Finally a Leader! But Who Will Follow?

Blog Column # 287 Copyright 2014 9 March 2014

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities cum ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

Reason for this blog. “It’s the national advocacy voice, statistical research reporter, & communication resource for LLLCommunities, of all sizes, throughout North America!’

Input this blog & affiliate with the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance, a.k.a. ‘COBA7’, via Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764

I.

Finally, a National Advocacy Body Steps Forward to Lead!
But Will Anyone Follow?

II.

Ever Desire To Help Write a Book or Two?

III.

Community Series Homes & Plant Shows in 2014

I.

Finally, a National Advocacy Body Steps Forward to Lead!
But Will Anyone Follow?

A national manufactured housing advocacy body, domiciled inside the Washington, DC. beltway, “…invites all affected stakeholders (i.e. That’s thee & me, as entrepreneurs & corporate businessmen & women!) to join its’ efforts, including key (chattel) financial institutions vital to homebuyers, (in) an industry return to production levels measured in the hundreds-of-thousands of homes annually!” Edited from full and half page MHARR paid ads running in the March 2014 issue of The Journal and the Allen Letter professional journal.

Not only do these bold ads reach out to motivate manufactured housing and land-lease-lifestyle community (A.k.a. manufactured home community) stakeholders, they identify KEY PRIORITIES for the days and months ahead:

• Full and appropriate HUD implementation of the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000, a.k.a. MHA@2000. After 13+ years, it’s still a work in progress, or some would say ‘regress’!

• Full implementation of the Duty to Serve (underserved markets), including the securitization of chattel loans

• Full inclusion by Congress, of all manufactured housing loans in any housing finance reform legislation, e.g. GSE reform; through clear, definitive and mandatory language

• Full and unrestricted homebuyer access, nationwide, to the financing sources and providers of their choice.

• Full acceptance of manufactured housing by states, cities, and localities

Whew! Now that’s what I’d call ‘one full and aggressive manufactured housing agenda’. How ‘bout you? Agreed? If so, suggest you contact Danny Ghorbani via (202) 783-4087 and ask him: HOW can YOU help ADDRESS these FIVE KEY PRIORITIES, in your areas of influence, during the days, weeks, and months ahead?! I’m on board!

And lest you think the preceding is happening in a vacuum; it isn’t! Last week, Part I of the blog posted at this website, ended with this Challenge Question directed at manufactured housing’s national advocacy bodies inside-&-outside the Washington, DC beltway:

“Is the present day national advocacy representation format (i.e. two national trade bodies) and singular focus (‘Change Dodd-Frank legislation & CFPB regs!’), for HUD-Code manufactured housing, the Most Effective Use of Lobbying Efforts & Dollars in (‘futile to date’) attempts to influence legislators and regulators in our nation’s capitol? OR, is it now time – finally, for a Serious National Conversation regarding where (1) manufactured housing production and distribution, (2) all post-production segments of our industry, and (3) the land-lease-lifestyle community realty asset class, are today; where we should and would like to be going; and, how to best arrive at desired destination(s) and or goal(s)?! Until we do so as an industry, ‘we’re hopelessly adrift in an ocean of business opportunity’ and will not return to prosperity anytime soon! Hope our elected and salaried national leaders are (finally) paying attention to US!

Are They? I have no idea. But some of YOU are! Here’re two responses from readers commenting on last weekends blog posting at this website.

“Hope all is well with you. My admiration continues to be with you for your tenacity in doing battle with those who misguide our industry. Many of those folk simply don’t have the scars of battle that people like you and me wear, to evidence our experience in the trenches.” MG

&

“I loved your blog yesterday on ‘upside down’ (in a mobile home park). That’s really it in a nutshell isn’t it? I think there’re a lot of advocates and others who’d get on board with a moderate position, like the one you put out here (in the blog).It’s where I’ve always been: ‘Offer a good, affordable and secure homeownership asset and one’s business will be solid.’ We bank on that in our own business interests!. Know what George? We (this industry & asset class) just might be suffering from too many MBAs and too much Wall Street influence! Hmm. Just a hunch.”

So, where do we go from here, national manufactured housing industry leaders? Know what? These folk get angry when I ‘call them out by name’, but do nothing when I don’t.
Hmm. Maybe next week….

II.

Ever Desire to Help Write a Book or Two?

Well, here’s your big chance. Actually maybe two opportunities; one for folk in the land-lease-lifestyle community business model, the other for HUD-Code home manufacturers – and their Business Development Managers, interested in selling more new homes into LLLCommunities! So, read the two descriptions here, then ‘take your pick’ or two; and if so inclined, express your interest to me – and the sooner the better….

In the first instance, we’re talking about a collection or compendium of first hand experiences, penned by land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators, willing to share Lessons Learned during their operation of this unique, income-producing property type. So, whether you’ve been – or continue to be, an owner and or property manager (on-site & regional alike) of one or more LLLCommunities, pick out a particular PM function area and describe ‘your Lesson Learned’. Function areas? Oh, property marketing; rental homesite leasing; cultivating good resident relations; maintenance-related adventures with a ‘lesson’; even the employee recruiting, screening, hiring, training, supervising cycle; etc.. Any helpful Rules of Thumb to share?

Here’s the best way to respond. Write, pen, or type a paragraph or two describing the territory you’d like to cover in a passage prepared for submission and consideration as a Lesson Learned During LLLCommunity Operations. Be sure to include your name, mailing address, and other contact information when you send it to GFA c/o Box # 47024, Indpls, IN. 46247.

