Roundtable Returns to Indianapolis in its 27th Year
George Allen’s 27th International Networking Roundtable will take place in Indianapolis at The Alexander hotel Sept. 5-7, drawing a few hundred of the leading land-lease community owners and operators for a discussion on best practices and deal making.
Allen, who founded and runs Community Owners Business Alliance (COBA7), will greet attendees Thursday morning and give way to the 2018 keynote speaker, Joe Stegmayer, who is chairman of Cavco Industries and chairman of the board for both the Manufactured Housing Institute and the RV/MH Hall of Fame.
Two Days of Professional Programming from Industry Experts
In addition to the presentation by Stegmayer, there will be a pair of conversations on chattel capital, which will include information from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Spencer Roane, a champion of smaller to mid-size community owners who is a co-founder of the SECO annual symposium in Atlanta, will present on the development of a new chattel capital program for owners and operators.
Allen himself will present on the idea of preserving industry history though written stories that can be compiled into a memoir. MHVillage, a sponsor and presenter, also will provide information on writing for publication.
Attendees stand to gain a lot at this year’s International Networking Roundtable, with the industry on the rise and energy among its top contributors at an all-time high.
Manufactured Housing Managers Training Available on Wednesday
Indeed, even hard-to-impress industry leaders can appreciate that the 200 people Allen draws are owners, CEOs, CFOs and highly regarded analysts and consultants.
Katie Hauck and Kathy Taylor, who each own and operate 11 communities in the Midwest, will kick off the unofficial first day of the Roundtable on Wednesday Sept. 5 with the Manufactured Housing Manager Class.
Attendees to the 2017 Roundtable chat during check-in.
In addition, there will be more than a dozen other presentations ranging in topic from how to acquire or refinance a community, how to host a sales seminar, information on third party fee management and a talk on writing for publication
And for Allen himself, with those decades of experience and the way he weaves a story, the Roundtable is well worth the visit.
So, come to Indianapolis again this year for the George Allen International Networking Roundtable, grab a copy of the updated “Swan Song”, and let Allen tell you how he once, long ago, purchased a community for $400,000 and a couple years later sold it for $2.5 million in cash.
There has never been a better time to sell a mobile or manufactured home park than right now
Kevan Enger is a seller-focused broker for manufactured housing communities.
The need for affordable housing is at an all-time high as baby boomers retire in record numbers, home prices hit historic highs, and fewer affordable housing units are being supplied to the market for either the low-income or 55+ segments.
In addition, interest rates remain low, at least for the time being, and recent publicity about the opportunity mobile home parks provide — and the need they fill — has prompted increased demand across the country, and investors are taking notice.
While the demand for manufactured home properties as investments is rapidly growing, the supply is not. The inventory of available manufactured home parks is low and decreasing. The barriers for new entrants are high, and the path to approval and profitability for new developments can be long and difficult.
This high demand versus the supply/inventory dynamic is driving prices for mobile home communities higher than ever with record prices being achieved across the spectrum.
It’s a seller’s market
If you’ve been thinking about selling your community, now is the time
Whether you’re ready to retire or simply interested in moving into another property class, there has never been a better time to sell your mobile home park than now.
Regardless of the optimum market conditions, there are other factors every seller should consider.
As a seller-focused broker, the three questions I get asked most are:
How do I know how much my property is worth?
How do I get the highest sales price for my property?
How do I reduce my tax liability?
It’s important to note that a seller’s market provides owners the opportunity to get a great price, but it doesn’t guarantee it. To leverage that opportunity and maximize your property’s sales price and proceeds, there are three things you must do:
Increase the number of prospects and competition for your property
Know how much your park is worth and how much to ask
Mitigate your taxes
Let’s take a closer look at these three areas and how they can impact your bottom line.
Courtesy of EquityLifestyle Properties
How to Get the Best Price
While all sellers want the best market price, not all will get the best available market-driven price. Make sure you do by selling your property through a seller-focused broker, also known as a seller’s representative or listing agent.
As I mentioned earlier, I am a seller-focused broker, but I am not making the recommendation for my benefit. There are several reasons to work with a seller-focused broker, all of which can have a significant impact on your bottom line.
