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

January 22, 2012

MHIndustry Advocacy; Your Topics; & Access 500+ LLCommunity Portfolio Owners/operators

Filed under: Uncategorized — George Allen @ 5:04 am

MHARR Sez; YOU Say; &, How to Access 500+ Landlease Community Portfolio Owners by U.S. Mail!

Dawning of a New (MHI post – production) Era? Might well be! Read on….

Your (Networking Roundtable) Topics of Choice? Make it Your Program!

How to Access 500 Landlease Community Portfolio Owners by Direct Mail

FOREWORD

This blog posting was supposed to be about treating prospective and actual (HUD Code) homebuyers fairly and with respect. Planned to begin it, by citing one of Five Action Areas agreed upon by 100 landlease community owners/operators during the 1st National State of the Asset Class (‘NSAC’) caucus, 27 February 2008, in Tampa, FL., to wit:

“A Value Proposition. Ensuring fair interplay of housing product pricing, financing (terms) and value, along with right site rental rate, and more….”

Then, segue to Randy Rowe’s ‘Five Part Market Share Recovery Plan for the Manufactured Housing Industry & the Landlease Community Real Estate Asset Class’, delivered at 19th annual International Networking Roundtable in Phoenix, AZ., September 2010, where he challenged nearly 200 participants, in part, to:

‘Ensure on – site sale and financing of new and resale homes, within landlease communities, is in sync with site – built housing offerings, and apartment rental rates, in the same local housing market.’

Then spend the remainder of the blog, challenging businessmen and women in the MHBusiness to make these 2008 & 2010 challenges REALITY during 2012, by….

Well, that’s ‘the rest of the story’ that awaits a future blog posting; to describe, in what will likely be ‘troubling detail’ to some – if not many, reading it, ‘How to Effect a True Value Proposition for Our Prospective and Actual HUD Code homebuyers & owners!’

Instead, we divert our collective attention to a necessary & timely detour into MHPolitic.

I.

Dawning of a New (MHI post – production) Era?

“As the troubles of the HUD Code industry, in Washington, D.C., continue and deepen, it’s become increasingly apparent, the industry’s post – production sector (i.e. independent MHRetailers; LLCommunity owners; home installers, lenders & insurers) hold The Key to altering the status quo, and arming the industry with a strong, aggressive, focused, and effective (new or altered) national representation, based on a common front comprised of independent, POST – PRODUCTION and PRODUCTION national (advocacy) associations.” (Lightly edited for effect. GFA)

So begins Danny Ghorbani’s column ‘MHARR Viewpoint’, in the January 2012 issue of The Journal. Then follows, a detailed, though sometimes flawed recitation of semi – historic events, miscues, and industry issues the writer believes has brought his readers to this pivotal point in manufactured housing industry history. But, as one considered and insightful response, from a Post – Production businessman, counters…

“His (Danny’s) comments about preventing the ramifications of the S.A.F.E. Act and Dodd – Frank are absurd. Between thee and me, the MHIndustry ‘perfected’ mortgage fraud long before the ‘suits’ on Wall Street figured it out!* The retailer business model of ‘capturing customers’ and doing everything they could to discourage ‘shopping around, forced retailers to also act as loan originators.” (* By eight years, some say!)

On the other hand, one particular paragraph in Ghorbani’s lengthy diatribe cum
‘industry turnaround plan’, is in this veteran industry observer’s opinion, ‘right on the mark’, and might well in time, (Now?) be prophetic! Here it is…

“Given the manufactured housing industry lies between the site – built housing and recreational vehicle (‘RV’) industries, and manufactured housing (is) a federally – regulated industry (requiring) effective national representation for its’ two fundamental sectors, it’s a mystery why the HUD Code industry has not adopted the same type national representation structure as those two industries. That structure…is comprised of independent national production and post – production associations for both site – builders (i.e. National Association of Home Builders & National Association of Realtors) and the RV industry (i.e. Recreational Vehicle Industry Association & Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association). The same type functional structure, with two independent national (advocacy) associations, would work far better for the HUD Code industry than the current dysfunctional arrangement. (Furthermore) under such a structure, the two national (advocacy) associations could/would work cooperatively on ‘national issues of joint interest’ through a coordinating council comprised of three or four members selected by each body.” (Again, lightly edited for effect and clarity. GFA)

So, where do matters go from here? In large part, that depends on what some or many of the 500+ MHIndustry executives and LLCommunity owners/operators, who read this blog each week, decide is best for their individual and collective business futures, defined in terms of ‘survival’ or ‘success’. To that end, in last week’s blog posting, I encouraged the 150+ businessmen and women, who’d already committed to join me for the national MHInitiative® (nee NSAC caucus # 3) gathering on 2/27/2012; to instead, support MHI and its’ NCC division, with their participation in that advocacy body’s annual legislative conference in Washington, DC., @ 26 – 28 February 2012. Bottom line measure there and then? Will ‘How to Save Our Industry?!’ be on MHI’s meeting agenda during that time frame, at said conference? You will only know if you attend. And if it’s not? Well, such an obvious omission, will send a clear message to all. For MHI conference information, phone (703) 558-0678 and ask for Lisa Brechtel.

