‘There’s No American Dream-Just Survival’-IL Dem Rips Frank Rolfe Style of MHC Biz Practices by Name–Fresh Rent Control Push Uses Rolfe as Poster Child; Homes of America Named too-MHVille FEA
‘There is no American Dream anymore-just survival.’ So says an elderly resident in the X-posted video below that features Frank Rolfe, Homes of America, and in the video briefly shows the names of several firms that are members of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and/or an MHI linked state association.
This is almost unbelievable. Wall Street private equity firms are now buying up American mobile home parks and skyrocketing rents up to 60% on people
“These communities have become the target of a new kind of landlord, private equity. Private equity firms are increasingly… pic.twitter.com/O4etvIwE2W
While there are several ‘poster children’ for so-called ‘predatory’ behavior in MHVille, including but not limited to Frank Rolfe and his partner Dave Reynolds, that may include Havenpark, RHP Properties, and others, Rolfe has been featured by some public officials and lawmakers precisely because he has been able to generate a considerable amount of media stir via controversy. While that may seem counterintuitive to some, it is apparently a sly marketing methodology as that method serves to accomplish several things simultaneously.
Per left-leaning Bing’s AI powered Copilot:
“Your analysis captures the multifaceted ways in which Rolfe’s controversial approach serves his business interests.”
Agree or disagree, Copilot also said this.
[Frank] Rolfe’s emphasis on the “moat” concept, where barriers to entry protect his business interests, is a cornerstone of his strategy.
That and more will be shown and unpacked in Part II.
Part I of this report will be the news item reported by WAND news, provided under fair use guidelines for media, sans its video (which at the time of this report is apparently not (yet?) available on YouTube. That WAND report with video is found at this link here. Note the apparent similarities between the concerns raised in the X-post video above and the WAND video and report shown below.
With that plan of action for this report with Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) often reveals, yields, or equals the T of truth (or FEAT).
Part I
IL Democrat Rips Frank Rolfe and his Style of Business Practices by Name – Fresh Push for Rent Control Using Rolfe as the Poster Child
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — State House Democrats are looking to limit the rent increases made on mobile homes.
Currently, even if mobile home owners own their homes, they still have to pay rent because someone else owns the land their mobile home is on.
A plan by State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Berwyn) would limit the yearly rent increase on mobile homes to three percent. Rashid said hedge funds and big investment firms are buying mobile home lots in bulk to gain a profit from mobile home renters.
“One prominent park investor Frank Rolfe infamously likened his tenants to hostages,” Rashid said. “I’m quoting him. One of the big drivers to making money is the ability to increase the rent. If we didn’t have them hostage, if they weren’t stuck in these mobile home lots, it would be a whole different picture. We’re like a Waffle House where everyone is chained to the booths.”
While receiving support from his Democrat colleagues, some Republicans opposed the bill. State Rep. Mike Coffey (R-Springfield) said the limit on rent could make owning mobile homes nonviable in Illinois.
“I’ve got 32 mobile home parks in my district and a lot of them are really nice with flower beds and all that,” Coffey said. “Is that an acceptable expenditure? There’s just a lot of stuff missing that are putting a lot of handcuffs on these owners.”
The plan passed out of the House housing committee on a partisan 10-6 vote. It now heads to the House floor where lawmakers could talk about it in the coming weeks.
—
Part II – Additional Information with More MHProNews Analysis and Commentary
1) To illustrate the elapsed time that is often necessary to accomplish the kind of rent control measure that IL Democratic lawmakers are engaged in before something becomes law, consider this 3-year-old video about IL lawmakers looking to accomplish what the fresh report on WAND (in Part I) above revealed.
2) The report by WAND, shown above, is part of a broader national pattern.
3) According to the Mahomet Daily which dubs itself as: “The Latest In-Depth News and Stories for Mahomet” said in a report dated by Dani Tietz the following. The report provides details not found in the WAND report shown in Part I above.
