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

September 26, 2015

Names, topics & contact info @ 39 R’table Presenters!

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 4:39 am

Blog # 367 Copyright 2015 COBA7® Worldwide Proprietary: community-investor.com

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle Communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities and ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

This blog posting is the national advocacy voice, official ombudsman (press), research reporter, & online communication media for all LLLCommunities in North America!’

To input this blog &/or affiliate with Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance®, a.k.a. COBA7®, use Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

COBA7® Motto = ‘U Support US & WE Serve U!’, & Goal of its’ print & online media = to ‘Not only inform & opine, but transform & improve Business Model Performance.

I.

Here’s What No One Else Gives You!

What?

List of R’table Presenters, their Topics, & Contact Info…

As you learned in last week’s blog posting (#366), titled: SO VERY TELLING, the 24th annual International Networking Roundtable was one, as they say, ‘for the record books’, given its highest attendance ever, and superb presentations by all! Well, here is a list of featured presenters, their topics, and how to contact them, to address your employees or association members. And as you’re reading this, and decide you’d like to present a LLLCommunity-related topic at the 25th anniversary International Networking Roundtable next September, likely on the East coast, let me know via the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

For more than a decade, the real estate brokerage team from Marcus & Millichap has planned and hosted a Community Investors’ Symposium the afternoon prior to the opening reception at the Roundtable. Michael Glass, the team’s leader, distributed ‘one very interesting report’ on the unique realty asset class (land-lease-lifestyle communities). Want a copy! Reach Michael via (216) 264-2000.

As this year’s Roundtable theme was ‘We Want You to Buy Our Community Series Homes & Here’s What We’re Doing to Earn Your Orders!’, I couldn’t have planned a better lineup of HUD-Code home manufacturing executives! Each one has a unique message for you, if in the home-buying frame of mind.

• Bill Danforth @ Cavco Industries via (602) 763-0521
• Keith Anderson @ Champion Home Builders via (248) 614-8211
• Walter Comer @ Adventure Homes via (260) 357-1955
• Bob Bender @ Commodore Homes via (574) 533-7100

Know what? There were at least nine additional home manufacturing reps in the audience, with compelling Community Series Home sales messages too.

• Rick Grewe @ Clayton Homes via (574) 862-3009
• Terry Decio @ Skyline Homes via (574) 294-6521
• Brad Harper @ Champion Home Builders (800) 777-6637
• Steve Harwood @ Silvercrest Homes via (951) 547-2003
• Daryl Muzio @ Redman Homes via (559) 804-0236
• Bruce Thelen @ Champion Home Builders via (248) 614-8211
• Mike Young @ Champion Home Builders via (602) 421-8547
• Steve Quick @ Fleetwood Homes, Inc., via (615) 202-0245
• Byron Stroud @ Champion Home builders via (702) 756-2600

NOTE. This was the largest number of HUD-Code home manufacturers to attend the International Networking Roundtable during its’ now 24 year history. Their presence underscores just how much LLLCommunities have become the ‘next big market’ for the manufactured housing industry!

One of the most popular presentations this year was Dr. David Funk’s ‘Housing Economics & Manufactured Housing’s Strategic Niche!’ No one in the manufactured housing industry does a better job researching this segment of the factory-built housing industry and its’ customer base. Reach David via dfunk@capstonecompany.com

Spencer Roane, MHM® of Pentagon Properties, already considered to be the ‘Go to Guy’ relative to on-site transactions consummated using lease-option, all but filled his conference room with LLLCommunity owners/operators wanting to emulate what Roane does in his LLLCommunities in GA & TX. Reach him via (678) 428-0212

One of the unsung heroes of past and present Networking Roundtables is Wade Elliott of Utility Supply, from Washington state. For many LLLCommunity owners/operators, he’s their primary source of electrical components (breaker boxes, etc.) for their properties. And once again, this year, he ‘splained’ the ‘Importance of Preventative Maintenance’ in the LLLCommunity! (360) 881-0375.

