Our industry has its routine mix of events and news: ranging from good, interesting and some troubling, as we roll into May 2016.
1) There is a serious plant show being done by Clayton Homes in AL during this same week that MHI’s Congress and Expo is set for Las Vegas. I love industry home shows, so it would be great to go and see the plant show, but other prior commitments take me to Vegas; and it will be interesting to see if any on-or-off-the-radar sparks fly during C&E. Time will tell.
2) Our sister-site will be sharing a new video report, beyond the latest one now live on MHLivingNews.com. Regarding the one that just went live, this is another foundational video for establishing just how well built – engineered! – modern manufactured homes are.
Your feedback on the Inside MH video interview with engineer Skip VanZant linked here and on the image below is welcome. Shared with interested parties who are still on-the-fence housing shoppers, this video will no doubt open some eyes of those who want good reasons to justify investing in a new manufactured home. It could also prove useful with public officials, and of course, the media in your market(s).
3) That upcoming video report (noted in 2a) that touches on an MHI related topic is in production, and has information hiding in plain sight that could cause some heartburn in Arlington, VA. We’ll likely let C&E conclude before publishing and spotlighting that festering issue, which will immediately be obvious to anyone who closely follows MHI ‘alerts.’
Of course this post signals those on staff who are involved in a sensitive matter the opportunity to think things through. That would be just fine with us. Because, it’s the course correction that’s needed in Arlington – achieved one way, or another – that’s what matters most on this topic. We’d rather they change course with no drama – via their own ‘mea culpa’ – than to have to spotlight their latest unforced error.
Either way, the video will be produced, published and again, what they do in response, time will tell.
4) The costs for the MH Industry over the years for game playing coming from the DC metro has already been too high. At times, I think back to what JD Harper in AR wanted to do a few years ago, pondering his floated concept. Likewise, I ponder the MHIdea.org initiative, that created a website, but did not go farther. Would an association for retailers and communities apart from MHI make sense, given the history of the last decade or so?
5) MHEC (Manufactured Housing Executives Council) is a reality, and in many ways MHEC state and community association members are those who do much of the heavy lifting with Congressmen, Senators and their staffs. Those MHEC touches are then also engaged by lobbyists and staff working for MHI or MHARR in DC. The grass roots – state/community association – efforts are thus critical to advance any industry initiatives in Washington, DC.
What is obvious is that the MH Industry’s agenda in DC is moving ever so slowly…
…and that costs our industry billions a year, which in turn means a company like yours is losing your pro-rata share of those dollars.
Election 2016
We keep one eye on the primaries for POTUS headlining towards the two major parties respective summer conventions. Each of the Democratic hopefuls are very pro-Dodd-Frank. The remaining Republican candidates would modify or repeal Dodd-Frank. Anyone who pays close attention to the impact of Dodd-Frank, SAFE Act, HUD, DOE et al in DC knows that real reforms are needed that could save taxpayers billions while earning our industry billions more and obviously benefiting the public too. That’s a win-win, save in the often topsy-turvy world of the federal government.
It would be no surprise if Donald Trump wins in Indiana, the race between Clinton and Sanders seems closer, with Clinton on paper ahead, but Sanders within striking distance. Tuesday night will tell the tale. A Trump Train victory won’t clinch the nomination for him, but he’ll have a big lead heading to the remaining states, momentum from NY and those 6 Atlantic state victories. Sanders is now trying to chip away at the Democratic super delegate issue. Mrs. Sanders publicly mused that it would be nice if the FBI finished their work more rapidly…
C&E and Trade Shows
MHI routinely has good information at its meetings. I’m looking forward to what this year’s Congress and Expo brings. You’ll find C&E focused articles on the new May Featured Articles found on the home page, and linked below.
A) Some are taking about new trade shows for MH, with one concept being a West Coast/CA/AZ et al regional event with homes on display, as happens in Tunica or Louisville.
B) An obvious opportunity exists in TX, where numerous plant shows occur – why not turn that into a rebirth for a regional trade show there?
C) Florida and the Carolinas could support a full blown industry trade show too. We’ll keep an eye on developments along those lines for industry pros and afficianadoes. Could other areas in the U.S. also support and sustain a successful MH trade show?
This Month’s Line Up!
In the Merry Month of May we feature a new Cup of Coffee with…Ed Zeman, of Zeman Homes (and communities – see link below). Zeman is a Chicago-based regional player with eyes to grow beyond their current Midwestern stronghold.
