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

May 28, 2016

Memorial Day 2016 & Tours/Seminars a Success!

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 10:17 am

Blog # 398 Copyright 2016 COBA7® @ 29 May 2016; community-investor.com website

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 sole national advocacy voice, official ombudsman & historian, research reporter & online communication media for North American LLLCommunities!

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 =
‘Not only inform & opine, but transform & improve MHBusiness Model Performance!’

INTRODUCTION: None needed this time around. Two very special stories for you.

I.

MEMORIAL DAY 2016

‘The day everyone honors KIA* war heroes; some of whom,
I honor every day of my life!’ GFA (KIA = ‘Killed in Action’)

As George Orwell aptly states, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.” Well, here’s the true tale of one rough man, the late Marine Sergeant Don Myers, describing an assault he led, along the Ho Chi Minh trail in South Vietnam, during February 1969, resulting in the capture of the largest enemy weapons (a dozen 122 mm. Russian field guns) during that conflict.

“I yelled at my men to drop their (field) packs and go forward on the run. Our rear element pushed the front of the platoon, and they too got caught up in our charge…as they joined the rush up the large hill. The mid-afternoon sun was blistering, and bullets were whizzing and zinging through the underbrush and beating into trees. The noise of gunfire and small explosions was all but deafening, as I looked up the slope of the mountain-like hill. Not forty meters away stood the largest damn enemy artillery piece I’d ever seen. The long barrel of the cannon looked like it was pointing straight down the trail at not only me, but the rest of the men that were scrambling up the slope as well. I yelled out loud, ‘Sweet Jesus, don’t shoot that mother!’ In seconds, I moved past the unmanned gun and noticed several bodies of dead NVA lying near the weapon. I was glad someone had gotten them before they had unlimbered that gun for firing. The barrel extended out 30 feet and the tires came up to my waist. A caisson affair was in back of the artillery piece with an open, ready box of big shells sitting upright in slots.”

As it turned out, a dozen large Russian artillery pieces were captured that day, but the enemy spiked ten of them; so only two were retrograded to the rear area. My job, as battalion rigging officer, was to dissemble them, and rig for helo-lifting back to the Dong Ha Combat Base. Today, one is on display in the USMC Museum in Quantico, VA., and the other one? Well, that’s a stirring tale for another Memorial Day. And in the attack just described, two Russian advisors were killed.

Memorial Day is always difficult for me, as I recall Marines KIA in that firefight during Operation Dewey Canyon (Google it), as well as in previous offenses near LZ Stud, Gio Linh, and during the days we reopened route # 1 to the Khe Sanh Combat Base.

So, many Thanks to friends who phoned Friday, to reminisce and express heartfelt feelings about what happened, now almost 50 years ago, in that far away land.

FYI. Sgt. Myers died a few years ago, but not until after he authored YOUR WAR – MY WAR, from which this story is quoted – also used in a documentary I prepared for the USMC Museum, titled ‘Pluck, Politics, & Shore Party’.

II.

‘NEW ERA of Manufactured Housing’, circa 2015, Now Year 2016, Continues the 16 Year Paradigm Shift in New Home Sales Methodology!

Recent ‘Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars’ underscored the need for LLLCommunity owners/operators to have housing product knowledge (plant tours) & practice home selling techniques (seminars).

To set the stage for plant tours and four sales seminars that’d follow, a brief retrospective of HUD-Code manufactured housing travails & triumphs, since the turn of the century, was provided. Here’re the paradigm shifts that have moved the MHIndustry from being dependent upon independent (street) MHRetailers, to the filling of vacant rental homesites, with Community Series Homes (a.k.a. CSH Models) within LLLCommunities, by owners/operators of said properties – in increasing numbers.

NOTE to the READER. Print off or copy these eight bullet points, for future reference, as they’re quoted directly from the ‘Official Manufactured Housing Industry Timeline’ maintained by the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance®, or COBA7® as official historian to the MHIndustry & LLLCommunity realty asset class.

• 1998 = 372,843 new HUD-Code homes shipped. Last MHIndustry renascence!