Tried something new this year. Knowing many LLLCommunity owners/operators patronize Rent Manager software to support property management operations, and now sales management as well, we invited the firm to present three back-to-back seminars on various aspects (seller-financed loan tracking, metered utility support, and more) of their product line. Sabrina Clore handled this assignment, with assistance from Liz Engel. Reach them via (800) 669-0871

One of the most critical topics this year had to do with ‘home valuation’. Darren Krolewski of Datacomp handled this hot potato, and did a yeoman’s job doing so. If you’re not familiar with the new federal regs, contact Darren via (800) 365-1415. This is a topic, if you’re selling new HUD-Code homes on-site, you can’t afford to ignore!

Manage America filled a session, bringing LLLCommunity owners/operators up to date about ‘Advances in Resident Payment Methods’. This task was well-handled by Brice London. Reach him via (818) 789-3532.

A special ‘hit’ this year was Barbara Hames-Bryant of Hames Homes of Iowa. Her ’10 Lessons Learned for Community Owners Selling Homes’ was so well-received, all Power Point paper copy handouts were gone by the end of the session. Barbara’s proprietary emphasis was on the use of social media to reach out to one’s potential customers. Contact her via (319) 377-9085.

I even found myself on the program a time or two – covering for last minute speaker cancellations (a fact of life for meeting planners). ‘The State of the MHIndustry & LLLCommunity Asset Class!’, given its’ focus on key statistics and emerging trends, is always popular. If you’d like this presented to your state MHAssociation members, or property managers, phone the Official MHIndustry HOTINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

And it should go without saying, virtually everyone listed in this blog posting directory of speakers and topics, is a potential program and presenter for you as well. Why not explore the possibilities?

Annual Lenders’ Panel. Always a hit with the LLLCommunity audience, and this year was no different. These are real estate-secured mortgage originators, not chattel capital. No one showed up at this year’s Roundtable from ‘that side of the house’, figuratively speaking. That in itself says a lot about the ‘state of chattel capital’ in and around the manufactured housing industry today. In any event, back to the finance side of our industry/asset class that is functioning extremely well these days. The following individuals were at the Networking Roundtable, but not necessarily on the panel – which is traditionally manned by the major financial (food& beverage events) supporters of the Roundtable:

• Chad Williams, partnering with his father Charlie, @ Berkadia Commercial Capital via (602) 284-8332. Plus, Anthony Goldeblewski via (602) 445-1668
• Chris Dyson & Todd Elkins @ Grandbridge RE Capital via (813) 262-9950
• Will Baker, Andrew Tapley & Gary Braun @ Walker & Dunlop via (202) 210-1485 & (310) 215-5578 & (301) 215-5520
• Nick Bertino & Tony Petosa @ Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital via (760) 438-2153 & (301) 215-5578
• Bruce Tolchin & Peter Tripp @ Onyx Capital via (310) 442-8400
• Matt Krasinski @ Wells Fargo Bank via (617) 574-6306
• Damon Reed & Monica Schroeder @ Capital One Multifamily Finance via (205) 991-6700
• Zach Koucos @ HFF via (858) 812-2351
• Garrett Meyers @ PNC Real Estate via (818) 676-3218
• Chris San Jose @ Yale Realty & Capital Advisors via (850) 443-4580
• Art Tuverson @ Pillar Finance via (866) 315-6214

Yes, these are the major ‘players’ when it comes to LLLCommunity acquisition and refinance. For a copy of the Signature Series Resource Document, or SSRD, published by COBA7®, titled ‘National Registry of ALL Lenders’, simply phone the aforementioned Official MHIndustry HOTLINE. There’s no charge for this invaluable directory of real estate-secured and chattel capital loan originators.

‘The GSE Hour!’ in two short years has become a veritable ‘don’t miss this session’ event at the Networking Roundtable. Once again, following brief introductions to their particular agency or GSE, the floor was opened to discussion with the audience – which was awash with questions, comments, and recommendations. Re-read last week’s blog posting at this website for the ‘takeaways’ from the 2014 & 2015 Roundtables. You’ll be glad you did. In the meantime, here’s a list of this year’s panelists, beginning with…

• Michael Price @ Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA via (202) 649-3134
• Matthew Brodsky & Daniel Din @ Freddie Mac via (312) 407-7449 & (703) 714-4989 respectively
• Jerry Muir & Jeffrey Ketron @ Fannie Mae via (404) 398-6283 & (202) 752-2355 respectively

Trust me. Anytime one or more of these individuals are ‘on the stage’ in front of a manufactured housing audience, you want to be there! I’ve been in this industry/asset class for 35 years, and these past two years have been the first two I can recall where GSEs have exhibited a genuine passion for our industry, and a matching desire to design loan products to support our needs for both real estate-secured and chattel capital mortgages, for LLLCommunities and new/resale homes respectively.

