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

Blog Posting # 846; Copyright 13 June 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), 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) 882-3815; email gfa7156@aol.com, and www.educatemhc.com to purchase Community Management in the Manufactured Housing Industry (Tis book belongs in every land lease community nationwide!), and SWAN SONG – History of land lease communities & official record of annual MH production levels since 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large for the MHInsider magazine.

TOTAL U.S. HOUSING COMPLETIONS DURING APRIL 2025

‘Onsite & Offsite Construction Completion Totals Combined’

This Total U.S. Housing Completion Report combines input from the U.S. Census Bureau (i.e. Monthly onsite construction completions); and, offsite construction completions via a combination of formula (re: modular & panelized units estimated to be 2% of onsite construction completions), Institute for Building Technology & Safety (‘IBTS’) monthly survey data of HUD-Code manufactured housing production and shipments; and finally, RVIA website announcement of Park Model RV production data, all for the month of April 2025.

Bottom line? Unlike the U.S. Census Bureau Report that tallies only onsite construction completions; adding to it, IBTS’ HUD-Code manufactured housing production volume, as well as modular & panelized housing formulaic estimate, and RVIA’s Park Model RV unit count, this ‘Total U.S. Housing Completions Report’ presents a far more accurate, albeit all-encompassing picture of total U.S. housing completions for the month being reported!

For the month of April 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau reports 121,500 new single-family, site-built, privately-owned onsite housing completions (i.e. annual tally of 1,458,000 divided by 12 months); while the monthly grand total, inclusive of four types of offsite construction (Again, HUD-Code housing + modular & panelized homes + Park Model RVs, totals 12,299 units) is altogether, 133,799 for the month of April 2025 – that’s 12,299 more housing units than the onsite housing completion total reported by the U.S. Census Bureau! Think about it.

So, what tells the more accurate and useful housing story? Just the limited view of onsite construction alone, OR the total when offsite and onsite housing completions are combined?

Once again, this ’Total U.S. Housing Completions Report’ is a work in progress. Please let us know what you think of this all housing inclusive concept, via gfa7156@aol.com

Based on a suggestion from one blog reader we’re adding a new category of reporting:

Year to Date or YTD totals (January thru April 2025) for three housing categories:

521,053 new single-family, site-built, privately-owned onsite housing completions

35,642 new HUD-Code manufactured housing completions (not including mods & RVs)

568,124 new onsite & offsite housing completions. What will be total by end of 2025?

THE REST OF THE STORY…

Do you receive and read the periodic ‘Manufactured Housing Insights’ report prepared and distributed by Berkadia Research? What follows is extracted from the May 2025 report, a report reliant on “MH Insider’s extensive data gathered by surveys related to manufactured housing community trends….”

First off, did you realize that 84 percent (actually 83.9%) of the national HUD-Code manufactured housing market is supplied by the Big Three C manufacturers: Clayton Homes, Champion/Skyline, and Cavco Industries? Now that’s an eye-opener statistic.

Second. I don’t believe the land lease community (a.k.a. manufactured home community & ‘mobile home park’) rental homesite rate, on average, is as robust as claimed in this State of the Industry report. According to said report, the average rent rate among ‘All Ages’ communities is $698/month; and, $796 in ‘Over 55’ communities. Overall average is cited at $732.00. I believe these rental homesite rates are typical of larger communities (more than 100 rental homesites per property), not inclusive of the 85 percent of land lease communities nationwide containing fewer than 100 rental homesites per property. This should be made clear in the report; else owners/operators might use the skewed data to justify rent increases in small (10-100 sites) communities. By the way, this ‘truth’ has been known among the ‘players’ for 20+ years.

George Allen

Blog Posting # 845; Copyright 9 June 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), 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 level since 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large for MHInisder magazine.

Here’s How to Be Remembered by All!

Last week’s s blog posting asked readers, ‘Will You Be Remembered or Forgotten?’ Then I identified dozens of individuals in and around MH and land lease community businesses who, in my opinion, should recollect, write, and self-publish personal and or career memoirs (i.e. short stories) – even their autobiographies, as a record of adventures, experiences, Lessons Learned and more, for family, friends, business acquaintances and interested parties.

Well, I certainly received responses to this suggestion! One friend wrote to another and copied me: “I agree with George, you should write your book, if not for those of us who follow you, but for your sons and their families. My dad and uncle wrote books telling about growing up on the farm, plowing and clearing fields, the games they played, and how they made their money. Hope you think about it.” DR

And this from a California land lease community pioneer. “George, hope all is well with you and your family. Appreciate the recent mention of me in your blog. It’s hard to believe our firm has grown from just me and one employee to more than 400 today. Lots of stories as your suggest.  By the way, a local writer is drafting the story of Lido Peninsula Resort (land lease community).  I’ll send you a copy when completed. The resort was built in 1949; so a lot of history on how a ’26 MHs per acre’ property became one of the most prestigious communities in the U.S.A.”DB

So, where does that leave us? Ready to answer ‘How to Be Remembered by All!

The following advice is culled from two sources. A booklet I penned in 2018 titled ‘Who Will Preserve Your Legacy? Answer: You!’ To date, hundreds of copies have been distributed to RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinees, along with friends in the MH business and land lease community owners/operators. The other source? An Allen Legacy column featured in the May 2023 issue of MHInsider magazine, titled ‘Is It Time to Tell Your Story?’ Something to keep in mind as you read. This is one of those nonfiction stories where the content of End Notes (i.e. footnotes) is often as interesting and informative as the narrative.*1

OK, here goes: ‘Preserving Your Personal or Corporate Legacy’ in six key steps.

