Sam Landy, president and CEO of UMH Properties, accepts a 2019 Chairman's Award from MHI.
Yes! Communities Senior Vice President Shawn Harpin accepts the MHI Chairman’s Award on behalf of Yes! Communities President and CEO Steve Schaub.
Members of the Manufactured Housing Institute have recognized a pair of manufactured housing industry leaders with this year’s Chairman’s Award. Steve Schaub, CEO of YES Communities, and Sam Landy, President and CEO of UMH Properties, received the honor during the MHI Meetings in Savannah, Ga.
Schaub is one of the founders of YES Communities from 2007, and oversees all company acquisitions, capital market activities, and corporate strategy as CEO, a position he has held since 2017.
“Land-lease manufactured home communities help provide a path to affordable homeownership for many Americans,” said Schaub. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done thus far to help many Americans achieve this dream, and we’re ready to continue to expand our advocacy efforts and housing services.”
Sam Landy and UMH Properties sponsored and displayed a single-section home on the National Mall in Washington D.C. for HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase. UMH also works actively with local, state and federal officials on issues that benefit the industry.
About the Chairman’s Award
The Chairman’s Award is given annually by the chairman of the MHI Board of Directors. It recognizes the outstanding service and dedication to the association and the industry. Outgoing MHI Chairman Joe Stegmayer presented the 2019 awards.
Amy Bliss accepts the annual award for state executive of the year from MHI.Indiana executive Ron Breymier accepts a communications award for his work in the industry.
Indiana, Wisconsin State Executives Honored for Contributions
Ronald Breymier, executive director for the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association, received the MHEC Jim Moore Excellence in Communications Award. Amy Bliss, Wisconsin Housing Alliance executive director, received the State Association Executive of the Year award.
Michigan Manufactured Housing Association Hosts Annual Conference, VIP Event for Professionals
The Michigan Manufactured Housing Association will hold its annual conference Oct. 10 at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Avenue in Novi, Mich.
Darren Ing, the MMHA director, said the conference takes place the day prior to the Novi Home Show, which includes the Manufactured Home Showcase.
The 2019 MMHA Annual Conference begins at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast, including opening remarks from MMHA Executive Director Bill Sheffer.
Ing said the agenda also includes an update from Rick Robinson, head counsel for MHI, as well as a legal panel, legislative update, awards ceremony and several other topical presentations.
Register to attend the MMHA Conference while space remains. Book at a discounted rate of $135 per night at the Hyatt Place Hotel, 46080 Grand River Avenue, when you mention “Michigan Manufactured Housing Association” while rooms remain.
The Clayton American loft kitchen, on display Oct. 10 in Novi.
VIP Event at MMHA Annual Conference
A special VIP event will be held Oct. 10 from 5-7 p.m. for a sneak peek of the Manufactured Housing Showcase.
Industry members, legislative and government officials are encouraged to tour five fully decorated and furnished model homes at an exclusive private viewing. See the newest designs in manufactured housing and enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Limited spaces are available for the VIP event. MMHA will take RSVPs for the event through Oct. 8 or until all slots have been filled. Contact the MMHA’s Megan Mosher at mmosher(at)mmhrvca.org for VIP reservations.
Home Models on Display Include:
Athens Park Model by Champion (presented by Sun Communities)
Dutch Diamond by Champion (presented by Augusta Woods)
Redman Advantage by Champion (presented by Sun Communities)
The American Loft by Clayton Homes (presented by Meritus Communities)
The Stoneleigh by Skyline Homes (presented by AJR Communities
The Ins and Outs of Renting Your Mobile Home Seasonally
Seasonal or short-term rentals are properties that house new guests more frequently than typical residential lettings. The seasonal rental option is becoming increasingly popular among manufactured home and community owners seeking to temporarily fill vacancies.
As September comes to a close, many people seek warm-weather housing options for the winter months. This demographic, often referred to as “snowbirds”, can be a great source of revenue for short-term mobile home rentals in markets like Florida, Alabama and Arizona.
But managing short-term rentals comes with a few challenges; here are some tips for marketing and managing your seasonal rentals.
