George Allen / EducateMHC Blog Mobile Home & Land Lease Community Advocate & Expert

January 26, 2014

NEW ERA Launch of COBA7 Astounds!

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 5:25 am

Blog Column @ 281 Copyright 2014 26 January 2014

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities & earlier, ‘mobile home parks’, is the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

Purpose of this blog. ‘To be the national advocacy voice, statistical research reporter, & communication resource for LLLCommunities, of all sizes, throughout North America!’

Input this Blog, & Affiliate with Community Owners Business Alliance, or COBA7; via
Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 and gfa7156@aol.com

I.

Another ‘Affluence Gerrymandering’ Casualty..

II,

NEW ERA Launch of ‘Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance’ has been Astounding!

___________________________________________________________

I.

Another ‘Affluence Gerrymandering’ Casualty…

Just returned home from the Luavul (Louisville) Manufactured Housing Show. A lot of newsy notes to share with you during the weeks ahead (e.g. ‘Guess how many Community Series Homes, or CSH Models, were on display this year?), but suffice it to say for now, this was one frigid – but worthwhile – regional meeting experience! And as a voting member of the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show Committee, I’ll share this with you: Show participation, in terms of display homes (48), exhibitors (80+), and registered guests (1500+) exceeded several previous years of ‘returning to normal’ growth.

If you missed Rishel Consulting’s day long (home finance compliance) seminar, for independent (street) MHRetailers & land-lease-lifestyle community on-site salespersons, just prior to the KY Show, you missed a timely and valuable educational opportunity! Phone (312) 878-2802 to ask Ken – the Manufactured Housing Industry’s Person of the Year!, or his wife Donna, when they’ll be facilitating their next similar opportunity, so YOU can be ‘brought up to speed’ as to what YOU Can & what YOU Can’t say to prospective homebuyers during the selling process. Very important to know!

Another ‘affluence gerrymandering’ casualty? Simply means I’m not the only entrepreneur businessman who’s decided NOT to travel to Washington, DC. next month for an industry legislative conference and meeting. The costly combination of travel expenses (flight into & from DC, plus hotel for a couple days in Arlington, VA, plus taxis, plus meals, plus parking) and a hefty event registration fee, make this trip prohibitively expensive! SO, sad to say, I’ll NOT have a ‘say’ (vote) in any of the proceedings at a national meeting hosted by an advocacy entity of which I’m a direct, dues-paying member; especially since it disallows absentee balloting and voting. Yep; another casualty of ‘affluence gerrymandering’, i.e. the artful limiting of meeting attendance by keeping the cost of participation higher than necessary.

II.

NEW ERA Launch, of ‘Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance’, has been Astounding!

Already, more land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators, and their preferred product and service vendors – including several HUD-Code home manufacturers, have affiliated with COBA7, than the combined number of realty asset class’ members claimed by our unique, income-producing property type’s national advocacy and ‘think tank’ councils! And know what’s especially encouraging? Retired manufactured housing executives have been affiliating, wanting to ‘stay informed about what’s really going on – and not going on – throughout the industry today’. What an encouraging vote of confidence that is!

To date, dozens of copies of the ‘biggest & best’ 25th anniversary ALLEN REPORT (A.k.a. ‘Who’s Who Among Land-lease-lifestyle Community Portfolio Owners/operators Throughout North America!’) have been mailed to COBA7 affiliates throughout the U.S. and Canada.

While the Community Owners Business Alliance exists to serve seven function areas (*) important to land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators throughout North America, the fact that product and service vendors (e.g. chattel & real estate – secured mortgage originators & lenders, insurance & realty brokerages, aftermarket parts suppliers), as well as HUD-Code home manufacturers (Who’re selling an increasing volume of new manufactured homes into LLLCommunities), are WELCOME to affiliate, has struck a very responsive chord among these segments of the manufactured housing industry. Reminder. COBA7 is NOT a new, national, not for profit trade group; simply a business alliance, serving seven function areas (*) important to LLLCommunities, large and small, throughout North America!

The seven function areas (*)? Ongoing statistical research (e.g. annual ALLEN REPORT), distribution of helpful resources (e.g. dozen Signature Series Resource Documents or SSRDs), online & print communication (e.g. this weekly blog posting & two subscriber-supported monthly newsletters), superb peer networking (e.g. upcoming FOCUS Group meeting & annual Networking Roundtable), deal – making opportunities, professional property management training & certification (e.g. Manufactured Housing Manager® or MHM® program via class sessions or correspondence), and when need be, national advocacy (e.g. COBA7 affiliates already being considered for several national appointments….)

