Blog Posting # 847; Copyright 20 June 2025. EducateMHC
Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-cased, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. one of four types of offsite construction), routinely paired with traditional stick-built housing (a.k.a. onsite construction). Plus, 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) describe the post-production segment of MH.
EducateMHC is the official 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 beginning in 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 consulting and authoring of 30 nonfiction texts.
George Allen is the sole emeritus member of the Manufactured Housing Institutes (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fam enshrine, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large for the MHInsider magazine.
WRITER’S WORKSHOP
‘Preserving Personal & Corporate Legacies via Memoirs & Autobiographies’
Several weeks ago this weekly blog posting asked, ‘Will You Be Remembered or Forgotten?’ Two weeks later we shared, ‘Here’s How to Be Remembered by All!’ Well this week we’re taking that question and answer a step further.
I’m planning to host a morning-long Writer’s Workshop on 18 August (i.e. 9AM-Noon) at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN. Yes, this is the same day as the annual RV/MH Hall of Fame Induction Banquet at that same location. So, why not arrive in Elkhart the previous day (Sunday) or early on the 18th and join us for the 1) Writer’s Workshop; then, 2) spend the early afternoon visiting the world class RV and MH museums to see our industry legacy on display. Then, cap off the day at the 3) RV/MH Hall of Fame reception, dinner, and induction ceremony! Oh, and 4), if you’re really into perfecting your ‘new MH home sales education’ – stay over and attend the MHFacTOURy Summit the next two days!
‘Writers’ Workshop’ registration. All I have to know is that you plan to attend. Let me know via gfa7156@aol.com Cost? Minimal; just enough to cover the expense of handout material (e.g. Copies of ‘How to Be Remembered By All!’ and other writers’ resources. Total $ estimate? $25-50. Per attendee. Registration deadline? 1 August 2025. Ideal workshop size? Ten to 20 individuals. And know this; to date, several MH aficionados have penned their memoirs, and one autobiography, after attending a previous Writer’s Workshop.
RV/MH Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. Best to visit the RV/MH Hall of Fame website: rvmhhalloffame.org and/or phone (574) 293-2344 for information and to register. More than 500 expected to participate! This event has become the MH industry’s annual social event of note!
MHFacTOURy Summit. For more information and to register, visit mhinsider.com/2025. This two day program started in 2016 and has been an annual event ever since, except for 2020/COVID. Some attendees return year after year to hone their MH marketing and sales skills. How ‘bout you?
OK, now for a content summary planned for the ‘Writer’s Workshop’ on 18 August 2025:
9-10AM. Introductions of attendees and distribution of training aids. Introduce and briefly review
The 12 MH autobiographies and corporate histories archived in the RV/MH Hall of Fame
library’s George Allen Collection.
10-11AM General introduction to memoirs (i.e. short stories), autobiographies, and corporate
histories. For which audience(s) will you write? Family, friends, business associates,
employees, others? It does make a difference. Will you go it alone or enlist the assistance of a ghost writer or co-author? Know that 33% of MH autobiographies have been co-authored. So, you’ll likely self-publish (Not as difficult as you might think) – We’ll tell you the best resources. Only one of the dozen MH autobiographies was published (i.e. printed, bound, & distributed) by a traditional book publisher.
11AM-Noon Key Steps to Preserving Your Life Story, Legacy, and or Corporate History
SET GOALS.
BE PATIENT & WRITE!
EDIT WITH A PASSION
DECIDE WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
SEEK ASSISTANCE WITH PRE-RESSS MATTERS
Resources: List of good books on memoir and autobiography writing and self-publishing
George Allen’s Personal Writing & Editing Rules of Thumb; also, the WRITE RIGHT plastic wallet card, and more.
Hope you decide to join us the morning of 18 August at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN.
George Allen