Marketing to Snowbirds
Reaching Different Climates to Rent Seasonally
There certainly is significant value to a strong local presence in your rental market. However, it is important to remember that snowbirds travel from a distance. Therefore, planning your strategy for national reach is key to attracting short-term renters.
Advertising through local papers in areas that expect harsh winters, and, of course, using mobile home listing sites like MHVillage, increases your exposure and the likelihood of securing one, or even multiple renters during the winter months.
It is recommended that you start this process early to allow time for proper documentation and completion of the approval process.
Describe Your Property (Honestly)
When entering the short-term rental market, it is important to provide details of your property thoroughly and to the best of your ability. And, keeping the listing updated, especially the availability, will prevent miscommunication with potential renters.
Be clear about accessibility, pet policies, furnishings, nearby resources, and any problems with the property that may impact your resident’s stay. Often, communities will provide a local guide for short-term renters. This guide should provide community details, information on local attractions, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, or even hospitals.
Make sure to include unique selling points to help your manufactured home stand out. Does the community have any features that would encourage rentals? Have you recently upgraded appliances or remodeled?
Including well-lit, attractive photos that accentuate details in your home and community can be a huge selling point, especially for tenants who may not have the opportunity to inspect the property in-person.
Photo courtesy of Equity LifeStyle Properties.
Managing Seasonal Mobile Home Rentals
Short-Term Rental By Owner
Depending on local rules and community regulations, you may have the option to manage your own rental. This might require that you obtain permits and licensing, as requested by your municipality. If you decide to manage your rental, there are a few things to take into consideration prior to accepting a tenant, like application and screening process for prospective tenants.
Other considerations include pricing, which should remain dynamic based on seasonal demand, market average, length of stay, and special local events. Seasonal rental durations can fluctuate from a few weeks to months or more. So pricing your rental at a weekly rate can save you time and allow you to rent seasonally to multiple parties.
Don’t be afraid to re-assess and adjust pricing for increased revenue. Tracking this data can improve year-over-year planning.
Choosing to manage your own listing means increased revenue. However, it does require your time, so plan accordingly!
Short-Term Rental Management Companies
Another option is to hire a short-term rental management company. Hiring a short-term rental company to manage your seasonal listing can ensure that your property is maintained. This is a great option if you are renting multiple properties at once as a management company can increase responsiveness to tenants, and fulfill maintenance and other requests.
A management fee will be assessed depending on the length of stay and the number of rentals you possess. Often, you can negotiate a price that both parties agree on.
Also, it is standard that a contract is issued to you. This should detail the scope of work and is instilled to protect your property and the company.
Short-term rental management is a good option for the owner who has multiple homes, plans to travel or visits a second home during the lease period.
How to Get Started
MHVillage’s Seasonal Rental Listing Feature
Our short-term rental listing feature allows community owners to set pricing, an availability calendar and leave a detailed description of the property for the prospective renter. This feature can be turned on or off at any time, allowing you to quickly manage and update your listing as needed.
Interested renters can browse listings with the option to filter for seasonal rentals.
Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to set up a tour with one of our representatives!
Turn to Datacomp for Manufactured Home Asset Value
Datacomp is the leading national provider of market-based mobile and manufactured home valuations. The company has spent decades providing manufactured home expertise, quality service and peace-of-mind in home transactions.
“We offer a variety of appraisal products, but one thing many industry professionals have yet to realize is that Datacomp offers full portfolio evaluations of manufactured and mobile home assets,” Mark Johnson, the vice president of personal property for Datacomp, said. “With the amount of sales activity and consolidation in manufactured home portfolios, the service is increasingly more common and valuable for property owners, brokers, lenders and others.”
Datacomp has a national network of more than 750 inspectors who can perform manufactured and mobile home portfolio valuations.
Accurate Collateral Valuations for Chattel Portfolios Large and Small
Datacomp portfolio valuations come in to play when an owner, operator or investor in manufactured home communities looks to purchase a property with community-owned homes or rental inventory. Or perhaps it’s an acquired portfolio of loans that needs assessment.