1. SET GOALS. Decide, “I’m going to do this!” Then, compile a list of personal and or corporate short story topics you experienced. This list will change and grow throughout the entire writing and editing process! Now, pen one or two of these short stories each month – as hard copy (i.e.  pen on paper or electronically). How to do this? Simply sit down alone, then write or type what comes to mind, not worrying about grammar, spelling, errors, word choices, or even how it flows. It does help to tell one’s stories from a consistent perspective however, whether it be personal, family, corporate or mix of all three.*2 Also, whether to write in the first or second person, but unlikely the third.*3 In any event, these short stories become your memoirs.

Always wait 24 hours before making changes to what you’ve penned! Reread the story slowly, making pen changes along the way, e.g. seek better word choices, correct spelling errors, consider comma placement and grammar. Then retype the story, wait another 24 hours, and edit again. On average, I fine-tune my memoirs five times before compiling theme into an autobiography.

Over time, collect the edited memoirs and put them in some sort of order, sometimes chronological, possibly topical. Doing so will trigger memories of even more events, other short stories, and incidents worth recording and sharing. So, add these new topics to aforementioned list and write about them.

• BE PATIENT. Memoirs can be fun to write, especially when pacing oneself to pen a couple each month. But this also means the overall writing and editing process can take the better part of a year – or longer, to tell one’s stories. This is wise use of your time. Better to avoid rushing, and wishing later, that you’d penned more memoirs.

Again, if memoirs haven’t already been organized chronologically or by topic, do so. But also know that presenting some memoirs ‘out of order’ might enhance the readability of one’s story. In any event, taking any of these actions will likely stimulate the recollection of additional stories, even Lessons Learned along the way.

Hint. At this stage, if not already doing so, make it a point to read other memoirs and autobiographies. Observe writers’ styles, perspectives from which they write, and how easy or difficult their story is to read. Learn from them!

• EDIT WITH A PASSION. If not qualified to do this (e.g. proper grammar, sentence structure, word choice, and more), hire or enlist a trusted, capable, experienced, motivated individual (preferably non-family member) to do this for or with you. Hint. Learn and use basic proofreader marks to make this process easier and more productive.

• DECIDE WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Do the memoirs cover the desired limited or broad scope of personal and or corporate life for now – or forever? Only you can decide. Hint. One’s autobiography can just as easily be a portion of one’s life, business experience, or much more. Just take one part at a time, if need be, and decide. Update later if desired!

• SEEK ASSISTANCE WITH PRE-PRESS MATTERS. Identify and interview more than one printer/binder, for price, product quality, and service comparison. Ensure they’re experienced with basics and nuances of the self-publishing process. Ask for samples of their past work. Hint. Become familiar with front and back material information and requirements, to legitimize your finished product, e.g. ISBN#, copyright information, and more, are important.*4

• BE PREPAREDTO MARKET YOUR BOOK OR SIMPLY GIVE THEM AWAY.*5 No one but you is going to market and sell your self-published book! Seriously. Traditional publishers won’t be interested if you’re not already much published; and, vanity publishers will publish anything for a price that varies with book quantity and services contracted (e.g. editing, cover design, etc.). Hint. Be sure to send a copy of your book to the RV/MH Hall of Fame library in Elkhart, IN.*6

End Notes.

1. Getting Started On Your Memoir by Shawn Girvan at The Muse Writers Center. Recommends reading one or more memoirs to get a sense of style and form that appeals to you. Read a craft book; for example, On Writing, by Stephen King. Start a journal – to explore how you feel about writing about your experiences and feelings. Take a memoir class online or in person. And decide whether you tend to be a ‘stream of consciousness’ writer or one who outlines material before starting the process. All this means is that if the former, you might need to purposely avoid ‘run on’ sentences; in the latter case, be careful not to abbreviate the story being told.

• ‘Tips for Better Storytelling’ by Stephanie Garibaldi. Recommends ‘opening strong’! You must grab your audience’s attention immediately and hold onto it. This is the ‘hook’, the opening paragraph of any story, memoir, autobiography. Make sure there’s enough of YOU in your story, and be vulnerable when you can. Speak in the present tense, to create immediacy and help build tension; the past tense when describing past events and how they relate to the present and future. Minimize context by providing just enough to understand your story – and not to be buried in descriptive detail. Use dialogue and acting whenever possible, to bring characters to life. Paint the picture by including specifics and sensory details. Find your story’s frame or focus; ensure opening and closing cohesion. Build and develop your scenes; have them unfold in real time.

• 1^st, 2^nd, & 3^rd Person? First person narrative uses pronouns I, me and my to demonstrate the narrator is a character in the story or memoir. Second person uses pronoun ‘you’ to address the reader and bring them into the story. And third person is used by biographers to tell the story; pronouns not always needed.

• Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual. ‘How to Write, Print & Sell Your Own Book’, by Para Publishing Company, CA. Available in most bookstores and online via amazon.com in paperback.

• Joh Kremmer’s 1001 Ways to market Your Book, ‘for authors and publishers’, from Open Horizons in IA. 700 page book available on line via amazon.com in paperback.