How to affiliate? Simply phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 and decide which of three options best serves your business needs:

Option I = Allen Letter only, no ALLEN REPORT, none of the 12 SSRDs @ $134.95/yr.

Option II = Allen Letter, 25th ALLEN REPORT, 12 SSRDs (issued monthly) @ $544.95

Option III = Allen Letter, 25th ALLEN REPORT, 12 SSRDs, & the Allen CONFIDENTIAL! business newsletter for corporate CEOs & sole proprietors @ $944.95

And what’s in the near future for the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance?

Some sort of MHInitiative® aimed at helping HUD-Code home manufacturers identify and effectively sell new Community Series Homes to the 42,000+/- smaller (100 & fewer rental homesites) LLLCommunities throughout the U.S. Most HUD-Code home manufacturers know they can easily access the 500+/- known portfolio owners/operators, via direct mail, using the exclusive, confidential data base available via COBA7. Had planned a mega-event at the RV/MH Heritage Federations’ Hall of Fame facility in Elkhart, IN., on 27 February 2014, but there’s not now really enough time to pull all those pieces together. Suggestions anyone – for accessing 42,000+/- LLLCommunities?

Presently soliciting topics and potential writers’ names to participate in a Lessons Learned from LLLCommunity Operations book, for distribution at the 23rd annual Networking Roundtable this coming Fall. Interested? Contact via Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764. Preference likely given to COBA7 affiliates.

First national FOCUS Group meeting tentatively scheduled for 2 & 3 April, at an as yet undisclosed location. Looking for a large LLLCommunity with a clubhouse capable of seating 100 men and women. If interested, reach GFA via (317) 346-7156. The Best FOCUS Groups take place on-site at a LLLCommunity!

23rd annual International Networking Roundtable. Details to follow, but likely @ 10 – 12 September, somewhere in the Midwest. If you’re reading this and would like to be considered as a presenter; let me know, also the nature of the topic you’d like to present. Past speakers know we publicize their participation, in the Roundtable, ahead of time, and also in a feature article, summarizing the event, afterwards – complete with contact information. Who else does that for YOU in this industry and realty asset class?

Hope you decide to affiliate with COBA7 during the days and week ahead! Once you’ve selected Option II or III, we get a copy of the 25th ALLEN REPORT, and a copy of January’s Allen Letter professional journal in the mail to you right away! And if you’re already a newsletter subscriber, we credit the unused portion of said subscription to your Option II or III choice. Remember; Option I is only a subscription to the Allen Letter professional journal.

***

January 19, 2014

‘Duty to Serve’ & Dueling Curves….

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 6:02 am

Blog Column #280 Copyright 2014 19 January 2014

George Allen writes about MHBusiness Matters, Issues & Serious Concerns

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities & earlier, ‘mobile home parks’, is the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

Purpose of this blog. ‘To be the national advocacy voice, statistical research reporter, & communication resource for LLLCommunities, of all sizes, throughout North America!’

How to Input. Critical responses & helpful ideas Welcome for future blog coverage, via gfa7156@aol.com & Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764

I.

Duty to Serve, DTS, &
‘duty to serve underserved markets’,
Three Ways to Describe the Same Concept

II.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY
to
Share Good Ideas With Me at the Louisville MHShow This Week!

III.

‘DUELING CURVES: The Battle for Housing’

New Book on MH, by Bob Vahsholtz, draws closer to Publication

I.

Duty to Serve, DTS, &
‘duty to serve underserved markets’,
Three Ways to Describe the Same Concept

The ‘Newest Old Mandate’ affecting Manufactured Housing; adopted by Congress in 2008; ‘dead in the water’ since 2010; Now to be Revived?!

