigOn our Eighth Anniversary and Fulfilling a Mission
by Zig Ziglar
remember the beginning of our eighth year of publication for our newsletter. We never missed a single week
during the prior seven years. So I believe this article will be of special benefit to all of our readers.
• ZigOn Making Good Choices
by Zig Ziglar
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One foolish or careless mistake can give your life and/or career a huge setback or derail it completely. It could even cost you your health and/or your life.
As I write these words, I am thinking about all the publicity "spring break" has received over the past few weeks, in both print media and television news.