Some community owners will look to use their community-owned homes as collateral for a commercial loan to improve the community or add new sites.
Datacomp’s valuation services provide the portfolio data manufactured housing professionals require to make informed decisions.
The experienced team of manufactured housing appraisers specializes in determining an accurate worth of housing portfolio assets, using a proven market-based approach to value, based on each customer’s unique needs and underwriting criteria.
What is Your Portfolio of Homes Worth in Today’s Market?
Home values have changed dramatically in recent years. Professionals with new portfolios, expanded portfolios, or improved or reconfigured assets can benefit from an up-to-date valuation of their homes.
Ways to Benefit from a Portfolio Review
Identify a fair market purchase price for a retail or rental home inventory
Determine an accurate value of housing assets for sale, purchase, or for lending decisions
Discover loan-to-value ratios and overall worth of housing assets
Market-based approach for the most accurate representation of value
This year’s educational format at SECO is divided into four categories: SECO workshops (open Oct. 8), solo presentations, panel and roundtable discussions.
David Roden is a community owner and one of SECO’s founding members.
“Workshops are ‘roll up your sleeves and get into the details’ presentations on specialized topics,” Roden said. “At SECO19, one of Atlanta’s premier regional accounting firms will have someone out to talk about keeping the money you make – topics like changes in the tax laws, accelerated write-offs, succession, and opportunity zones.”
Another session will discuss legal entities for manufactured home communities and sales operations, including LLCs, trusts and master leases.
“The greatest take-away from SECO may be the ability to meet other community owners who are doing, or have done, what you want to do, and to learn from their experiences, failures, and successes,” Roden said.
Attendees this year can expect to go away with a list of ideas that generate revenue, cut costs, increase sales, and operate more efficiently.
This Year’s SECO Workshops – Tuesday Oct. 8
The SECO workshops have become an increasingly sought after and valuable portion of the annual programming. These workshops on Tuesday are a full day of interaction with leading manufactured housing professionals on topics vital to the operation of manufactured home communities.
2019 SECO workshop agendas provide manufactured housing professionals with 57 presentations, including the new TED-like mini presentations that allow for a 5-minute topic summary and follow-up during general networking segments.
Topics Include:
Asset Capitalization & Impact of Repair Regulations on Qualified Business Income
Getting the most out of Facebook, Social Media
For Newbies -rent vs sell, MHP valuation, due diligence, buying new MHs
MH Financing 101
MH Setup
MHP Ownership Structure Using Different Entities
Passive Investing
Photo Magic
RV Parks
Renting vs Selling New & Used MHs & Rehabbing
Service Animals, ESAs. MHC insurance
Solo Presentations and Roundtable Discussions at SECO
Roundtable discussions will be guided by experienced community owners who are ready, willing and able to answer questions about RV parks, self-storage, property valuations, renting versus selling homes, offering new versus used homes, creative chattel financing alternatives and some industry history.
Anyone who owns or has an interest in the vitality of manufactured home communities will find great value in attending SECO19. The programs focus on strategies that can benefit professionals who own anywhere from one to 100 communities. This includes owners and investors, but SECO also is beneficial for general managers, managers, sales teams and other operators.
2019 SECO Topics Include:
Welcome from Planning Committee
How to Use the Whova App
Attendee Introductions
Effective Use of the Internet
State of the Industry Report
Newbies -Lessons learned
Ask the Attorneys
Community Management, MH Sales
Meet the Sponsors and Exhibitors
Roundtable Discussions
One Minute Money Makers
SECO Youngbloods
NAMSCO
Join Your State Association
New MH’s” features, options sales into communities
MHP Lenders
MH Lenders
Rent vs. Sell New MH’s
Service Animals, ESA’s
Harvard Affordability Study
For more information on 2019 SECO, including registration, lodging, exhibiting/sponsorship, programming or detail on the Veterans Assistance Fund, please visit www.secoconference.com
Previously we’ve shared manufactured home statistics and results from a manufactured homeowner survey, as well as numbers on manufactured housing production, top manufacturers and top 10 retail markets.
