Blog Posting # 861; Copyright 3 October 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: manufactured, modular, panelized housing & Park Model RVs), routinely paired with traditional stick-built housing (a.k.a. onsite construction). And land lease communities (a.k.a. manufactured home communities & ‘mobile home parks’) comprise the commercial real estate (‘CRE’) component of MH. Various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel or ‘home only’ loans, and real estate mortgages constitute the post-production segment of MH.
EducateMHC, an MH historian, trade term & trend tracker, as well as perennial MH information source! Contact EducateMHC via (317) 881-3815; email gfa7156@aol.com, and www.educatemhc.com, to purchase Community Management in the Manufactured Housing Industry (This book belongs in every land lease community nationwide!), and SWAN SONG – History of land lease communities & official record of annual MH production totals since 1955.
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, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist & editor at large for the popular MHInsider magazine.
‘TURN YOUR STORY INTO HISTORY!’
Several notable personages, active in manufactured housing and land lease community ownership, are penning their autobiographies! Are you one of them? While I hope so, I doubt it. Why? Because writing personal and corporate memoirs (i.e. short stories) is a time-consuming and lonely task. But pulling memoirs together into a self-published corporate history, biography (of someone else) or one’s autobiography, while turning ‘stories into history’ – is a laborious service to mankind and preservation of one’s legacy! In my opinion, it’s well worth the time, effort and expense. Here’s why….
So many of our personal, even corporate experiences, are unique to us, our family, our business, our industry, and deserve recording. Just one example. As many know, I’ve been researching and penning a comprehensive history of the RV/MH Hall of Fame for the past two years – and know I’ve got another two years to go. Along the way I’ve relied on anecdotes and histories archived in the Hall of Fame library, and a raft of autobiographies. I’ve read and used material from more than a dozen manufactured housing and land lease community-specific autobiographies (More about this later), and of late, a half dozen RV-related collections of memoirs. If these personal and corporate histories had NOT been penned and, for the most part, self-published, I’d be ‘dead in the water’ where this project is concerned, and all this ‘history’ would be lost to future generations of MH/RV aficionados and would be practitioners.
Since I have these tomes for my use, the stories have fleshed-out ‘specific events by date’ histories I’d have otherwise not written. For example, I’ve learned of the fair number of immigrants who’ve come to America and realized Horatio Algier dreams of personal and corporate success (e.g. Kris Jensen, Dan Pocapalio, Boris Vukovich, et. al.). And how many, if not most, MH & RV manufacturers started, fabricating product prototypes, in someone’s garage.
So, are there stories in particular I’d like to see penned and published? Sure, here’s a sampling.
Several corporate owners/operators of land lease community portfolios ‘went public’ as real estate investment trusts (‘REITs’) in 1994 – and all have continued to grow in size since then. So there’re certainly interesting, if not exciting, stories to share now and in the future.
How ‘bout the Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’). Everyone in the MH business knows who they are, but ‘who’ really knows the institute’s history? Some tidbits to disclose: original name and when started; who were the many executive directors during past seven or more decades? How was MHARR spun off in 1985? Same to be said about the RVIA (Recreational Vehicle Industry of America).
Adventure Homes in Auburn, IN. This was originally a plant for a major MH player, but is now owned/run by employees – or so I’m told. There simply has to be ‘a grand tale to be told there’.
Annual SECO Conference in Atlanta, GA. During the past 13 years this event has grown from a small regional gathering into the premier gathering of small-to-mid-sized land lease community owners/operators from throughout the U.S! New manufactured homes are always on display. Rumor has it that a book is being written, but mainly about one of the transaction methodologies conceived and matured along with this annual event: MH lease option.
There’s a new tale unfolding right now – the acquisition of American Homestar by CAVCO Industries. Hmm. Wonder if anyone there will pick up the pen and tell us that inside story? Maybe a similar tale, albeit larger in $ size, is the soon acquisition of YES! Communities.
A story I’d really like to read is one that describes the growth of Lautrec, Ltd, under Spencer Partridge; then the founding and rapid growth of RHP Properties, under his son Ross Partridge.
ROC USA is surely a tale with many tangents. Resident-owned Communities (‘ROC’) have come into their own during the past couple (few?) decades. Founder Paul Bradley has moved into other leadership there, succeeded Emily Haden. Anyone going to tell us this compelling story?
The most intriguing story yet to be told, is about Randy Rowe of Green Courte Partners. I was at his side when his saga began in the early 90s – when he took MHC cum ELS, Inc. public as a REIT. Then came his founding and rapid growth of Hometown America, followed by Green Courte Partners. And along the way, Randy was the inspiration to launch the National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division at MHI*1; Oh, and lest we forget, the short-lived Manufactured Housing Communities Council (‘MHCC’), of the Urban Land Institute (‘ULI’).
Know what? There are many additional individuals out there who have very worthwhile personal success stories to tell. I’ll name just a few here: Charles Fanaro of Saddlebrook Farms fame – as visionary real estate developer and top shelf MH manufacturer*2; Eugene & Sam Landy, father/son at UMH Properties; the Hames family in Iowa; Jim Ayotte, executive director of FMHA (Florida), Mike Sullivan, CPM, of Newport Pacific Family of Companies; Sharon Niccum, now retired Indiana-based community owner/operator; Don Westphal, renowned landscape architect; George Porter, father of MH installations; and Suzanne Felber, interior decorator par excellence.
Earlier I spoke of land lease community owners/operators who’ve penned and published their autobiographies. Quoting from the booklet ‘Who Will Preserve Your Legacy? Answer: you!’:
Kristian Jensen, Sr., A Danish American. Long out of print but in the RV/MH Hall of Fame library
John Crean, The Wheel & I. Most extravagant MH book ever published, with gilt edged pages…
James Clayton, First A Dream. Profits from these book sales donated to RV/MH Hall of Fame
The Life & Times of B.M. Vukovich, a photoautobiography prepared and published by his family.
Harrell & Darrell Cohron, The Trailer Twins. Both deceased; company in 3rd or 4th generation
Mike Conlon, Unconventional Wealth. Covers first half author’s life, more to come….
George N. Goldman, The Road Less Traveled. Once renown Midwest owner/operator
Alvan L. Schrader, No Respect At All…A PATH TO MILLION$. Contains pithy challenge to MH folk
George Allen’s SWAN SONG, History of Land Lease Communities & annual MH #s from 1955…
Samuel Zell, Am I Being Too Subtle? Long awaited book from largest public owner/operator.
Matthew Jenkins, DVM, Positive Possibilities. USAF veteran, veterinarian, owner/operator
Jim, Ralph & Jeff Scoular, Leap of Faith. Tale of three MH ‘players’ all in one family.
George Allen, From SmittyAlpha6 to MHMaven. From Vietnam combat to community owner
George O’Leary, the O’Learys of Beechwood. Little known MH & RV developer/operator
Now, wouldn’t you like to see your life story, or corporate history, added to this august list? For a head start to this end, request a FREE copy of the aforementioned booklet. It contains brief summaries of these titles, and at the end, a Five Step procedure for preparing one’s memoirs and autobiography. Request via gfa7156@aol.com Most of these books are available to purchase via the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN. Visit their website: RV/MH Hall of Fame.
And remember, tongue in cheek, that “Autobiography is an unrivaled vehicle for telling the truth about other people.” Philip Guedalla
End Notes
- Read the late Bruce Savage’s The First 20 Years! Available: www.educatemhc.com
- Read SWAN SONG, Available: www.educatemhc.com
George Allen