Top 50 Manufactured Housing Community Owners

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April 15, 2021

50 Top Manufactured Home Community Owners and Operators — Sun Communities ranks among the top community owners measured by number of homesites.

Manufactured Home Communities Ranked in Order by Largest Number of Homesites

owners investors what's the deal — Attendees at the NCC Spring Forum in Las Vegas look over MHI’s display of the Top 50 Manufactured Housing Community Owners.

The National Communities Council is a leading organization in the manufactured housing industry, representing the community owners, operators, managers, developers, lenders, and suppliers.

NCC is a division of the Manufactured Housing Institute, the only national advocacy organization representing all facets of the manufactured housing industry. In most years, MHI announces the top community owners during the NCC Spring Forum at the Congress and Expo of Manufactured and Modular Housing, often held in Las Vegas.

The NCC serves its members by being an effective advocate with policymakers, media, and the general public. It strives to improve the business climate for its members by increasing professionalism and education within the industry. The NCC also is among the industry’s most reliable sources of data used to create more opportunities for the successful development, operation, and marketing of land-lease communities.

Top 50 MH Community Owners and Operators

Sun Communities, Inc. – Southfield, Mich. – 83,294 homesites
Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. – Chicago – 73,700 homesites
RHP Properties, Inc. – Farmington Hills, Mich. – 60,163 homesites
YES! Communities – Denver – 47,278 homesites
MHP Funds, LLC – Cedaredge, Colo. – 31,652 homesites
Hometown America – Chicago – 24,355 homesites
UMH Properties, Inc. – Freehold, N.J. – 20,000 homesites
Lautrec, Ltd. – Farmington Hills, Mich. – 19,150 homesites
Newport Pacific Family of Companies – Irvine, Calif. – 17,375 homesites
Kingsley Management Corporation – Provo, Utah – 16,000 homesites
Cal-Am Properties, Inc. – Costa Mesa, Calif. – 14,631 homesites
Meritus Communities – Bloomfield Hills, Mich. – 13,964 homesites
Bessire & Casenhiser, Inc. – San Dimas, Calif. – 13,863 homesites
J & H Asset Property Mgt., Inc. – Yorba Linda, Calif. – 13,802 homesites
Continental Communities – Oak Brook, Ill. – 11,640 homesites
Investment Property Group – Irvine, Calif. – 11,500 homesites
Zeman Homes – Chicago – 11,103 homesites
Shapiro Real Estate Group – Farmington Hills, Mich. – 10,267 homesites
Horizon Land Co. – Crofton, Md. – 10,200 homesites
Inspire Communities – Gold River, Calif. – 10,149 homesites
ParkLand Ventures, Inc. – Glen Ellen, Va.- 9,866 homesites
Newby Management – Ellenton, Fla. – 8,052 homesites
Harmony Communities – Vancouver, B.C. – 7,888 homesites
Nodel Parks – Southfield, Mich. – 7,880 homesites
Riverstone Communities – Bloomington, Mich. – 7,500 homesites
KDM Development Corporation – Pittsford, N.Y. – 7,500 homesites
Garden Homes Management Corp. – Stamford, Conn. – 7,342 homesites
SSK Communities – Erlanger, Ken. – 7,018 homesites
MHPI, Inc. – Des Plaines, Ill. – 7,002 homesites
Stonetown Capital – Denver – 7,000 homesites
The Four Leaf Companies – Oak Brook, Ill. – 6,805 homesites
Ascentia Real Estate Holding Co., LLC – Littleton, Colo. – 6,777 homesites
Commonwealth Real Estate Services – Portland, Ore. – 6,701 homesites
Westwind Enterprises, Ltd. – San Jose, Calif. – 6,473 homesites
Heritage Financial Group – Elkhart, Ind. – 6,305 homesites
Sierra Corporate Management – Anaheim, Calif. – 6,000 homesites
Choice Properties, Inc. – Troy, Mich. – 5,850 homesites
Storz Management Company – Orangevale, Calif. – 5,772 homesites
Asset Development Group, LLC – Menononee Falls, Wis. – 5,216 homesites
HomeFirst Certified Communities – Birmingham, Mich. – 5,176 homesites
Santiago Communities, Inc. – Santa Ana, Calif. – 5,100 homesites
Jensen’s, Inc. – Southington, Conn. – 4,868 homesites
Les Frame Management – Redondo Beach, Calif. – 4,613 homesites
Thesman Communities – Los Angeles – 4,316 homesites
The Carlyle Group, Inc. – West Hollywood, Calif. – 4,000 homesites
Ravinia Communities LLC – Northbrook, Ill. – 3,983 homesites
Murex Properties, LLC – Fort Myers, Fla. – 3,976 homesites
Blair Group – Lakeland, Fla. – 3,866 homesites
FolletUSA – Gold River, Calif. – 3,571 homesites
Santefort Real Estate Group, LLC – Westmont, Ill. – 2,945 homesites