• Personal experience authoring my autobiography, From SmittyAlpha6 to MHMaven. My memoir topics are presented in chronological order; from childhood to college, to romance and starting a family, to service in the U.S. Marines, and then a 40 year business career. I recollected new topics and events, and wrote about them too, even as I was finalizing the manuscript for printing and binding. The entire self-publishing process took a full year; writing, editing, rewriting, preparing front and back material, printing and binding, then finally selling and distributing to friends, family and associates. Along the way I also crafted reference lists of recurring military and trade terms, difficult to spell names and places, even key dates; all to ease the writing process from beginning to end. Hint. Speaking of being careful about vanity publishers; one ‘fresh off a vanity press’ book I reviewed was printed entirely in CAPITAL LETTERS. It was unreadable! The author, while she had a good message, did not ensure – and the printer/binder did not warn her, that the final product would indeed be unreadable. So, be careful.

George Allen

Blog Posting # 844; Copyright 30 May 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), 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 levels since 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large for the MHInsider magazine.

Will You Be Remembered or Forgotten?

The choice is yours! During the past month, several notable individuals in the manufactured housing industry and owners of land lease communities have died. In every instance, at best, these individuals received public recognition by dint of their membership in state MH trade associations. But that was all.*1 This time next year, few will recall the anniversary of their passing – unless they penned personal memoirs (i.e. short stories) or an autobiography, beforehand, describing their personal adventures and business careers. Which will it be for you: ‘Will You Be Remembered or Forgotten’? Now is the time to decide and plan what to do – or not.

Know what? Recording one’s life adventures and Lessons Learned, for posterity, is the sad exception, rather than a rule in life these days. Some heady examples of what I mean…

HUD-Code manufactured housing manufacturing pioneers. Yes, we have autobiographies, in the RV/MH Hall of Fame library in Elkhart, IN., for two of these folk. Think the late John Crean, founder of Fleetwood Enterprises and Jim Clayton of Clayton Homes (With luck, we’ll someday read his son Kevin’s career story). We do not, however, have autobiographies authored by the late Art Decio (Skyline Homes) and Robert DeRose (DeRose Homes), nor by the father and son teams of Hussey and Shea. Even Joe Morris for that matter. The Adventure Homes story, in my opinion, is very compelling, considering how it evolved from near corporate oblivion to employee ownership and success under the leadership of Walter Comer. For that matter, to the best of my knowledge, we don’t have ‘life stories’ of the founders of the prestigious RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN – except for the first individual identified in the next paragraph.

The RV/MH Hall of Fame library archives several autobiographies by land lease community owners/operators past and present: beginning with Kristian Jensen, Sr., who authored A Danish American. Then there’sBorislav Vukovich’s photoautobiography, The Life & Times of B.M. Vukovich;  also, twins Harrell and Darrell Cohron penned The Trailer Twins; Mike Conlon wrote Unconventional Wealth; Jim, Ralph & Jeff Scoular collaborated on Leap of Faith; and George O’Leary released The O’Learys of Beechwood shortly before his death. George Goldman shared The Road Less Traveled, and Alvan Schrader’s creative title: No Respect At All…A PATH TO MILLION$ sends a clear message.All these were self-published tomes. Then came the late Sam Zell’s very readable Am I Being Too Subtle?, published by Penguin Random House. And to this august list I’ll add my lifetime tale, From SmittyAlpha6 to MHMaven.

Now with that said, who do I think ‘owes it to their peers’ to share timely and timeless Lessons Learned in business and personal life? Well there’re quite a few; will look at some of them by business category.

To date, and to the best of my knowledge, no female business entrepreneur has crafted their life story to share with younger women following in their footsteps. Three capable community-related names come to mind: Dr. Chrissy Jackson, ACM trainer; the late Maggie Stephenson, community developer; and Sharon Niccum, veteran portfolio owner/operator of Midwest land lease communities. Yes, there’re others. Paula Reeves in MH finance circles, and New England’s Theresa Desfosses, from the manufacturing side of the house (pun intended). Also Suzanne Felber, founder and promoter of Lifestylist, cutting edge interior designer for manufactured homes.

And there’s a raft of individuals who’ve created unique paths in manufactured housing and communities. George Porter, installations consultant come quickly to mind. Then there’s indefatigable Gub Mix, who managed several state MH associations simultaneously for years. And who wouldn’t want to read a life story by the late Grayson Schwepfinger, ‘trainer’ elite! And my guess is, Ken Corbin has also crafted a similar training regimen for his community clients. Also think of Don Westphal, landscape architect, who’s still with us – what a tale he has to tell. And who wouldn’t want to read Randy Rowe’s career story? Starting out with ELS, Inc. (the REIT), then founding Hometown America, and today leading Green Courte Partners. Two more potential storytellers come to mind: Tim Williams of 21^st Mortgage, and Steve Adler, founder of Murex Properties.

Before moving away from individual ‘rock stars’, so to speak, the founder and now retired leader of the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (‘MHARR’) needs, IMHO, to tell us his story, from beginning in 1985 at the Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’).

Portfolio owners/operators of land lease communities would be a particularly interesting group of firms to read about in published biographical sketches. Think Zeman Homes in Chicago; founded by the late Bud Zeman (Who even had a poem penned in his honor), today led by one of his sons, Ed. Then there’s YES! Communities. In this instance, going all the way back to the days of pre-REIT ROC Properties (i.e. River Oaks Communities), would be an exciting ‘read’, especially if Gary McDaniel is the author. Speaking of the ROC acronym, how ‘bout ROC USA? Watching that firm grow during the past two decades has been an adventure in itself. Hopefully, in the near future, we’ll read Paul Bradley’s complete history of ‘resident owned communities’ in the U.S… And finally, in this category, the oldest REIT, UMH Properties in New Jersey, founded by Eugene Landy and today jointly operated with his son Sam; so many adventures in this firm. Know what? There’s yet another father/son combination with a compelling story to tell. It’s Spencer Partrich’s Lautrec, Ltd., and son Ross’ Partrich’s RHP Properties. The latter is the largest private owner of land lease communities in the U.S., and by extension, the world!