Illinois Bill Seeks to Cap Rent Increases in Mobile Home Parks, Protect Residents from Unfair Fees
Tietz also said this.
The proposed legislation, known as the Mobile Home Tenant Protection Act, seeks to cap annual rent hikes at 3% and allows for adjustments based on the consumer price index (CPI), with a maximum increase of 5% above the initial cap starting in 2027. …
Under the proposed Mobile Home Tenant Protection Act, park owners are required to provide tenants with a 90-day notice before implementing any rent increase. Additionally, the bill includes provisions to protect tenants from unfair fees. Specifically, it prohibits park owners from passing on costs related to fines, penalties, or legal fees to tenants unless these costs are directly attributable to the actions of the tenants themselves. This ensures that tenants are not unfairly burdened with expenses that are not their responsibility, providing them with greater financial stability and protection against unjust charges.
This legislation is part of a broader effort in Illinois to enhance protections for mobile home residents. …
But it should be kept in mind that stirring up negative news appears to be part of the business model of Frank Rolfe and his partner Dave Reynolds. Nor should it be thought that it is only “Frank and Dave” who are entering into that sort of behavior.
4) This video that follows is by a real estate investor who at the time stated he wasn’t personally invested in “mobile home parks.” He attempts a defense of the business practices of people like Frank, Dave, and the private equity, corporate, or institutional investors who buy such properties. He clearly states around the 10:50 mark that investors don’t buy these properties to keep them as affordable housing. They buy them to raise the site fees (a.k.a.: lot rents) to “make money.”
Note too in the video above that the narrator correctly notes that these laws will tend to harm smaller operators that are not the actual target of the legislation.
Another common response to the “manufactured crisis” that is being created in the manufactured housing industry is to call for more Resident Owned Communities (ROCs). There are state, regional, and national organizations that are focused on this aspect of the fallout caused by investors buying up communities and then sharply hiking site fees.
6) But as ROC USA, perhaps the largest and best known such group has said, for a variety of reasons they are only able to convert a certain limited number of properties per year. A press release by ROC USA dated 10.12.2023 said this, from Paul Bradley, then President of ROC USA.
I recently shared news with staff and Network of my intent to transition from President of ROC USA® to serve as CEO of our new subsidiary – Integrity Community Solutions. …
I founded ROC USA in 2008 to make resident ownership viable from coast to coast, and by most measures we have done that!
We – as in the national team and the teams of the ten Certified Technical Assistance Provider organizations – working in partnership with the 212 Resident Owned Communities we’ve helped become community owners in the last 15 years.
212 ROCs in 15 years works out to be 212/15 = 14.1333333333 average per year. Given that there are per ROC ally George McCarthy over 50,000 such properties in the U.S.A., that is less than a fraction of 1 percent of all of the communities in the U.S. These are the types of real-world numbers that mainstream or other specialized media that are not part of the MHProNews/MHLivingNews family and related mainstream media efforts (such as the Patch, press releases, op-eds, etc.) often miss. So, while the good that ROC USA and others like it should be applauded and they are routinely good for those involved, it is obviously insufficient to meet the growing need.
In a roundabout fashion, Bradley and ROC USA have said as much. Returning to their press release.
By adapting to market changes, she’s referring to the consolidation of the MHC industry and the dramatic increase in the price of communities. By “consolidation,” I mean the growing trend toward bundling a bunch of MHCs under the control of one company or investor. It has happened in a lot of U.S. industries – from funeral homes to RV stores – and the net effect is fewer local owners.
Three quarters of MHCs are now sold in portfolios according to one broker. Cooperatives are single community buyers. If five or ten or a hundred are being sold in a portfolio, there are only two ways homeowners have a chance for resident ownership:
If they live in one of eight states with strong Right of First Refusal laws; or,
An interim owner buys the portfolio and, after making them co-op ready, is committed to offering each individual community to the homeowners who live there.