Bloggers Note. Following material was prepared as a feature for the February 2014 issue of the Allen Letter professional journal. However, given the recent, increasing level of interest in this ‘Newest Old Mandate’, we’re sharing it here first, to bring you up to speed regarding one of the legislative battles likely to be fought this year. Responses Welcome

OK folks, we and our industry’s ‘political wonks’* learned a valuable lesson during the last half of year 2013. As one national advocacy exec put it in a recent issue of a trade publication: ‘No longer deceive ourselves about hoped-for legislative victory, by putting all our eggs (lobbying focus) in one basket, ‘effectively holding everything else (other lobbying foci) ‘hostage’!’ Look what that misguided strategy got us regarding Dodd-Frank and the CFFB = Nothing at all! And don’t expect success during 2014 either…

• wonk = ‘an obsessive student (in this case, national advocacy execs & leaders), grind.’

YOU owe it to yourself to ‘read up’ on Duty to Serve, or DTS. Start with last month’s
issue of The Journal, and MHARR’s column therein. Here’re a few salient quotes from it:

“…DTS, on its’ face, refers to three segments of the housing market – rural housing, ‘affordable housing preservation’ and manufactured housing….”

“Federal Housing Finance Authority (‘FHFA’) @ June 7, 2010, in a proposed DTS ‘implementation’ rule…totally exclude(d) chattel loans – comprising 76 percent of all manufactured home placements – from DTS….”

“…the value of DTS, as a means of spurring an expansion of manufactured home financing…was disputed by some in the industry, as a ‘waste of time’.”

The present day hope? “DTS, with a relatively minor technical correction and a concerted industry effort…still can lead…to the high-volume securitization of as much as 76% of the industry homes titled in the states.” And just what is that minor technical correction? Despite inquiries to the national advocacy body making that claim, no answer has been forthcoming, so is not described here.

AND

YOU owe it to yourself to ‘google’ Duty to Serve, on the internet, and read the aforementioned ‘Notice of proposed rulemaking; request for comments.’ Here’re a few salient quotes from that notice:

“…the proposed rule would, among other things: (1) consider only manufactured homes titled as real property, for purposes of the duty to serve the manufactured housing market….” P.1.

Why exclusion of chattel loans from this rulemaking document? In part, “Since establishment of the conservatorships, combined losses at the two GSEs depleted all their capital and required them to draw about $145 billion from the Dept. of the Treasury, under the Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreements…Acting Director reported to Congress that having the Enterprises engage in new products would be inconsistent with the goals of conservatorship….” P.7. As a taxpayer, that’s responsible and easy to understand. As a businessman, it tells me the money honey pot has been closed for the time being.

A hard reality. “According to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data for 2008, home purchase applications for manufactured homes are denied at three times the rate that applications for site-built homes are denied.” P.11. So, what, if anything, can be done about that sad state of affairs?

Five advantages to personal property mortgages cited by the Manufactured Housing Institute: overall principal loan amount is more affordable due to absence of land in the transaction; no appraisal, survey or private mortgage insurance is necessary, which lowers closing costs; customer does not encumber any real property; tax, titling fees, homeowners insurance, and service warranties can be financed; and transaction is generally faster.” P.11, footnote # 12.

“Organizations representing consumers and manufactured home community residents expressed serious reservations about chattel lending. DFED, for example, stated chattel loans provide low-income families with higher rates, less optimal terms, and reduced consumer protections, as compared to a mortgage loan….” P.17. So, it’s not just federal bureaucrats we’re battling here, but our own homebuyers, mortgagors, and tenants.

Is this a potential solution? “Commenters suggested if FHFA determines manufactured homes, secured by chattel loans be considered, FHFA should require borrower protections such as: 1) capping the annual percentage rate or APR at 3.5 points above the prime rate; 2) banning prepayment penalties; 3) banning yield spread premiums; & 4) requiring lease terms extend five years beyond the term of the loan.” P.19

Manufactured homes are generally regarded as depreciating assets, even in a strong market environment. A 2005 report by Lehman Brothers, estimated the expected annual depreciation rate at three to four percent annually.” P.20.

“Enterprise assistance to manufactured home communities would not be considered for purposes of the duty to serve the manufactured housing market in the proposed rule.” P.22. Why? Maybe because, “With regard to manufactured home communities, individuals, nonprofit organizations, and policy advocacy groups expressed concern about the lack of tenant protections in communities owned by investors.” P.9

“ROC-USA commented, after 25 years and over $150 million in originations for resident-owned communities, it had ‘not had a single loan lost or charged off.’”p.23

AND

YOU owe it to yourself, to not only become better educated about Duty to Serve or DTS, but to stay well-informed about what either or both national advocacy bodies say and do, ‘in our (your) behalf’, on this sensitive subject during the months to come during year 2014!