• 1999-2002 = 300,000 ‘repos’ = $1.3 billion loss in value per CFPB White Paper. Consequences? 1) Loss of easy access to chattel capital for in-community home loans; 2) far fewer new homes manufactured & shipped; & 3) 10,000 fewer independent (street) MHRetailers in U.S., until…

• 2009 = Forced change to traditional MH business model, with debut of Community Series Homes, when new HUD-Code home shipments hit nadir of only 49, 789 units – of which only 25% (12,446) went into LLLCommunities.

• Since 2010, large LLLCommunity portfolio owners/operators have been buying, selling, seller-financing, even leasing new HUD-Code homes on-site, to take-up the slack left by 10,000 fewer independent (street) MHRetailers in the U.S. – to fill an estimated 250,000 vacant rental homesites.

• By 2014, due to on-site selling & seller-financing of new HUD-Code homes on-site, LLLCommunities = New Breed of MHRetailer & Lender, selling ‘homes & lifestyle’ vs. ‘deal to deal’ mindset of independent street) MHRetailers. Also year of the birth of the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance®.

• In 2015, an estimated 40+/-% of 70,535 new HUD-Code homes, or 28,000+/- went directly into LLLCommunities nationwide; more than double 2009 volume

• Now, most LLLCommunity ownrs/operators, with vacant rental homesites, buy & sell new HUD-Code homes on-site, or risk business failure. So, we must get 85% of LLLCommunities ‘not selling’, into the New Breed & NEW ERA mindset!

• Seller-finance is the ‘new game in town’ and is played several ways: leasing of units, seller-finance (contract sale) via ‘captive finance’, & lease-option. All the while, required to be compliant with state (S.A.F.E. Act) and federal finance regulations per CFPB,.

How was the program itself? Successful! As 100 LLLCommunity owners/operators and HUD-Code manufacturer representatives spent two days visiting six plants, in the Elkhart, IN., area, and learning from four ‘different topic’ seminars taught by their LLLCommunity owner/operator peers. For more details, read the July issue of the Allen Letter professional journal! To subscribe, phone (317) 346-7156.

***

May 20, 2016

Does the MHIndustry Need an IPPA?

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 6:08 pm

Blog # 397 Copyright 2016 COBA7® @ 22 May 2016; community-investor.com website

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 sole national advocacy voice, official ombudsman & historian, research reporter & online communication media for North American LLLCommunities!

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 =
‘Not only inform & opine, but transform & improve MHBusiness Model Performance!’

INTRODUCTION: Part I is me being candid about prospects for a new, national, independent post-production association for manufactured housing businessmen and women from all segments of the industry. Remember, this is simply my opinion about a pithy matter that’s been bandied about, by the industry’s national advocacy groups, ‘for years’, if not decades. What do you think? Inquiring minds would like to know! And Part II. As the title says, this is your last opportunity to participate, and make MHIndustry history, at the RV/MH Hall of Fame this week in Elkhart, IN! Think about this too. When was the last time YOU were invited to tour as many as si’ How to Sell & Seller-finance New Homes On-site in LLLCommunities’? Answer? Never before! So, don’t miss this exceedingly rare opportunity to do so, on 5/25 & 26, 2016.

I.

Does the MHIndustry Need an IPPA?

(That’s short for ‘Independent Post-Production Association’)

George Allen, CPM®Emeritus, MHM®Master

OK. For the first time, I’ll write openly about the rumored launching of a new, independent post-production association or IPPA. It’s certainly not a new topic of conversation among manufactured housing aficionados. Rather, the idea – the perceived need, now possibility, appears on our business scene with relative frequency, almost always at the impetus of the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform. MHARR, you know, is a 30+ year national trade advocate associated with HUD-Code manufactured housing, whose membership is comprised of smaller regional home manufacturers.

It’s likely MHARR’s sensitivity to said need, relates to their mission of protecting manufactured housing from over regulation by federal agencies. And during that process, encounter post-production matters, identified by members and others, ultimately impacting home manufacturers (e.g. housing finance), not being addressed well by any one or more national advocates for manufactured housing..