-NCC Top 50 Manufactured Home Community Owners most recent reported data is from 2018

Retail Sales Sizzling in the South

By

Dawn Highhouse

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April 13, 2021

Regional_Homes-customer-options — Photos courtesy of Regional Homes

In 27 retail sales locations across the South and toward the mid-Atlantic, Regional Homes Senior Vice President of Operations Charles Stricklin is witnessing a trend among homebuyers: There are more of them, and they want to move in today.

“It’s just been escalating, particularly over the last two years,” Stricklin said. Regional Homes, based in Flowood, Miss., runs the majority of its retail home sales operations in the state, though they also have locations in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina.

The organization employs about 200 people, and last year they moved about 2,500 homes.

“The whole year in 2020 just continued to improve, improve, and improve in sales. No one thing happened that blew us up; it’s just been consistent growth,” he said.

Actually, each of the last three years has proven to be new record-sales years for Regional Homes. Sales in 2020 were up 10% from the prior year, Stricklin said. And while the buyers are aplenty, the most notable change in recent years has been the diversity of the buyer and their willingness to take advantage of the current financing terms.

Regional Homes customer home tours — Regional Homes provides manufactured homes for customers in four states, has a broad customer base and meets a wide range of homebuyer needs.

“I’ve been in the business 33 years, and I’ve been in this market from Texas to Florida, too, and what I see happening here, now, it’s more of an increased ability to purchase driving this,” he said. “The rates are very amicable for buyers today. The lower payment allows a customer to buy when they might not have been able or willing before, and those who are more firmly in the market are in a position to buy more house.

“A customer with strong credit and a good down payment can get a rate on a 23-year chattel loan at about 5%,” Stricklin said. “If you had that same really strong customer three years ago, you could get a 7 or 7.5% rate, and that makes a big difference in your monthly.” According to Stricklin, it is similar with a customer who has some debt, or doesn’t have as good credit, or as solid of a down payment; the rate three years ago would have been 12%, now it’s 9%.

Up to the Challenge

Of course, operating conditions in 2020 and early 2021 have been less than favorable, with coronavirus precautions putting a strain on production and the myriad of unique considerations needed for meeting with potential buyers.

“But we’ve got good partners in manufacturing, and we’ve bought in volume to try to counter that aspect,” Stricklin said of the extended backlog. “We still have to wait longer than we want, but because of those relationships, I feel like we’re able to do better than many retailers can from order to delivery.”

Backlogs and wait times were growing well before the pandemic, too. This compelled Regional Homes founder and President Heath Jenkins in 2018 to become a minority investor and part-owner in Hamilton Homes in Alabama, thus securing a regional segment of the production pipeline. For years, Regional Homes has also done business with Cappaert, Champion, Deer Valley, and Winston Homes to keep a wide array of offerings available for their manufactured home buyers.

What Are Homebuyers in the South Asking?

Stricklin said a majority of Regional Homes’ sales are single-section homes, often entry-level homes for first-time homebuyers, with a mix of empty nesters as well. Most buyers have land waiting, so land-home financing is about 20% of the business, with chattel lending making up the remainder.

“Kitchens and master bathrooms still sell homes, and family space would be the next consideration,” Stricklin said. “Those are the driving factors for most of our customers.