Today we provide a snapshot of national site rents and occupancy rates for manufactured home communities. The JLT Manufactured Home Community Rent and Occupancy reports, published by Datacomp, offer insight that manufactured housing professionals can use to make informed business decisions.
Photo courtesy of Zeman Homes.
Manufactured Home Community Site Rent and Occupancy Rates
(Information from Datacomp and JLT Market Reports based on data between May 2018 and May 2019)
Average Lot Rent for Manufactured Home Communities
Manufactured home community site rent, also called lot rent, was $535 per month on a national average. Site rent in all-ages communities was $514 and 55+ communities had a national average site rent of $579. Site rent has increased year-over-year by 3.9% on average, with all-ages communities’ average increase in site rent coming in 0.1% lower than the 55+ and overall averages.
Average Occupancy Rate for Manufactured Home Communities
The average occupancy rate for manufactured home communities was 93%, with all-ages communities coming in at 91% and 55+ communities registering 96% on average. The national average occupancy rate went up 1% May 2018 to May 2019. All-ages communities experienced an average occupancy rate increase of 1.2% and 55+ communities had an average occupancy increase of 0.5%.
Markets with the Highest Average Site Rent
All Ages
Market
Rent
Orange County, CA
$1,383
Santa Clara County, CA
$1,145
Los Angeles County, CA
$946
55+
Market
Rent
Santa Cruz County, CA
$1,590
Orange County, CA
$1,018
Santa Clara County, CA
$880
Markets with the Lowest Average Site Rent
All Ages
Market
Rent
Highlands County, FL
$172
Albany, GA (MSA)
$223
Hendry/Okeechobee Counties, FL
$224
55+
Market
Rent
Greenville, SC (MSA)
$223
Miami-Dade County, FL
$225
Albany, GA (MSA)
$234
Markets with the Highest Average Occupancy Rate
All Ages
Market
Occupancy Rate
Santa Clara County, CA
100% (0.2% increase)
Miami-Dade County, FL
100% (0.4% increase)
Northern Colorado
100% (0.2% increase)
55+
Market
Occupancy Rate
Orange County, CA
100% (0.2% increase)
Santa Barbara County, CA
100% (0.1% decrease)
Alameda County, CA
100% (0.1% increase)
Markets with the Lowest Average Occupancy Rates
All Ages
Market
Occupancy Rate
Genesee County, MI
63% (3.2% increase)
Leon County, FL
68% (0.3% increase)
Lee County, FL
71% (0.2% decrease)
55+
Market
Occupancy Rate
Monroe County, MI
61% (38.5% increase)
Gettysburg, PA (MSA)
72% (4.9% decrease)
Bay/Midland/Saginaw, MI
75% (0.2% increase)
Markets with the Greatest Average Increase in Occupancy
U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, from Indiana, talks to manufactured housing professionals in attendance at the 28th Networking Roundtable in Indianapolis Monday morning.
Lawmaker Applauds Manufactured Housing Efforts, Pushes for Reform
Congressman Trey Hollingsworth, who represents Indiana’s 9th District in Washington, gave an impassioned address Monday morning to manufactured housing professionals at the 28th Networking Roundtable in Indianapolis.
“This truly is a crisis across the country,” Hollingsworth said of the lack of affordable housing. “People talk about housing prices on the coast, but it’s everywhere. It’s right here in our cities and towns across the state of Indiana.”
Hollingsworth points to the steady decline in volume of first-time homebuyers, which has an adverse impact on the overall economy. In addition, existing homeowners often are unable to move to hot job markets because of the high cost of housing.
“You can’t sell an $80,000 home and move across a county or state line and buy a home in a market where you have to spend more than $200,000,” he said. “You should be able to go where you want to go, holding on to that portion of the American Dream.”
“You all have a solution that few others do. You are and can be a real resource for affordable home buyers.”
Housing Reform in Washington, D.C.
The Congressman noted that jobless claims are at historic lows, which has he and his colleagues focusing on workforce development. Businesses cannot maintain a period of expansion if the labor market dries up.