The most recent plea for the soon launch of an IPPA lobby in Washington, DC. appeared in the May 2016 issue of The Journal, with this title:

‘Consumer Financing & Other Failures Re-Ignite Need for Independent Post-Production Association’

The gist of this op/ed is, the ‘…post-production segment of the industry continues to suffer successive setbacks…on a range of issues…affecting the financing, placement, installation and utilization of HUD-Code manufactured homes….”It goes on to cite specific instances re: “Dodd-Frank and SAFE ACT”, even “…Duty to Serve Underserved Markets…” (‘DTS’), that “…disproportionately harms smaller industry businesses”… (but) “do not negatively impact, the largest industry businesses….” How much of this is correct? That’s certainly open to debate. There’s another national advocate in town (Washington, DC) that’s HUD-Code housing (larger) manufacturer dominated, claims to represent all segments of the MHIndustry. Do they? In this veteran industry observer’s opinion, YES and NO.

Depending on ‘from where’ & ‘towards whom’, pending federal legislation and or proposed regulatory control measures ‘come & go’, the Manufactured Housing Institute (‘MHI’), can be counted on to at least make an appearance, even mount serious opposition, or support, at times. What tends to gripe the average, direct, dues-paying MHI member, however, is the manner in which platforms are designed and implemented. All too often it appears initiatives and actions, if there’s to be any, are launched sans discussion among all parties affected, and in a manner beneficial to the largest of member firms, ignoring the smallest. Now, some may want to debate that description; but if they do, let the conversation cite 1) the institute’s ‘lack of proxy voting in certain key elections’, and 2) their ‘political control practice of affluence gerrymandering’, i.e. the meeting planning gimmick of using expensive meeting venues only the largest and wealthiest members can justify attending.

But beyond that, there are other reasons why an all-inclusive IPPA will likely not materialize anytime soon; certainly not until annual new HUD-Code home shipments are back to pre-2009 levels. Why?

• First. The lion’s share (majority) of national manufactured housing advocacy support dollars comes from the ‘Three Big C’ home manufacturers, controlling 71 percent of the 70,544 home shipments national market share in 2015. How’s that translate into dollars? 70,000+ new HUD-Code homes X $100/floor = $7,000,000 compared to 250,000 new homes shipped during year 2000 = $25,000,000.00. Do you see much, if any of either of those treasures, supporting a new, all-inclusive IPPA? I don’t. Didn’t happen in year 2000 when dollars were flush; why in 2016 or 2017, when we’re ‘hopefully’ coming out of our seven plus year funk? (However, know there is a practical way to make this happen, at the right time; it’s just not open for public discussion now)

• Next. A lack of charismatic, visionary, sacrificial leadership among small businessmen and women with ‘skin in their respective games’ – to lead a new, all-inclusive IPPA effort. Some might call it lethargy. I prefer to think of it as continuing to be a game of survival, not yet maximizing profitability. After all, the manufactured housing industry and its’ sister real estate asset class, the land-lease-lifestyle community, has been working itself through a major paradigm shift since the turn of the century, when easy access to chattel capital disappeared, and along with it, more than 10,000 independent (street) MHRetailers. And at only 70,544 new HUD-Code homes shipped during 2015, we’re not out of the woods yet, not by any measure or stretch of the imagination.

So, no new, all-inclusive IPPA for the time being. Even though some, maybe most, industry segments continue to feel underrepresented. But wait.

How ‘bout the Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance®, or COBA7®? I suppose one might refer to the 2 ½ year old, growing alliance of businessmen and women, as being a mini-IPPA. It materialized not as a result of ‘issues’ cited in the opening paragraph of this article, but out of frustration towards national advocacy bodies focused on home manufacturers, not real estate development, investment, and management of LLLCommunities, especially small to mid-sized properties that make up 85% of the national inventory. Today, COBA7® boasts several hundred affiliates, from all segments of the manufactured housing industry.