Wow! There’s no other way to describe the hour many of us spent listening to Steve Lefler and Marie Horton (Sorry, got her name wrong in last week’s blog posting) hold forth on the ‘Future of LLLCommunities’, using near ‘net zero energy usage’ HUD-Code homes to retrofit and rehabilitate 40 & 50 year old properties! Reach them at Newport Pacific via (949) 852-5575.

Kinda like keeping ‘the best for last’, is how one has to describe the legislative briefing Rick Robinson, esquire, from MHI, brings to today’s MHIndustry events. I’ve heard him at least three different times, and the message constantly changes, as he stays on top of what’s happening to and around our industry inside the capitol beltway. If your state hasn’t had him out as a keynote presenter, consider doing so. PLUS, he’ll ‘splain’ how easy it has become for us to make our opinions known, to our legislators, in Washington, DC. Seriously. Reach Rick via (859) 750-2422.

‘Avoiding Lawsuits in LLLCommunities’. Think this sounds boring? It’s not! In fact, it’s vital for owners/operators to learn and practice the ‘loss control measures’ Kurt Kelly teaches in this instructive hour. (800) 458-4320. And, if you’d like an SSRD supplement, on this same subject, prepared by Jay Zandman; again, simply phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE and request it; it’s FREE.

Most folk still don’t realize COBA7® has aligned itself with the National Buyers Group represented by Ben Rao. Those of us who do, are constantly amazed at how much $ we’re saving these days at Lowes, Office Max/Depot, Sherwin Williams, etc.. Anyway, Ben held forth with an hour of salient tips for saving operational dollars in the LLLCommunity environment. For more info, reach him via (816) 585-7027. And if you’re already affiliated with COBA7, simply go to coba7benefits.com to register and start saving significant $ when you shop for your properties!

One last important thing! It’d be impossible for us to plan and host an annual meeting of this size without a lot of sponsor support. You’ve already read of that supplied by the real estate-secured lenders. And we’re highly grateful for their support. But in addition to them, there were some really significant sponsor supported measures this time around:

• RHP Properties sponsored publication of the treatise given to every attendee. And know what? Requests for copies, after the event, have been so strong, we’re almost out of stock. It’s one dynamic read. Hope you have one!
• Inspire Communities stepped up to the plate this year in a unique fashion
• FollettUSA supplied the nametag holders
• Barrington Investments, as usual, was right where I needed them to be again!

Well, that about does it for this year’s 24th annual International Networking Roundtable. Sorry you missed it, if you did. Those present will surely tell you, it was indeed, the Biggest & Best Ever! Plan now to be with us, in early September 2016, for the 25th anniversary Networking Roundtable, likely on the East coast. Want to be sure of an ‘invite’? Again, simply phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE and ask to have your name and address added to the already growing list of invitees.

***

September 19, 2015

Details & ‘stats’ here, you’ll read nowhere else!

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 10:47 am

Blog # 366 Copyright 2015 COBA7® Worldwide Proprietary: community-investor.com

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle Communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities and ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

This blog posting is the national advocacy voice, official ombudsman (press), research reporter, & online communication media for all LLLCommunities in North America!’

To input this blog &/or affiliate with Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance®, a.k.a. COBA7®, use Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

COBA7® Motto = ‘U Support US & WE Serve U!’, & Goal of its’ print 7 online media = to ‘Not only inform & opine, but to transform & improve our Business model!’

I.

SO VERY TELLING…

‘The #s; Who Came & Who didn’t; What Excited; What Educated!

The 24th annual International Networking Roundtable (9-11 September 2016) was the Biggest (200+) and Best Ever, with land-lease-lifestyle community aficionados participating from 26 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada.