Then there’re professional property managers (‘PM’) scattered across the country. In California we find Mike Sullivan, CPM, and Mike Cirillo, CPM, as well as the former PM team of Dick Bessire & Keith Casenhiser. On the east coast we find the 100% fee management evangelical firm of Newby Management, in Ellenton, FL. Founder Martin is now retired but the firm remains in family hands.

Finally, there’s a group of individual businessmen and women who also have fascinating stories to tell. Thinking here of Spencer Roane, MHM, of Pentagon Properties in Atlanta, GA. Spencer co-founded the highly popular annual SECO Conference a dozen years ago – mainly to serve the educational needs of small to mid-sized land lease community owners/operators. And then there’s the late Burt Dickman of Auburn, IN. Burt served as mayor of Auburn and developed communities there. And in Iowa there’s the Hames family. The late Curt Hames founded the firm today operated by his son Troy and daughter Barbara. When will that story be told?

Sure, I’ve missed describing as many individuals and firms as listed so far, but you ‘get the idea’. It’s the business community version of academia’s ‘publish or perish’ mantra. Bottom line? Our industry and realty asset class has been around for more than 75 years now (some say 100), and to date we have but a dozen autobiographies archived in the RV/MH Hall of Fame library. Not much of a history to draw on, by young practitioners desirous of learning from their predecessors in manufactured housing. Will you do your part to improve on that sad scenario?

If you know of memoirs and or autobiographies not mentioned in this blog posting, please let me know via gfa7156@aol.com  Thank You.

Also. If seriously interested, I sometimes host a half day class on ‘writing one’s memoirs and autobiography’, usually the day of the RV/MH Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. This year (2025), the banquet is scheduled for 18 August. For banquet information visit the RV/MH Hall of Fame website or phone (574) 293-2344. And if a minimum of five individuals are willing to spend the morning of that day, roughly from 9AM till Noon with me, I’ll provide the training resources and examples for you to peruse. Cost? Just enough to cover seminar training aid expenses. Let me know of your interest via gfa7156@aol.com

George Allen

End Note.

1. Bud Parkhill started building his large land lease community in Mahomet, IL. when he was just 22 years of age. And Don Gedert, of Greencastle, IN. His renown is having developed the largest, now oldest, subdivision of manufactured homes in Indiana and likely the entire U.S.

• 36 of the individuals identified in this blog posting (#844) are RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinees!

Blog Posting # 843; Copyright 23 May 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), 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 & 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 should be in every land lease community nationwide!), and SWAN SONG – History of land lease communities & official record of annual MH production levels since 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrine, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large for the MHInsider magazine.

MARCH U.S. HOUSING COMPLETIONS REPORT REVISITED

Here’s a more accurate rendering of the final paragraph in the last blog posting (dated 9 May 2025):

“For the month of March 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau reports 129,083 new single-family, site-built, privately-owned housing completions (i.e. 1,549,000 divided by 12 months); while the monthly grand total, inclusive of four types of offsite construction (Again, HUD-Code housing, modular units & panelized homes, plus Park Model RVs, total 11,849 units). Added together, these two monthly totals = 140,932 units for the month of March 2025. 140,943 X 12 months = 1,549,000 compared to the estimated annual completion total (of onsite construction alone) of 1,549,000 offered by the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s 142,184 more new homes in the U.S. than we’re otherwise led to believe!”

Expect to read the April U.S. Housing Completions Report the first week into the month of June.

INTO FLORIDA HOUSING?

Bet you didn’t know this: Florida’s median home price is down 3.1 percent year-over-year, and condominium median price is down 9 percent. Why? Home insurance rates continue to climb in Florida!

AND ON A BROADER PERSPECTIVE…

The latest American Housing Survey indicates 7.2 million occupied manufactured homes in the U.S.; that being 5.4 percent of all occupied housing. The survey goes on to describe manufactured homes as being ‘movable dwellings eight feet wide and 40+ feel long, built on a permanent chassis. Finally, 9.3 percent of all manufactured housing can be found in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

MEMORIAL DAY IS UPON US!

How will you commemorate Memorial Day this year? Me? I’ll pause during the day and purposely remember young U.S. Marines I led into combat during 1968 & 1969 in the Republic of South Vietnam – but who did not return home to the U.S., to live out their lives like me. And I have some ready reminders, as they do every year, to remind me of those young men….

As I sit here in my office at home my eyes are drawn to five framed mementoes of those times long ago: a shadow box collage of military medals and unit patches, a 2X3’ color photo of Fire Support Base Cunningham at the edge of the infamous Ashau Valley (a.k.a. Ho Chi Minh Trail) where I was based during Operation Dewey Canyon. Then there’s an even larger color print featuring a section of The Wall in Washington, DC. In it, one of several ghost Marines and soldiers reaches out from within the monument to touch the outstretched hand of a ‘now civilian’ Marine (me) on the living side of The Wall. So poignant even after 60+ years! Then there’s the typing paper-sized picture of three young soldiers on patrol, with one carrying his ‘pig’ (i.e. M60 machine gun) at waist level ready to attack. The caption? “The old man that shuffles around town with the Vietnam Veteran hat on was at one time more bad ass than you will ever be!” And finally, there’s an 8X10 color photo of yours truly, right there in the Ashau Valley standing next to one of two huge Russian artillery pieces we’d just captured in combat.