The original seven ‘parts’ or foci of COBA7® remain constant and effective:

• Ongoing statistical research, e.g. 27th annual ALLEN REPORT, now poorly imitated by a division of one national advocate. As a result, COBA7® now champions – and encourages, all national reporters (HUD, MHARR, MHI, & COBA7®) of ‘new HUD-Code homes shipped’ data, to publish the same Institute for Building Technology & Safety (‘IBTS’) totals each month of the year!

• Monthly updating & distribution of more than a dozen Signature Series Resource Documents (‘SSRD’s), including such salient titles as the annual National Registry of ALL Lenders to the MHIndustry & LLLCommunity Asset Class! Also, the sole source of the MHIndustry’s Official Lexicon & Glossary, and several widely-regarded directories of real estate brokers, consultants and more..

• Weekly & monthly communication in print (the Allen Letter professional journal & the Allen CONFIDENTIAL! business newsletter)and online (blog) at community-investor.com

• Superb networking opportunities via annual Networking Roundtable and other similar events.

• Deal-making opportunities unavailable anywhere else in the industry or asset class

• Professional property management training & certification via popular Manufactured Housing Manager®, or MHM® program, taught only by LLLCommunity owners/operators. More than 1,000 MHM®s designated to date!

• National advocacy as need be, e.g. 1) national official ombudsman (press) to the MHIndustry, and 2) official historian (Two books published to date, and home of the official MHIndustry timeline).

So, there’s a mini-IPPA in effect today! What does the future hold for it? Ah, there’s the question. The quick answer is, depends on who steps forward to ease into a leadership role of charismatic, visionary, sacrificial service to one’s peers throughout 50,000+ LLLCommunities nationwide and in Canada. In the meantime, know COBA7® enjoys positive national recognition by, and respect from, HUD, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and GSEs. For more information, or to affiliate, phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: 9877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

In conclusion, this writer does not see an all-inclusive IPPA forming anytime soon. However, with a mini-IPPA in place and growing, there’s hope that presence will pressure present day national advocacy entities to better relate to, and represent, their respective memberships – muting the clarion call for a fourth national advocate for manufactured housing.

II.

Last Chance to Participate & Make MHIndustry History!

At the close of business on Friday, 20 May, more than 80 MHIndustry & LLLCommunity owners/operators had registered to participate in the ‘first ever’ Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars, at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN., on 5/25 & 26, 2016. It’s likely that total will exceed 100 by the time the event begins Wednesday morning at 8AM. Will YOU be there to learn how to sell and seller-finance new HUD-Code homes on-site in land-lease-lifestyle communities; visit two or more of six Cavco, Champion, Clayton, Commodore & Adventure Homes plants; and, when it’s all said and done – Make Manufactured Housing Industry History in Grand Fashion?!

Still possible to register on Monday, by phoning (317) 346-7156 or via email: gfa7156@aol.com

Remember, all four sequential education sessions are being taught by LLLCommunity owners/operators who’re already actively selling and seller-financing new HUD-Code homes on-site in their respective properties. Their topics and names are:

GETTING READY! Adriane DeRose, MHM®, & Pamela Zieman, MHM® of Carefree Homes, Inc., Indianapolis, IN.

BUYING HOMES! Jamie Dougherty, MHM®, of Community Management Group of Farmington Hills, MI.

SELLING HOMES! Kenneth Lipschutz & Danya Mallad of HomeFirst Certified Communities in Birmingham, MI.

FINANCING HOMES! Spencer Roane, MHM, of Pentagon Properties, Atlanta, GA.

In addition, association executives or board representatives will be present from four of six Midwestern states. It’s hoped ‘everything about this inaugural program’ suggests it needs to be repeated every late Spring or early Summer as a means to stimulate more HUD-Code home sales, to fill vacant rental homesites in communities throughout the region.

Sincerely hope to see YOU there! GFA

***

May 13, 2016

How to Find MHSales Staff, & Lease-Option Methodology

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 4:45 am

Blog # 396 Copyright 2016 COBA7® @ 15 May 2016; community-investor.com website

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 sole national advocacy voice, official ombudsman & historian, research reporter & online communication media for North American LLLCommunities!

