George Allen’s Official Info Blog for the MHIndustry & LLCommunity Asset Class!
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Title:
‘Influencing What Does & Doesn’t Happen
to the MHIndustry & LLCommunity Asset Class’
Whether a veteran purist, dedicated Luddite, or forward–looking visionary in the HUD Code manufactured housing industry – or sister segments sometimes called the ‘aftermarket’, and the landlease (nee manufactured home) community real estate asset class, YOU have a responsibility to influence what does and does not happen to all of US! And now, given the content of this Info Blog, here’s a practical resource with which to truly influence what does and doesn’t happen to US! The question is; are you, and will you, exercise this ‘responsibility to influence’, on regional and national business scenes through active participation in state and national MHAssociations and other means; or just lie back, content with what’s going on around you; or at worst, pursue proprietary MHBusiness interests with no ‘giving back’ to the industry and asset class where you make your living?
Following are the major opinion shapers, government lobbyists, trade bodies, and education outlets serving the MHIndustry & LLCommunity asset class. The list is near complete and comprehensive. Think someone or something is missing? Maybe they are. But ask yourself; ‘When was the last time I saw or heard said entity present and working on behalf of our industry and asset class on the regional or national scene?’ Following bodies are not listed in any particular order:
• Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (‘MHARR’), a.k.a. MHIndustry’s ‘watchdog’ in Washington, DC. Comprised only of HUD Code home manufacturers & interested state MHAssociations. (202) 783-4087. Danny Ghorbani. Call & ask to receive their periodic FAX messages & reprints.
• Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’), headquartered in Arlington, VA. Advocates in behalf of every segment of the HUD Code manufactured housing industry, including most state MHAssociations. (703) 558-0400. Thayer Long. Call to join the organization and attend periodic meetings during the year.
• National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division of MHI. Sole representative for 50,000+/- LLCommunities throughout the U.S. & sponsors an NCC Forum @ MHI’s annual MHCongress in Las Vegas. (703) 558-0678. No director at this time. Most effective means for LLCommunity owners to influence their future!
• Urban Land Institute’s Manufactured Housing Communities Council (‘ULI’s MHCC’) in Washington, DC. Described as MHIndustry’s de facto ‘Think Tank’ and LLCommunity owners/operators’ ‘foot in the door’ with U.S. land developers (248) 645-1077 Call Kenneth Lipschutz, chairman, to join ‘best & brightest’.
• Manufactured Housing Educational Institute (‘MHEI’) education arm of MHI; developing and effecting trade training programs for MHRetailers, LLCommunity managers (e.g. ACM) & others. (703) 558-0400 Ann Parman or chairman Joe Adams @ (828) 891-3911. Suggestions for a webinar & other training programs?
• Community-Investor.com nee PMN Publishing. Sole source of professional property management, development, and investment textbooks, standard forms, and Manufactured Housing Manager (‘MHM’) certification, all geared to LLCommunity asset class. (317)346-7156. Susan McCarty
• Manufactured Housing Executives Council (‘MHEC’), de facto council serving state MHAssociation executives; meets during MHI meetings. (919) 872-2740. Brad Lovin, chairman. This is the body to encourage to participate in national trends like the Super Symposium & New Home Showcase, on the state level!
• Factory–Built Owners of America (‘FBOA’) in TX. Sole quasi – consumer (i.e. manufactured home owner) & MHBusiness body actively working to bring these parties together in a positive fashion through education and communication. (210) 258-1674. Contact Deb Ahrens to join and receive their newsletter.
• The RV/MH Heritage Foundation, Inc., Elkhart, IN. The only legacy body in North America preserving the history of the RV & MH industries and their respective realty ‘aftermarkets’. Annual Hall of Fame induction banquet in August at the museum, library facility. Donate $! (574) 293-2344. Carl Ehry
• Systems Building Research Alliance (‘SBRA’) in NY, is a non–profit organization developing new technologies to enhance factory–built structures. Think: the SOILS Project! Have ideas or questions? Give them a call! (212) 496-0900. Emanuel Levy, director.
• Small Community Owners Forum (‘SCOF’) in IA, not a formal, organized body at this time, but the beginning of a national presence for owners/operators of ‘100 sites and smaller’ LLCommunities. (319) 378-6786. LLCommunity owner Joanne Stevens, ACM, PHC, CCIM. Contact & encourage her to this end!
• ‘Community series’ manufactured homes. Another recent, needed debut on the national MHIndustry scene. Donald C. Westphal of MI., heads this timely effort to research, document, and describe the unique sizes, features and specification characterizing new homes to be sited within LLCommunities. (248) 651-5518.
• Annual ALLEN REPORT is undergoing gradual transformation. For 20 years it’s been: ‘Who’s Who Among LLCommunity Portfolio Owners/operators in North America!’ Efforts afoot to take its’ benchmark statistics to a higher level. To help? Contact George Allen (317) 346-7156 & Bruce Nell (614) 540-2950.
• Business Development Managers (‘BDM’), a national trend among HUD Code home manufacturers to market more new homes to be sited in LLCommunities. No formal organization, but Official BDM list is updated several times each year. Want to be included? Call (317)346-7156.
• George Allen’s Official Info Blog for MHIndustry & LLCommunity Asset Class. Only electronic cum print, business to business, trade media compiled and published daily (via email), weekly (via this blog) & monthly (via Allen Letter & the Allen CONFIDENTIAL!) by a Realtor®, CPM® & MHM® fully engaged nationally, in this industry and asset class, for 30 years! (317) 346-7156.
Know what? There’re additional organizations, trade bodies, and business entities that could be included in this ‘responsibility to influence’ enabling list. And perhaps, when the day comes that these groups step forward from the manufactured housing underground, where they educate about ‘mobile home parks’ and publish material by folk not associated with the MHIndustry & LLCommunity asset class, and become actively involved, as dues–paying members, in existent trade organizations, trade bodies and business entities that influence our collective future, we can double this list in size! If you know of any of these folk, encourage them to become ‘influencers’ on the national scene…
As usual, your response, critique, and suggestions are welcome!
George Allen, Realtor®, CPM®, MHM®
Box # 47024
Indianapolis, IN. 46247
(317)346-7156