September 2019; Copyright 2019; www.educatemhc.com
Perspective. ‘Land lease communities, previously manufactured home communities, and earlier, ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing.’
This blog is sole online national advocate, official ombudsman, asset class historian, research reporter, PM education resource & communication media for all land lease communities.
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Motto: ‘U Support US & WE Serve U! Goal: promote HUD-Code manufactured housing & land lease communities as U.S. source of affordable attainable housing! Next MHM class 10/7/19
INTRODUCTION: Part I, a potpourri of interesting MHIndustry information. Part II, preliminary thoughts pursuant to planning, financing, and effecting a national advertising and image improvement campaign, via the land lease community segment of the manufactured housing industry. All that’s needed now is a LEADDER. Manufacturers. You paying attention? And Part III. One might say I know ‘just enough’ to be dangerous, where this succession matter is concerned. My hope is, ‘voting members’ of MHI, which I am not, are paying attention to what’s being done (to them), where salaried and volunteer leadership are concerned.
I.
Did You Know?
The U.S. Median Household Income during Year 2018, was $63,179. How ‘bout your county? Visit www.Zipwho.com And, for a copy of ‘Ah Ha! & Uh Oh! Worksheet for calculating new & resale housing values based on Area Median Income (‘AMI’), request it via gfa7156@aol.com
“Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a Senate committee on Tuesday (10/10/19) he wants to reach an agreement quickly with the regulator (Affordable Housing Finance Agency or AHFA) of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, to allow the companies to keep their profits to rebuild capital – a first step in privatizing the nation’s largest sources of mortgage financing.” Quoted from the DAILY; source for mortgage & housing industry news.
According to HUD Secretary Carson, “HUD…elevate the Office of Manufactured Housing Programs within HUD and appoint a Deputy Assistant Secretary to lead it.” Something that’s been a (too) longtime coming!
The 28th Networking Roundtable was a complete success, from beginning to end. Highlights? Stirring keynote presentation by Congressman Trey Hollingsworth, who exhibited a deep knowledge of manufactured housing and land lease communities – and the role they should be filling relative to this nation’s affordable housing crisis. Just as illuminating, were very open ‘Here’s how we did it’ presentations by portfolio owners/operators Mike Callaghan (Four Leaf Properties), Jeff Davidson (Meritus Corporation), and Julio Jaramillo of Evergreen Communities)
During the wrap-up session at this year’s Networking Roundtable, a dozen concerned businessmen and women spent 1 ½ hours ‘talking through’ the continuing need for a nationwide marketing and image improvement program for the manufactured housing industry and or the land lease community real estate asset class.*1 A summary of said proceedings, along with questions begging answers, comprise Part II of this blog. This group pretty much decided to focus their attention on the property type rather than entire industry.
End Note.
1. Such initiatives have started and failed over the years. A decade ago, at a Networking Roundtable in Mystic, CT., Kevin Clayton of Clayton Homes was encouraged by community owners – willing to donate funds, to take a similar idea to an MHI annual meeting occurring in TX during the next few weeks. When the HUD-Code housing manufacturers caucused in private, they nixed the idea, concerned that non-member firms would benefit from their, and community owners/operators, largesse funding such a marketing and image-improvement campaign.
II.
Community & Lifestyle Campaign
What follows are six foci areas – and there could well be others, for consideration before launching any major campaign to market and improve image of communities & lifestyle:
1. What is nexus of the campaign? The land lease community (or whatever it’s to be labeled) and or the multifamily rental community lifestyle, where everyone lives in and cares for their own home.
2. The scope of this campaign? National or regional, with appropriate characteristics/ foci
3. The cost of such a campaign? To be funded by communities.
4. What are unique selling propositions (‘USP’) associated with communities and or lifestyle, and where/how to best get this message out effectively? What platforms?
5. Who to lead this major effort? A national MH advocacy entity, or a capable, experienced, motivated independent third party.
6. Timeline, budget, performance benchmarks along the way
There was much more discussed, than ‘just this’, at the aforementioned informal meeting.
If you agree this is a serious enough matter to be pursued, let me know ASAP, via gfa7156@aol.com. There are individuals waiting to get started on such a campaign. That’s the ‘first acid test’. Another? MHI’s annual meeting, including its’ National Communities Council division occurs next week (22-24 September) in Savannah, GA. Whether this matter is brought up (not by me) and seriously considered, during the NCC meeting, will be a ‘second acid test’!
Whether this community campaign idea flies or dies, will likely be decided by early October.
So, will manufactured housing history, once again, repeat itself – to no end; or, will our salaried and elected national leaders finally recognize the need, catch this vision, and make plans to nationally/regionally promote manufactured housing &/or land lease communities & lifestyle during year 2020 and beyond? It will be interesting and ‘telling’ to watch and see!
III.
MHI Annual Meeting 2019
Smart Succession or Leadership Swamp?
Was there a nominating committee in place, recommending individuals to fill vacancies on MHI’s executive committee, at the annual meeting next week (23 & 24 September)?
Will there be balance among board members, relative to all ‘Big Three C’ firms (i.e. Clayton Homes, Skyline-Champion, & Cavco Industries), represented on the new board?
Will the new executive director of MHI be selected from within present day staff, or from candidates recruited outside the Washington beltway, maybe even outside the industry?
These are a few of the questions coming across my PC in the form of emails this past week. Certainly not much information forthcoming from MHI about any of these matters. That’s ‘lack of communication’ with members, from my perspective.