“We have one of the best and educated teams in the country when it comes to providing a variety of financing options and putting the buyers into the right house,” Stricklin said.

Many first-time buyers in the area were gifted or inherited land, such as split parcels that can be used as a downpayment. And the minimal zoning and regulatory climate in most of the small towns and rural areas of the South make it easier to place a manufactured home.

Regional Homes gets many of its entry-level homes from Hamilton, Cappaert, and Champion’s facility in Benton, Ky. Stricklin said buyers in the Florida Panhandle and the newly opened markets in North Carolina are more likely to ask for multi-section or modular homes. Regional Homes buys those homes from Deer Valley, Winston, and Champion’s facility in Dresden, Tenn., to satisfy that demand.

“We have plenty of customers who want what they want, and they’re willing to pay for it,” he said. “They’re looking for a last-purchase home with some higher-end materials. Deer Valley buyers are nearly all what you might call a custom home buyer, which is 5 to 8% of our sales, but it’s growing, and it’s largely because of those interest rates.”

In fact, the higher-end Deer Valley, Winston, and Champion homes begin to hit a price-point that almost competes with the site-built market. Regional Homes offers diversified product lines to meet customers’ wants and desires in each market, and the number of markets continues to grow.

“We’re happy to have expanded our footprint,” Stricklin said. “We’ve worked hard. This year, 2021, will be our first full year with North Carolina, one location, and we added three locations in Louisiana last year.”

JLT Manufactured Home Community Market Reports Available for Alabama, Georgia

By

Patrick Revere

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April 8, 2021

Garden West Estates April Rent Dog Walker Manufactured Housing Industry

April JLT Reports for mobile home rent comps in Alabama and Georgia are available now for purchase, including immediate download through Datacomp, the national leader in manufactured home and mobile home valuation and community data.

JLT Market Reports provide detailed research and information on communities in 186 housing markets throughout the United States. These include the latest rent trends and statistics, marketing programs, and a variety of other useful management insights.

Datacomp maintains and provides the JLT Market Reports and is the nation’s #1 provider of market data for the manufactured housing industry. JLT Market Reports are recognized as the industry standard for manufactured home community market analysis.

The April 2021 manufactured housing market data published in JLT Market Reports for Alabama and Georgia include information from four markets on 68 “All ages” and “55+” manufactured home communities.

Altogether, the reports from Alabama and Georgia manufactured home communities include data representations for 15,810 homesites.

Regional Trends in Manufactured Housing Community Rent, Occupancy

South region manufactured home communities show a year-over-year 4.5% increase in average adjusted rent.
South region manufactured home communities show a year-over-year 0.9% increase in occupancy rate.

What’s in JLT Market Reports?

Each JLT manufactured home community rent and occupancy report from Datacomp has detailed information about investment-grade communities in the major markets. The detailed information includes:

Number of homesites
Occupancy rates
Average community rents, and increases
Community amenities
Vacant lots
Repossessed and inventory homes, and much more

JLT Market Reports also include management insights that rank communities by the number of homesites, occupancy rates, and highest to lowest rents. Established reports show trends in each market with a comparison of April 2021 rents and occupancy rates to April 2020, as well as a historical recap of rents and occupancy from 1996 to the present date in most markets.

The April 2021 JLT Market Reports for Alabama and Georgia manufactured home communities are available for purchase and immediate download online at the Datacomp JLT Market Report website, or they may be ordered by phone in electronic or printed editions at (800) 588-5426.

Each fully updated report for mobile home communities is a comprehensive look at investment grade properties within a market, enabling owners and managers, lenders, appraisers, brokers, and other organizations to effectively benchmark those communities and make informed business decisions.

April is Fair Housing Month

By

Patrick Revere

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April 5, 2021

The month of April is designated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as Fair Housing Month, with the 2021 theme “Fair Housing: More Than Just Words”. HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said the theme reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to advancing equity in housing and the importance of increasing public awareness of everyone’s right to fair housing.

“Fair Housing Month is a time to recommit to our nation’s obligation to ensure that everyone has equal access to safe, affordable housing,” Fudge said.