All the major HUD-Code home manufacturers (Cavco, Champion, Fleetwood, Adventure, Commodore, Skyline, Silvercrest, Redman, & Clayton) were represented by corporate executives and Business Development Managers (‘BDM’) – individuals specializing in Community Series Homes, a.k.a. CSH Model manufactured homes.

All the major real estate-secured mortgage lenders and brokers (Wells Fargo, Onyx Capital, Grandbridge, Capital One, Walker & Dunlop, Monroe & Giordano, Northwestern Mutual, Q10/Lutz, & Berkadia) were represented by loan originators specializing in the acquisition and refinancing of LLLCommunities1 Even had a trickling of local lender representation, including participation by American Commerce Bank of of Atlanta, GA, and others.

Frankly, it was most of the above lenders who, as $ sponsors, made this year’s event possible: Wells Fargo, Grandbridge, Onyx Capital, Berkadia Commercial, Capital One, and Walker & Dunlop – plus, Barrington Investments, LLC, Horizon Land Company, DATACOMP/MHVillage, and RHP Properties – the latter paying for the publication of the treatise:

‘Affordable (Manufactured Housing); From Factory to Family – a Bold Look into the Future of Housing & Community!’ Want a FREE copy? Send $20.00, to cover shipping & handling to COBA7® c/o Box # 47024, Indianapolis, IN. 46247.

But guess who wasn’t present – at all? Independent third party chattel capital firms! Not surprising though, given lack of easy access to chattel capital mortgages, via them, for new home transactions on-site in LLLCommunities. An interesting, albeit unintended confirmation of this reality is how David Rousher, in his recently released online book ($3.99), ‘How to Invest in a Mobile Home Park…’ only identifies two of the ‘Big Three + One’ chattel lenders. Don’t know whether his omissions were errors, oversights – or simply reflect how obscure chattel capital lending, from independent, third party sources, has become since the turn of the Century. What do you think?

And there was yet another interesting and telling trend that played out at this year’s Roundtable event. Most of the major (Top 20) LLLCommunity portfolio ‘players’, except for ELS, Inc., & UMH Properties, Inc., sent their acquisition specialists or teams. At the same time however, no fewer than 49 small to mid-sized property portfolio owners/operators were present; in their case, represented by owners and senior executives.

New blood. Another obvious trend this year was the absence of ‘industry pioneers’ who’ve been frequent roundtable participants during the past two decades – the men and women who clamored for national representation during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some have died, others have retired, still others have left the business altogether. Today’s crowd was a healthy mix of young faces, a lot of Young Wealth Builders (The term used to describe RE investors in between Mom & Pop owners of small LLLCommunities and large firms specializing in institutional grade properties) ‘making their mark’ during these still turbulent times for the HUD-Code manufactured housing industry. And yes, there were many examples of second, even third generation family dynasties among owners/operators present this year.

What excited? Whew! Where does one start? With Marcus & Millichap! Between 75 and 100 real estate investors arrived ‘early’ for the Wednesday afternoon panel presentation (a new format this year). And did the questions – and answers, ever fly! Kudos to M&M, for a program ‘well played’.

Then, who’d a ‘thunk’? HUD-Code home manufacturing executives ‘filling a room’ with focused owners/operators of land-lease-lifestyle communities! Well, they did, in spades, as Keith Anderson (Champion), Bill Danforth (Cavco), Wally Comer (Adventure), & Bob Bender (Commodore) ‘splained the facts’ of manufactured housing life and business to this eager crowd of listeners. And the second hour of Open Discussion fed the flames of passion to ship and sell more homes! Don’t miss this point: This was the first time in MHIndustry history, where ‘so many major players’ – even more than at the NSAC caucus on 27 February 2009, enjoyed such an enthusiastic and mutually supportive faceoff!