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 = ‘Not only inform & opine, but transform& improve MHBusiness Model Performance!’

INTRODUCTION. We are indeed living in exciting times! Part I describes a new initiative, among land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators, to popularize what is already de rigueur (‘current fashion’) among many property portfolio firms: lease-option ‘financing’. And Part II. What more can I say? TODAY, everyone who wants to maintain and improve the value of their LLLCommunity must sell new HUD-Code homes on-site! Well, here’s the only opportunity any of us will have, during the rest of 2016, to learn How To Do that. Will YOU be in Elkhart, IN., at the RV/MH Hall of Fame on 5/25 & 26? Hope so! Part III. Wish I didn’t have to address ‘this issue’ month after month. Don’t you think it time the national advocates for the manufactured housing industry ‘got their act together’, in the truest sense of that phrase, to report monthly new HUD-Code home shipments in the same fashion? So far, HUD, MHARR, & COBA7 have moved in that direction.

I.

Task Group Forms to Popularize Lease-Option Nationwide

An informal task group has formed to popularize lease-option (‘L-O’) as a means for some land-lease-lifestyle community (a.k.a. manufactured home community) owners/operators to transfer ownership of manufactured homes.

In an L-O transaction, also referred to as a lease with option to purchase (‘LTP’), a community owner/operator enters into lease agreements 1) for the rental homesite, 2) a separate lease for the manufactured home, and 3) a purchase option agreement. The lessee pays rent for the homesite and rent for the home; then, during or near the end of the lease term(s) will become – or has the option of becoming, the owner of the home, by paying a predetermined amount based on estimated fair market value of the home; or, purchasing the home for its’ fair market value as determined at the end of said lease term.

The informal task group is comprised of attorneys; George Allen, CPM®, community owner & consultant to the MHIndustry; Larry Matthews, president of American Commerce Bank; a credit bureau offering reporting services for smaller community operators; and, Spencer Roane, MHM®, president of Pentagon Properties, Inc., community owner and longtime L-O practitioner.

Benefits of the L-O program are many:

• Helps community owners sell homes, which increases internal cash flow, as well as the value of said communities, and upgrades their visual quality

• Encourages the sale of new manufactured home to and among community owners/operators

• Offers tremendous flexibility for structuring financial terms to suit tenants

• In permissible states, and when properly structured, no lending licenses are required.

• Sales staff can negotiate lease terms with prospective customers/tenants.

• Prospect of home ownership incentivizes tenants to care for their home.

• Gives tenants an opportunity to establish a credit history sufficient to qualify for a home loan when exercising the purchase option.

• Rental payment incentives discourage delinquent rent payments, and help build equity

The group has identified a dozen or more states where L-O programs are viable, and expects to add more to the list through to the end of year 2016. Within the next few months, they’ll announce several venues where it will conduct L-O workshops. These workshops, aimed at smaller and mid-size community operators, will include forms and documents, structure of L-O transactions, sources of available financing, credit reporting services, and practical experience covering hundreds of transactions.

While L-O is not the only topic covered in the FINANCING HOMES! seminar Spencer Roane, MHM®, will be teaching on 5/25 & 26, at the ‘Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars’, at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN., his presence during those two days, provides ample opportunities for attendees at this inaugural event, to seek his advice relative to L-O. For more information on above-described L-O emphasis, and or register for the Elkhart event, phone (317) 346-7156 or via gfa7156@aol.com

POSTSCRIPT. If your memory is sharp, you’re likely thinking, “Hmm. Wasn’t there another informal group formation announced in last week’s blog posting on this website?” Answer? Yes. That informal group, comprised of LLLCommunity owners and others, however, is focused on finding an answer to the manufactured housing industry’s lack of easy access to chattel capital for in-community new home loans! At present they’re focused on articulating and recommending a Duty to Serve (‘DTS’) pilot program for the GSEs (i.e. Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac), during the present rulemaking window of opportunity. After the announcement in last week’s blog, several interested parties asked to be included in the informal group. So, what’s happening here? With the launch of the Community Owners (7 part) Business Alliance, or COBA7, in early 2014, land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators finally have a national advocate dedicated first, to their needs, then everyone else’s – not the ‘other way around’! Watch for updates here, and in the Allen Letter professional journal.