Leverage: There are buyer-focused brokers and seller-focused brokers. A buyer-focused broker, also known as a buyer’s agent or representative, does as their title implies. They represent the buyers and their interests first, not the seller’s interests. Their primary objective is to get their buyers the lowest possible price for the property at terms that are most beneficial to them. This is great for the buyer but not the seller. The result: Your property sells for less than it should.
A buyer’s agent also wants to market your property exclusively to their buyers so they can maximize their commission in what is called an off-market deal. Because off-market deals are offered only to a closed and small pool of potential buyers, competition for your property will be minimized. They are essentially taking your property off the current seller’s market.
In addition to being at a disadvantage by working with an agent whose primary goal is to get the buyer the best deal, off-market deals keep the price of your property artificially low, typically extend the length of time it takes to sell your property, and puts you at a disadvantage at the negotiating table. We’ve seen deals bounce around for 6 to 12 months while the comings and goings of potential buyers disturb and unsettle the tenant base, and as buyer’s agents try to make the deal work with their limited portfolio of prospects.
It’s a seller’s market, so don’t give up your leverage!
Your Advantage: The competitive environment is prompting buyers to approach owners/sellers directly. They are doing this for two reasons: To avoid paying full price for your property and to put themselves at an advantage.
While it may seem that negotiating directly with a potential buyer allows you greater control, it puts the unrepresented seller in an non-beneficial position by:
Reducing or eliminating competition for your property
Putting the burden of establishing the value and setting the price for the property on you
Taking time and money to draft the sales and other documents
Having to directly negotiate the deal without the market data and expertise that will support your obtaining the best price for the property
Ensuring you are protected on the path to closing
Your Interests: A seller-focused broker, also known as a seller’s agent or representative, puts the seller’s interest first. They will:
Broadly yet discreetly market your mobile home park to all relevant buyers (This is particularly important since the best buyers often come from outside the market/region.)
Create a competitive environment for your property
Conduct a proper value analysis on your property to set the right price
Shorten the time it takes to close on your deal
Have market comps and data available to support your property’s sales price
Increase the number of qualified offers you receive
Provide guidance and ensure you are properly and beneficially represented from beginning to end
Get the best price and terms for you, the seller
How to Find Out How Much Your Park Is Worth
Knowing how much your mobile home park is worth today, including its intrinsic and market value, and how much to ask, is essential. The analysis is extensive and has to be backed by market data and property variables such as:
Size of the property
Location
Occupancy rate
Cash flow
NOI
Private vs public utility connectivity
Park-owned homes vs lot rentals
Amenities
Financing availability
Market conditions
Available on-market inventory of similar properties
The price/value of other comparable properties that sold in your market
The asking price of other on-market properties
The best way to arrive at the proper price is through a market analysis. A market analysis includes all of the considerations listed above to arrive at a market-driven price, while many appraisals can place more weight on the intrinsic value of a property. The difference is akin to looking backward through the rearview mirror with an property appraisal versus looking forward through the windshield with a market analysis.
Look for a seller-focused broker that will provide you with a no-obligation market analysis that shows you the cap rates of other properties that have sold in your market, as well as the potential cap rates for your property.
The desired cap rate dictates the purchase price and is one way to measure the efficiency of your sale. To find the cap rate, divide your property’s NOI by the Sales Price. To find your Sales Price, divide your NOI by the desired cap rate. For sellers, the lower the cap rate, the higher your return because it means the sales price was higher.
Cap Rate = NOI/Sales Price
A ½ point difference in the cap rate can mean millions of dollars less or more in your pocket.
One of the most common ways owners reduce their tax liability is by using the provision in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 1031, which allows you to postpone paying tax on the gain if you reinvest the proceeds in a similar property as part of a qualifying like-kind exchange.
This is commonly called a 1031 Exchange.
Many retiring owners, or those who wish to take on investments with less intensive management and responsibilities, opt for triple-net (NNN properties) for their exchange. In triple-net properties, the tenant is responsible for the rent and utilities, and other typical expenses stipulated in a leasing agreement for the property type. The tenant also pays for and manages the property’s real estate taxes, building maintenance and insurance.