Yes, I will have not have any difficulty remembering why, as a nation, we celebrate Memoria Day!

George Allen

Blog Posting # 842; Copyright 9 May 2025. EducateMHC

Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MJH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. 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. And, considering various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel or ‘home only’ loans & real estate secured mortgage), describes 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 levels since 1955.

And my autobiography, From SmittyAlpha6 to MHaven, 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large for the MHInsider magazine.

TOTAL U.S. HOUSING COMPLETIONS DURING MARCH 2025

‘Onsite & Offsite Construction Totals Combined!’

This Total U.S. Housing Completion Report combines input from the U.S. Census Bureau (i.e. monthly onsite construction completions); and, offsite construction completions via combination of formula (re: modular & panelized units estimated to be 2% of onsite construction completions), Institute for Building Technology & Safety (‘IBTS’) monthly survey data of HUD-Code manufactured housing production and shipments; and finally, RVIA website announcement of Park Model RV production data for the month of March 2025.

Bottom line? Unlike the U.S. Census Bureau Report that tallies only onsite construction completions; adding to it, IBTS’ HUD-Code housing production volume, as well as a modular & panelized housing formulaic estimate, and RVIA’s Park Model RV unit count, this ‘Total U.S. Housing Completions Report’ presents a far more accurate, albeit all-encompassing picture of total U.S. housing completions for the month being reported!

For the month of March 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau reports 129,083 new single-family, site-built, privately-owned housing completions (i.e. 1,549,000 divided by 12 months); while the monthly grand total, inclusive of four types of offsite construction (Again, HUD-Code housing, modular units & panelized homes, plus Park Model RVs total 11,849 units) is 140,932 for the month of March 2025 – 11,849 fewer housing units than the onsite housing completion total reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.

So, what tells the more accurate and useful housing story? Just the limited view of onsite construction alone, OR the total that presents onsite and offsite construction totals together?

Once again, this ‘Total U.S. Housing Completions Report’ is a work in progress. Please let us know what you think of this all housing inclusive concept via gfa7156@aol.com

MH Industry Loses a True Pioneer!

Olen George ‘Bud’ Parkhill, Jr., died on 28 April 2025. He was a longtime personal friend, loyal supporter of the manufactured housing industry in Illinois, and licensed airplane pilot. So, what makes him a true pioneer of this industry? Well, Bud was born 18 March 1942, and when he turned 22 years of age in 1964, started developing Candlewood Manufactured Home Community in Mahomet, IL. Today, more than 500 rental homesites in size, he finally sold the unique, income-producing property just two years ago. Anyone who successfully starts a manufactured home community 61 years ago and nurtures it for 61 years is indeed a pioneer!

George Allen

Blog Posting # 841; Copyright 24 April 2025. EducateMHC

Know This! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory—built housing (a.k.a. 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. And, considering various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel or ‘home only’ loans & real estate-secured mortgages), describes 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; emailgfa7156@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 levels since 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrine, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large for the MHInsider magazine.

Here’s FREE FIRE, a Project Rescue Adventure.

Latest novel by Charles G. Irion

OK Charles, you really hooked me on this one! Reading halfway through FREE FIRE, I’d just settled into the main story line when you ambushed me with a surprising and stunning change in direction. Not a change predicated by what came before, but one that made me sit up nonetheless, and say: ‘Wow, never expected this to happen!” Then, you revisit this shocking discovery near the end of the novel, pulling all the exciting plot lines together. Well done my friend!

You know I’ve been ‘with you before’ in your Murder Mystery novel series, most recently with FOUR, where you introduced General George Allen to readers.

Well, this new Project: RESCUE Adventure series certainly plows new territory, moving your main characters (Will Irons & Deke James) away from the art of war, into the sister arts of survival and negotiation.

Not only that, I’ve come to expect and respect two things in your fiction: accuracy and efficacy of local color anywhere in the world – this time the Tigray region of Ethiopia; and your characters’ familiarity with military-related lessons learned, as well as clandestine tactics and survival tips. Though a spoiler-alert, here’s a string of examples that hooked me this time around:

“As soon as…footsteps had faded, Will and Deke had gone to work. The razor blades, taped discreetly to their forearms with flesh-colored bandages were a standard precaution for the FAST Team, as were similarly concealed handcuff keys and the diamond-studded cable saw threaded into their bootlaces – precautions taken for situations exactly like this. With swift, practiced movements, they cut through their bindings, freeing themselves to make their escape.” P.128

The story itself? Well, for the most part, it does not stretch over a period of weeks or months, simply days. And there’re several groups of individuals who carry the action; a Doctors Without borders medical unit, the village home of Alem Tekle, the Hangar fair and Convention Center of the Amazon, and more. How does the tale begin? With an ill-fated blimp flight over the country of Esperia during 1935. Then fast-forward to today….

OK, so who’s this author, Charles G. Irion? Several personas really – author, artist and world traveler; but the one I know best, and have for the longest time, is described in a brief biographical sketch in the back material of FREE FIRE. “By 1982, Irion had founded U.S. Park Investments, which grew into a leading owner and manager of manufactured home and RV communities across the country.” Today, and for the past 15 years, Chuck has been “…an Executive Board Member and International Assessor for Project C.U.R.E., a charity that delivers medical supplies to more than 130 developing countries.” Hint. This is how Chuck researches locales for his new novels.