II.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY
To
Share Good Ideas with Me at the Louisville MHShow This Week!

It’s as simple as this: Look me up at Rishel Consulting’s one day seminar on 21 January (The day ‘before’ the Louisville MHShow actually begins!) at the Crown Plaza Hotel; &/or, anytime on 22 January, as I’m admiring & photographing new HUD-Code homes on display (The BIG QUESTION THIS YEAR? How many of these will be Community Series Homes or CSH Models, desired by land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators?) and meeting & talking with various product & service suppliers! Don’t wait for the 23rd though, as I’ll be touring LLLCommunities that morning and in meetings that afternoon.

Why look me up? Here, let’s identify at least five good and timely reasons:

FIRST; I’ll be handing out TICKETS, during private conversations (With you?), inviting land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators, and their product/service vendors – especially HUD-Code home manufacturers, to affiliate with the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance or COBA7, launched last month by GFA Management, Inc., dba PMN Publishing. This is NOT a new, national trade group, simply an opportunity for businessmen and women, associated in one or another fashion with the LLLCommunity realty asset class, to – at a minimum, receive the Allen Letter professional journal each month, the (25th anniversary) ALLEN REPORT (A.k.a. ‘Who’s Who Among LLLCommunity Portfolio Owners/operators Throughout North America!’), and a dozen Signature Series Resource Documents or SSRDs, e.g. annual National Lenders’ Registry, during the course of the year. When you see me, just ask for your TICKET!

SECOND; We’re deep into planning some sort of MHInitiative®2014, with this GOAL: Helping HUD-Code home manufacturers successfully market and sell more new Community Series Homes, or CSH Models, into land-lease-lifestyle communities in the U.S.. Manufacturers now routinely access our exclusive, confidential data base to put their firm’s name, via Direct Mail, in front of the 500+/- known LLLCommunity portfolio owners/operators throughout North America! BUT, the Big Question now begging answering is ‘How to Get This Same Message in Front of the 42,500+/- Mom&Pop-sized LLLCommunities across the country?’ IDEAS? And how many manufacturers are using Lifestylist ‘services’ to ensure product designs are indeed ‘right’ for targeted local housing markets? And, for the first time in decades, they’re calculating ‘affordable’& ‘risky’ Price Points for new and resale homes per local housing market’s Average Median Income or AMI, and prospective homebuyer’s Annual Gross Income or AGI! Do YOU know how to do this? Finally; really would like your creative ideas on how to effect MHInitiative@2014: at the RV/MH Hall of Fame on 27 February 2014; or some other venue later in the year?

THIRD; we’re looking for subject matter and volunteer writers to input the new book, Lessons Learned from LLLCommunity Operations. So, if you’re a capable, successful, experienced owner/operator of one or more land-lease-lifestyle communities, and willing to share one or more personal or corporate LESSONS LEARNED, with your peers, in this book – and have your contribution serve as Your Lasting Legacy, talk to me during the Louisville MHShow – or contact me via means listed at beginning of this blog posting. This is a COBA7 project for LLLCommunity owners/operators nationwide.

FOURTH. There’ll be a national FOCUS Group meeting of land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators during the first week of April 2014, planned and facilitated by COBA7. If you’d like to have your name on the ‘invite’ list, let me know at the Louisville MHShow. Already have 40 businessmen and women who’ve expressed their desire to participate. In this instance, ‘you’ recommend the agenda (i.e. issues you face); we meet on-site in a clubhouse at a large LLLCommunity for 1 ½ days. Proceedings confidential!

FIFTH. The 23rd annual International Networking Roundtable is scheduled for 10-12 September. If there’re topics you’d like to see covered this year, and presenters you’d like to hear – including your interest in being a speaker, let me know this as well. If you’ve got something worthwhile to share (Not necessarily a sales pitch), with your peers, we’d like to know. Being featured at the annual Networking Roundtable is invaluable, as your name and topic are publicized on the advance brochure, and summarized – along with your contact information, in a Signature Series Resource Document published following the event. Who else gives YOU that sort of exposure in this business? Look Me Up!

WHEW! This is going to be one very busy Louisville MHShow for us this year! Looking forward to seeing you there – or having you contact me otherwise, if not going to be in attendance – and ask about COBA7, when you call or write! GFA

III.