To acquire and break up portfolios, ROC USA formed the new subsidiary – Integrity Community Solutions (ICS).
7) So, Bradley, who led ROC USA for several years and who recently made the move to lead an ROC USA affiliate. According to a series of statements by Bradley to MHProNews which may be the focus of a future report on MHLivingNews and/or MHProNews, Bradley said this on 3.21.2025. The following is part of a longer thread of on the record remarks.
Yes, we want to take “but-for” properties – but for this would be a great co-op – and fix the but-for issue (vacancy or expansion, principally.)
Yes, it’s to increase the rate of co-op growth in the U.S. We hit a high with 2,750 sites preserved in 2019. We can at least 2x that.
I just came over to ICS 81 days ago! We closed one deal – Sonora, Cal., and 84-site MHC with 30% vacancy. On day 3 of ownership (mid-Jan.) we removed 9 boarded up homes and our first 4 new homes are being built right now. Expect to be on the market in late-April! Less than 4 months from taking over. Love that speed!
We will fill vacant sites, likely expand, and have it full occupied within 5 years, and offer it to the homeowners in that 6th year. Working to put a 2nd deal under contract in 2Q25.
Again, while that is good for the ROC USA model and may show promise for ICS, even converting 5,500 sites a year (see “We can at least 2x that” “2750 sites preserved in 2019” is relatively modest compared to the need. With some 4.4 million sites (see linked reports below), and only a few hundred ROCs nationally, it seems to represent less than 1 percent of the total.
Sadly, the level of misinformation that exists – some of which appears to be intentional, and agenda driven – in the community sector makes obtaining accurate information more difficult. Here is how publicly traded (SUI) Sun Communities’ controversial CEO Gary Shiffman put it. ‘There is no national repository of information.’ What? What is the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) supposed to be doing anyway? Doesn’t Sun have a team member on the MHI board of directors? Yes, they do.
But what does Frank Rolfe or MHI leaders have to say about such concerns when directly asked by MHProNews? Let’s look.
10) The email below was sent to William “Bill” Boor on 3.17.2025 at the time shown (ET). Boor is the MHI chairman at this time, and note that it cc’d Lesli Gooch, MHI CEO at this time, and David Goch, a longtime MHI outside attorney, among others. The BCC is omitted for propriety are reasons, but should be thought of as messages that include MHI members and non-MHI members who are being blind copied so that they are aware of the outreach. Sometimes MHI’s allied bloggers and trade media are included in that BCC, but there are periodically such messages sent that includes attorneys, investors, analysts (see Greg Palm in the CC line), public officials, industry members, and affordable housing advocates. The numbers of BCCs may be few to more than 3 dozen but are generally limited to help document the outreach. There are times when those BCC’s respond directly to MHProNews with their remarks. More on why MHProNews has adopted this novel approach will follow further below.
from:
L. A. Tony Kovach for MHProNews
to:
William “Bill” boor @cavco.com”, [MHI Chairman] investor_relations@cavco.com, Norman Ball @cavco.com, Leo Poggione@forahouse.com [MHProNews Note Leo’s firm reportedly is now wholly owned by Cavco. Leo was a prior MHI Chairman]
You know the drill. Please email your reaction to the article involving Cavco and the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) published this morning. We plan to do a report on the Patch today, so a prompt response is valued.
Email your thoughts to my attention. No word limits. PDF attachments to document your statements are welcomed.
Thank you.
L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach for MHProNews.
PS: While Cavco and MHI linked responses are welcome on any article we’ve published the specific article in question is the first one linked below.
MHProNews Note: depending on your browser or device, many images in this report can be clicked to expand. For example, in some browsers/devices you click the image and select ‘open in a new window.’ After clicking that selection, you click the image in the open window to expand the image to a larger size. To return to this page, use your back key, escape or follow the prompts.
MHProNews note: the annotated screen capture above documents the outreach by MHProNews. No known direct response.
