Blog Posting # 872; Copyright 26 December 2025. EducateMHC
Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. one of four types of offsite construction: being manufactured, modular & panelized housing, plus Park Model RVs – or accessory dwelling units, a.k.a. ADUs), routinely paired with traditional stick-built, single-family residential housing (a.k.a. onsite construction, where building permits are tallied and reported monthly by the U.S. Census Bureau). Land lease communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities, ‘mobile home parks’) are the commercial real estate (‘CRE’) component of MH. And, along with various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel or ‘home only’ loans, and real estate- secured mortgages) constitutes the post-production segment of the MH industry.
EducateMHC is an MH historian, trade term and tend tracker, as well as perennial MH information source! Contact EducateMHC via (317) 881-3815; email gfa7156@aol.com, or visit www.edcatemhc.com, to purchase ‘Community Management in the Manufactured Housing Industry’. This book belongs in very land lease community nationwide! And SWAN SONG’- history of land lease communities & official record of annual MH production totals since 1955.
And my autobiography, ‘From SmittyAlpha6 to MHMaven’, describes personal combat adventures in Vietnam as a USMC lieutenant, a 45 year entrepreneur business career in MH & community ownership, as well as freelance consulting and authoring of 20 nonfiction texts.
George Allen is the sole emeritus member of the Manufactured Housing Institute (”MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, an RV/MH Hall of Fam enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist;, and editor at large for ‘MHInsider’ magazine.
Christmas’ Present & Past
As I pen these lines, Christmas is still a few days away. Today I’m wrapping presents for family members and friends.
Something unique I do that you might want to emulate next year, is to make a list of ten or more individuals closest to you. Then, during the year ahead, watch for gift ideas within your budget (Mine is $25.00 /gift), that your hand-picked recipients would like. Since most (everyone) on my list is male, I‘ve gifted things like high quality fingernail clippers, leather coin purses, combination flashlight/stun guns, and pocket-sized multi-tools. This year I’m going with a dozen small handheld binoculars for the 12 guys on my list.
I bring gift-giving up because it’s fun to do, and I wanted to share with you what former clients (now that I’m retired) sent to Carolyn and me over past years.
The most unique, albeit humorous Christmas card received to date was one from the late Bob Bross, founder and longtime proprietor of BROPFS Mobile Homes in St. Charles & Festus, MO. A joker ‘from the word go’, Bob was always the prankster and ready with witty anecdotes. Well one year his friends received a Christmas card in the mail with this tongue-in-cheek alternative message: Inside, Bob had crossed-out original sender’s name, and printed this business message: ‘It’s been a rough year!’ signed Bob B. Turns out, he’d saved Christmas cards he received the previous year and made this adjustment before readdressing and sending them out to business associates and friends. It remains one of my prize business mementoes.
Recently I opined, in this weekly blog posting, ‘Will You Be Part Of, Or Lost to MH History?’ Well Bob Bross is one of those individuals to which I was referring. Tales of his comic exploits (e.g. showing up at formal affairs wearing a T-shirt with tuxedo bow tie and lapels screen-printed on it) continue to be shared – years after his passing. And Yes, he was a very successful independent (street) MHRetailer and community owner/operator in Missouri. Then there’s the late Tom Raper of RV fame! Bet you never heard of him. Well, for decades he was the largest RV & MH dealer in the U.S., with a huge sales lot in Richmond, IN. and constant ads on TV. But is he in the RV/MH Hall of Fame? Unfortunately, no. And that list goes on and on. How ‘bout the late Tom Horner, Jr., the only former NFL player/CPA businessman in MH industry history not inducted (yet) into the RV/MH Hall of Fame.
OK, back to past Christmas gifts from business associates and friends. One year Carolyn and I received an entire pre-cooked turkey! And there’ve been many large, heavy boxes of citrus fruit from Newby Management and other business clients in Florida and California. (Just ate one huge juicy orange this morning!). The most unique gifts over the years, however, have come from Matt Follett. One year he sent us a 12 inch art-deco ceramic serving plate that always generates comments. Another year he gifted us an art print mounted on aluminum backing plate, depicting the famous Chasing Firefall in Yosemite Valley, California. Matt’s most unique gift has been a 9”X16” wood slab home-décor piece featuring unique grain.
This year, as case in the point, we received a Harry & David box of summer sausage, cheeses, crackers and candy from Mike Sullivan, fellow RV/MH Hall of Fame inductee in California. Another faithful friend, to us, has been Kamal Shouhayib of the Choice Group in Michigan, yet another RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee. Kamal thrills Carolyn with his gift of extra virgin olive oil, grown on his property in Lebanon. His gift box also includes unique herbs for seasoning the olive oil when preparing a bread dip. Also a tin box of Lebanese sweets, and this year, Dubet chocolates. See what I mean, Carolyn and I have been very blessed over the years by the generosity of many many friends.
What will you be gifting your friends and family members next year?
George Allen