And if you’ve yet to hear Dr. David Funk, now with Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago, hold forth on ‘’Housing Economics & Manufactured Housing’s Strategic Niche’; well, you simply don’t know what you’re missing! His talk should be required fare at every state MHAssociation gathering during year 2016. So much to learn from him! (Since the Roundtable he’s been invited to address several industry gatherings)

The Thursday luncheon will never be the same! Following a delicious meal, Judy Jankowski of the RV/MH Hall of Fame recruited members and donations; and Rick Rand, ACM®, sold raffle tickets for MHI’s PAC Fund. But the big surprise came when Katie & Ken Hauck, MHM®, introduced their charity MHGives – to feed and house orphan children in Latin America! The stunning results? More than $55,000 pledged to the RV/MH Hall of Fame; nearly $10,000.00 raised in MHI PAC funds; and, $22,000.00 in matching funds for MHGives!

Spencer Roane’s ‘All Things Chattel!’, according to end-of-event Evaluation Forms was one of the most popular educational program of this year’s event. Here an owner/operator shared his Secrets to Success, selling & self-financing on-site new home sales transactions on-site using the lease-option approach.

Another very popular session was Barbara Hames’ ’10 Lessons for LLLCommunity Owners Selling Homes On-site!’ All her handout outlines disappeared before the end of her session. This is a hands-on LLLCommunity operator who’s maximized social media in promoting her family’s new home sales into and outside their LLLCommunities.

The GSE Hour. No surprise here. We all expected, with Michael Price, of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, leading the way, we’d be treated to a Special Hour of insight and discussion relative to his agency and its’ oversight relationship with Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac ‘Government Sponsored Enterprises’. Biggest Takeaway last year = LLLCommunity folk not limited to five or 10 percent ‘park-owned homes’; rather, every deal is evaluated on its’ own merits! Biggest Takeaway this year = GSEs are OK with ‘doing deals’ $1,000,000.00 or less in size! We just need to find local lenders willing to underwrite those loans. Well guess what? Cultivate a good working relationship with your local bank, then ask me who to contact at the GSEs for their added measure of security. This is BIG. Why? Because 85 percent of all LLLCommunities in the U.S. today, need $1,000,000.00 or smaller mortgages for acquisition and refinancing purposes. For example: 100 rental homesites valued at $12,000/site = estimated value of $1,200,000.00 X 75 percent Loan to Value, or LTV limit = a $900,000.00 mortgage.

Steve Lefler and Marie Whittaker of Newport Pacific wowed their packed room of LLLCommunity owners, as they described how near ‘net zero energy use’ HUD-Code homes are being used to rehabilitate older, often functionally obsolete rental homesites in properties throughout California. A real eye-opener, including solar panel shingles by Dow Chemical. Hint. Watch for a near ‘net zero energy usage’ HUD-Code home to be featured on the Tiny House series on TV this Fall!.

Rick Robinson, esquire, general counsel for MHI, was also present – as were Nathan Smith, PHC® and the institute’s latest hire, Mark Bowersox (formerly exec @ IMHA/RVIC). Rick shared his comprehensive legislative briefing with this august audience. Your state should invite him to address your members during 2016! And learn from Rick, how to make ‘your voice heard’ in Washington, DC. I follow his lead all the time!

Ben Rao, of the National Buying Group, described existing programs (Lowe’s, Sherwin Williams, Office Depot, etc.) designed to assist real estate investors in general, COBA7® affiliates in particular, with cost-saving purchases of products and services used in and around LLLCommunities! Ben’s presentation was a ‘tip of the iceberg’ talk, in terms of additional programs on the planning table, to benefit COBA7® affiliates, e.g. big box stores exhibiting new manufactured homes in their parking lot; bulk purchasing of new Community Series Homes from cooperating manufacturers, etc.. So, if not already aboard, phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877)MFD-HSNG or 633-4764, to learn details; and use attached brochure to affiliate with COBA7® today!

Well, the list could continue on, but you get the idea. Like, where else in the U.S., are you going to find more first rate information than what you’ve just read – and that’s only a partial list of all that was covered between 9 and 11 September. Plan now to attend the 25th Anniversary International Networking Roundtable next September. Location to be announced, but likely on the East coast. Want to be a presenter, or have a topic(s) you want to see featured? Let me know via the aforementioned Official MHIndustry HOTLINE.

*****

September 13, 2015

ALLEN RPT. Questionnaires due 9/15; Biggest & Best Roundtable Ever!