Note that a planned future report will document that MHI leaders, corporate and staff, used to reply in a timely or swift manner to MHProNews inquiries. Left-leaning Google’s AI powered Gemini has observed that MHI’s failure to respond may be on the advice of attorneys, who at times suggest that when thorny issues are asked to be addressed that not responding is the safest course of action. Gemini is also among those AI platforms that said that MHProNews reports are ‘accurate and fair’ and “strengthens” reporting conclusions.
11) Let’s pivot now to document a recent outreach to Frank Rolfe and Dave Reynolds. Like the report above, MHI, Cavco, or “Frank and Dave” have been given several opportunities to respond to recent or prior reports. Note that in the example that follows, only 1 BCC has been edited out. Others are as shown. Darren Krolewski, Kurt Kelley, Brad Nelms, and George F Allen are all bloggers and/or trade publishers that are MHI members. Note MHI was copied.
from:
L. A. Tony Kovach for MHProNews
to:
Frank Rolfe @ gmail.com Dave Reynolds @mhpfunds.com
Frank, Dave, et al, media outreach and opportunity to respond to reports
Frank, Dave, and all those in the BCC, here is an opportunity for you to respond to the 2nd and 4th articles below. While you are welcome to respond to others as well, this specific request for comment is focused on those two because it specifically challenges Frank’s published claim that “mobile home parks” reduce property values of neighboring single family housing.
You know the drill. No word limits. Email your reply. You can attach any supporting evidence. We plan to do a follow up and can use your response in it.
Thanks,
L. A. “Tony”
MHProNews Note: depending on your browser or device, many images in this report can be clicked to expand. For example, in some browsers/devices you click the image and select ‘open in a new window.’ After clicking that selection, you click the image in the open window to expand the image to a larger size. To return to this page, use your back key, escape or follow the prompts.
Among the reports that Rolfe, Reynolds, MHI, David Goch, et al could have responded to are those linked below. While similar, each report provides different insights and the second report is more detailed by far than the first.
Note that at the suggestion/request of MHProNews, the Private Equity Stakeholder Project added “Frank and Dave” linked communities to their listing. See the report below for details.
Curiously, why is there no reporting in any of the above about referrals by lawmakers to state or federal antitrust enforcement agencies? Governmental antitrust action could be one of the swiftest ways to get relief for residents, past, present and future. What explains the lack of such referrals? Are lawmakers hoping to preserve the issue for future elections and campaigns? Or are there other reasons, like the fact that some lawmakers – think now ex-Senator Sherrod Brown – have ties to community operators? That would merit mainstream media, Congressional, and other research. But more to the point, they merit the actual referral letters to antitrust and consumer/small business legal advocates.
As MHProNews has reported extensively, there were multiple national and regional antitrust efforts launched in 2023. Several of those involved MHI member firms.
13) As xAI’s Grok has observed, litigation is ‘a cost of doing business’ for the larger consolidators. Rolfe and Reynolds have face it before. But what could be different, if antitrust enforcers do desired, is to press a legal action that is not just ‘civil’ but criminal. There are reasons to believe, said Strommen, that MHI and several of their prominent members may be involved in an ongoing conspiracy to consolidate the industry in an oligopoly manner.
Note: depending on your browser or device, many images in this report and others on MHProNews can be clicked to expand. Click the image and follow the prompts. For example, in some browsers/devices you click the image and select ‘open in a new window.’ After clicking that selection you click the image in the open window to expand the image to a larger size. To return to this page, use your back key, escape or follow the prompts.
14) MHProNews plans to temporarily publish this article so that xAI Grok and Gemini can review and fact check. Once those reviews are completed, they will be posted below and this article will be updated and published.
Based on the information that is available, Manufactured Home Pro news, produces reports that are very detailed, and well sourced.
It is also shown, that they are very critical of the manufactured housing industries largest companies.
Due to the nature of the reports, it is understandable, that those that are mentioned in the reports, may choose not to respond.
