Okay, not everyone will be as blown away by this report as our inner circle and close supporters are, but let me outline below why you and others in manufactured housing should be!
The top two articles so far in May on MHProNews are as follows:
Through the first part of May 7, 2013 here are our summary site stats:
Let me put this into English.
If the current trends holds for the month, we would have 1,415,770 page views in the month of May! For some context, that would be roughly 6 times the traffic that MHI – the largest national manufactured housing industry association – self-reports as their monthly page views. You can see our last 12 months of trends on this page linked here.
By way of analysis, as the top two articles suggest:
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Among all levels of industry owners, pros, investors and associations leaders tracking the news in manufactured housing are keenly following our periodic series of interviews with C-Suite Industry leaders. A Cup of Coffee with… interviews are all archived here.
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The facts here are important because it reflects a renewed enthusiasm about manufactured housing, and it is evident in:
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high readership of the exclusive interviews we've published,
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in positive reports that have hit the mainstream media or realty blogs recently,
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from the robust turn outs and positive buzz by the 2000+ pros who attended the 2013 Louisville Show and similar numbers at this year's Tunica Show, or the some 830 pros who attended the MHI/NCC Congress and Expo.
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Have you noticed that even Marty Lavin, who sometimes is seen as a curmudgeonly personna in the manufactured housing circles, has shed significant positive light in his latest column, linked above? No one accuses Marty of being a cheer leader, and while the cautionary notes are still there, this is as cheerful a read from him as I've seen in many years!
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Many of our Featured Articles, blogs and reports – such as the fine column by CFED's CEO, Andrea Levere, referenced above and linked here – showcase in their own way opportunities or potentially positive steps on the road ahead.
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All of these events and energy contribute to and perhaps echo the 2 years of steady new home shipment growth manufactured housing has experienced since we bottomed out in 2011.
Scientia potentia est!
Knowledge is potential power is a possible translation of the Latin phrase “Scientia potentia est.” More knowledge found here in the Industry News Tips and Views Pros Can Use is enhanced potential power for our readers.
Reports like the one referenced above, that Andrea Levere and her colleagues have made possible, can further fuel renewed interest and enthusiasm for our Industry on Wall Street and beyond. That report on manufactured home mortgage performance may be seen all the more important to our industry because it was not commissioned by 'us,' but rather by impartial non-profits that are widely respected.
Pogo?
Having shared the 'good news,' let's toss out a solid dose of reality checks.
My fellow industry professionals, we must take the lesson found decades ago in a famous panel from Walt Kelly's comic series, Pogo. It is as follows:
I've had occasion to reference this memorable cartoon before. I'm often disappointed by the fact that so many in our ranks don't realize how important 'best practices' ought to be. While many already do, more must put consumers interests into our mix, as was discussed by that panel of industry leaders in the NCC forum at Vegas, that was referenced in the column linked below.
http://MHProNews.com/blogs/tonykovach/enlightened-self-interest/
Indeed a number of owners/executives and professionals in our ranks are striving daily to deliver 'Wow!' service.
Another example of pro-consumer efforts that are being advanced must include HR 1779. Associations – national, state and communities – are calling upon their members to contact their Congressional representative in support of a common sense reform that will protect manufactured home owners' values, while also protecting jobs in our industry and thousands of businesses too. Let me join our voice with those in the association world to ask you to contact your U.S. House member, a link to contact them yours is found in our article linked above.
But we must do far more to fully realize our potential.
Another common sense effort that would catapult our sales to the proverbial next level would be to protect both home owners and lenders through a more professional remarketing of manufactured homes. When personal property lenders and consumers alike can routinely count on the type of remarketing found in conventional housing by real estate brokers, we will see new and pre-owned home sales rise, home resale values will be enhanced, chattel interest rates will fall and respect for our industry would grow.
I don't tire of reminding readers that we need 20 million new housing units in America by the year 2030! In an upcoming exclusive interview with Cavco's Chairman, Joe Stegmayer, you will see his candid take on UMH's Sam Landy's projection that manufactured housing could hit 300,000+ annual new home shipments again. You will also see Mr. Stegmayer in that interview:
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blast a U.S. Senator,
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comment on national trends,
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get his keen perspective on Randy Rowe's Five Point Plan for Industry recovery
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and much more.
Professionalism Pays
The more professional your team members and peers become, the more profitable our businesses will be because more consumers will turn to us instead of to other housing options. What goes around will come around. Plant good seeds and we will harvest an abundant crop.
So please encourage your associates, colleagues, team members and peers to do what you are doing right now. Leaders are readers! Invest time and resources into learning more to earn more.
You and your team should
read here 15 minutes a day.
The surest way to industry growth is making those in our ranks better at their respective roles. Inspiration can be supplied from interviews like the one with Mike Evans, or others in our A Cup of Coffee with interviews.
Facts like those found in the report linked in the article by Andrea Levere can support or encourage investors and bankers to take another look at Manufactured Housing. The Featured Articles by experts found here every month are just one of the many free resources we make available – thanks to our sponsors – that can help fuel the Industry's continued rebirth.
So if one “enemy” is us, then so to is the solution! Knowledge, like love, is one of those rare things that when given away, grows.
Encourage your associates to read and grow daily. At the end of a year, the positive impact you will see ought to be nothing short of impressive.
We each become better when improving together. ##
PS: Check our many Exclusive and Red Hot Featured Articles for May and see the
other new stories at MHLivingNews.com too.
L. A. "Tony" Kovach
MHLivingNews.com=Re-Discovering and Spotlighting the MHLifeStyle
MHProNews.com = MHMSM.com = Industry News, Tips and Views Pros can Use
Services:B2BandB2CAds, Proven MH Marketing & Sales Systems, Websites other Industry Solutions.
Office –815-270-0500
latonyk@gmail.com or tony@mhmsm.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach= connect with me on Linkedin.
http://pinterest.com/latonyk/manufactured-home-lifestyle/
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Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right. – Henry Ford