FREE FIRE, and many of Charles’ other titles (e.g. Roadkill Cooking for Campers, as well as aforementioned Murder Mystery novel series, can be ordered online directly from amazon.com, and www.charlesirion.com

George Allen

Blog Posting # 840; Copyright 17 April 2025. EducateMHC

Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. 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. And, considering various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel or ‘home only’ loans & real estate-secured mortgages), describes 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 levels since 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 3 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 and editor at large for MHInsider magazine.

Continued Call for Unity & Better Advocacy!

When I first started writing about this matter two weeks ago I had no idea how far or where the conversation might go. Response to the first blog posting was immediate and wide-ranging, even an inquiry from MHPro News. As usual, things have quieted down during the past week or so. Perhaps what follows here will stir matters up again.

Don’t look for any significant changes at MHI and MHARR! Both are firmly entrenched in their respective ideologies relative to what’s best for manufactured housing, regulatory and otherwise. Notice I didn’t add ‘post production segment of manufactured housing’ to that coverage description. Should, but MHI and MHARR, each in their own right – and in my opinion, give little more than lip service to respective needs and matters within and about that segment of our industry.

MHARR, was formed in 1985 as a spinoff from MHI, and has long represented smaller, mostly regional fabricators of HUD-Code manufactured housing. They’ve long been identified and appreciated as manufactured housing’s ‘watchdog’ in Washington, DC. And, as an industry, we do have a lot to be grateful for due to their lobbying efforts over the past 40 years. But the organization, again in my opinion, is little more than a shadow of its’ former self. MHARR never publishes a list of its’ members.  And during their recent meeting with the head of HUD and his staff, could only bring their salaried leader, two retired former executives, and one member to the table, ostensibly representing the whole of our industry. Not a convincing presence. Plus, this gives rise to the thought that manufactured housing is a divided and fractious industry.

And MHI? A much larger staffed and dues-financed organization for sure, with ‘divisions’ representing most segments of the industry, including most state MH associations – since absorbing the National Manufactured Housing Federation around 1990.. Also prefer to advocate for the manufactured housing industry in a conciliatory rather than combative manner. And known for hosting the largest annual gathering of industry players, the Manufactured Housing Congress. The MHI Achilles heel (‘vulnerable spot’)? That varies among observers and commentators; but from the land lease community perspective includes: inability to solve the paucity of ‘home only’ financing (a.k.a. personal property & chattel capital) for product going directly into land lease communities and onto vacant rental homesites, lack of leadership relative to combatting rampant site rent increases among aggressive property portfolio owners/operators acquiring land lease communities – leading to rent control. Some even sight MHI’s failure, since 2010, to advocate for the professional engineering-approved Frost Free Foundation methodology HUD ignores to the detriment of homeowners/site lessees.

There is still more to be said about the present state of affairs relative to MHARR & MHI, but it’d be best pursued within both organizations among their dues-paying members and other interested parties. If you’d like to continue to add your opinion to the mix on this timely and controversial topic, communicate with me via gfa7156@aol.com

George Allen

Blog Posting # 839; Copyright 11 April 2025. EducateMHC

Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. 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. And, considering various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel of ‘home only’ loans & real estate-secured mortgages), describes 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 levels since 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large of MHInsider ,magazine.

TOTAL U.S. HOUSING COMPLETIONS DURING FEBRUARY 2025

‘Onsite & Offsite Construction Totals Combined!’

This Total U.S. Housing Completion Report combines input from the U.S. Census Bureau (i.e. monthly onsite construction completions); and, offsite construction completions, via  combination of formula (re: modular & panelized units estimated to be @ 2% of onsite construction completions), Institute for Building Technology & Safety (‘IBTS’) monthly survey data of  HUD-Code housing production & shipments, and finally, RVIA website for Park Model RV production data.

Bottom line? Unlike the U.S. Census Bureau, that reports only onsite construction completion estimates; plus IBTS’ HUD-Code housing production volume, and RVIA ‘s Park Model RV unit count, this ‘total U.S. housing completion’ report presents a more accurate, all-encompassing picture of total U.S. housing completions for the month being reported! This month, the U.S. Census Bureau reports 132,667 new single-family, site-built, privately-owned housing completions (i.e. 1,592,000 divided by 12 months); while the true overall total, when including four types of offsite construction (Again, HUD-Code housing, modular units & panelized homes, plus Park Model RVs) is 143,887 units for the month of February 2025.

That’s a difference of 11,220 units completed during the month of February 2025, or 134,640 offsite construction units when annualized. And, when the 143,887 offsite construction units are added to the 1,592,000 onsite completions, the grand total estimated annual figure is 1,736,887.

What tells the more accurate and useful story? Just the limited view onsite construction picture OR the one that presents onsite and offsite construction totals together?

Once again, the ‘Total U.S. Housing Completions Report’ is a work in progress. Please let us know what you think of this all housing inclusive concept via gfa7156@aol.com

Call for Unity & Better Advocacy…continued

Last week this blogger referenced a recent Press Release describing MHARR’s recent meeting with HUD Secretary Scott Turner and senior HUD staff on March 25, to suggest the manufactured housing industry might be better served by one national trade entity instead of two. Ended the blog by requesting reader input. And input we received. Here’re but samples of reader opinion:

From a veteran MH industry veteran and RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee. “George. You will remember that a merger (between MHI & MHARR) was almost made years ago (15+/- years ago as I recall. GFA), but my memory suggests that _____ scuttled it. MHI director at the time was a woman. It is my opinion the head of HUD changes often – though Dr. Carson did a great job. However, the players in the bowels of the department stay constant (i.e. career employees) and they make the decisions. I believe the home builders (i.e. NAHB) have more sway over the department than the MH builders and entities. My two cents worth.”