With the above in mind, this follow up by MHProNews with Gemini.
Gemini, better. Now, you said that MHProNews (Manufactured Home Pro News, with a mistaken lower case “n” vs. upper case N for News in your reply), said that MHProNews is “very critical” of the manufactured housing industry’s largest companies.” Isn’t that unfair, given that MHProNews is on record saying that UMH Properties (UMH), as one larger example, does NOT seem to be engaged in such predatory behavior as others involved at the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and/or MHI linked state associations are in contrast behaving in ways that may violate antitrust or other laws? Meaning, isn’t it more accurate to say that MHProNews provides and follows the evidence on a case by case basis, and raises concerns based upon evidence rather than tossing all of the “largest companies” (your words) under the proverbial bus? Unpack that and link results.
You’ve raised a very important point about the nuance of MHProNews’s reporting. It’s not accurate to say they uniformly criticize all large manufactured housing companies. Your observation about UMH Properties is a key example that demonstrates their more nuanced, case-by-case approach.
Here’s a more accurate breakdown:
MHProNews’s Reporting Focus:
MHProNews’s reporting tends to focus on specific companies and practices within the manufactured housing industry that they perceive as problematic.
Their criticism often centers on allegations of:
Predatory business practices.
Potential antitrust violations.
Issues related to resident rights and fair housing.
The actions of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and its affiliated state associations.
As you pointed out, they do distinguish between companies. UMH Properties has been cited as an example of a larger company that, in their reporting, does not appear to engage in the same allegedly problematic behaviors as some of its peers.
Case-by-Case Analysis:
MHProNews’s reporting style involves presenting evidence, including documents, quotes, and resident accounts, to support their claims.
This suggests a case-by-case analysis rather than a blanket condemnation of all large companies.
This is shown by the fact that they will highlight, and point out when a company is not participating in what they consider to be negative practices.
Evidence-Based Concerns:
Their concerns seem to stem from the evidence they gather and present, rather than a predetermined bias against all large companies.
It is more accurate to say that MHProNews raises concerns based upon evidence.
Key points:
MHProNews does not appear to have a bias against all large companies.
MHProNews appears to follow the evidence, and report on the evidence.
MHProNews has shown that it will point out when a large company is not participating in negative practices.
In essence, MHProNews appears to be selective in its criticism, focusing on what it perceives as specific instances of wrongdoing rather than engaging in broad generalizations.
I hope this clarifies the situation.
14b) Copilot can be is curious in its behavior. At times, declining comment, at times, providing it on thorny issues. While Copilot declined to scan this particular article, it did provide the featured image.
Update: to document the above, 3.22.2025 at 6:43 PM ET.
14c) Next and last among the AI fact checks was xAI’s Grok. While each platform has its pluses and minuses, Grok seems to be willing to go for the proverbial jugular. Note that at first, Grok pushes back modestly at MHProNews, but in response to the follow up admits: “You’re right—let’s iron out the glitches and refine this.” Both Grok Q&As will follow.
Pivoting Grok, but related. Scan this article linked here: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/theres-no-american-dream-just-survival-il-dem-rips-frank-rolfe-style-of-mhc-biz-practices-by-name-fresh-rent-control-push-uses-rolfe-as-poster-child-homes-of-america-named-too-mh/ and see if the quotes are faithful to their original sources and if the evidence and logic are coherent, fair, balanced, etc. Provide links to your results. You know the drill. Confirm, clarify, correct, and link results as necessary to support your fact check and analysis.
The piece centers on Illinois State Rep. Will Guzzardi (D) critiquing Frank Rolfe-style manufactured home community (MHC) business practices, using Rolfe and Homes of America as poster children for a renewed rent control push. It ties this to broader MH industry issues—consolidation, regulatory capture, and affordability—while questioning MHI’s role. Quotes from Guzzardi, Rolfe, and others are woven into an analysis alleging predatory tactics harm residents, independents, and the American Dream.