“No matter where I go the number one, and by far the biggest concern is the lack of qualified workers,” Hollingsworth said. He said the U.S. has impeded workforce growth through the over-emphasis on young people attending college rather than a balanced approached that provides trade school certifications.
Hollingsworth said another area of focus that will help with housing availability is lowering the regulatory costs associated with home transactions.
The average cost of regulatory mandates for a home purchase has more than doubled in the last decade to more than $7,000 of the home price.
When a stack of papers with small print arrives at closing, he said, the homebuyer learns nothing more about the purchase.
“They say ‘I don’t want to read this,’ and they sign,” Hollingsworth said.
Added regulatory cost within a home loan means lenders need to write bigger loans to make the same money, which adds to the affordability crisis.
“This is what’s really holding back our development,” he said.
Dodd-Frank and other regulatory reform have created valuable consumer protections. However, some regulatory language has been detrimental while other language adds cost but no value.
“It’s been 10 years and we need to go back in and determine what we did right, what we did wrong and what we added in that made no difference,” Hollingworth said.
In the end, the Congressman lauded manufactured housing professionals for getting a lot of the heavy lifting out of the way.
“You all have a solution that few others do,” he told the audience of more than 200 in Indianapolis. “You are and can be a real resource for affordable home buyers.”
Datacomp today announced the publication of its September 2019 manufactured home community rent and occupancy reports for Oklahoma, Texas and Northern California.
JLT Market Reports provide detailed research and information on communities in 178 major housing markets throughout the United States. These include the latest rent trends and statistics, California rent control increases and “next increase”, marketing programs and a variety of other useful management insights.
Datacomp publishes 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.
September 2019 manufactured housing market data published in JLT Market Reports for Oklahoma, Texas and Northern California include information on 1,048 “All ages” and “55+” manufactured home communities.
Altogether, the reports on the three states’ manufactured home communities include data representations for 217,805 homesites.
“Community site rent and occupancy numbers in our September JLT Market Reports show strong and sustainable growth across the board in all three states,” Datacomp Co-President and Chief Business Development Officer Darren Krolewski said. “There was a decrease in rents among 55+ communities in one Northern California market, and occupancy dipped in only one market among all-ages communities in Texas.”
More About JLT Market Reports
Each JLT manufactured home community rent and occupancy 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
Rent control increase, and “next increase” for California
Community amenities
Vacant lots
Repossessed and inventory homes, and much more
JLT Market Reports also include management insights that rank communities by number of homesites, occupancy rates and highest to lowest rents. Established reports show trends in each market with a comparison of September 2019 rents and occupancy rates to September 2018, as well as a historical recap of rents and occupancy from 1996 to present date in most markets.
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 decisions.
Sleepy Hollow's clubhouse, designed by Charles Dilbeck, was fully restored inside and out.
What is your “me”?
That’s a question this Lifestylist was asked at a recent design summit, which made me rethink our industry and culture. How we approach our businesses, especially how we build and develop land-lease communities, is changing at a rapid pace. Are we keeping up with our buyers’ expectations?
“Adapt. Evolve. Or Become Extinct” is a great quote I heard years ago, which seems very relevant today.
Create an Experience, Sell a Lifestyle
As I write this, I am contacted by a friend who wants a second home in Florida and is open to a modular home, but has no interest in living in a “trailer park”. Last year, there were over 700,000 new millennial households created. Are we an industry, or lifestyle, that they are considering — or is their perception of our industry too negative?
Signature Kitchen Suite, the new luxury brand of LG Electronics, has done a brilliant job of setting itself apart from the competition by branding itself as “True To Food”. Simple, but immediately lets you know that the company is serious about the culinary experience.
Design expert and speaker LuAnn Nigara explained that the company has a “You, not a Business” and that the message is very personal. Can you say the same about your brand and your community?
Buyers today are more interested in experiences than things. They don’t ask for technology in their homes — they expect to have technology in their homes because it always has been part of their lives. They are conditioned for immediate gratification. Pretty much anything they want they can order on Amazon and it will be there tomorrow. Even the definition of luxury has changed — they want to experience luxury instead of owning it.