Fudge said the mission continues to guard against housing discrimination in the form of individuals and families being denied a place to call home because of the color of their skin or where they come from, landlords refusing to allow persons with disabilities to keep assistance animals, individuals being denied a place to live because of who they love.

“In this moment of unprecedented crisis, fair housing is more important than ever,” Fudge said. “Fifty-three years after the Fair Housing Act was signed, our journey to justice in housing continues.”

Each April, HUD, local communities, fair housing advocates, and fair housing organizations across the country commemorate Fair Housing Month by hosting an array of activities that highlight these ever-important and continued efforts.

The month is used to provide a dedicated time in which housing professionals, advocates, and activists can collaborate to enhance the awareness and understanding of fair housing rights and to end housing discrimination.

Secretary Fudge will commemorate Fair Housing Month with a virtual celebration on April 7^th at 2 p.m. Eastern time that also will feature the Justice Department’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan, HUD Acting Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Jeanine Worden, and HUD Senior Adviser Alanna McCargo.

Last year, HUD and its Fair Housing Assistance Program partner agencies received more than 7,700 complaints alleging discrimination based on one or more of the Fair Housing Act’s seven protected classes: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, and disability. During that period, the categories with the highest number of complaints were disability and race, respectively. HUD also received complaints that alleged lending discrimination as well as numerous complaints from women who faced unfair treatment, including sexual harassment.

“Although the Fair Housing Act became law in 1968, we still have major challenges ahead of us,” said Jeanine Worden, HUD’s acting assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity. “This April, on the 53^rd anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, HUD is renewing its commitment to level the playing field so every person has the same opportunity to live where they choose and benefit from all of the opportunities this nation offers.”

Investigation Continues into Orange, Calif., Fatal Shootings at Unified Homes

By

Patrick Revere

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April 5, 2021

Tovar and Raygoza Unified Homes Shooting victims — Luis Tovar and daughter Jenevieve Raygoza in an undated family photo.

A mass shooting in Orange, Calif., has sent shockwaves through the manufactured housing industry and within the small Southern California city where it occurred on the afternoon of March 31 at Unified Homes. Four people were killed, and two more injured, including the suspect who is hospitalized following a shootout with police.

Unified Homes owner Luis Tovar, his daughter Jenevieve Raygoza, 28, Leticia Solice, 58, who is was a Unified agent, and Matthew Farias, 9, were killed.

Blanca Tamayo, Farias and Raygoza’s mother, survived the attack.

Police said the alleged shooter used a bicycle cable and lock to block the exterior gates to the business prior to entering. Police engaged in a shootout with Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, who was shot.

The officers were uninjured. Gonzalez has been charged with four counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder.

Karla Maria Tovar, Luis Tovar’s wife as well as an agent with Unified Homes, spoke with local media. She explained how she was attempting to shield their 10-year-old son from at least some of the grief from the loss of someone she described as a model husband and father. She also vowed to keep Unified Homes operating.

“Unified Homes is going to go forward,” Karla Maria Tovar told the Daily News. “I don’t know how (I’ll do it), but I will.”

Investigators said Gonzales had either professional or personal relationships with each of the victims. He had been in a relationship with and long-estranged from a broker assistant with Unified Homes, Aleyda Mendoza, who in media reports stated that she had no understanding of what could have motivated the shooting.

“I can’t understand what went through his head to make such a terrifying decision,” Mendoza said in a quote from the Associated Press. “He left behind a sea of pain and grief for so many families who can’t find comfort.”

The Farias family has set up a GoFundMe page to try to abate funeral costs for the the 9-year-old victim, who had been a student at Hoover Elementary School in Santa Ana.

“As members of the manufactured housing industry family, we are all affected by this senseless tragedy,” Newport Pacific Companies Marketing and Regional Manager Maria Horton said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones in this horrific disaster.”

Introducing the Manufactured Housing REITs Report

By

Alex Pettee

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March 31, 2021

UMH Properties MH REITs Report invest — A UMH Properties community in Ohio. Photo courtesy of UMH Properties.