‘DUELING CURVES The Battle for Housing’

New Book on MH, by Bob Vahsholtz, draws closer to publication

It’s not official, but Bob Vahsholtz’s new book about factory-built housing in general, manufactured housing in particular, is drawing closer to publication. The DRAFT copy I just helped edit is chock full of principles & methods, examples & statistics, biographies & corporate histories, all helping carry & support his dual themes of ‘learning curve’, and it’s effect on housing industry fundamentals, over the decades.

We’ll be among the first to let you know when and how this tome will be available for purchase by housing aficionados and practitioners.

***

George Allen, CPM & MHM
Box # 47024, Indpls, IN. 46247
(317) 346-7156

January 12, 2014

MHInitiative@2/27/2014? & Hats Off to Mharrio!

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 5:30 am

Blog Column @ 279 Copyright 2014 12 January 2014

George Allen writes about MHBusiness Matters, Issues & Serious Concerns

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities & earlier, ‘mobile home parks’, is the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

Purpose of this blog. “To be the national advocacy voice, statistical research reporter, & communication resource for LLLCommunities, of all sizes, throughout North America!’

How to Input. Critical responses & helpful ideas Welcome for future blog coverage; via gfa7156@aol.com & Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764

I.

MHIndustry Meetings @ January & February 2014

II.

MHInitiative® 2014?

III.

‘Hats off to Mharrio!’

*******************************

I.

MHIndustry Meetings @ January & February 2014

What do Rishel Consulting, the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance or COBA7, Louisville MHShow, a national manufactured housing advocacy body’s annual legislative conference, and MHInitiative®2014, all convening during January & February 2014, have in common?

A lively interest in HOW TO MARKET, SELL & FINANCE MORE NEW MANUFACTURED HOMES ON-SITE WITHIN LAND-LEASE-LIFESTYLE COMMUNITIES DURING 2014! Here’s how this might well materialize with your help:

1. Need to ‘Learn How to Advertise, Market, and Sell Homes Successfully and Legally in 2014’?, be present at Rishel Consulting’s one day seminar, 21 January at the Crown Plaza Hotel adjacent to Kentucky State Fairgrounds in Louisville, KY! 100+ already signed up. Learn from Ken & Donna Rishel (Ken is Manufactured Housing’s ‘Industry Person of the Year for 2013’!), Dennis Ohnstad, MHM®; Bill & Chad Carr; John Ace Underwood; & Eddie Hicks. To register, for $ 95., phone (312) 878-2802.

2. While the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance won’t be formally meeting in Louisville, during 21 – 24 January, there’ll be face-to-face opportunities for YOU to input three key COBA7 events and projects: a) Ask for ‘an invite’ to participate in MHInitiative®2014 (See paragraph # 5 to follow) when HUD-Code home manufacturers and LLLCommunity owners/operators convene again, at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN; b) Have an itch to describe your LLLCommunity operations experiences and create a personal legacy? Volunteer to input the new book planned this year: Lessons Learned in LLLCommunity Operations! No writing experience required; and, c) Want to attend the National FOCUS Group meeting, 2 & 3 April 2014? ‘Ask ME for an invite’, to avoid being missed later. Or phone Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

3. 22 – 24 January 2014 = Louisville MHShow. This is rejuvenated Midwest MHTrade Show canceled several years ago. Dozens of new HUD-Code homes will be displayed indoors, along with dozens of supplier exhibits. The Big Question This Year? How many ‘show homes’ will be Community Series Homes, or CSH Models, designed for placement within land-lease-lifestyle communities? This has been a sad shortfall with previous regional shows. Home manufacturers must realize, any major increase in annual home shipment volume, depends on filling 250,000 vacant rental homesites nationwide! Call Dennis Hill @ (770) 587-3350

4. 9 – 11 February 2014. Annual Legislative Conference in Arlington, VA. If you have a hankering for a firsthand look at how manufactured housing industry lobbying is handled in our nation’s capitol, consider participating in this event. Phone (703) 558-0400 for details and to register.
.

5. 27 February 2014. Does the date ring familiar to YOU? If an industry veteran, it should! Why? On 27 February 2009, 100+/- HUD-Code home manufacturers and (then) manufactured home community owners/operators, from throughout the U.S., convened at the RV/MH Hall of Fame facility in Elkhart, IN., to address this challenge: How to Sell More Manufactured Homes Into MHCommunities!’ That’s where the Community Series Home, or CSH Model homes concept was birthed! And now, on 27 February 2014, six years later, we’re returning! Why? Read the next segment (II) of this blog posting. Might surprise you….