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 10:49 am

Blog # 365 Copyright 2015 COBA7® Worldwide Proprietary: community-investor.com

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle Communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities and ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

This blog posting is the national advocacy voice, official ombudsman (press), research reporter, & online communication media for all LLLCommunities in North America!’

To input this blog &/or affiliate with Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance®, a.k.a. COBA7®, use Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

COBA7® Motto = ‘U Support US & WE Serve U!’, & Goal of its’ print & online media = to ‘Not only inform & opine, but to transform & improve our MHBusiness model!’

I.

By 15 September, Return Completed Questionnaires Used to Prepare 27th ALLEN REPORT By 1/1/2016

The 26th ALLEN REPORT, a.k.a. ‘Who’s Who Among LLLCommunity Portfolio Owners/operators Throughout North America!’ per popular acclaim, has been and continues to be, the most widely read and referenced manufactured housing statistical compendium distributed during year 2015, year to date. And did YOU know?

Now that 2015 is more than half over, copies of the voluminous 26th ALLEN REPORT are FREE for the asking, by simply phoning the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764. The usual ‘per copy’ retail price is $544.95.

Now that 2016 is fast approaching, if YOU own and or fee manage five or more land-lease-lifestyle communities (a.k.a. manufactured home communities) and or 500+ rental homesites collectively, you’re eligible for inclusion in the 27th ALLEN REPORT. For a blank questionnaire, simply phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE listed above!

LLLCommunity portfolio owners/operators who complete the entire one page questionnaire will receive a complimentary copy of the 27th ALLEN REPORT.

II.

Be Careful What You Read & Believe These Days

Two decades ago, we read in The Journal, how to kill stray dogs in manufactured home communities by feeding them ‘treated’ balloons (No details here, as I don’t desire to perpetuate the loathsome practice). Fortunately, that ‘lesson learned’ was greeted with near universal disdain among property owners/operators.

During the past decade, we’ve endured self-described yet faux manufactured housing journalists, online and in print, renewing the taint of yellow journalism (i.e. ‘presenting little or no legitimate well-researched news’), via thinly veiled, sometimes direct, attacks upon individuals, even national trade advocacy entities. Fortunately, they’ve only tainted themselves. How to know who? Watch for responses, if any, to this cautionary warning.

And of late, given easy access to self-publishing one’s thoughts and experiences online, we’re enduring a spate of sometimes spurious HOW TO guides, books, and narratives penned by individuals as notorious for their business failures and questionable practices as they are for their few successes. How to know? There’re several helpful indicators: 1) Very low price of the published work (Recall the business maxim: ‘High barrier to entry, e.g. high price – oft indicates potentially high value & ROI’); 2) Lack of credible and provable personal credentials; and, 3) reputation among one’s peers in the business.

So, be careful what you read and believe these days! From time to time, I’m called upon or hired, to teach the basics of professional business authoring, trade journalism, and or op/ed (opinion/editorial) writing (They’re three different business genres), as well as self-publishing. In all four instances, I use archived examples of what was described in the previous three paragraphs, to demonstrate ‘What & how NOT to communicate one’s business knowledge and experiences into print and online media.’

Worst examples include a paperback book, 200+ pages in length, TYPESET USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO READ, beyond the first page. Then there’s the HOW TO ‘Get rich quick by buying ‘mobile home parks’. In it, the author erringly describes the use of ‘cap rates’ in estimating income value. For example, he/she pens, a 12% income capitalization rate yields greater value than a 6% ‘cap rate’. Seriously.

If the preceding interests you in ‘writing for publication’, let me know! I’ll send you a FREE plastic Management Wisdom pocket card titled: ‘The Writer’s WRITE Card, where the word WRITE is a five step acronym to better creative writing. And, know we’re looking for manufactured housing and land-lease-lifestyle community – experienced businessmen and women, managers and housing salesmen/women, to pen features, even a column, in future issues of the Allen Letter professional journal.

