This month, regular readers already know that MHProNews.com is celebrating the start of Year 4 of our industry leading online trade journal for manufactured and modular housing. Vol 4, Issue 1 will great veteran visitors and newcomers alike with the strongest cross section of industry news, tips and views available anywhere focused on factory built housing and issues that impact our industry.
Do you know how much content we’ve created in 3 short years? Before diving into our line up for October, 2012, let’s take a quick survey. The numbers below are as of 9.26.2012 at 4:19 PM CDT.
Industry Voiceshas featured 182 guest columns. These are OpEd or ‘letters to the editor’ style articles by – you guested it – industry voices like yourself. If you do the math, that’s about 3 a week. If you want to send your own OpEd, you can’t be first, but you could be next. Email us at this address, with Industry Voices guest column in the subject line, thanks.
The INspiration Blog has had 141 posts, a mix of inspirational and thought provoking, articles, quotes, posters, videos and more. You and your team need to get IN to INspiration, it is like no place else online.
The Cutting Edge in Marketing and Sales blog has featured 221 columns from a variety of writers, including yours truly, since we launched. All of those writers are appreciated, and I can’t pat myself on the back, so let’s move on. ;-)
Tim Connor – with a periodic fill in from moi – has provided us with 288 of his ever-popular Words of Wisdom blog posts. Tim has been with us since day one, and his Featured Articles and blog here are always well read.
Our emailed MHPro NewsLine Newsletter blog is a quick way of seeing exactly what you get in your inbox twice weekly – and for occasional industry special alerts – when you subscribe free here at this link. We’ve had 258 posts since we started this feature.
But the Big Daddy in work product has been the super-popular Daily Business News. We have had an amazing 3,369 articles (posts) since we launched this news module! Our thanks to Matthew Silver, who handles this day to day, Eric Miller who launched this department and helped set the standards, along with some occasional lifts from Soheyla or myself.
Besides that we have had over 300 Masthead blogs posted here, well over 500 Featured Articles by some dozens of different writers, not to mention exclusive Industry in Focus Reports. We are also the only place online you can find both MHI and MHARR News and so much more.
With the elections upon us, we have lined up this month a number of political commentaries and analysis along with our usual line up of communities, legal, marketing, inspirational, management and other industry relevant articles.
With no further adieu, let me invite you to dive deeply into this month’s anniversary feast of the power that comes from shared and applied knowledge!
Featured Articles and Reports for Vol. 4, No. 1, 2012
Alphabetically by Category
COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT & FAIR HOUSING (LEGAL)
• Multi-State Community Owners – Keeping Out of Hot Water
by Amy Bliss
Do you own communities in multiple states? If so, be aware that state laws governing manufactured home communities, landlord-tenant regulations, fair housing and much more differ in each state that you do business in.
• Community Owners Face New Federal Money Laundering Reporting Requirements for Residential Mortgage Lenders and Originators – the SAR and Effective Reporting
by Robert S. Coldren, JD
Under new rules that took affect August 13, 2012, non-bank residential mortgage lenders and originators (“RMLOs”) will join banks and broker-dealer requirements to develop and implement anti-money laundering programs pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Acts (“BSA”).
• Protect Others and You Protect Yourself!
by Nadeen Green, JD
Having noticed lately some fair housing cases involving the manufactured housing industry, I think it is time for a back-to-the-basics, bottom line (yes, definitely bottom line as I will explain momentarily) article. And so I begin with the traditional mnemonic that most of you have heard before, which should help keep you aware of the federally protected fair housing classes:
• Next Generation Seniors Communities?
by Eddie Hicks
Prospective seniors (and other) buyer attitudes are the same today as they have been in years past. One of the most frequent objections still encountered when selling m/h in a land lease community in spite of the very high quality factory built homes (often better than site built) is this same issue:
• What Goes into Each Category of the Budget Format?
by Chrissy Jackson
In order to ensure that the community performs according to the budget, it is imperative that everyone understands what should be charged to each line item of the budget. Use the budget format on the previous pages to follow along line item by line item for suggested inclusions below.
FINANCING
•Industry Needs to Rally Behind House and Senate Bills to Preserve Industry Access to Financing
by Richard Jennison
The manufactured housing industry now has yet another vehicle to resolve the threat to our industry’s financing posed by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the SAFE Act. But it requires that the industry step forward in unprecedented ways to ensure that this potential solution is fully realized and our industry’s financing is protected.
GENERAL MANUFACTURED HOUSING INDUSTRY TOPICS
• Make it Tunica to Grow Your Sales in 2013!
by Keith Bennett
Now in it’s 15th year, the Tunica Manufactured Housing Show is the largest event of it’s kind in the nation. We are proud to be part of the Southeast region, but we draw attendees from about half the country. The reason? Because we have long provide pros like you the largest array of new homes, the latest designs, top lenders and service providers.
•About that HUD Announcement on Jobs Grants
by Danny Ghorbani
We thought the September 21, 2012 news item below might be of interest to you, just in case you haven’t already read this. It’s noteworthy in part because while HUD refuses to fund even the nominal cost of a non-career appointed administrator for the federal manufactured housing program – which serves 19-20 million Americans – HUD spends $75 million on a grant program targeted at people already trapped in public housing.
