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

November 13, 2011

Time for Radical Change at the Manufactured Housing Institute

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 6:26 am

Time for Radical Change at the Manufactured Housing Institute

This won’t take long or much space to describe here, so let’s get started…

First. With annual new home shipment volume at a 60 year nadir for three consecutive years thru 2011; and, only cherry picking independent third party chattel financing available for new HUD Code homes, many would agree it’s time for some sort of radical change in and or about the HUD Code manufactured housing industry! We’re no longer a healthy business model, but rather a made – for – TV ‘SURVIVAL’ episode. And there’s certainly little help or change on the horizon, if the USA Today newspaper front page story, on 9 November 2011 has it right:

“Foreclosure sales are moving so slowly in half of the states that, at the current pace, it will take more than eight years on average, to clear the 2.1 million homes in foreclosure, or with seriously delinquent mortgages, new research shows.” (&) “The backlog suggests the fallout from the nation’s worst housing market collapse is likely to weigh on real estate prices in many markets for years to come.”

Second. The Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’) just lost the best president and CEO it’s ever had. Wanna guess the reason? A hint. Starts with the letter ‘$’. And now, MHI’s board is supposedly seeking his successor. I say ‘supposedly’ because, as a direct dues – paying member of the institute, I’ve not heard or read anything announcing the appointment of an ‘executive search committee’. Have you? Didn’t think so. And it’s because of this observation, and content of the two preceding paragraphs, I’m bold to propose the following ‘Radical Change at the Manufactured Housing Institute’:

Finally merge the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (a.k.a. MHARR) with MHI; yes indeed, and make Danny Ghorbani executive – in – charge of all home manufacturing/distribution matters; and yours truly, George Allen, executive – in – charge of all landlease community owner/operator affairs! And atop that new HUD Code manufactured housing and landlease community pyramid, position the present day board chairman – or his handpicked designee, to lead both major segments of the now equal and new relationship between, what some have described our historically disparate state of affairs as being, the ‘production & post production’ divisions cum partnership!

Know what else I’d do? Challenge those two new ‘executives – in – charge’ of this new, as yet unnamed national manufactured housing and landlease community advocacy partnership (I suggest Affordable Manufactured Housing Alliance or AMHA), to offset their six figure salaries with new membership dues from newly recruited members directly joining their respective ‘production & post production’ halves of the organization! Can’t meet that heady goal in 12 months time? Replace em!

There’s much more to this ‘Radical Change at the Manufactured Housing Institute’ proposal, but nearly enough penned in this blog posting. Next week? How ‘bout The Top 10 Tongue – in – Cheek Reasons NOT to effect this ‘Radical Change at the Manufactured Housing Institute’ (with apologies to David Letterman). For example: ‘Danny Ghorbani has only 43 years of manufactured housing experience.’ And the chairman’s hand – picked designee? I can think of at least four strong candidates. Will hint at their identity as well.

A further thought. What effect would my ‘joining MHI’s new partnership’ have on David Funk and our plans to launch the new, national not for profit Center for Manufactured & Affordable Housing Research & Resources? Think about it. There’s no reason the 50,000 landlease communities asset class can’t “Have its’ cake (i.e. Effective national political & regulatory advocacy) and eat it too (i.e. Enjoy the same statistics gathering, print & online communication, interpersonal networking, and property management training & certification resources it has today and will likely have tomorrow)!’ With that said, it’s fair and accurate to posit: ‘Never again will this unique and timely radical change opportunity, to unite and prosper together, present itself to the manufactured housing industry & landlease community realty asset class!’ What do you say we ‘Carpe diem!’ ?, as in ‘Seize the Day!’

Where does all this leave us? That’s up to you! This blog posting reaches 500 manufactured housing and landlease community aficionados every weekend. At this point, I’ve done my part: Presented a plan for ‘Radical Change at the Manufactured Housing Institute’. And not as an outsider, but as a longtime direct, dues – paying member of the institute, and founding – as well as present – elected board member of its’ 15 year old National Communities Council (‘NCC’) division. If you too are a direct, or even a Certified Member, of MHI, and this plan for ‘Radical Change at the Manufactured Housing Institute’ goes no further, you’ll have only yourself to blame. Because, after the dust settles, during and after discussions, and either implementation or rejection of said plan and change, business life will certainly ‘go on’ for all of us, until….

Again, plans for my future business emphasis and succession are in place, and will likely continue. All I’m saying is, I’m willing and ready – if sincerely asked, to be an integral part of ‘Radical Change at the Manufactured Housing Institute’, IF it means SURVIVAL for the MHIndustry & LLCommunity asset class! And contrary to ‘rumors on the street’, there are no plans whatsoever, at this time and where I’m concerned, to spawn a new post production national advocacy body, the recently announced MHInitiative (nee National State of the Asset Class or NSAC caucus series) notwithstanding! Can’t say or pen it any plainer than that.

Finally, look at it this way; actually, two ways. Almost any radical change and new partnership (i.e. between the manufacturing/distribution & landlease community segments) at MHI, works better than the unbalanced industry segment representation and dysfunctional advocacy contretemps in effect today! And now YOU can’t say, ever again, you have not been challenged to be a radical change catalyst. What will YOU do with the opportunity?

Your input, as always, is welcome here, via gfa7156@aol.com or the only MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764, or write to me via GFA c/o Box # 47024, Indianapolis, IN. 46247.

Who else might you contact about Radical Change at MHI? Here’re some alternatives:

Manufactured Housing Institute: info@mfghome.org
Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform: dannyghorbani@aol.com
MHI Chairman Joe Stegmayer: joes@cavco.com
NCC Chairman Steve Schaub: sschaub@yescommunities.com
MHARR Chairman John Bostick: jbostick@sunshinehomes-inc.com

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George Allen, CPM®Emeritus & MHM®Master
Consultant to the Factory – built Housing Industry &
The Landlease Community Real Estate Asset Class
Box # 47024, Indianapolis, IN. 46247
(317) 346-7156

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