As far as The Journal’s columnist is concerned, here’s how he concludes what will likely be viewed, in time, as one of the most pivotal pieces of trade journalism in the nigh 70 year (to date) history of HUD Code manufactured housing Production, and Post – Production segments:

“…a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. The question is whether the post – production sector can overcome its’ attachment to a familiar but unacceptable status quo, and take that difficult but essential first step in a new, better and much – needed direction.” (No editing needed here. GFA)

What say you? I’ll look to seeing you at the MHI/NCC meeting in Washington, DC. (actually Arlington, VA), 26 – 28 February 2012, and you can tell me then – or beforehand, even afterwards.

***

Your (Networking Roundtable) Topics of Choice for this year’s event?

Now here’s a unique, first – time – in – this – blog opportunity for you. Every year, for the past 20 years, landlease community owners/operators, from sole proprietors to REIT executives have gathered for an annual International Networking Roundtable, usually at a resort in CA, AZ, FL, IL, TX, or CT. Well, this Fall, 12 – 14 September, we’ll be in San Diego, CA. And this is where you come in…

Every year at this time, I start putting together an agenda containing two dozen timely, often cutting edge topics, that relate to the LLCommunity real estate asset class, along with identifying the ‘best presenters’ for each of the selected agenda topics. While I already have nearly a dozen such subjects in mind this time around (e.g. Subcontracting Home Remodeling or Do It Yourself?), I’m OPEN to additional ideas for timely and interesting topics, along with speaker recommendations and their respective contact information.

So, have some topics in mind, and maybe some presenters? Reach me via mail: GFA c/o Box # 47024, Indpls, IN. 46247 or via MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764, and via email: gfa7156@aol.com As they say, ‘the more the merrier!’ And hey, it’s OK to recommend yourself, if you’ve got something worthwhile to share with LLCommunity owners/operators from throughout North America. Want an ‘invite’ to attend the 21st annual Roundtable this Fall? Contact me with your request to attend as a landlease community owner/operator or event sponsor.

***

How to Access 500 Landlease Community Portfolio Owners by Direct Mail!

Let’s start with the basics. Given there’re approximately 50,000 LLCommunities throughout the U.S., and 85 percent are properties with 100 and fewer rental homesites apiece; leaving 15 percent, by and large, integral to 500+/- property portfolios; where according to the 23rd annual ALLEN REPORT, the average portfolio contains 27 LLCommunities, with an average property size is 219 rental homesites.

Now, with that said, if you’re a lender – either chattel or realty – secured, an insurance agency, someone wanting to build a LLCommunity portfolio, or even wanting to divest some properties, this is the ONLY comprehensive direct mail method to contact these folk. Seriously. There’s lots of ‘lists’ out and about, but many if not most, are comprised of contacts gleaned from Yellow Page telephone directories around the U.S. Not this one! For the past 30 years I’ve made it a point to identify all sole proprietors, partnerships, corporations, and REITs who own and or fee manage a minimum of five LLCommunities and or 500+ rental homesites. Today there are 500+/- such ‘players’.

PMN Publishing exercises this exclusive and highly confidential list monthly, to research stats for the aforementioned annual ALLEN REPORT, introduce portfolio owners/operators to new products and services, as well as enhance the marketing of landlease communities ‘for sale’, etc. All addressees are decision – makers, relative to their properties; and the list is 99% accurate, as all outgoing direct mail pieces are sent first class.

Would YOU like to access this unique direct mail marketing opportunity? It’s simple, though a telephone call to the MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 beforehand is advisable. In essence, prepare 600 pieces of direct mail, with the 600 envelopes ‘stuffed, sealed, and stamped – using first class stamps only, NO metering’. Then UPS the 600 piece ‘mailing’ to PMN Publishing c/o 170 E. Commerce Dr., Franklin, IN. 46131., with a corporate check, in the amount of $1,000.00 (access fee), made out to GFA Management, Inc.. Why 600 pieces? Because we automatically include another 100 ‘players’ who haven’t quite eclipsed the aforementioned ‘cutting score’ of five properties and or 500 rental sites.

Success rate? Depends on what you’re selling – or attempting to buy, and how well you communicate with the landlease community recipients of your direct mail piece. We’ve heard of responses as low as 5 percent, but many as high as 20 percent. In both instances, that’s higher than the national average for direct mail campaigns.

***

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

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