Then there’s the finagling of IBTS data each month that, like the marginal public image of MH, negatively affects the credibility of our industry. The nature of the finagling? One national advocacy entity reports IBTS monthly production/shipment totals as received, unadulterated. The other national advocacy entity, each month, deducts the number of Destination Pending units shown for the current month, then adds back the number of Destination Pending units from the previous reporting month, before reporting to members. End result? The manufactured housing industry never has ‘just one’ total of new HUD-Code homes produced in any given month – but two.

And then there’s this. Most industries seem to have an idea of their national economic impact. Manufactured housing does not! For example, here’s the ‘RVs Move America Economic Impact Study’ summary: “The RV Industry Association’s latest economic impact study in 2022 measured the impact the RV economy has on jobs, wages, taxes, and spending. The study revealed the RV industry had an overall economic impact to the U.S. economy of $140 billion, supporting nearly 680,000 jobs, contributing more than $48 billion in wages and paying over $13.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes.” Think how impressive and influential such an economic impact would be where HUD-Code manufactured housing and land lease communities are concerned!

George Allen

Blog Posting # 838; Copyright 4 April 2025. EducateMHC

Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally-regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. offsite construction), complimentary to 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. And, considering various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel or ‘home only’ loans & real estate-secured mortgages), describes post-production segment of MH.

EducateMHC is the official MH historian, trade term & trend tracker, as well as perennial MH information source. Contact EducateMHC Vis (317) 881-3815; email gfa7516@aol.com, and www.educatemhc.com, to purchase Community Management in the Manufactured Housing Industry (This book should be in land lease community offices nationwide!) and SWAN SONG – History of land lease communities & official record of annual MH productions since 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large of MHInsider magazine.

Burning Bridges or Call for Unity & Better Advocacy?

You decide! Using a recent Press Release describing the meeting of “A delegation of officials from MHARR (and) HUD Secretary Scott Turner and senior HUD staff on March 25, 2025…” as impetus, here’s is a sincere challenge to our two national manufactured housing-related trade organizations (i.e. MHI & MHARR), to end their 40 years standoff (a.k.a. advocacy competition), unify, and far better represent all segments of our industry in Washington, DC!*1

This is not the first time, by any stretch of recollection; this challenge has been voiced by folk from within various segments of the manufactured housing industry. One might say said appeal has been routinely suggested-but-ignored since 1985, when MHARR spun off from MHI. So, what makes ‘today’ the right timing for unity and far better advocacy?

Some details from the aforementioned meeting between MHARR and HUD Secretary and senior staff.

Let’s begin with the title of the Press Release from MHARR, describing the MHARR/HUD meeting: MHARR ALIGNS MH INDUSTRY GOAL WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HUD SECRETARY TURNER’S AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP VISION. Pretty impressive to read, but raises the question: ‘Who commissioned MHARR to represent (presumably all) manufactured housing in the important and timely matter of aligning industry and presidential housing-related goals?’ Yes, this is an important national matter, so what say in all this does MHI have? Moving on.

“The MHARR delegation included MHARR Chairman Peter James, MHARR Chairman Emeritus Edward J. Hussey, Jr., MHARR President and CEO Mark Weiss, and MHARR Founding President/Senior Advisor Danny D. Ghorbani.” At first glance, a team of heavy-hitters, but maybe not. So you know Peter James? I don’t, but he’s the elected leader of MHARR. And Mark Weiss is present day salaried leader of MHARR. The two remaining individuals? Possibly retired RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrines; ‘yesterday’s leaders’. So, why no senior executives of other MHARR member companies? Hardly expect James and Weiss to adequately represent the entire manufactured housing industry, even just the HUD-Code housing manufacturers.

And while this meeting did address several significant regulatory-related matters*2, the industry’s 25 year pause in housing production, due to lack of ready access to ‘home only’ loans for in-land lease community siting, received but passing mention.

What’s with the ‘burning bridges’ reference in the title of this week’s blog posting? Just the  reality that if/when industry observers, sometimes even stakeholders, speak out about controversial industry issues (In this case, whether we should continue with one or two national trade entities); they are oft excoriated in the trade press and otherwise, by present day and erstwhile peers. Who knows. Maybe this time around, circumstances will prevail and the manufactured housing industry will see its’ national presence unified and empowered!

So, what do you think? Again, You decide! Is the manufactured housing industry better served, in Washington, DC. by two or one national trade advocacy group? Let me know via gfa7156@aol.com

End Notes.

1. MHARR = Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform & MHI = Manufactured Housing Institute

• “…need to maintain reasonable and cost-effective regulation of MH”; “ongoing mismanagement of the HUD manufactured housing program”; “manipulation of appointments to the statutory Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee”; “monopoly on the monitoring contract by one entity…since the inception of the federal program”

STRUCTURAL BUILDING COMPONENTS ASSOCIATION

Have you ever heard of the Structural Building Components Association or SBCA? Didn’t think so. It’s a fairly recent trade association arrival on the national scene. Interestingly, the SBCA association appears to bridge the construction supply gap between onsite construction (i.e. traditional single-family residential housing construction) and offsite construction (e.g. manufactured housing, modular & panelized housing, and Park Model RVs).

