George Allen / EducateMHC Blog Mobile Home & Land Lease Community Advocate & Expert

June 3, 2022

ANOTHER VIEW OF ‘PUT UP OR SHUT UP!’

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 5:15 am

Blog Posting # 692. Copyright @ 3 June 2022. EducateMHC

Perspective. ‘Land lease communities, previously manufactured home communities, and earlier, ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing!’

EducateMHC is the online national advocate, realty asset class historian, trend spotter, education resource & textbook supplier for land lease communities throughout North America!

To input this blog and or connect with EducateMHC, telephone (317) 881-3815, email gfa7156@aol.com and or visit www.educatemhc.com Previous phone #s no longer connected.

Motto: ‘U Support US & WE Serve U!’ Goal: to promote HUD-Code manufactured housing and land lease communities as U.S. # 1 source of affordable, attainable housing! Be MHM certified!

INTRODUCTION: This is probably one of the most perspective-challenging and thought-provoking blogs to come your way. And the vast majority of the content of Parts I & II are the musings of others, and not me. Though I covet knowing your response to what you read. And if inclined to do so, let us know via gfa7156@aol.com. And Part III is entirely mine. GFA

I.

ANOTHER VIEW OF ‘PUT UP OR SHUT UP!’

This will likely be my last blog, for a while, on the ‘Put Up or Shut Up!’ challenge to those who believe the post-production sectors of manufactured housing continue to need better representation and advocacy than presently provided by the Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’). In this blog posting I want to share three things:

1. Yes, I’ve been receiving emails from blog floggers (readers) expressing desire to attend a national meeting where the subject of creating a new national post-production trade entity will be discussed and maybe planned for by those attending. A reminder. Convening on the 16th of August, the day after the RV/MH Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, is a near perfect timing and location. However, not everyone agrees.

2. That’s right, some of the very folk who’ve been most outspoken about this need, via their online press platform, have been posturing to the effect they just want to comment on the need, and not be personally involved in leadership to launch a post-production trade body. That’s disappointing but hardly surprising, given the hypercritical nature of past pontifications about MHI and major corporate players.

3. And it’s become increasingly apparent there’s another side to this story that heretofore hasn’t been told. Quoting from an unsolicited letter from one of the top salaried executives in the manufactured housing industry: “I believe a new post-production association to serve the interests of smaller community owners/operators, who may feel disenfranchised, is not a good idea. It will weaken an already fragmented industry at the national level.” And this: “I have seen firsthand 9how) the industry is stronger when all segments work together. This was evident when MHI, MHARR and state associations worked together to get the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 enacted.” (lightly edited. Gfa)

Furthermore, “I understand and am sympathetic to association members (who) operate small businesses. These members do not have the same resources as larger member and may have personal and financial constraints. However, these smaller businesses are not precluded from participating in volunteer leadership. I do not buy the theory that larger multi-community owners have hijacked the National Communities Council (‘NCC division’) and are not interested in collaborating with smaller operators on issues impacting the industry.” I don’t agree with this final observation. If all was ‘so well’ at the NCC, then why are meetings so lightly attended by dues-paying members? In my opinion, as stated in an earlier blog posting on this subject, I believe it has to do with the fact the NCC does not allow proxy voting at the annual election of officers, and that scheduling of meetings at expensive resort locations causes affluent, albeit unintentional (?) gerrymandering…keeping member participation artificially low.

In closing ‘Part I’, I want to make this clear. As a retiree, I no longer have a dog in this fight. But I do feel, if those parties, i.e. MHARR, an online trade publication publisher, and like-minded parties, sincerely believe post-production sectors need better representation and advocacy, then step up to the plate, once and for all, and call for a national meeting at a central location, and take ownership and leadership of the proceedings! In my opinion, if this doesn’t occur, at your behest, between now and 16 August 2022, then ‘Shut up!’ about the situation, and stop stirring up discontent in your writings and elsewhere.

II.

YET ANOTHER INDUSTRY LEADER SPEAKS OUT

Every once in a while we receive correspondence from industry/asset class folk that speaks volumes. Received the following message two months ago and have been waiting for an appropriate time to share it with you. And while I don’t think this individual, a MH trade association executive, would mind you knowing their identity, I’m keeping it confidential. Here goes….