So, as an industry, are we selling a product or offering an experience? We have an incredible opportunity in front of us for growth. Here are five ways to build in the experience consumers want from your communities.
Consumer Experience in Five Points
The clubhouse community room at Sleepy Hallow.
Find Your “Me”: What’s Your Story?
Today’s new buyers are storytellers — they love to share their experiences on social media. We all are looking for what makes us “me”, and how that makes us interesting and has people wanting to learn more.
One of my favorite examples is Sleepy Hollow, a YES! Community in Fort Worth, Texas. It has a wonderful location just minutes from downtown, centuries-old trees, and a huge old estate home used as a clubhouse. The owners decided to do some digging and found out the history. They were delighted that famous architect Charles Dilbeck built the home. His signature architecture and the details he is known for were alive and well, just covered over or underused. There were rumors that the house was haunted, too. And instead of running from that myth, they embraced it, made renovations and updated the community.
The clubhouse became more of a shared space residents could use and be proud of. The original art was restored, and every Halloween they have a spooky party that residents and neighbors alike beg to get invited to! Potential residents not only get leasing information and costs when they visit, but are treated to the rich history of the community they will be calling home.
Eagle Creek’s dog park is the ideal run for resident pets.
Dog Parks
Eagle Creek installed a leash tree in its dog park.
Animal lovers take the welfare of their pets as seriously as they do their own, and they love to have their four-legged family members make friends in their new communities. A fenced area with some benches, relief stations, and access to water are inexpensive ways to add value and community in underutilized spaces. It’s also a great way to encourage residents not to let their animals run free through your community.
What’s in a Name? Everything!
Rolling Hills in Battle Creek, Mich., changed its name to The Community of Rolling Hills, and it truly is a community — beautiful entryway, clubhouse and pool. It is selling the lifestyle and community, not the fact that the homes were brought there on wheels.
Community Gardens/Garden Clubs
We all know that first impressions are everything. Why not let your residents with a green thumb help with the landscaping and gardens at your community? The Community of Rolling Hills also has a community garden where residents can plant vegetables and share them. It’s a treat to go into the clubhouse and be gifted with fresh-picked tomatoes and cucumbers.
Technology and Social Media
Our kids are more tech-savvy than most of us will ever be. Why not reward them for their knowledge and invite them to help others in the community set up social media accounts and answer their technology questions? Encouraging them to be a part of the community, instead of looking down on them for driving too fast or leaving their bikes out front, can be a great way to help them take pride in where they live.
Is this a mindset worth embracing in your community? Award-winning communities think so, and continue to look for ways to keep their residents connected.
Interesting Facts About Manufactured Housing Production
The manufactured housing industry produced 96,540 homes in 2018. That production comes from 34 corporations running 129 facilities throughout the United States.
Manufactured housing production increased by more than 49% from 2014 through 2018, according to the Manufactured Housing Institute.
Who Are The Top 10 Manufacturers in the Industry?
Manufacturer Market Share
2018 Market Leaders by Share
Clayton Homes Inc.
50.15%
Skyline Champion Corp.
15.32%
Cavco Industries
13.18%
American Home Star
2.51%
Legacy Homes
2.20%
Adventure Homes
1.85%
Live Oak Homes
1.81%
Elliot MH MFG
1.66%
Jacobson Mobile Home
1.15%
Kabco
1.11%
Top 10 Manufactured Home Retail Markets
Market Area Sales Activity Year-over-Year
2018 Top 10 Markets Sales Activity
Houston
12.30%
Detroit
-19.72%
Dallas-Fort Worth
-4.55
Austin
0.22%
San Antonio
-9.03%
Los Angeles
41.13%
Birmingham, Ala.
6.81%
Beaumonte-Port Arthur, Texas
65.02%
Phoenix
-4.32%
Jacksonville, Fla.
24.28
The Big Three Manufacturers
Clayton, Skyline Champion and Cavco — often referred to in the industry as the Big 3 — possess a combined market share of nearly 80%.
See the Full Manufactured Housing Industry Trends & Statistics Infographic
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