Blog Posting # 809; Copyright 6 September 2024. EducateMHC
Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. another type of offsite construction). And land lease communities (a.k.a. manufactured home communities & ‘mobile home parks’) comprise the commercial real estate (‘CRE’) component of MH! EducateMHC is the online advocate, official historian, trade term & trend tracker, as well as information resource for both business models, and to a lesser extent the recreational vehicle (‘RV’) industry. Access EducateMHC via (317) 881-3815; email: gfa7156@aol.com, and via www.educatemhc.com to purchase Community Management in the Manufactured Housing Industry and SWAN SONG – a 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 consultant & author of many 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 Fame enshrinee, and MHInsider magazine’s ‘Allen Legacy’ columnist and editor at large. He’s a Vietnam combat veteran and retired lieutenant colonel of U.S. Marines, and author/editor of 30 books & chapbooks on MH, communities, business management, prayer & figures of speech.
It’s Been Awhile…
On occasion I like to share a potpourri (‘mixture of eclectic factoids’) of observations, definitions, and information accumulated over a period of time, I hope will be of interest to readers. Here goes:
Let’s begin by picking up where we left off in last week’s blog posting (#808), relative to best features to include when spec’ing a new HUD-Code manufactured home. One of our loyal blog readers sent me his list of additional recommended features:
Heat Pumps – 15 SEER or better
House fans throughout the house
Dehumidifier hook up
Hybrid heat pump water heaters
Crown molding throughout
Wired and braced for ceiling fans in all rooms
Wired and braced for outside motion security lights
Supply cutoff valves on all sinks and toilets
OSB wrapped
And, of course, this list could go on, but you get the idea. When asked why he recommends these features, this land lease community owner/operator says: “The more energy upgrades we add to the home, the lower the power bill for our homeowner/site lessee. And since we plan on seeing these residents daily for the next 20-30 years, we want them to have a quality built home in which to live!”
Did you know the trendy word WOKE can be thought of as an acronym? I didn’t either. Knew it started out as ‘alertness to racial prejudice and discrimination’; then broadened to include identity politics of the American Left. Well some pundits of late, disillusioned with controversial societal interlopers like DEI and CRT, opine that WOKE has shifted camps, and now as an acronym, ‘Willfully Overlooks Known Evil’ of contemporary liberal politics and social mores.*1
There’s a new type ADU (accessory dwelling unit) seeking traction in the affordable-attainable housing discussion. It’s called a BUNKIE. What’s a Bunkie? It’s a small cabin (oft sold as kits) ranging in size from 99 – 220 square feet, and in price from $6,000-20,000. In Canada it’s referred to as a livable shed. So we now have Bunkies, Park Model RVs, Tiny Houses, converted steel shipping containers, and other variants as ADUs. It’s one reason I hope to journey to Grand Rapids, MI., on 25 September, to take in the annual ShedBuilder EXPO at the DeVos Place. While it hasn’t happened yet (that I know of), I fully expect some shed builders to raise their product to the next level of sophistication and start turning out something akin to ‘shed homes’ (Need a much better marketing term; maybe Sophished?), as their answer to the shortage of affordable-attainable housing in the U.S. today.
Skeptical Inquirer magazine, in a recent promotional piece, suggests using the acronym SLACK to combat pervasive, persuasive conspiracy theories in one’s news resources:
S. ‘Does the news attempt to scare or shock?’ Then ‘watch out’!
L. ‘Does the news rely on complicated logistics?’ Be wary!
A. ‘Does the news revolve around A-list celebrities?’ Check it!
P. ‘Does the news demonstrate prejudice? Run!
OK, so now for some interesting ‘Aging by the Numbers’, citing U.S. Census Bureau statistics:
“More than 10,000 people turn 65 every day in the U.S.”
“By 2060, the U.S. is projected to have 88.8 million citizens over the age of 65.”
“As of 2020, females comprised a slightly higher share of the U.S. population than males.” 168.8 million Or 50.9% vs. 162.7 million or 49.1%
“According to the 2020 census, 1 in 6 people were 65 or older.”
“Baby boomers are those defined as being born between 1946 & 1964. The first baby boomers turned 65 in the year 2022.”
“The United States population, as of August 2024, is 336,851,169.”
“The world population is 8,063,791,098.”
And finally, a couple book reviews:
J.D. Vance’s ‘memoir of a family and culture in crisis’, Hillbilly Elegy, was first published in 2016, well before he was named as former President Donald Trump’s VP running mate in this year’s presidential election. IMHO, this is an autobiography (i.e. a collection of life memoirs) that deserves to be read by every American! Why? Because it introduces the ‘whole man’ who might well be our next vice president. Many folk with a humble and troubled childhood like his would not deign to share it with the U.S. public at large – but JD does. And it is so encouraging to read how he worked and fought to put much of his past behind him, by joining the U.S. Marines and serving overseas, then graduating from college and Yale Law School. It’s a fairly easy ‘read’ and certainly engaging from beginning to end. Let me know what you think of the book? Gfa7156@aol.com
Just finished Kristin Hannah’s epic tale of women (mainly nurses) who served in the Republic of Vietnam (i.e. Vietnam War) during the 1960s & 1970s. The book, titled The Women, is hard to put down at times, especially during action sequences. I lost interest only when the main character engaged in opposing that conflict (via Vietnam Veterans Against the Vietnam War & protest marches). But as she battles back from her personal emotional battles, the reader is again immersed in a gripping narrative. I particularly appreciated the descriptions of causes, manifestations and consequences of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). In my case, after returning from Vietnam, I battled an inability to cry or show emotion for ten years, and being mirthful whenever in the presence of death among family members and friends. All that’s behind me now. But reading the book certainly stirred long suppressed emotions, but in a healthy fashion. So, if you have friends or family who were involved in the Vietnam era, and even if you don’t, The Women makes for an engaging and worthwhile ‘read’!
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End Notes.
- DEI = Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & CRT = Critical Race Theory.
George Allen