‘God Forgive Me When I Whine’
A Inspiring Message from the Telephone Doctor, Nancy Friedman
Quoted from her ‘Monthly Communications Article’ for December 2012. This is the poem with which Nancy closes every keynote address:
Today, upon a bus, I saw a lovely girl with golden hair,
I envied her, she seemed so gay and wished I were as fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle;
She had one leg, and used a crutch, and as she passed – a smile.
O God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs. The world is mine.
And then I stopped to buy some sweets,
The lad who sold them had such charm, I talked with him – he seemed so glad –
If I were late, ‘twould do no harm.
And as I left he said to me: “I thank you. You have been so kind. It’s nice to talk with folks like you. You See,” he said, “I’m blind.”
O God forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes. The world is mine.
Later, walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue,
He stood and watched the others play;
I seemed he knew not what to do.
I stopped a moment, then I said: “Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew – he could not hear.
O God forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears. The world is mine.
With legs to take me where I’d go
With eyes to see the sunset’s glow – With ears to hear what I would know.
O God, forgive me when I whine.
I’m blessed indeed. The world is mine.
Author Unknown.
Who’s the Telephone Doctor? A longtime specialist in customer service, with emphasis on telephone etiquette and effective performance. She’s been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, and retained as a featured speaker and instructor by many Fortune 500 firms. I first met her a couple decades ago, when she addressed MHRetailers gathered at what was then known as the Midwest Manufactured Housing Show, now the Louisville MHShow (11 – 13 January 2012). Contact her via (314) 291-1012 or nancyf@telephonedoctor.com
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Other ( $ Business – related) Topics of Interest
I.
Government National Mortgage Association (‘GNMA’) ‘Opens Window of Opportunity Regarding FHA Title I Securitization’
As YOU likely know, until more capital finds its’ way, from independent third party chattel financing lenders, to the HUD Code manufactured housing industry, we’ll continue limping along, as we have for the past three years, at only 50,000+/- new home shipments per year, compared to the 372,843 new homes shipped during 1998!
One hang-up has been GNMA’s requirement of a minimum net worth of $10,000,000 for issuers (of FHA Title I loans) and a reserve of 10% of all outstanding Title I MH loans, a.k.a. the ’10 – 10 rule’. GNMA now encourages lenders, or what some refer to as the ‘post – production sector’ of the MHIndustry, “…to directly provide GNMA with information that would support and justify a lower net worth level, including, possibly, information supporting a sliding scale net worth requirement tied to business volume….” This quoted from an MHARR memo dated 12/19/2011. For more information, phone (202) 783-4087.
If you’re one of those individuals, or head a finance firm interested in participating in this market, but are presently excluded by dint of the above – referenced 10 – 10 rule, directly contact:
Theodore W. Tozer, president, GNMA @ 550 12th St., SW, Washington, DC. 20024
Gregory A. Keith, Sr. VP, GNMA @ 550 12th St., SW, Washington, DC. 20024
II.
And on yet another, closely related and equally timely topic
Here’s your only opportunity to submit comments to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (‘CFPB’), on or before 17 February 2012, concerning interim regulations published in the Federal Register, on 19 December, regarding transfer of regulatory responsibility of the S.A.F.E. Act from HUD to the CFPB, under the Dodd – Frank law, effective 30 December 2011.
A copy of the interim rule can be obtained via www.regulations.gov (enter keyword “CFPB-2011-0023”).
Why do so? The CFPB is interested in learning, from YOU, of elements of the interim rule that are ‘outdated, unduly burdensome, or unnecessary’. Like I wrote; this is your only opportunity to identify and bring those onerous $ regulatory provisions to their attention. If you have serious concerns, and don’t respond; well, learn to live with those outdated, unduly burdensome, unnecessary and onerous $ regulations during 2012!
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January Opportunities for LLCommunity Owners/operators
11 January 2012. Visit Fleetwood Homes’ Community Series Homes (‘CSH’) exhibited during the Louisville MHShow (nee Midwest Manufactured Housing Show), at the Kentucky State Fair Grounds, 11 – 13 January. I’ll be present at Fleetwood Homes CSH exhibit mid – afternoon, 11 January, to ‘talk CSH design’ with YOU. Might even be a surprise in store for those who stop by to visit. To register, phone (770) 587-3350. And while you’re touring other homes exhibited at this year’s MHShow, ask, “Why no Community Series Home here for me to buy and put into my landlease community?” Seriously!
12 January 2012. Get Certified! As a Manufactured Housing Manager® or MHM®, at the Comfort Inn on Philips Lane (road at the Kentucky State Fairgrounds entrance) between 8AM & 4PM. Pre – registration @ $250.00 required! This is the only national professional property management training and certification program designed for the landlease community owners, operators, and resident managers! Nearly 1,000 MHMs have been certified to date. Again, pre – registration is a must, so phone the MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 ASAP. Why? Class limited to 20 individuals and we’re halfway there already. Participants receive a copy of the Landlease Community Management $75.00 textbook as part of their registration fee.
26 & 27 January. FOCUS Group, for LLCommunity owners only. Convenes in Tampa, FL., at Lamplighter on the River. If you’d like to be considered for an invitation to participate, phone (317) 346-7156 ASAP. Why? FOCUS Group is limited to 20 LLCommunity owners and senior executives, and we already have 16 committed to participate. Plan to arrive mid – afternoon on the 26th, stay at same quality hotel, enjoy a special networking dinner that evening, and spend from 8AM until 2PM, on the 27th, ‘working through’ a five topic agenda – based on suggestions submitted beforehand by registrants. Cost? Meeting expenses are totaled and invoiced, on a pro rata basis, after the FOCUS Group meeting. There is no other venue like this in the realty asset class! It’s been convening for 20 years, and at one time or another, most of the major and most successful landlease community owners/operators have participated.
And that’s not all! There’s also a January meeting scheduled pursuant to maybe introducing a new chattel finance program for owners of individual and small portfolio landlease communities engaged in one or another form of self – finance to consummate on – site home sales transactions; in effect, creating a new, four – legged $ business model involving:
1) HUD Code home manufacturers routinely designing and shipping Community Series Homes (a.k.a. ‘CSH’) into landlease communities, or desiring to do so; and willing to offer a discounted wholesale price to pre – qualified landlease communities and or their principal owners.
2) Independent third party lender(s) intent on ‘doing more business’ with pre – qualified landlease communities and or their principal owners.
3) Sole proprietors, partnerships, and corporate owners of pre – qualified landlease communities and small portfolios
4) Prospective homebuyers/site lessees in search of and deserving a ‘value proposition’ where the amount of home they buy and mortgage, is in accords with what they can truly afford, and the participating LLCommunity’s homesite rent rate is truly in sync with other forms of multifamily rental housing in the same local housing market.
This new four – legged business model also presupposes serious conversation, and eventual evolution – the sooner the better – of a functioning, supportive secondary market for the marketing, sale, even financing of resale manufactured homes within and outside landlease communities. For more details on these evolving manufactured housing chattel finance and secondary market programs, read the January 2012 edition of the Allen Letter professional journal. You know, the one that contains the 23rd annual ALLEN REPORT, a.k.a. ‘Who’s Who Among Landlease Community Portfolio Owners/operators Throughout North America!’ Not yet a subscriber? Phone the MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 or this website: www.community-investor.com TODAY.
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George Allen, CPM®Emeritus, MHM®Master. Box # 47024, Indianapolis, IN. 46247