II.

MHInitiative @ 2014?

At RV/MH Hall of Fame on Thursday, 27 February 2014. Be there! Why?

Well, the first time around, 2/27/2009, we did successfully ‘break the ice’ and get HUD-Code home manufacturers and property portfolio owners/operators talking – then designing/manufacturing/ordering/shipping new homes! These manufacturers now routinely use the annual ALLEN REPORT and Direct Mail Campaigns to the 500+/- known portfolio ‘players’ to market their homes. But this time around, the challenge is different, and actually more difficult to solve. Being? ‘How to Market & Sell More Manufactured Homes Into (Stand alone) Land-lease-lifestyle Communities!’ Yes, Mom&Pop-sized/owned LLLCommunities, for the most part, are ‘emptying out’, as longtime owners/operators no longer can rely on independent ‘street’ MHRetailers, in local housing markets, to fill vacant rental homesites within their properties. So, this is a one day opportunity for HUD-Code home manufacturers, and property owners, to figure out: 1) How to identify these 40,000+/- prospective, one-off customers, 2) How to effectively sell new Community Series Homes directly to them, & 3) How to find chattel capital to finance on-site deals – and/or 4) How to engage in Lease-Options, and other ‘captive finance’ alternatives – all the while being compliant with applicable state and federal finance regulations. YES, this is a very tall order, but have YOU noticed anyone, anywhere else, in the entire manufactured housing industry ‘stepping up to the plate’ to BRAINSTORM HOW TO: 1) Market & Sell more HUD-Code homes, & 2) Fill vacant rental homesites in LLLCommunities? The answer is a resounding and disappointing, NO! So, if YOU’d like an ‘invite’ to this seminal, albeit ‘historic’ session; phone the MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764. This MHInitiative® session is One more Good Reason for YOU, as a LLLCommunity owner/operator, home manufacturer, and/or product/service vendor, serving this realty asset class, to formally affiliate with the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance, or COBA7, the sooner the better. How? Read next paragraph….

Talk to me about the MHInitiative®2014, and affiliating with COBA7, during our time together in Louisville, KY., from 21 – 24 January 2014. In brief, COBA7 Option I is a one year subscription to the Allen Letter professional journal for $134.95. Option II is the same newsletter, plus 25th annual ALLEN REPORT (A.k.a. ‘Who’s Who Among Land-lease-lifestyle Community Portfolio Owners/operators Throughout North America!’), and a dozen Signature Series Resource Documents & directories, all for $544.95. And Option III is all that’s in Option II, plus a one year subscription to the Allen CONFIDENTIAL! business newsletter for corporate presidents and CEOs, @ $944.95.

III.

‘Hats off to Mharrio!’

Have YOU seen and or read the Fall segment of the Federal 2013 Semi-Annual Regulatory Agenda (‘SRA’), detailing pending and anticipated rulemaking activities of 1) HUD, 2) DOE, & 3) EPA – pertaining to HUD-Code manufactured housing? Well, I hadn’t either; and likely never would have seen it, but for the efforts of Mharrio, there in Washington, DC. If you’d like a copy of this four page Memorandum, penned by Mark Weiss, dated 6 January 2014, phone (202) 783-4087. Tell him ‘George told me to call!’

One of several ‘concerns’ flagged in this document, reads thusly: “…instead of playing the active role…maintaining and preserving the affordability of manufactured housing – in conjunction with expert analysis and input of the MHCC (i.e. Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee’) – HUD may take the route of least resistance, and simply accept whatever ‘findings’ are concocted by DOE, which has already engaged in regulatory misconduct by selectively leaking a ‘draft’ of the proposed rule.” What does this mean t our industry and asset class? In my opinion, it’s an indication of a planned sneak attack – until reported by Mharrio – on the eminent affordability of HUD-Code manufactured housing, especially that sited within land-lease-lifestyle communities nationwide!

Where’s Mhiki? Waiting to read another view on this SRA (Semi-Annual Regulatory Agenda). How ‘bout you?

