SacBee reports Lippert Components, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Drew Industries Incorporated, has acquired Indiana-based M&M Fabricators to expand its chassis customization business. With revenues of $3 million annually, M&M modifies chassis primarily for producers of specialized commercial vehicles, Class A and Class C Motorhome RVs, and transit buses. The …
MH Component Maker Drew Ind. Acquires Chassis Manufacturer Read More
PressConnects reports from Binghamton, New York, First Ward Action Council will develop three single-family modular homes on property it is buying from the city to help stabilize the neighborhood. Aimed at first time homeowners of modest means, the homes will sell for $70,000 each at which time they will be …
In a follow-up to a story we reported Nov. 11, 2011, CelebrityNewsandStyle says Lucius Foster, the estranged father of actress Jodie Foster, was charged with 25 counts of grand theft and ten counts of contracting without a license for allegedly bilking over 20 investors out of $5,000 each after promising …
A CNNMoney article by Joshua Steiner and Allison Kaptur warns prospective real estate investors that the rosy 2012 forecast for the housing market has two pronounced thorns. The first is less than five percent of the mortgage purchase volume is in the hands of private investors. Support for the housing …
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announces $40 million in grants for housing counseling will be awarded competitively to HUD-approved counseling agencies and State Housing Finance Agencies across the country. Topics include avoiding foreclosure and mortgage scams, improving credit score, purchasing or renting a home, and qualifying …
In a follow-up to a story we published Nov. 30, MontgomeryAdvertiser reports from Alabama some state probate officials continue to impede registration of manufactured homes belonging to undocumented aliens despite a federal court issuing a temporary restraining order through Dec.7 blocking that part of the Alabama law. Section 30 of …
KnoxNews reports Jerry Creel, formerly vice president of human resources and training for Clayton Homes’ retail division, has been promoted to vice president of human resources and talent at the manufactured housing company in Maryville, Tennessee. Carl Hill has been promoted to director of marketing and consumer insights, having previously …
Amber and Kristopher Monte are pleased to announce the arrival Nov. 21, 2011, of their newborn son, River Edward Monte, weighing in at 7.5 lbs, 20 inches long. Amber Monte is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Investment Property Group, a private real estate investment firm that owns and operates …
NationalMortgageNews states, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, mortgage brokerage firms added 1,500 workers to their rosters in October. Employment in the mortgage/broker sector reached 236,500. The National Mortgage Licensing System reports the number of state-licensed loan officers rose 6,470 in Q3 to 113,350, suggesting former loan officers are …
InsuranceNetNews reports an article in the American Journal of Public Health describes a Health and Retirement Study that concludes there is a relationship between mortgage delinquency and ill health. The 2006-2008 study of persons 50 and older found because people so identify with their homes, the potential loss of the …
GizMag reports on a new Italian modular home concept with modules that easily hook together to provide housing for virtually an endless number of people, especially useful during disaster relief. Similarly, a series of cubes could be configured to make a single-family home with the usual household amenities in each …
WKRV-TV in Rio Grande Valley, Texas, says Jo Leigh Ares has re-surfaced a month after four charges of felony theft were filed against her for allegedly taking deposit money from customers for manufactured homes that were not delivered. The owner of Park Girl Mobile Homes in La Feria turned herself …
WoodworkingNetwork reports that students at Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, Missouri, build small modular homes, called Tumbleweed Homes, with a footprint of 100 square feet in their first year in the workshop. The homes are sold and the proceeds are used to buy materials for the next set of …
Building Small Modular Homes Trains Students for Careers Read More
SFGate reports a Massachusetts company is opening a factory on Vallejo’s Mare Island at the site of a former naval base just north of San Francisco. Close to the port of Oakland, and drawing on a nearby workforce of people skilled in home construction and high tech manufacturing, Blu Homes …
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) participated in the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee’s field hearing on “The State of Manufactured Housing” held in Danville, VA Nov. 29, 2011, submitting written testimony on the need for congressional oversight of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s manufactured housing …
MHARR Pans Field Hearing: HUD is the Bigger Hurdle Read More
NYDailyNews reports Warren Buffett, who once said U.S. newspapers are not good investments, has changed his mind about his hometown paper. The last employee-owned major newspaper in the country, Buffett says the Omaha World-Herald “delivers solid profits and is one of the best run newspapers in America. The editorial independence …
In a follow-up to a story we wrote Nov. 28, 2011, the DecaturDaily in Alabama reports a federal judge’s temporary restraining order prohibits county officials from verifying the residency status of persons applying for a MH license. Morgan County License Commissioner Sue Baker Roan said she processed 341 applications Nov. …
At the “State of the Manufactured Housing Industry” Congressional Field Hearings in Danville, Virginia, Nov. 29, members of the House Congressional Subcommittee on Housing, Insurance, and Community Opportunity heard from a variety of persons in the MH arena. Henry Czauski, Acting Deputy Administrator for the Office of Manufactured Housing programs, …
MH Field Hearing Yields HUD, MHI, Industry, and Resident Viewpoints Read More
HousingWire reports the New York Federal Reserve says consumer indebtedness fell by 0.6 percent in the third quarter as mortgage balances and credit card limits continued declining. Total consumer debt dropped from $11.72 trillion in Q2 to $11.66 trillion the quarter recently ended. Bankruptcies fell 18.8 percent from Q3 2010, …
The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) reports U.S. House of Representative member Barney Frank (D-Mass) has decided to not seek re-election after serving 32 years in Congress. MHARR’s communique says, “Our industry is losing a loyal congressional ally who worked across the aisle to champion the Federal Manufactured …