Investing In Manufactured Housing REITs

The research team at Hoya Capital Real Estate is excited to begin a quarterly column published in partnership with MHInsider to provide insight and commentary on publicly-traded manufactured housing stocks. Every quarter, we’ll publish an update to discuss the stock performance, earnings results, and major news and events reported by manufactured housing real estate investment trusts, or MH REITs.

Overview of MH REITs

Manufactured housing REITs have been the single-best performing REIT sector since the start of 2010. Manufactured housing REITs have emerged over the past decade from relative obscurity into several of the largest publicly-traded owners of real estate in the world.

There are three publicly-traded Manufactured Housing REITs that account for roughly $30 billion in market value: Equity Lifestyle (ELS), Sun Communities (SUI), and UMH Properties (UMH).

Manufactured Housing REITs collectively own roughly 350,000 manufactured housing and RV sites across the United States with a portfolio skewed towards higher-end communities with a more “retiree-oriented” demographic than the all-ages community. Through a series of acquisitions, Equity Lifestyle and Sun Communities have recently expanded into boat marinas as well while the smaller UMH Properties has retained its “pure-play” focus on traditional manufactured housing communities.

From an investment perspective, despite their high growth rates, MH REITs are a traditionally defensive and countercyclical sector due to the “sticky” nature of MH demand and cash flows. As a result, MH REITs are less affected by economic growth expectations, but more affected by changes in long-term interest rates. While these REITs are not known for their high dividend yields, they have delivered some of the strongest rates of dividend growth of any REIT sector.

MH REITs Stock Price Performance

In the real estate sector, three themes dominated the 2010s.

The Housing Shortage
The Retail Apocalypse
The Internet Revolution

No REIT sector has benefited more from the affordable housing shortage than MH REITs, which produced an incredible 22% annual compound total returns from 2010 through 2020.

Manufactured housing REITs outperformed the broad-based Equity REIT Index for a remarkable eighth-straight year in 2020, the longest streak of outperformance for any property sector since the dawn of the “Modern REIT Era” in the early 1990s.

First Quarter 2021 MH REITs Performance

MH REITs have uncharacteristically underperformed in early 2021 even as fundamentals remain as strong as any property sector. Pressured by the post-vaccine ‘REIT Reopening Rotation’ that has sent shares of the hardest-hit pandemic-sensitive REIT sectors soaring, “essential” property sectors – housing, technology, and e-commerce – have lagged this year.

Through the first quarter of 2021, MH REITs are higher by just 1% compared to the 9% gains from the broad-based REIT Index. UMH Properties has been a winner this year, however, with gains of more than 30%.

Quarterly Earnings Report

Limited supply and strong demand have driven stellar fundamental performance for MH REITs over the past decade, as these three companies have reported some of the best growth metrics of any REIT. Fourth-quarter earnings reports showed that same-store Net Operating Income (“NOI”) growth rebounded to end the year higher by roughly 3% following a pandemic-related hiccup in mid-2020. By comparison, the total equity REIT sector saw a -5.1% decline in same-store NOI in full-year 2021, the worst year on record for REITs.

The headwinds observed during the peak of the pandemic in mid-2020 – the shutdown of RV parks and the slowdown in RV and manufactured housing sales – have swiftly become tailwinds amid a broader revival across the U.S. housing industry and other WFH-related industries. The vast majority of manufactured housing residents stayed current on their rents despite rent deferment plans made available by ELS and SUI. Occupancy rates ticked higher by another 95 basis points in Q4 while “core” manufactured housing rents increased by 3.6%.

Growth in funds from operations – the earnings per share “equivalent” for REITs – is driven by the combination of same-store “organic” growth and by external growth through acquisitions and new development. Forward guidance was particularly impressive as ELS and SUI project that NOI will rise by an average of 6.1% in 2021, powering a rise in Funds From Operations (“FFO”) of more than 10% – which would likely be one of the strongest growth rates in the REIT sector.

Growth in funds from operations – the earnings per share “equivalent” for REITs – is driven by the combination of same-store “organic” growth and by external growth through acquisitions and new development.

Forward guidance was particularly impressive as ELS and SUI project that NOI will rise by an average of 6.1% in 2021, powering a rise in Funds From Operations (“FFO”) of more than 10% – which would likely be one of the strongest growth rates in the REIT sector.