Will need your initial input (i.e. paragraph or paragraphs) by the end of March 2014.

This means I can have you rewrite, refine and submit your selection by the end of April; to be evaluated, edited and possibly selected for inclusion in the book during May; for printing during June; binding during July; for distribution in early September. And OK to include a form or other aid (training & otherwise) that was integral to, or came out of this property management Lesson Learned being described. Questions? Simply phone me via (317) 346-7156.

In the second instance, we’re talking about a much-needed HOW TO guide for owners/operators of land-lease-lifestyle communities, who’re getting into the marketing, sale and financing of new HUD-Code homes on-site, for the first time; or have tried to do so – unsuccessfully, to date. In this instance, we’re looking for input from related but disparate sources: 1) LLLCommunity owners/operators with successful home sale experience on-site to date – and willing to share their ‘lessons learned’; and, 2) HUD-Code home manufacturers with a passion for filling vacant rental homesites in LLLCommunities – and willing to ‘teach how it’s done’, knowing there’ll need to be adjustments for the nuances of on-site home sales procedures. Assignment preference will be given to Business Development Managers, or BDMs, already identified as specialists in the Community Series Home designed product.

At this point, it’s envisioned this’ll be a two part book. Part I = “How to Spec & Buy New HUD-Code Homes from the Factory’; and, Part II = ‘How to Market, Sell, & when need be, Finance the Home Transaction on-site. Do YOU feel you have expertise you’d be willing to share in either or both these foci? While we have a lead author in mind, to shepherd this project from start to finish; if you feel you have special ability, even experience in handing this sort of writing project, by all means let us know ASAP. In the meantime; to participate as a writer, prepare a paragraph or two describing where you believe your strengths lie, and send this typed information to GFA c/o Box # 47024, Indpls, IN. 46247.

Here too, need your initial input no later than the end of this month, March 2014.

And again; if you have questions, phone me via (317) 346-7156.

III.

Community Series Homes & Plant Shows in 2014

Wow! Who ‘lit a fire’ under HUD-Code home manufacturers? During the past 60 days, here at GFA Management, Inc., dba PMN Publishing, and where the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance, or COBA7, was launched this past December, we’ve experienced the following, all in short order:

• More Community Series Homes, or CSH Model HUD-Code manufactured homes on display (e.g. Luavul MHShow in mid-January) than in any previous year, going back to 2/27/2009 when the concept was birthed! And now HUD-Code manufacturers, via their BDMs, are asking to have a say in refining the list of features used to describe CSH Models during the past five years. That’s exciting! Do YOU have recommended features, changes, etc? Let us know ASAP, as we’ll be reconstituting said list later this month (March) and distributing it in the Allen Letter professional journal.

• New BDMs! Where are they coming from? It’s like HUD-Code home manufacturers have suddenly decided they do want to have an active role filling the estimated 250,000 vacant rental homesites in LLLCommunities across the U.S.. Great! Keep submitting those names of new Business Development Managers to us via (317) 346-7156. New BDM list in a few weeks.

• Plant Shows Everywhere! Nothing new about having plant shows – except this: Year 2014 appears to becoming the ‘Year of the Land-lease-lifestyle Community!’ as HUD-Code home manufacturers reach out not only to present home-buying owners/operators, but prospective ones as well. To date, it appears the Plant Shows, to this end, will feature an 1) Official State of the MHIndustry & LLLCommunity Asset Class, followed by 2) a plant tour, then 3) Open Discussions among participants re: ‘Why are you buying Community Series Homes?’ & ‘What will it take to get you to buy CSH Models?’ Need us for your plant show? Phone (317) 346-7156.

• COBA7. Already several major and regional HUD-Code home manufacturers have affiliated with the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance! Why? For direct mail and networking access to the vast majority of LLLCommunity owners/operators not aligned with any national, and oft times not even state, manufactured housing associations, but who are known to be among the 500+/- property portfolio ‘players’ in the U.S. and Canada. If you’d like to learn more about this unique ‘new home sales’ marketing opportunity, simply phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

See what I mean? The Growing Excitement is palpable and certainly palatable! And all this but scratches the surface of what’s going on these days outside historic, politically-charged trade circles. The most vibrant get-togethers are those organized by groups of businessmen and women insisting they’re NOT ‘down and out’, BUT ‘up and coming’, as they spec, buy, sell, and when need be, self-finance new and resale manufactured homes into and within their income-producing properties!

Here’re several examples. Plan NOW to participate in the 23rd annual Networking Roundtable in Peachtree City, GA., 10-12 September. And less than a month later, return to Atlanta, GA, on 1 & 2 October for the SECO Symposium! The latter two day event is replete with a half dozen homes on display, and is planned and hosted entirely by LLLCommunity owners/operators domiciled in the Southeast. For information, contact Chris Nicely via chrisnicely1@gmail.com

And for an ‘invite’ to the 23rd Networking Roundtable, use the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE cited earlier in this blog. 250 expected at this annual event. Oh, by the way, there’ll be a one day professional property management training and certification class on 30 September in Atlanta, GA. Have you earned your Manufactured Housing Manager® or MHM® certification yet?

Catch the Excitement of the 23rd Networking Roundtable, SECO Symposium, and get certified as a Manufactured Housing Manager®!

***

George Allen, CPM & MHM
Box # 47024, Indpls, IN. 46247
(317) 346-7156

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