Furthermore, now isn’t too early for you to mark Monday, 1 August 2016 on your planning calendar – to attend the third annual Writers’ Conference at the RV/MH Heritage Foundation’s Hall of Fame Museum & Library facility in Elkhart, IN. Let me know if you’d like your name placed on the invitation list. Phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

September 4, 2015

This Week, Next Week, & for Weeks to Come…

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 4:55 am

Blog # 364 Copyright 2015 COBA7® Worldwide Proprietary: community-investor.com

Perspective. ‘Land-lease-lifestyle Communities, a.k.a. manufactured home communities and ‘mobile home parks’, comprise the real estate component of manufactured housing.’

This blog posting is the national advocacy voice, official ombudsman (press), research reporter, & online communication media for all LLLCommunities in North America!

To input this blog &/or affiliate with Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance®, a.k.a. COBA7®, use Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

COBA7® Motto = ‘U Support US & WE Serve U!’, & Goal of its’ print & online media = to ‘Not only inform & opine, but to transform & improve our MHBusiness model!’

I.

This Week = All Eyes Are on San Diego

Why?

Things and times are a – changing, where manufactured housing and land-lease-lifestyle communities are concerned!

How so?

First, recollect the ‘turn of the century dual paradigm shift’ – the one continuing to evolve to this day. You know, the one where we’ve moved

“…AWAY FROM independent (street) MHRetailers, TOWARDS in-LLLCommunity home sales; &, AWAY FROM too easy access to chattel capital via independent third party lenders, TOWARDS reliance on cash transactions, seller-finance,, ‘captive finance’, lease-options, even rental units; on-site within LLLCommunities, of all sizes, nationwide!”

And

This week, during the 24th International Networking Roundtable, in San Diego, is where you’ll find ‘The Proof in the Pudding!’ Here, HUD-Code home manufacturers will keynote the program, challenging owners/operators nationwide – and in Canada, to ‘Sell More Community Series Homes into LLLCommunities!’

Ah, but Guess Who Isn’t Present?

Independent third party (chattel capital) lenders! Nary a one! But who will be present? Local banks, who’ve rediscovered LLLCommunities and their propensity for safe on-site home sales! Seriously. No traditional lenders!

Why?

It’s kinda complicated, or not. Here’s how one LLLCommunity portfolio owner/operator described the matter this past week:

“They are afraid of the old stories about high default rates in LLLCommunities, and can’t figure out how to get the owner/operator to underwrite/guarantee a direct loan to the home buyer. My formula that works? Sell properly-priced homes to qualified buyers, using lease option, until they’re seasoned, then encourage refinancing with a conventional lender.”

And that’s not all that’s happening in San Diego this week:

Record attendance expected at this year’s Networking Roundtable!

Record spread of participants from all segments of the MHIndustry!

&

This Roundtable makes manufactured industry history in three ways:

• Exposing attendees to nearly ‘net zero energy use’ HUD-Code manufactured housing used to rejuvenate functionally obsolete LLLCommunities throughout California!

• COBA7® announcing its’ next evolution, effective January 2016

• &, announcing of the DECADE (2015-2015) of ______________& _____________!

Icing on the cake…

Everyone present at this year’s event receives a copy of the new treatise, a 2015 & 2016 elaboration on the WHITE PAPER distributed at last year’s Networking Roundtable in Peachtree, GA. This one is suggestively titled:

‘Affordable (Manufactured) Housing’ – From Factory to Family; a Bold Look into the Future of Housing & Community!’

It’s written to shake-up our industry/asset class’ status quo, to energize our elected and salaried leaders in their search for, and implementation of, measures to invigorate housing production, distribution, and lifestyle!

But will it?

Only if leaders step forward and lead! Otherwise, it’ll be, sorry to say, ‘more of the same’ tripe (‘anything worthless’), for the year(s) to come, as we continue to stagger along at 50,000 – 60,000 new HUD-Code homes shipped per year. SIDEBAR. Why should we expect better? At present, three of the four national advocacy and statistical reporting entities agree as to how many homes we ship each month! One is always different…Why?

You interested?

If unable to participate in this year’s Networking Roundtable, but would like a copy of the above-referenced, enlightening and challenging treatise, simply send a $25.00 check, made out to COBA7®, to GFA Management, Inc., Box # 47024, Indianapolis, IN. 46247. Want to talk about these serious matters? Phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

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