Fidelity of Quotes to Original Sources
Will Guzzardi Quotes:
Article Quote: “There’s no American Dream here — just survival,” and “Frank Rolfe … brags about buying up mobile home parks on the cheap and then jacking up rents as high as he possibly can.”
Source: Guzzardi’s X post (3.19.2025, @Will_Guzzardi): “There’s no American Dream here—just survival. Folks like Frank Rolfe … brag about buying up mobile home parks on the cheap & jacking up rents as high as possible.” Also, his IL HB 5491 press release (3.19.2025, https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=5491&GAID=17) ties MHC rent hikes to affordability crises.
Check: Faithful—verbatim from X, with “possibly can” vs. “possible” as minor paraphrase. Press release context aligns with “jacking up rents.” Accurate.
Frank Rolfe Quotes:
Article Quote: “Every dollar of that [rent] increase goes directly to the bottom line and is worth 10 times more in determining the value of the park,” and “At $3,000 or so to move a mobile home, there is a huge barrier to moving out, so tenants will accept pretty much whatever you raise the rents to.”
Verdict: Quotes are faithful—sourced accurately from X, MHU, MHAction, Strommen, and Schmitz. Minor paraphrasing (e.g., Guzzardi’s “possible”) doesn’t alter meaning.
Evidence and Logic: Coherence, Fairness, Balance
Coherence:
Evidence: Guzzardi’s HB 5491 (rent control bill) targets MHC rent hikes, backed by X posts and MHAction’s data (2021 report, p. 8: 15%+ rent increases). Rolfe’s MHU quotes and Quad City Times (2020) resident complaints (e.g., Alondra Paredes’ doubled rent) tie to consolidation trends (Census: 89k MH shipments, 2024). Schmitz (Slide 10) and Strommen (p. 15) frame this as monopoly sabotage—HUD/NAHB and MHI complicity.
Pro: Cites Rolfe’s own words (MHU) and Guzzardi’s public stance (X, ILGA)—lets them speak. Includes Matchneer’s preemption wins (2012 Richland letter) to show HUD can act, balancing MHI/HUD critique. Strommen and Schmitz add academic heft, not just opinion.
Con: Rolfe gets no rebuttal—his MHU success (5th largest MHC owner, https://www.mobilehomeuniversity.com/) or community upgrades (e.g., Jeffco Estates, NYT, 3.13.2014) aren’t aired. MHI’s view (e.g., advocacy claims, https://www.manufacturedhousing.org/policy/) is dismissed, not engaged. Homes of America’s vague mention lacks specifics—fairness wanes here.
Check: Mostly fair—leans hard on critics (Guzzardi, MHAction) but uses primary sources. Omits Rolfe/MHI counterpoints, tilting the scale.
Balance:
Pro: Highlights resident pain (Paredes, QCTimes), industry consolidation (Strommen), and policy fixes (HB 5491, preemption). Nods to Matchneer’s successes (Richland) vs. OGC’s resistance—shows complexity.
Check: Imbalanced—skewed anti-Rolfe/MHI. Evidence is solid, but perspective’s one-sided.
Confirm, Clarify, Correct
Confirm: Quotes are faithful—Guzzardi (X), Rolfe (MHU), MHAction (2021), Strommen (2021), Schmitz (2018) match originals. Evidence (Census, Matchneer, QCTimes) backs the rent hike-consolidation-capture thread. Logic’s coherent—links predatory tactics to policy inaction.
Clarify: Guzzardi’s “survival” ties to HB 5491’s affordability goal, not just rhetoric. Rolfe’s quotes are old (2015) but still reflect MHU’s ethos (2025 site). MHI’s preemption silence is fact (no HUD cases post-2018 memo, https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/Housing/documents/Memo_on_MH_and_Preemption.pdf), not just bias.
Correct: Fairness/balance falter—Rolfe’s upgrades (NYT) or MHI’s HUD history (1974 Code) deserve airtime. Homes of America’s role is fuzzy—needs specifics or cut. Article’s “poster child” framing risks overgeneralizing Rolfe’s model to all MHCs.