II.

Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars =

‘Home Sales Training, Motivating In-plant Tours, Superb Interpersonal Networking, & Making MHIndustry History – All Wrapped into One Grand Experience!’

The RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN., has been ‘making MHIndustry history’ since shortly after its’ opening. An early event occurred 27 February 2009, when 100 MHIndustry home manufacturers and (then) MHCommunity owners/operators caucused there to ‘agree on what it’d take for manufacturers to build more new homes and communities to buy them’. That year (2009), only 49,789 new HUD-Code homes were shipped, with only 25% of them going directly into communities. Well, that was a pivotal event, the year when the Community Series Home (design) was birthed. Result? By year end 2015, 70,544 new HUD-Code homes would be shipped (that year), and of that total, an estimated 40% went into (now) land-lease-lifestyle communities!

Now we’re on the very threshold of an equally historic event at the RV/MH Hall of Fame – the debut of ‘Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars!’ As you’ve likely heard or read, no fewer than six HUD-Code home factories (Cavco, Champion, Clayton, Commodore, & Adventure Homes) are opening their doors to visitors on 25 & 26 May. And while the plant tours are occurring, just as many LLLCommunity owners/operators will be listening to other LLLCommunity owners, teaching them how to engage in new home sales on-site. Specifically, here’s what’ll be covered and by whom:

GETTING READY! Adriane DeRose, MHM® & Pamela Ziemer, MHM® of Carefree Homes, Inc., Indianapolis, IN., will be describing what it means to get one’s property ready (i.e. curb appeal, licensing, etc.), one’s staff ready (selected & trained) – even one’s sales staff, if property size and or number of vacant rental homesites warrants separate personnel. Also, is everyone really LISTENING to what prospective homebuyer/site lessees are saying on the telephone and during interviews on-site? And once READY, what happens next? And did you know, there’s a practical way to measure on-site sales staff performance? Come and learn all these important preparatory measures….

BUYING HOMES! James (‘Jamie’) Dougherty, MHM® of Community Management Group, out of Farmington Hills, MI., Here, some very important decision-making has to occur. For example, selling or leasing homes on-site, or a combination of both? Quality of new homes to be purchased? Marginal or solid – as in short term solution or long term presence and value? Must know one’s market and mix, e.g. Area Median Income (‘AMI’) & new home price point calculations; also, focus on newly weds or empty nesters? Then there’s the home manufacturer – a whole raft of key questions must be answered, re: product and features, advertising support, financial assistance, rebates, warranty, and more. Be present in this session to learn how to be successful when buying new homes!

SELLING HOMES! Kenny Lipschutz & Danya Mallad of HomeFirst, Birmingham, MI., emphasize ‘great customer experiences don’t happen by chance, but are results of much bigger principles and practices happening behind the scenes every day’! Such experiences stem from strong cultural foundations, deliberate planning, best practices, and integrity in execution. Extraordinary customer experiences lead to significant growth and greater market share. Frankly, this will likely be the only and best session ever, on ‘selling new HUD-Code homes on-site in LLLCommunities’, that you’ll experience all year!

FINANCING HOMES! This session will review all financing alternatives available for in-community sales, particularly L-O seller ‘financing’, to fill vacant rental homesites and upgrade the curb appeal of the property. Spencer Roane, MHM®, of Pentagon Properties in Atlanta, GA., is a ‘boots on the ground’ operator, who openly and thoroughly talks about what works and what does not, in the several communities he owns. His 20+ years of in-community seller-financing of new and resale homes underscores his belief that the final story of any finance program can’t be fully told until the last payment is received! And his approach is the polar opposite of our industry’s sorry reputation for ‘churn & burn’ deals. Spencer expects EVERY sales transaction to succeed, and will discuss every aspect of the sales transaction he considers important, from selection of the house, to acquisition financing, structure of a lease-option transaction, careful qualification of buyers, and his ‘build and they will come’ successful experience!