In a recent issue of SBCA Magazine, a writer offers this sobering prescient observation about the contemporary housing construction workforce: “According to a Pew Research study, at least 15% of all construction workers are illegal immigrants and another 25% are in the U.S. with temporary status. In many parts of the country, these percentages are much higher. At the same time, the Associated Builders and contractors (‘ABC’) estimates the industry needs at least 450,000 new workers in 2025 to meet industry demand. This estimate presumes a slowing of construction spending which experts say is counter to what the industry is predicting. Deportation of illegal and temporary workers could be devastating to the construction industry. While the reduction in skilled workers could lead to more interest in offsite manufactured and prefabricated components, the lack of workers in the field could severely impact investment in construction and reduce the demand for our products.”

So, did you catch that? Possibly more demand for offsite construction in general, manufactured housing in particular, during year 2025. Let’s hope so!

George Allen

Blog Posting # 837; Copyright 28 March 2025. EducateMHC

Know this! HUD-Code manufactured housing (‘MH’) is federally—regulated, performance-based, affordable-attainable, factory-built housing (a.k.a. offsite construction), contrasted 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. And, considering various types of housing finance (e.g. chattel or ‘home only’ loans & real estate-secured mortgages), describes 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 (Really should be in every land lease community office nationwide!), and SWAN SONG – History of land lease communities & official record of annual MH production since 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 Institute (‘MHI’), a founding board member of MHI’s National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division, RV/MH Hall of Fame enshrinee, Allen Legacy columnist and editor at large of MHInsider magazine.

CELEBRATE OUR NATION’S RVN VETERANS THIS WEEKEND

The months March, May and November feature occasions when we honor our nation’s military veterans. And this year, during the fall months there’ll be two special military-related 250^th anniversaries celebrated in Philadelphia, PA.

This weekend, on 29 March, we celebrate National Vietnam Veterans Day. It’s been 52 years since that decade-long conflict ended in 1973. Some say there’s only one percent of RVN vets alive today! And just like Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, there will be scant coverage of the occasion in our nation’s press. But for those of us who served ‘all those years ago’, memories will indeed return, to remind and be reflected upon once again. Me? Among those recollections I’ll recall my final firefight along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in the Ashau Valley during February 1969, when we captured Russian artillery and killed Russian advisors firing them. This rarely reported chain of events is vividly described in Ronald Winter’s book Victory Betrayed, pp. 171-174. 

Then, on 26 May 2025 we’ll celebrate Memorial Day, the somber day when we remember and honor those who’ve given their lives in defense of our great nation. That includes the father of Carolyn’s childhood and high school friend Billie Ann, who was orphaned when her father was killed during the Battle of the Bulge during WWII, and her mother died shortly thereafter. Billie was raised by her paternal grandparents and honored her father’s memory by serving on our nation’s battlefield preservation commission. And 80 years later, she  continues to visit his grave in Europe – one of the many graves of U.S. servicemen lovingly maintained by local families in that area. Who will you remember and celebrate this Memorial Day?

Then, on 11 November 2025, we’ll focus national attention on Veterans Day. This year promises to be an even grander celebration as HOMECOMING 250 will be occur during a weeklong event around that time, celebrating the 250^th anniversaries of the births of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps! The majority of the celebratory events will take place in the Philadelphia, PA., area, the common birthplace for both military services. To learn more about this stellar event, visit Homecoming250.org  I plan to attend with my brother Mark  (USMC & USAF), Spencer Roane (USN) and John Dietz (USMC), who entered the Marine Corps with me in 1964.

A couple years ago I was asked to address a group of men as to what the aforementioned occasions mean to me. Here’re some of the thoughts I shared that day.

On Christmas Eve 2005, in a local pharmacy where I was purchasing last minute gifts, a former Vietnam War protestor asked my forgiveness for her misguided passion and actions while a university student 55 years earlier. “We talked, I cried, she atoned” pretty much sums up that emotional conversation. Today, 20 years later, we continue to be friends, and she’s seen her own son go off to war and return home safely. Read ‘Making Amends’.*1

Two decades after my return from RVN I had a chance occasion, while on active duty in San Diego, CA. to meet and thank the Phantom fighter pilot who provided intense close air support during my last firefight, during Operation Dewey Canyon, in Vietnam. When he’d expended his ordnance, he and his wing mate executed ‘wing waves’ as they departed our hilltop position. Then, 20 years later I unexpectedly met him in person during a welcoming reception at the USN amphibious base (Seal training) in Coronado, CA.   Read ‘PUC Beer’.*2 Title combines the initials PUC (Presidential Unit Citation awarded for that firefight), and all the Beer I bought for him that week.

And lately, an even greater awareness of how very much Carolyn’s and daughter Susan’s love meant to me during the 13 months we were separated, is described in the short story ‘Four for Fortitude’.*3 Today, every time our three year old great granddaughter Emmie (Susan’s granddaughter) visits – a couple days each week, I’m reminded  how very much I missed of Susan’s life back then when she was close to Emmie’s age.

And there are more tales to tell, but you get the idea. Think of the veterans you know, and make a point of greeting them during one or more of these special days.

End Notes.

1. Read this short story in my autobiography, From SmittyAlpha6 to MHMaven, available via www.educatemhc.com
2. Ibid
3. Ibid

George Allen