• Decisions, Decisions
by Doug Gorman
Elections impact everyone, including manufactured housing businesses and professionals. This November 6th our nation is faced with the most important presidential election in our history. I realize that many feel that statement in their opinion could have been applied to previous elections and that the current election may appear to be the most important since it is, well, the current election.
• Protect, Promote and Grow Your Business
by Joe Kelly
Isn’t it amazing to think about the fact that IMHA is about 65 years old? We were formally organized on December 5, 1947, following an organizational meeting which took place on September 25, 1947.
Much has happened over the past 65 years. The industry is continually changing.
• *#@^*! I’VE Been Sued. Now What?!
by Kurt Kelly, JD
Being served with a lawsuit is no fun. For many, it’s scary and confusing. A lawsuit (aka: Petition/Complaint/Claim for Relief/etc.) is a legal document that outlines someone else’s complaints against you. It’s a one sided story that may not have any basis in reality. Take a deep breath. Don’t panic. Here’s a plan.
• President Barack Obama: How Hope Changed
by L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
Four years ago, then Senator Barack Hussein Obama ran a brilliant campaign on Hope and Change. He defeated popular then Senator Hillary Clinton in a bitter primary. Senator John McCain ran a flawed campaign and was terrifically outgunned in campaign spending.
.• Blacks in Politics, Economics and Manufactured Housing
by L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
Barack Obama is far from being the sole black political or economic thinker in America, past or present. Please consider the following quotes – from notable Black Americans – gathered from a variety of online resources, or from my own collections of such inspirational or thought provoking quotes.
• Gallup’s Poll on Media Bias
by L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
The Gallup organization released a survey that confirmed what many already know. Namely, that trust in the so-called “mass media” or what others refer to as the ‘mainstream media’ or MSM is at a new low. Here below are some of Gallup’s specific questions and the results to them.
• A Cup of Coffee with…Congressman Don Manzullo
1) Who, What and Where: (Your name, and your title, District and Party Affiliation in Congress and how it that relates to manufactured housing).
U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, Republican, Illinois’ 16th Congressional District. We have a number of manufactured home communities and residences in our district.
• Manufactured Housing Industry Perspective #78
By R.C. ‘Dick’ Moore
As a special “Perspective,” I have been asked to pen this Election Edition. October is the last full month before the Presidential election, and my friend Tony Kovach asked that we speak to all the reasons why I believe we need to fire Barack Obama.
• How Re-Electing President Obama Better Serves the Manufactured Housing Industry
by Nathan Smith
With the presidential election now in its final stages, I want to put forward the opinion that re-electing President Obama offers the manufactured housing industry the best opportunity for a sustained rebound in home sales and industry profitability.
Let’s start with the current state of the manufactured housing industry.
• Louisville Site Goes Live!
by Ron Thomas, Sr.
We are proud to announce the launch of the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show’s 2013 website! With two years of growth under our belts and with the Louisville Show growing by 40% over last year thanks to our exhibitors and attendees, the timing was right for us to take the next step.
MANAGEMENT
• Are you cheating at checkers?
by Tim Connor, CSP
If the current economy has not had a negative impact on some minor or major area of your business in the past couple of years, then I’ll bet you are living in denial. Tough times come and go and they always take their toll on businesses that fail to respond in an appropriate and timely way.
MARKETING
• Getting the Best Leads from Your Online Advertising
by Dawn Highhouse
We’ve done statistical analyses on the listings posted on MHVillage, and again, each time the results are the same: the better and more detailed your listing – the more leads you get. Our studies prove that it is well worth your time to make sure you have complete listings with good photos and great descriptions.
• 33 Statistics that paint a picture of Marketing Trends
by L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
Blogger Anum Hussain of Hub Spot has penned a column outlining 33 marketing trends that paint a picture of current marketing trends. We will share those 33 items and provide some commentary following.
• The Roper Report Redux: Lessons Still Valid
by Bruce Savage
While there are encouraging signs that a turnaround in manufactured home sales is underway, more can be done to boost consumers’ acceptance and purchase of manufactured homes. The lessons from the Roper Report, conducted for the manufactured housing industry in 2005, still apply and provide an action plan to boost home sales.
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS, MOTIVATION and INSPIRATION
• Throw away the remote
by Tim Connor, CSP
I am confident you have at least one remote on a coffee table in your living room and that you hit various buttons frequently. And why? Well, any number of reasons; eliminate commercials, check on the latest scores or to just change channels or mute something you have lost interest in. So what’s the relationship between your remote and life’s remote?
• Two Choices
Often things come down to a choice between two directions. Some choices are small with little to no recourse like “What dressing should I put on my salad?” But there are many decisions that can have a lasting affect on your success like “Should I go out of my way to help a client who is struggling to get their utilities connected or should I just stick only to my contractual obligations?”
• Don’t want to be Average? Be Better Prepared!
by Mike Moore
How can you prepare to be more cheerful, happy and prepare to handle the hassles of a normal day? How can you assure yourself of not being average?
• ZigOn Marriage (Part 2)
by Zig Ziglar
When husbands and wives – and particularly husbands – understand that (male/female) intelligences are different; that one is not bigger or better than the other – just different – the husband’s intelligence and the wife’s intelligence, when combined, create something exciting.