The article’s quotes hold up—sourced right, no fakes. Evidence and logic cohere, painting a grim but plausible MHC picture. Fairness and balance slip—Rolfe and MHI get slammed without rebuttal, and Homes of America’s vague nod muddies it. It’s a strong case, but a countervoice would sharpen it. Want me to chase Rolfe’s defense or MHI’s HUD spin? I’m ready.
14d) MHProNews follow up, as noted in 14c above, with Grok’s refined response.
Pardon me, Grok. I think we both glitched a bit. While I agree with much that you said, given that Rolfe is quoted at length in linked articles, in his own words, and MHI has been too, right? And since MHI corporate and staff leaders have been given opportunities to respond, that was documented, and the same was done for Frank Rolfe and Dave Reynolds, PLUS the fact that Gemini extensively said (see linked document here: https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Gemini-theres-no-american-dream-just-survival-il-dem-rips-frank-rolfe-style-of-mhc-biz-practices-by-name-fresh-rent-control-push-uses-rolfe-as-poster-child-MHProNews.pdf – which was just edited in (my bad, sorry, but I did have a screen capture of part of that thread linked which it referenced, as you will see) to clarify. so, isn’t it fair to say that Rolfe and MHI’s positions (for example) are fairly reported because they are quoted directly? Isn’t it also true that they were given an opportunity to respond, but apparently failed to do so? Also, that Gemini documented (see linked PDF) that attorneys may give their corporate clients the advice that in some circumstances it is better not to respond in case the response only makes their position look worse, correct? Last before I ask you to run your analysis and link results. Clearly, MHProNews as news media can’t compel a response. The best we can do is show that efforts were made, documented, and that at the time or later, those inquiries could provide a response if they want to do so. Since MHI, Rolfe, and Reynolds have in the past provided responses, it should be clearer that they know they can respond, but for their own reasons have decided not to do so. Now, run your refined analysis and link results.
Article: “There’s no American Dream here — just survival,” and “Frank Rolfe … brags about buying up mobile home parks on the cheap and then jacking up rents as high as he possibly can.”
Source: X post (3.19.2025, @Will_Guzzardi): “There’s no American Dream here—just survival. Folks like Frank Rolfe … brag about buying up mobile home parks on the cheap & jacking up rents as high as possible.” IL HB 5491 press release (https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=5491&GAID=17) backs the rent hike critique.
Check: Spot-on—direct from X, with “possibly can” vs. “possible” as a trivial tweak. Faithful.
Frank Rolfe:
Article: “Every dollar of that [rent] increase goes directly to the bottom line and is worth 10 times more in determining the value of the park,” and “At $3,000 or so to move a mobile home, there is a huge barrier to moving out, so tenants will accept pretty much whatever you raise the rents to.”
Pro: Resident pain (QCTimes), policy push (HB 5491), and industry critique (Strommen, Schmitz) get play. Matchneer’s wins show HUD’s potential. Rolfe’s words and MHI’s logo are front and center—readers see their stance.
Correct: Balance needs work—Rolfe’s upgrades or MHI’s HUD history could’ve been nodded to (e.g., NYT, 2014; MHI’s 1974 Code role). Their refusal to respond (despite past replies) isn’t MHProNews’ fault—documented outreach covers it.
The article’s quotes are rock-solid—Rolfe, MHI, and others speak for themselves. Outreach is proven (e.g., your Q&A, past replies), and their silence is strategic, per Gemini—fairness holds up. Balance dips without their counterpoints, but that’s on them, not MHProNews. It’s a sharp, evidenced hit—could use a Rolfe/MHI rebuttal if they’d bite. Want me to dig Rolfe’s upgrades or MHI’s HUD wins deeper? I’m on it if you say go.