Mharrio & Mhiki? Introduced you to them two weeks ago in blog posting # 277 at the web site: community-investor.com

***

George Allen, CPM & MHM
Box # 47024, Indpls, IN. 46247
(317) 346-7156

January 5, 2014

‘By George, They’ve Got It!’ & KY MHShow

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 5:49 am

Blog Column # 278 Copyright 2014 5 January 2014

George Allen writes about MHBusiness Matters, Issues & Serious Concerns

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities & earlier, ‘mobile home parks’, is the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

Purpose of this blog. ‘To be the national advocacy voice, statistical research reporter, & communication resource for LLLCommunities, of all sizes, throughout North America!’

How to Input. Critical responses & helpful ideas Welcome for future blog coverage; via gfa7156@aol.com & Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764

I.

‘By George, They’ve Got It! They Really Do!’

II.

Will I See YOU at the Louisville MHShow?

************************************

I.

‘By George, They’ve Got It! They Really Do!’

Here’s How Land-lease-lifestyle Community Owners/operators Can Double the Value of Their $544.00+/- Corporate Investment in Realty Asset Class Knowledge & National Advocacy in 2014!

When the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance, or COBA7, was launched during December, and now January 2014, there’d been – and remains, a strong desire to ‘clearly communicate the business alliance concept’ to a national target audience of land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators of all sizes, AND all the product and service vendors servicing the property type’s information & consulting, real estate & chattel lending, property insurance, water sub metering & billing, valuation & brokerage needs! For awhile, there was even talk of a breakfast meeting on 22 January, in Louisville, KY., to ‘splain’ everything. Now that’s not even necessary. Why? Individual and corporate paid subscriptions re: Options I, II, or III*, in effect affiliating with COBA7, have been pouring into our offices. The concept has evidently been well-communicated and understood enough, to prompt this heavy flood of individual and corporate investment in realty asset class knowledge and national advocacy, during 2014 and beyond. So, you might say, ‘We’re off and running!’

A recent email from one portfolio owner/operator of LLLCommunities, not even listed in this year’s 25th Anniversary ALLEN REPORT – but signed up for an Option II subscription nonetheless, well summarizes the affiliation concept and its’ ‘double the value’ potential nicely:

“George. The way I look at it, I’m going to spend at least $500.00, one way or the other, in support of our properties nationwide. I can either ‘put all my eggs into one (national advocacy) basket’; OR, I can send nearly the same amount ($544.00) to affiliate our business with COBA7, then rely on membership in one or another state manufactured housing association, to represent us where national political and regulatory advocacy is concerned. AND, while ‘the state’ is doing my bidding, we’ll benefit from the seven function areas COBA7 administers. Now that’s what I call ‘doubling the value’ of the $500 or $544 I’ve invested in behalf of our LLLCommunities!” BBP

By way of clarification, those Seven Function Areas COBA7 are: 1) ongoing statistical research (e.g. ALLEN REPORT); 2) resource & directory distribution (e.g. a dozen Signature Series Resource Documents or SSRDs, issued monthly); 3) print & online communication (weekly & monthly); 4) peer networking events (Networking Roundtable & FOCUS Groups); 5) deal – making opportunities; 6) professional property management training & certification (e.g. Manufactured Housing Manger® or MHM® program); and, 7) supplement the national advocacy effort, when appropriate or needed.

Have YOU affiliated with COBA7 yet? January 2014 Allen Letters, and the 25th annual ALLEN REPORT go into the mail shortly. Only those individuals and firms having already opted for Option II or III will be receiving the ALLEN REPORT this year. Not too late to subscribe; just phone the Official MHIndustry HOTINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 and sign-up for Option II. All three options described in the following End Note below.

End Note.

Option I. $134.95 paid subscription (12 monthly issues) to the Allen Letter professional journal. No longer is the ALLEN REPORT or any of the dozen Signature Series Resource Documents, or SSRDs, enclosed with the monthly newsletter.

Option II. $544.95 paid subscription (12 monthly issues) to the Allen Letter professional journal, the 25th Anniversary ALLEN REPORT (Biggest & Best Edition in 25 years!), and 12 SSRDs during the course of the year, e.g. annual National Registry of Lenders, annual ‘Who Ya Gonna Call in 2014?’ list of freelance consultants, & 10 more SSRDs

Option III. $944.95 paid subscription (12 monthly issues) to the Allen Letter professional journal, the 25th Anniversary ALLEN REPORT, 12 SSRDs, and paid subscription (12 monthly issues) to the Allen CONFIDENTIAL! business newsletter for corporate presidents and chief executive officers. The industry news you’ll get nowhere else!