Utilizing a strong cost of equity capital, these REITs have continued to grow externally by adding units to existing sites and by growing via acquisitions and site expansions. MH REITs acquired more than $1 billion worth of properties over the last year, largely in one-off acquisitions while disposing of just $10 million in assets. The most significant deal in 2020 was Sun Communities’ $2.1B purchase of Safe Harbor Marinas, which owns and operates 101 institutional-quality boat marinas.

Average MH REIT Growth

MH REITs Net Acquisitions

MH REITs Key Takeaways

Pressured by the ‘REIT Reopening Rotation,’ MH REITs have uncharacteristically underperformed in early 2021 even as fundamentals remain strong. “Work From Anywhere” trends have powered a surge in RV, boat, and second-home sales which have provided an added external growth tailwind while same-store “organic” growth metrics remain impressive. The outlook for 2021 remains favorable with MH REITs providing guidance indicating an acceleration in earnings growth and we expect the “essential” property sectors – housing, technology, and e-commerce – to be a bright-spot again this year.

MH REITs: Terms Defined

FFO (Funds From Operations): The most commonly accepted and reported measure of REIT operating performance. Equal to a REIT’s net income, excluding gains or losses from sales of property and adding back real estate depreciation.

AFFO (Adjusted Funds From Operations): A non-standardized measurement of recurring/normalized FFO after deducting capital improvement funding and adjusting for “straight line” rents.

NOI (Net Operating Income): Typically reported on a “same-store” comparable basis, NOI is a calculation used to analyze the property-level profitability of real estate portfolios. NOI equals all revenue from the property, minus all reasonably necessary operating expenses.

Hoya Capital Disclosures

I am/we are long ELS and SUI. I am not receiving compensation for it. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Index performance cited in this commentary does not reflect the performance of any fund or other account managed or serviced by Hoya Capital Real Estate. Nothing on this site nor any published commentary by Hoya Capital is intended to be investment, tax, or legal advice or an offer to buy or sell securities. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date, but we do not guarantee its accuracy and should not be considered a complete discussion of all factors and risks. A complete discussion of important disclosures is available on our website www.HoyaCapital.com.

Planning Today’s Manufactured Home Community Expansions, New Developments

By

Donald Westphal

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March 22, 2021

After more than 50 years planning manufactured housing communities, RV resorts, subdivisions and miscellaneous other projects one would think I have seen everything. However, in this unique and difficult time, we have never been busier than ever. Leading the way, manufactured home communities and RV resorts are causing us to work overtime.

Home Appearance community expansions — Professional Planner Donald Westphal

Why is this?

With manufactured housing, I believe there is no better solution to the affordable housing crisis. Our work in response to this need comes in two areas: Upgrading and expansion of existing communities and planning new greenfield communities. Community upgrades are difficult planning projects since many of the older communities were built for smaller homes and are under older, less restrictive ordinances. Reconfiguring these smaller homesites for larger homes often results in a loss of density and a resulting loss of revenue. However, many of these older communities are well located since when originally built they were on the outskirts and development has grown around them, leaving them in very desirable locations. They also are targeted for what some consider “higher and better uses”, yet, in most cases, zoning for expansion and upgrades is less difficult to achieve.

New Communities Present the Other Option

New Greenfield projects are another story. Zoning for these developments, in my experience, is as difficult as ever even though community officials most often readily admit they have a shortage of modestly priced housing.

With proper preparation and planning, gaining the required zoning can be accomplished.

Our company has outlined the process in presentations at industry events and most recently in an MHI webinar. A successful process begins with great planning. One must understand the ordinance requirements, the approval process, the players, and the planning staff. A great site plan in accordance with the local ordinance and conforming to the particular site features is essential. Listening in the early stages of conversations with staff and officials and incorporating their ideas, where possible, helps to give them ownership in the plan. This can be very advantageous. We must understand that the zoning process is a marketing job, in convincing the decision-makers that the project will be one that they will be proud of for years to come. One will never have an opportunity to market homes to the public if we do not properly market the project in the zoning and site planning process.