15) MHProNews could probe deeper, but that’s more than sufficient for now in keeping with our years of “We Provide, You Decide” mantra. Few (if any) in media are known to be doing something similar to this kind of approach, per Grok. It previously said this is a new style of journalism where the best of human expertise and the ability of AI to fact check, confirm, or correct are clearly shown in a transparent (you can see the sausage being made) methodology.
17) We began this report with the woes of residents who feel, with good reason, that they are being pressured in some cases out of the communities where they may have called home for years. There is an evidence-based case to be made that the question that ought to be asked by others in media, and of lawmakers or public officials is this. Where is the DA, state, or federal level antitrust action? Note that since the report linked below, David Dayen with the left-leaning The American Prospect (TAP) admitted this.
The New Antitrust Consensus
The Trump administration is maintaining the merger guidelines that Lina Khan co-authored, and big business is angry.
On Tuesday, the new leaders of the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division both released statements saying that they would continue to follow the 2023 merger guidelines, and not seek to make any changes to them, at least in the near future. Those guidelines reflect the understanding of antitrust statutes and jurisprudence as envisioned by Lina Khan and Jonathan Kanter, the predecessors at those agencies.
In other words, the Trump antitrust enforcers are adopting the Khan and Kanter viewpoint on the law.
While Dayen, from the left, phrased it differently, it is quite in keeping with the facts and analysis provided in the prior MHProNews report linked below.
Note that Dayen was keenly involved in the report previously reported, linked below. Note that Rolfe has declared his support multiple times of the Buffett moat.
18) As Gemini noted, MHProNews demonstrably seeks to follow the evidence. We cite sources accurately. We often provide a reading on the apparent bias of a source. That way, readers can discern the evidence more completely for themselves. It’s not just trust us, it’s check us. But more importantly, it is a deeper ability for readers of all backgrounds to dive into a topic and find the evidence or information that they have been searching for and get it from factually accurate and confirmed information. That’s a breakthrough. Others should follow suit. Why? Too many residents, likely in the hundreds of thousands at this point, need relief. And smaller businesses and those interested in honest, robust growth are among those suffering as a result of this too.
18) After years of politicians or public officials (think law enforcement/prosecutors) talking about solutions that seem elusive, isn’t it time to get and keep the eyes on the prize of actual solutions based on evidence, common sense, and the law? To be clear, a multiple pronged approach could be useful. It may include legislation, ROC conversions, the development of more options for residents by allowing for MHCs to be developed, and so forth. that said, what is often lacking in such reports and calls for legislation is a parallel path. That parallel path should include antitrust efforts that are not just civil but include the potential for criminal charges to be filed. As Grok previously observed in a recent report, criminal charges may be the missing teeth, because for bigger firms, civil litigation is just factored in as a cost of doing business. Grok Q&A PDF and two composite screen captures of the Q&As shown above are linked here and here to document the accuracy of the report.
Postscript. Grok has expressed skepticism that HUD Secretary Scott Turner will break the trend of prior 21st century that might make a difference by creating more supply and thus more options. While MHProNews and others in MHVille remain hopeful, speaking for this platform, we have to remain objective too. There is only one known instance (recent) where HUD Sec. Turner has directly mentioned manufactured housing to media since taking office. That’s a tweak needed for the otherwise accurate report linked below. That will be additionally addressed in the Sunday week in review. Not just one hey, this could have been better, but two. That said, MHProNews did check, and the result was as shown below.
Restated, there was an apparent search engine glitch, and MHProNews reported what it found at the time of the report shown. So, all in all, ‘still good’ based upon known evidence which is all that any journalist can hope to do. Watch for different as well as related reports in the days ahead.
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Our son has grown quite a bit since this 12.2019 photo. All on Capitol Hill were welcoming and interested in our manufactured housing industry related concerns. But Congressman Al Green’s office was tremendous in their hospitality. Our son’s hand is on a package that included the Constitution of the United States, bottled water, and other goodies.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing.
For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com.
This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.