The arrangement frees the landlord from the typical responsibilities of an actively managed property.
In addition to the “passive investment” nature of NNN deals, other benefits include, restarting your property depreciation schedules, steady income especially from properties with corporate-backed and/or established tenants, built-in rental rate increases, and long-term stability.
Delaware Statutory Trust
A Delaware Statutory Trust, or DST, is a separate legal entity that allows smaller investors to own high-quality institutional level and professionally-managed commercial properties as individual owners and not partners. In addition, a DST is a passive investment with no active management responsibility for the investor, provides an extra layer of protection through non-recourse debt preference, and offers stability, among other benefits.
Be sure to discuss the pros and cons of 1031 Exchanges and DSTs with your tax advisor.
Making the decision to sell is not easy, but by aligning yourself with a broker that has your best interests in mind and ensuring you are fully informed on how to value your property, obtain the best price for it, and mitigate your tax liability, you will not only maximize your return for your years of hard work, you also will maximize your peace of mind.
Kevan Enger is a partner and manufactured housing director for Capstone MH. He specializes in helping mobile and manufactured home park property owners across the country successfully position, market and sell their properties to maximize returns. Capstone has seven offices in five states through Florida, the Southeast, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Tiny House and Simple Living Jamboree Founder Darin Zaruba welcomes guests to the first-ever Tiny House Industry Days.
Hundreds Attend Jamboree for Tiny House Industry Days
More than 250 people were in attendance Thursday morning for the first ever tiny house industry days, a new element added to the annual Tiny House and Simple Living Jamboree, now in it’s fourth year.
The Travis County Exposition Center is the venue for the event, opening to the general public for Saturday and Sunday attendance.
Seminars and solo presentations by tiny house professionals — from builders to developers to members of the media — are being held in the banquet hall. Dozens of homes and park model RVs are being shown on the expo grounds and industry exhibitors are setting up shop in Luedcke Arena, all east of downtown Austin.
Jon Fontane, with event coordinator Reed Exhibitions, said tiny house industry days is off to a good start.
“We’ve had a steady audience of very engaged professionals sitting and listening, asking questions and participating in our conversation, even with the attraction of all the home set up outside,” he said. “We’ve had a good response from the media too, with all three area news networks coming out.”
New Zealander Mark Beckingham came all the way to Austin for answers on tiny living.
Jamboree’s Tiny House Industry Days Draws International Audience
Mark Beckingham and his wife Sasha traveled from the Northland region of New Zealand specifically to attend the tiny house industry days in Austin. He said an aging population, rising home prices, and recent government crackdown on caravan community living has created a dire situation that cries for solutions.
He and his wife are looking at everything from AC units to land practices, not for commercialization but for best practices in effort to help family.
“I have 3 1/2 acres of land and easily could have some of my family come and stay,” Beckingham said. “But my mom can’t come live on my property? We really want to just understand what can be done and hopefully come home with some answers.”
Scott Wilson of ZeroSquared is from Alberta, Calgary. He is in Austin to show his tiny
Scott Wilson of Zero Squared speaks with developers about the product they’ll use to fill a pending project in South Texas.
retreats, which utilizes expanding walls and deck space to get to 374-square-feet.
“What we’re doing is implementing a slide system that allows for simple transportation and added comfort when you reach your destination,” Wilsons said.
Tiny house industry days continues on Friday, and the Jamboree opens to the public for the weekend.
FMHA 2018 Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., is Sept. 18-19 — Register Now!
In little less than a month hundreds of manufactured housing industry professionals will head to Orlando for the FMHA Annual Convention, one of the biggest state meetings in the industry.
Attendees at the FMHA 2018 Annual Convention can expect to find dozens of product and services representatives exhibiting at the show, as well as a host of solo presentations and panels on best practices in the manufactured housing industry.
FMHA 2018 Annual Convention Topics and Speakers Include:
The following three presentations here are only a selection of the 10 programming pieces on community management, leadership and disaster planning available at the FMHA 2018 Annual Convention.