RV resort planning likely is of less interest to readers of this publication, though many manufactured home community developers also develop and operate RV parks, including blended properties that offer both homesites and RV hospitality. These projects can face planning and zoning challenges that are similar to what we face in housing. The pandemic has resulted in a tremendous rise in RV use and a significant increase in the demand for our services in this venue.

Fortunately, my firm after 50 years has joined forces with the Nadi Group and is well-positioned to assist clients, new and old. We can and will meet surge in demand with our expanded staff and the ability to provide details beyond the master plan stage of a project. The Nadi group provides these services to clients nationwide.

Good Luck and stay safe.

NAHB Honors Champion with a Pair of Awards for Excellence

By

Patrick Revere

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March 16, 2021

The National Association of Home Builder and the Building Systems Councils honored Skyline Champion Corporation with a pair of Jerry Rouleau Awards for Excellence in Home Design during a March 4 virtual presentation.

The Building Systems Councils awards celebrate the best in off-site construction.

A living room with a skyline view at The Corner. Photos courtesy of Skyline Champion and Larson Realty Group.

The Corner by Champion Modular

Champion’s Liverpool, Pa., home building facility manufactured modular apartments for The Corner, a unique mixed-use development at the site of the former Tiger Stadium in Detroit.

Larson Realty Group received the award for Multi-family Entry of Distinction for the three stories of apartment modules atop a first-floor concrete and steel podium for retail spaces. The Corner consists of 111 living units, predominately studio and one-bedroom apartments, with six two-bedroom units on each end of the building. Three larger units right on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull have views for several blocks of the Detroit city skyline.

The Wellfleet by Champion Modular

The Wellfleet, by Skyline Champion Corporation, a modular home built in Liverpool, Pa.

The Wellfleet model received the highest honor in the under 2,000 square foot new home category. The award-winner is a 1,650-square-foot, three bedroom, two-bath modular home also made by Champion’s Liverpool facility.

The Wellfleet has an open floor plan and a spacious kitchen.

“Skyline Champion is thrilled to receive awards for both single- and multi-family designs,” Skyline Champion Corporation President and CEO Mark Yost said. “We’re extremely proud of the team at our Liverpool, Pa., manufacturing center as well as the designers and engineers that contributed to these projects.”

The annual Jerry Rouleau Awards for Excellence are judged by an independent panel of industry experts. Recipients were recognized for excellence in achievement in a range of categories such as informative and well-designed websites, along with floor plan designs categorized by systems-built type and square footage.

Skyline Champion Corporation shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under SKY. It employs more than 7,000 people and has 40 manufacturing facilities in the United States and western Canada. The company possesses nearly 70 years of homebuilding experience, and also operates Titan Factory Direct, with 18 retail locations, as well as Star Fleet Trucking, providing transportation services for manufactured housing and other industries nationwide.

MHInsider is a publication of MHVillage and is the premier source of manufactured housing news with a national audience of manufactured housing professionals dedicated to producing and delivering high quality, affordable, off-site built housing.

The Manufactured Home Sales Process with Ken Corbin

By

Ken Corbin

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March 12, 2021

Ken Corbin: MH Sales Process — Manufactured housing industry sales consultant Ken Corbin.

Ken Corbin manufactured home sales process — – In partnership with Ken Corbin

A New Attitude Selling Consumers on Community, Lifestyle

By

Suzanne Felber

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March 12, 2021

Felber Community Lifestyle Sells — This large corner lot in Battle Creek, Mich., gives the homeowner a chance to enjoy the great outdoors in their own, private yard.

What a difference a year makes! When we were getting for Louisville and an exciting 2020, I don’t think any of us predicted that the world would change as much as it has. With 2020 now in our rearview mirror, what do we need to consider with our factory-built homes and communities to stay relevant with the new buyers we are beginning to see?

Factory-built housing has often been considered the housing of the future, and it is looking like the future may be here today. More than ever, the stigmas that have followed communities and factory-built housing are melting away, and consumers are giving us a fresh look with open minds. It’s now up to us to show them why we should be their first choice for a new home and why community living is now more relevant than ever.