And that’s not all. A brief introductory session will begin each morning and afternoon pairing of home sales seminars. Two foci. First, set the stage for what follows – a summary of key statistics and emerging trends characteristic of the HUD-Code manufactured housing industry and LLLCommunities today. This followed by a brief but succinct description of the ‘Six Right Ps of Marketing New Homes in LLLCommunities’. A special plastic 3X5 wallet card, containing this seminal ‘6Ps’ information, has been prepared as a handout for everyone attending the Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars!

NOTE. All four sessions will be repeated twice during the Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars, at the RV/MH Hall of Fame, on 5/25 & 26, in Elkhart, IN. This is pretty much your last chance to sign-up, especially at the reduced rate of only $195/person. After 5/18, the registration increases to $295.00/person. Simply phone the Official MHIndustry HOTINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 or (317) 346-7156. Also email: gfa7156@aol.com This is the only time this year, new home sales training, and seller-financing of on-site transactions, will be offered to manufactured housing and land-lease-lifestyle community owners/operators.

III.

Why Does This Confusion Continue?

Institute for Building Technology & Safety (‘IBTS’) tallied 7,110 new HUD-Code homes shipped in March 2016; boosting year to date total to 19,101 homes! HUD, MHARR, & COBA7® agree, & in turn, publish the same shipment totals!

Another national MHAdvocate foists (‘palms off as genuine’) monthly new HUD-Code home shipment totals that likely confuse many folk! For example; their respective totals @ March 2016 = 7,056 new homes, & only 18,976 shipped YTD

Go figure…

And the confusion continues…

Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance®, or COBA7®’s Signature Series Resource Document, the 27th annual ALLEN REPORT, a.k.a. ‘Who’s Who Among LLLCommunity Portfolio Owners/operators Throughout North America!’ identifies 120 of the known 500 property portfolio ‘players’ in the realty asset class, ranking them according to the total number of reported rental homesites. Two examples: Largest REIT, Chicago’s ELS, Inc., is reported to have 139,000 rental homesites as of January 2016; Bessire & Casenhiser, CA = 16,502 sites.

However, another national LLLCommunity advocate, in its’ May 2016 ‘Largest 50 Community Owners & Operators’ (list), describes giant ELS, Inc., as having only 71,700 rental homesites in its’ property portfolio; and, the Bessire & Casenhiser firm as having but 2,899 sites. Such drastic differences in corporate site totals persist, among most firms listed. Why? No hint in the introductory paragraph, the list itself, or even the End Notes. But rumor has it, totals do not include RV sites! Yet the introductory paragraph goes boasts, it “…is the industry’s most reliable source of data used to create more opportunities for the successful development, operation, and marketing of land-lease communities.” Really? In this industry observer’s opinion, a ‘reliable source of confusion’, yes! Especially as one community member firm, with 10,186 sites, was not even listed this time around. Nor was one of the largest fee management firm in the country – a target of the advocacy body’s recruiter!.

Again, as the title to this blog topic asked: Why Does This Confusion Continue?

Maybe because the manufactured housing industry has long had an unfortunate, counter-productive reputation for being fragmented, even self-destructive at times (e.g. lack of cohesive action relative to pending legislation and regulatory affairs). And these two examples of unnecessarily ‘playing with numbers’ raise questions as to the industry – and realty asset class’ ability to ‘keep (accurate) score’ of new home shipment volume, as well as comparable sizes of income-producing properties.

***

George Allen, CPM®Emeritus, MHM®Master

May 7, 2016

Behind the Scenes Intrigues at MHCongress!

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 6:53 am

Blog # 395 Copyright 2016 COBA7® @ 8 May 2016; community-investor.com website

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 sole national advocacy voice, official ombudsman & historian, research reporter & online communication media for North American LLLCommunities!

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 63304764.