That soon to be read-hot link and over a dozen other new Featured Articles, the final episode of our in depth interview with Don Glisson Jr., a new Nadeen Green legal column, corporate news, invites for Congress and Expo, online reputation management with Wayne Coakley, inspirational thought provoking articles, West Coast design trends with Katy Weldon and more from moi and others are in store below!
As a programming note, given the trip to Vegas, it will be this weekend before the next Masthead blog gets posted.
Knowledge is Potential Power! With no further adieu, the May 2016 line up of Featured Articles and reports awaits.
Featured Articles and Reports for Vol. 7, No. 8, 2016
Alphabetically by Category
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL)
• Warmly Welcoming Martha Stewart
by Nadeen Green, JD
Well, my previous post from a view weeks ago was somewhat prescient as later that day Mr. Castro went public with HUD’s position on criminal background checks for folks wanting to rent.
FINANCING
• Manufactured Home Lending, Regulations, Rentals and MH Communities – Don Glisson, Jr. – Video
by L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
As an interview in this same issue with manufactured home community owner/operator Ed Zeman underscores, the MH Industry has undergone significant changes; often sparked by regulations born of the financial crisis of 2008 triggered by conventional housing/lending meltdown.
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
• Blowing Away the Outdated Myths for Fun and Profit
by L. A. “Tony” Kovach
Manufactured housing has powerful truths on its side, but decades of outdated information, biased, slanted (or worse) kinds of media coverage have harmed us.
• We All Need Deadlines plus the Will to March On
by L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
Regular readers of my Masthead Blog, featured articles or other posts by moi know you’ll often find a good, inspirational or historic quote being applied to an MH industry related issue.
• MHARR, MHI Spar over FHFA & Duty To Serve Manufactured Housing via GSE Chattel Lending
by Matthew Silver
On April 26, 2016 the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) held a roundtable discussion with manufactured housing industry leaders, inviting those who commented on the proposal, to get their input on the FHFA’s proposed “Duty to Serve” rule, according to the Manufactured Housing Institute‘s (MHI) Housing Alert to MHProNews.
•Clayton Acquires another Site-built Home Builder
by Matthew Silver
MHProNews has learned from builderonline that manufactured housing giant Clayton Homes has acquired Goodall Homes of Gallatin, Tenn. as it increases its mark on the site-built home industry, having purchased site home builder Chafin Communities of Georgia last fall.
• Challenges to CFPB Constitutionality could Create Financial Havoc?
by Matthew Silver
Writing in National Mortgage News, Craig Nazzaro says there are two significant court cases now challenging the authority and structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), both of which would have been avoided had the agency been established with a five-member commission to operate it, not a czar, and with congressional oversight.
• Champion Homes Expanding Operations in Kentucky
by Matthew Silver
Champion Home Builders will invest $6.3 million in a manufacturing plant in Benton, Kentucky, leasing a 100,000 square foot facility and create up to 150 jobs for production of manufactured homes, according to kyforward.
• “Why is HUD Bent on Destroying the Manufactured Housing On-Site Market?”
by Mark Weiss, JD
As has been previously addressed in this column, one of the central reforms of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 was its matching directives to HUD to: (1) “facilitate the availability of affordable manufactured homes” and (2) to “facilitate[e] the acceptance of the quality, durability, safety and affordability of manufactured housing within the Department” itself.
• What do you call it?
by Tifanee McCall
I recently returned from exhibiting at the Tunica Show where I had the opportunity to meet and talk with many of my fellow industry members.
• Designs, Décor and Manufactured Housing Advancement
by Katy Weldon
Exciting things are happening in manufactured housing. Everywhere there seems to be enthusiastic energy and the upbeat momentum that comes with positive change.
• A Cup of Coffee with…Ed Zeman, Zeman Homes
Who, What and Where: (Your name and your formal title at Zeman Homes and where your company is based).
Edward Zeman, Chairman, Zeman Homes, Chicago, IL.
• Learn how to drive change in your organization and the industry at MHI Congress & Expo
by Rachel Young
Have you ever tried to make a change in your organization, with family or yourself, only to find things quickly reverting to the way it’s always been done?
MARKETING
• Would you buy from you?
by Wayne Coakley
Do you have a plan to inspire your staff, sales team, and management to give first class service to your customers?
• Are you stuck on your own pedestal?
We all have a certain degree of “self-adornment” but the real question is – is our self-made pedestal beyond – humility, wisdom, compassion and the ability to step off this podium when essential or even needed to achieve success, happiness and inner peace?
• ZigOn Good Guys & Girls
by Zig Ziglar
Joe Craven had an idea to start a pottery manufacturing business. He built an advanced kiln but could not make it work.