“Capitalism vs. socialism is the battle we are all fighting. Yes, (real estate) investors are paying too much for the limited number of (land lease) communities as first, second, even third generation owners/operators decide to ‘take the money and run.’ Yes, manufactured ho0mes are not ‘set it & forge it’ assets. And Yes, upkeep of any home can be expensive. Yes, governments, especially in blue states (and Colorado is certainly blue), are looking to ultimately eliminate private ownership of all property, provide for universal income, and view ‘housing as a human right’.” (Light edits & additions in this paragraph and those to follow. GFA)

“Supply and demand is flexing its muscles. What’s the industry going to do about it? Developing new communities and saturating the market (supply) is the only way to slow the trend (demand). But ‘not in my back yard’ (continues to prevail).

“HUD and the trade unions remain the industry’s biggest obstacles to greater utilization. The lack of involvement (acceptance, acknowledgement) by local building departments further puts the onus on community operators (‘those villains’) for requiring corrections to residents’ upkeep and safety issues. Many seniors failure to adequately plan for their financial needs in retirement is another huge problem tugging on liberal heartstrings. The destruction of family is a socialist/communist goal too – let the government take care of weird old uncle Earl. Funny how liberal news outlets never mention how inflation, local real estate price trends, gentrification (which happens in land lease communities too), or ever-increasing property taxes, may justify increasing rental homesite rent rates. It’s also never the residents’ fault.”

“IMHO, and in general, the regulatory environment has not kept pace with the evolution of ‘trailers’ to ‘multisection’ homes. RVs are the current day equivalent of the original ‘mobile homes’, yet they do not suffer near the discrimination in zoning, raw land development, or rent control pressures that manufactured housing does. Most places you can park an RV in one’s side yard, hook it up to water, sewer and electric, and nobody complains. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe it’s the design or the cool graphics. Maybe that it remains ‘mobile’.”

So, what do you think of this view of our industry and realty asset class today? Accurate, inaccurate, or what? Let us know via gfa7156@aol.com


III.

I’VE BEEN PONDERING…

When you read this in early June, I’ll have been fully retired – except for recurring writing assignments, for ten months. And I’ve truly enjoyed the experience, the major change in lifestyle and pace. More time with Carolyn, reading, writing (working on third part of our family trilogy*1), and enjoying life. One of the highlights? Carolyn and I are blessed to have all 20 or so of our immediate family members living very nearby in central Indiana. And the birth of Emmerson Junia in late March of 2021 has brought us much joy. Why? Because two days a week we babysit her in our home. Unexpected realization? I know more about Emma June’s rapid growth during her first year of life than I ever knew of our two children, two grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, who spent their early days with Carolyn.

Point in telling you all this? I’m feeling a hankering for a change in which I communicate with you. Oh, I thoroughly enjoy blogging – but have come to the realization that I need to ‘make an appearance’ from time to time, at industry events, if I’m to stay up to date with what’s going on – and not going on. But guess what? No one to date, is interested in compensating me for travel expenses, let alone speaker honorariums, if/when I address either or both manufactured housing and land lease community audiences. And while I’m comfortably secure with our retirement income, I don’t see much sense in underwriting such costs from personal savings. So, I need to do something differently…..but what?

It’s been suggested, more than once, I take my weekly blog over to Linked In and post it there for folk who’re interested in reading it. And perhaps make it a bit more of general interest. My industry/asset class specific focus will continue in the Allen Legacy column within the pages of MHInsider magazine.

So, what do you think? Again, I’d truly like to know. Reach me via gfa7156@aol.com

End Note.

1. The Allen trilogy. Comprised of the autobiography, From SmittyAlpha6 to MHMaven!; then the 400+ page perfect bound book, George & Carolyn, compiled during year 2021 for our progeny. And now I’m transcribing more than 400 letters I sent home to Carolyn from Vietnam in 1968 & 69. Frankly, I’m unsure I’ll be able to complete this final part of the trilogy, as it’s already taking far more time and effort than expected. But it sure has stimulated memories, good and bad, long buried and removed from view.

George Allen, CPM, MHM
EducateMHC





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