‘we need to think like our buyers and remember what is important to them…’

Marketing and retaining new buyers takes a fresh approach. Hanging out a sign doesn’t attract buyers — they are driving as little as possible. And we don’t want people just popping into our sales offices — we need appointments to create a safe selling and leasing experience for all of us.

Reconsider Your Community Services, Activities

How many of you have thought about the type of wifi and internet access that you offer? Every day buyers are “cutting the cord” with their traditional phone and cable companies. Instead, they have a mobile phone as their primary phone and switch to streaming internet-based entertainment like Netflix and YouTubeTV. Perhaps 2021 will be a year where buyers and renters are more concerned about what your internet and mobile access is and are more than willing to pay for it. With many schools offering virtual learning, it can be a strain on an older internet service when three kids are learning on different computers in the same home at the same time.

Rethinking the services that your community offers should start with upgrading the internet that your community offers so you can compete with apartment communities that often offer basic service as part of their rent. One of the bonuses is that if you can get your homeowners to switch from dish-type services to streaming, you can also get rid of all of those unsightly receivers that so many people have on the outside of their homes.

ZOOM and other services like that are here to stay at least for a while. Having ZOOM available for your residents makes it possible to offer activities that they can engage in from the safety of their own homes while socializing with their neighbors. The beauty of these is that you can make events invitation only and know who is participating. Book clubs, cooking enthusiasts, wine tastings, a gardening club… all of these are ways to engage your residents in a new and cost-effective manner. Reach out to local businesses to host a chat to educate your residents or let them know about the services they offer. We are all in this together, and we need to support our local businesses.

New Relationship with ‘Home’

Suzanne Felber Community Lifestyle Sells — *Residents with a green thumb have the opportunity to plant their own gardens. Photos courtesy of Lisa Stewart, Lisa Stewart Photography.*

Buyers now look at the homes they want to buy or purchase differently. Since many of us are spending more time at home, the kitchen has a renewed sense of priority. Ample dining space gives us a place to enjoy a meal together or gather to do homework. Consumers are curious about new cooking innovations like air frying, sous vide, and pressure cooking in an InstantPot device. These need countertop spaces to use them and cabinets to store them in. Smart technology is here to stay and has become much more affordable.

Again many of these products use wifi to connect and talk. Have you re-evaluated where you have plugs located in your homes? Do some have USB connections, so it’s easy for you to recharge your devices?

ZOOM rooms are also a feature that will be trending. Since we are the housing of the future, it was interesting that some homes at The Louisville Show in 2018 featured smaller rooms that could be closed off from the rest of the house. Barn doors or other features made these areas that could be closed off. These, to me, are the ideal rooms for someone to work out of their homes, home school, or to participate in ZOOM conferences. Something to keep in mind that will also be trending is soundproofing. There is nothing worse than being on a call and hearing a conversation going on in another room. Carpeting is an excellent sound absorber, and we may want to think about having that in these rooms or using more area rugs and curtains.

Healthy, Safe Communities and Homes

Touchless items are also going to continue to rise in importance. With this virus not going away any time soon, keeping surfaces clean and sanitized will be critical in keeping your community safe. Changing out locks, faucets, light switches, and other areas touched by many people to smart, touch-free solutions will help keep everyone safe and let your community know that you care.

Having a video-enabled doorbell is now a priority, not a luxury. Knowing what is going on around your home and knowing that a delivery driver is at the front door is now affordable. RING also includes an almost neighborhood watch service where you are alerted if anything happens in your area. It is an excellent service, and I am much more comfortable knowing what is going on around me.

We are all craving community and interacting with people more than ever. Our land-lease communities offer that without our residents having to share hallways, elevators and stairs, and other areas that are hard to keep clean and safe. There is nothing like living in a home without connecting walls with someone else and having a yard and garden of your own. Our communities offer what many people want: Community.

There are exciting times ahead of us, but it will take much education, marketing, and good old common sense to keep us ahead of the competition. With things changing so quickly and consumers having almost any information that they want readily available to them, we need to think like our buyers and remember what is important to them.

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