Again, to obtain your personal or corporate copy of the 25th Anniversary ALLEN REPORT (a.k.a. ‘Who’s Who Among Land-lease-lifestyle Community Owners/operators Throughout North America!’) this month (January 2014), select Option II or III, then phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764. During that conversation, assuming you’re already a paid subscriber to the Allen Letter professional journal, we’ll apply credit for your unused subscription months to the Option II or III $ amount; OR, adjust your ‘start date’, whichever you prefer. If not already a paid subscriber, we’ll start your Option I, II, or III subscription affiliation right away!

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II.

Will I See YOU at the Louisville MHShow?

There are many reasons YOU should make it a point to participate in this year’s Louisville MHShow! Here are just a few features to bear in mind:

• 21 January. The day before the Louisville MHShow begins! Rishel Consulting is facilitating a day long program at the nearby Crown Plaza Hotel for everyone concerned about ‘what to say’ & ‘what not to say’ when selling new and resale manufactured homes in today’s regulatory rich, consumer protection finance market! Already more than 100 signed-up. I’ll be there. Phone (217) 971-3968 and pay $95.00 to register. Added benefit? Superb networking opportunity for all.

• 22-24 January. Wander the show floor, visit and maybe buy some new homes, and talk with the exhibitors. The question on everyone’s mind this year: ‘How many of the HUD-Code homes are of the Community Series Homes, or CSH Model design, for placement within land-lease-lifestyle communities? The answer to that question will be a ‘leading indicator’ as to whether HUD-Code home manufacturers are paying attention to the fact that ‘their future = filling an estimated 250,000 vacant rental homesites in LLLCommunities around the U.S. Oh, and there’ll also be some show seminars to consider….

• Doing Lease-Option’ on-site in your land-lease-lifestyle community; or thinking to do so? Know that Spencer Roane, MHM®Master, will be in town from Atlanta, for this year’s MHShow. GA. Look for his name tag and ask his advice on this rich topic! More and more LLLCommunity owners are opting for on-site ‘rental units’, and use of the Lease-Option, if in states allowing its’ use.

• Freelance consultant Michael Power too will be around, with a full quiver of property management – related arrows, to help you improve the day to day operation of your land-lease-lifestyle community. Even has a Shared Equity Plan in hand, to fill vacant rental homesites on your property with new homes!

• And hey, if you’ve got questions about the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance, a.k.a. COBA7, stop me on the show floor, and ‘Ask to see a copy of the 25th Anniversary ALLEN REPORT!’ Will sign you up, right there, if you wish, with a subscription to Option I, II, or III, affiliating your firm with COBA7. Will also be carrying around FREE copies of the popular new plastic wallet card: ‘5-RPs of Marketing & Selling New Homes, & Leasing Rental Homesites, Within LLLCommunities!’ Do YOU have yours yet? Almost everyone else does!

• Wondering why there’re so many itinerant MHIndustry & LLLCommunity freelance consultants and experts circulating at this year’s Louisville MHShow, but NOT on the formal program? Visit the MHShow office and ask the show director, Dennis Hill of Showways. By the way, I’m on the MHShow committee this year, and am open to your suggestions for improving the program in 2015. Want to be an exhibitor or presenter? Let me know! (317) 346-7156

• And finally. Since I canceled the previously announced COBA7 breakfast on 21 January, we still want to hear from you regarding two important 2014 plans: First, if you’re interested in being invited to the first national FOCUS Group meeting of LLLCommunity owners/operators this Spring, let me know at the MHShow – along with discussion topics you’d like to see considered for the agenda. AND, I’m looking for writers to input Lessons Learned in LLLCommunity Operations!, the new book planned for this year, with distribution at the 23rd annual International Networking Roundtable in September. If you miss me at the MHShow, but want to talk of these two matters, reach me via (317) 346-7156 the week before or after the Louisville MHShow.

Looking forward to seeing many of you, who read this weekly blog posting, at the 2014 Louisville MHShow. Registration is FREE to most folk in the MHBusiness. Just show up at the exhibit hall and complete appropriate paperwork at 10AM on 22, 23, & 24 January 2014. Have questions beforehand, give me a call at the Official MHIndustry HOTINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764. Keep this number handy for everyday reference!

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