Blog Posting # 802; Copyright 19 July 2024. EducateMHC
Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable factory-built housing (a.k.a. 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 and trend tracker, as well as information resource for both business models, and to a lesser extent, for the recreational vehicle (‘RV’) industry as well. Access EducateMHC via (317) 881-3815; email: gfa7156@aol.com, & 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, describers personal combat adventures in Vietnam as a USMC lieutenant, a 45 year entrepreneur business career in MH & community ownership, as well as prolific non-fiction author and popular freelance consultant.
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 ‘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.
The New York Times – Very Bad Timing!
Not wanting to jump too quickly into the fray, I’ve waited four days to pen these lines to you.
Here goes.
I prefer to get daily news from newspapers. Weekdays I receive and read USA Today and The Journal, a local newspaper. After 40+ years I quit the Indianapolis Star over onerous billing practices. Weekly, Carolyn & I receive and read The Epoch Times. If you’re unfamiliar with this informative late-comer to the USA and international news scene, I suggest you google it and give it a try. We routinely share our copies with family members and friends on a regular basis.
On Sunday I do something different. I compromise my conservative mindset and read The New York Times. Yes, I know going into it I’ll likely disagree with much of the left-leaning news reporting and opining characteristic of the Gray Lady of newspapers – cum purveyor of, IMHO, ‘fake news’ at times. But you know; it wasn’t always this way. The ‘Gray Lady’ nickname was allegedly coined by rival journals who perceived the Times as lacking excitement and sensationalism in its’ reporting. Not so much these days.
This past weekend, presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, survived an assassination attempt at an outdoor political rally in western Pennsylvania. This occurred at 6:11PM Saturday evening. Twelve hours later, The New York Times published its’ Sunday Opinion Section with this full front page headline in white ink on a black background:
HE FAILED THE TESTS OF LEADERSHIP AND BETRAYED AMERICA. VOTERS MUST REJECT HIM IN NOVEMBER. Donald Trump Is Unfit to Lead. By the Editorial Board of The Times.
Talk about very ‘bad timing’, this certainly epitomizes it! Especially when the opinion pieces therein embellished and trumpeted the nefarious political theme:
THE FAILURES OF DONALD TRUMP, an editorial by The Editorial Board – ‘A Group of opinion journalists whose views are formed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values.’ Really? Nary a one of these journalists is identified anywhere in this hit piece. In my OPINION, this is obvious and obnoxious cowardice! The content? I don’t read ramblings by individuals who do not identify themselves. Shame on you ‘Gray Lady’!
Oh, the other opinion piece titles in this very badly-timed Opinion Section?
REPUBLICANS WILL REGRET A SECOND TRUMP TERM
FOUR POSSIBLE SCENARIOS FOR TRUMP VERSION 2.0
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY’S SPLIT PERSONALITY
On Monday I went back to reading my usual weekday fare of news reporting. Almost canceled my Sunday-only subscription to The New York Times, but realized I’d miss opportunities to spot and challenge future errant viewpoints (in contrast with my own) as they are published.
AN UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICE?
I was recently made privy (i.e. ‘admitted to a secret’- not the ‘small building used as a toilet’ definition) to a recurring business practice in manufactured housing that stinks, to me anyway, like a small building used as a toilet! Read the following lightly-edited paragraph and let me know if you’ve experienced the same or similar pricing malfeasance.
“Have you guys run into a situation where a MH plant increases the house price substantially, between the time you order it and the time it’s delivered?
We ordered a ______ home in December and are scheduled to have it delivered next week, and the plant has increased the price by $6,000.00 from when we ordered it.
One of their arguments is that it is a 2025 house instead of a 2024 house. We countered with the fact that we would’ve been glad to take a 2024 house but they are the ones requiring eight months to build and deliver.
We also countered with the fact they do not increase the price to a retailer who has sold the house when he orders it. The rationale there is that the retailer cannot increase the price to the customer. Well, we argue that we too sold the house when we ordered, obtained financing for that amount, and also are not in a position to change either.
Furthermore, we wonder if the plant would reduce the price of the ordered home if their costs decreased between the time we ordered it and they delivered it?”
This is not a new situation; it’s been going on for years, maybe decades. But is it right and fair? At present, roughly 70 percent of the national market for new HUD-Code manufactured homes is corralled by just three manufacturers. If/when all three firms engage in this practice, it takes on the visage of price-fixing.
In any event, if you’ve experienced the same or similar pricing issues of late, please let me know via gfa7156@aol.com
George Allen