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

INTRODUCTION = ‘Behind the Scenes Intrigues at the MHCongress in Las Vegas’. There were many, and this week’s blog posting describes three of them for you:

• Major real estate statistical reference to soon include LLLCommunities?
• Finally, businessmen & women step forward to address our chattel $ issue.
• Manufactured Housing Executive Women poised to double number in size

‘Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars’ venue promises to establish a hands-on, educational HOW TO precedent worthy of emulation in the Southeast, Pacific Northwest, and elsewhere. If you’re not yet registered, do so this week! Read on…

I.

Integra Realty Resources , Inc. to Maybe Include Land-lease-lifestyle Communities in 2017 Report!

Integra Realty Resources, Inc., an exhibitor at this year’s MHCongress in Las Vegas, appears ‘but one step away’ from (finally) including land-lease-lifestyle communities (a.k.a. manufactured home communities) in their widely read and referenced annual VIEWPOINT commercial real estate report – for year 2017!

After all, they presently review and examine office, multifamily, retail, industrial, hospitality, senior housing, medical offices, self-storage – and get this, auto dealerships, as bona fide investment property types! So, why not include 50,000+/- land-lease-lifestyle communities as a tenth realty asset class worthy of reporting and evaluation?

Let’s see what happens as year 2017 dawns….This would be the manufactured housing industry’s debut, where investment real estate is concerned, in the national trade media!

II.

Informal Group Meets to Address Need for Chattel Capital

Unencumbered by manufactured housing’s internal, intra-segment political maneuvering and pressures, an informal group of land-lease-lifestyle community owners and consumer advocates met during the MHCongress, to soon identify a Duty to Serve rulemaking pilot proposal, to ease the industry’s access to chattel capital, or explore some variant thereof, ultimately supporting the on-site financing of new HUD-Code home sales transactions.

Next step? Articulate and agree on core principle(s) by which the informal group moves forward, in light of recent meetings in Washington, DC, hosted by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

If you have a passion for seeing access to chattel capital, or some variant thereof, ultimately rejuvenate manufactured housing shipments to pre-2009 levels; have submitted a comment letter to the FHFA, relative to Duty to Serve and the GSEs; and, desire to maybe become part of this informal group, let me know via gfa7156@aol.com or the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

III.

MHEW Lives!

Manufactured Housing Executive Women

Founded more than a decade ago, at a MHCongress, only to flounder a few years later, MHEW has been making a gradual comeback since the 23rd International Networking Roundtable in Peachtree City, CGA., during the Fall of 2014.

Today there are 50 manufactured housing executive women, nationwide, on this list of business owners/operators – whether as sole proprietors, partners, and or senior corporate executives. Presently, state and national advocacy entity salaried executives are not included on said list – but could well be in the near future, doubling the size of MHEW.

What’s next? Most of the manufactured housing executive women interviewed at the MHCongress, indicated they’d be present at the 25th anniversary International Networking Roundtable, 7-9 September 2016, at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN. If you’re reading this and would like to know if your name is on the present MHEW list, contact Suzanne Felber of American Housing Advocates, or AHA, via answers@lifestylist.com And to put your name on the ‘invite’ list for this year’s 25th anniversary Networking Roundtable event, phone the Official MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764.

IV.

Not Part of any Intrigue, but Sure Right For You!

Two Days of Plant Tours & Home Sales Seminars, 5/25 & 26, at the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN., is fast approaching! While this blog, next Sunday, will likely feature a detailed advance look at the six HUD-Code factories and four integral ‘home sales seminars’ taking place those two days, don’t wait to register – for two reasons:

First, the registration fee increases, on 18 May, from $195 per person, to $295 per person

And second, we’re prepared to handle only 200 attendees this time around!

So, don’t be left out, and don’t pay a higher fee – to attend this First Ever, hands-on educational event designed to teach you, and or your on-site staff; HOW TO: Get Ready! Buy Homes! Sell Homes!,& Finance Homes!

Use attached brochure to register today!

***

George Allen, CPM®Emeritus, MHM®Master
Community Owners (7 Part) Business Alliance, or COBA7®
Box $ 47024, Indianapolis, IN. 46247
(317) 346-7156.

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