‘Ready to Move On, With or Without the Assistance of MHARR & MHI’
Blog # 464; Copyright 17 September 2017; at community-investor.com
Perspective. ‘Land lease communities, previously manufactured home communities, &, ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing.’
This blog posting is the sole national advocate, voice, official ombudsman, historian, research report, & online communication media for all North American LLCommunities
To input this blog &/or affiliate with Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance, a.k.a. COBA7, use Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764
COBA7 Motto: ‘U Support US & WE serve U!’ Goal of it’s print & online media =
to not only inform & opine, but to transform & improve MHBusiness performance!’
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INTRODUCTION: We’re on the cusp (‘point’) of major decision-making relative to land lease community representation and advocacy! Which is to say, ‘not that anyone is doing anything wrong’; simply, this unique income-producing property type is now a major market for, and purchaser of, new HUD-Code manufactured homes. And it now deserves, even demands, enhanced political and regulatory representation, as well as assurance of continued delivery of specialized property management-related products (e.g. books, newsletters, statistical reports & directories), as well as services (e.g. PM training & certification, sales training, interpersonal networking, realty deal-making). All that was the quiet gist (‘essence’) of the 26th Networking Roundtable, the COBA7 ‘succession planning meeting’ in particular. Read on…
I.
Present & Future Highlights of the 26th Roundtable
What You Missed & Where We’re Headed During 2018
(Good) fireworks began before this year’s 26th Networking Roundtable started! Ten land lease community owners/operators earned their Manufactured Housing Manager certification designations; and, Joanne Stevens, CCIM, & Tammy Owens’ newly formatted ‘Anatomy of the Deal!’ attracted 75 specialty real estate brokers and a host of would be and present investors in this unique income-producing property type!
A highlight of the opening reception (‘Celebrating National Land Lease Community Week’) was having four women in my life present: Carolyn, daughter Susan, granddaughter Heather, and Susan’s business partner, Erin.
Once again, everyone stood and introduced themselves to the audience of 174 (We were short 20 registrants, mostly from FL & TX, due to weather challenges).
For the first time, I shared the ever-evolving ‘Official State of Manufactured Housing & Land Lease Communities’ talk with a national audience; I do it frequently before state audiences. If you’d like a copy of the 30 bullet point summary of these key industry/asset class statistics and emerging trends, simply ask for it via email to gfa7156@aol.com
David Funk did it again! He laid a housing demographics and trends foundation, then jumped into his “Financing Strategies & impact of Duty to Serve’ talk – offering the Power Point presentation. Continues to amaze me how no other national manufactured housing advocacy entity has picked up on David’s skill and experience as an academic and land lease community owner, to have him share same with their members.
The last summary here, is that of MHGives, the manufactured housing industry’s homegrown charity and mission to central American and Caribbean countries. Want to learn more? Visit MHGives.org.
A note to state MHAssociation execs. Want a super summary of capable and experienced speakers to consider for future seminars for members? Request a copy of this year’s agenda and list of 20 presenters – along with their respective topics. You’ll be glad you did. (317) 346-7156.
II.
COBA7
‘Ready to Move On, With or Without Assistance from MHARR & MHI’
Some of the most interesting proceedings at the annual Networking Roundtable occur before, tucked within, and after the actual 2 1/2 day event. This year, at 1:30-2:30PM, Friday, 20+ businessmen and women met for a COBA7 Succession Planning Meeting.
Hard to say ‘what was accomplished’ within the meeting, as there was no agenda
and conversations covered every aspect of land lease community advocacy, ongoing need for specialized products and services, and ‘where to go from here’?
• Since that meeting, two potential (& interested) national lobbyist candidates have been identified, and will soon be briefed and interviewed.
• An annual operating budget is being compiled, and corporate $ supporters identified and contacted. (All expressed interest, even commitment, beforehand)
• A governing board will be named ‘when the time is right’
• COBA7 to be converted from its’ ‘for profit’ division status within GFA Management, Inc., dba PMN Publishing, to an appropriate ‘not for profit’ entity type.
Does this mean COBA7 will be (Or, as some already see it, ‘continue to be’) a competitor to MHARR & MHI? Not really. MHARR membership is strictly limited to smaller, regional HUD-Code home manufacturers – and associates, who receive periodic regulatory-related news briefs from the entity. MHI, though claiming representation of all segments of the manufactured housing industry, given the dominance of the largest of the HUD-Code home manufacturers (i.e. 80+% national market share of new HUD-Code homes) is understandably focused on that segment of the industry! COBA7, on the other hand, was formed in 2014, ‘by & for’ land lease community owners/operators, large & small, operating throughout the U.S. & Canada. And that’s the market it serves today, in these seven areas:
• Ongoing statistical research, & distribution of same, via the annual ALLEN REPORT (# 29 during January 2018), and other…
• Signature Series Resource Documents (‘SSRDs’), e.g. annual National Registry of ALL Lenders, Directory of Freelance Consultants, Directory of Print & Online MH Media, Lexicon of MHIndustry & LLCommunity Terminology, & more…
• Weekly & monthly communication with affiliates via two print newsletters and an online blog posting at community-investor.com
• Planning & hosting of superb interpersonal networking opportunities
• Planning & hosting of superb deal-making opportunities
• Professional Property Management Training & Certification via popular Manufactured Housing Manager (‘MHM’) program – with its’ 1,000+ designees to date
• National advocacy ‘when need be’, to become ‘continually’, when all is in place; at present functioning mainly as an industry and realty asset class ombudsman, and historian (Read Swan Song; ‘History of LLCommunities, 1970-2017’)
What’s driving this move to enhanced representation and advocacy for land lease communities, large & small, nationwide? The ongoing paradigm shift (2000-2017) in manufactured housing distribution: From independent (street) MHRetailers, to home sales and seller-financing on-site in land lease communities! New manufactured housing shipments (often Community Series Homes), directly into land lease communities, has increased from 25% in 2009, to more than 40% by year end 2015, and is estimated to eclipse 80% by year 2020. This segment of the MHIndustry must have top notch representation to Promote & Protect Itself!
And no one else has been training community owners/operators ‘How to do all this’, by din of ‘Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars’ debuting in 2016, being replicated during 2018 in Elkhart, IN, via a partnership with IMHA/RVIC; and, thru professional property management training and certification. Today, there is no other national classroom-based offering by anyone – other than COBA7’s MHM program.
If YOU are not already affiliated with COBA7, consider doing so today. It costs but $134.95/year – & receive 12 copies of the Allen Letter professional journal. Use the brochure attached to this blog posting, or email gfa7156@aol.com
The COBA7 unique Motto: ‘U Support US & WE Serve U!’
III.
Have You Heard?
Jack Holefelder & five generations of his family, during mid-October in Media, PA., will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of Village Green Senior Community, a land lease community! Some of you may remember Jack as author of a text on family business succession, and being a past speaker at the Networking Roundtable. Congratulations to Jack & his family!
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George Allen
GFA Management, Inc
Box # 47024
Indianapolis, IN. 46247
(317) 346-7156