Keynote Presentation: “The Passion of the Playmaker” from former New England Patriots All-Pro Brian Holloway. In what he calls the “Crown Jewel” of his motivational presentations, Holloway will (1) Get leaders “un-stuck” once and for all; (2) Uncover the untapped wealth, power and potential that lies harbored inside the flurry of business activity; (3) Provide solutions for “getting people onboard” once and for all; (4) Clearly define the pathway and momentum to get to the next level, and (5) Show that this mind-set is measured in decades.
Workshop: “Mistakes Managers Make” by President of The Housing Marketplace Joe Adams, who will talk about how managers of retail sales centers and communities must wear numerous hats to succeed in relationships with customers, residents and staff. Adams takes a positive and fun look at the common mistakes managers make when performing as a firefighter, accountant, teacher, counselor, architect and trustee.
Workshop: “Ask the Lawyers” will involve a panel of Florida’s most experienced industry attorneys discussing changes and trends in community regulation, local government activities and the latest legal cases. The panel will conclude with an audience Q&A.
Additional Activities Planned for the FMHA 2018 Annual Convention in Orlando
The 2018 FMHA Annual Convention is pleased to have Sen. Wilton Simpson for its Awards Luncheon address on Wednesday. A long-time proponent of responsible regulatory practices for Florida business, Sen. Simpson specifically has supported the manufactured housing industry for many years. He represents District 10, composed of a portion of Pasco and all of Hernando and Citrus counties.
Also, the FMHA Board of Directors will meet the day prior to the opening of the convention. Manufactured housing professionals interested in serving on the board should contact FMHA Executive Director Jim Ayotte at (850) 907-9111.
Golf Outing Planned in Conjunction with FMHA Annual Convention
FMHA 2018 Annual Convention attendees can register for a golf outing at Shingle Creek Golf Club. The outing begins at 8 a.m. on Sept. 18, and registration is $75 per participant.
Convention registration is near full, and rooms for Sept. 18-19 can be booked while space remains at Rosen Shingle Creek.
Approximately 250 people will attend Florida’s largest gathering of manufactured housing professionals. Exhibitor booths will be open during the Tuesday night Welcome Reception and the following morning’s Continental Breakfast. The FMHA Welcome Reception includes open bar, a variety of catered foods and is among the best networking opportunities of the year.
HUD Fair Housing Complaint Against Facebook Centers on Advertising Options Regarding Religion, Gender, Geography
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has filed a complaint against Facebook claiming it has allowed “landlords and home sellers to use its advertising platform to engage in housing discrimination.”
According to HUD’s press release, “Facebook enables advertisers to control which users receive housing-related ads based upon the recipient’s race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, disability, and/or zip code.
Facebook then invites advertisers to express unlawful preferences by offering discriminatory options, allowing them to effectively limit housing options for these protected classes under the guise of ‘targeted advertising.’”
“The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination including those who might limit or deny housing options with a click of a mouse,” said Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “When Facebook uses the vast amount of personal data it collects to help advertisers to discriminate, it’s the same as slamming the door in someone’s face.”
The Complaint alleges Facebook’s current platform for home sales and rentals allows users to purposely filter advertisements for housing away from persons that are protected under the Fair Housing Act.
The press release regarding the complaint against Facebook notes that advertisers have the option to:
“display housing ads either only to men or women;
not show ads to Facebook users interested in an “assistance dog”, “mobility scooter”, “accessibility” or “deaf culture”;
not show ads to users whom Facebook categorizes as interested in “child care” or “parenting”, or show ads only to users with children above a specified age;
to display/not display ads to users whom Facebook categorizes as interested in a particular place of worship, religion or tenet, such as the “Christian Church,” “Sikhism”, “Hinduism”, or the “Bible”.
not show ads to users whom Facebook categorizes as interested in “Latin America”, “Canada”, “Southeast Asia”, “China”, “Honduras”, or “Somalia”.
draw a red line around zip codes and then not display ads to Facebook users who live in specific zip codes.
Facebook Responds to HUD Complaint
Facebook has responded that discrimination is strictly prohibited by its policies and they will respond in court, while continuing to work with HUD on the issues raised in the complaint.
The case against Facebook is what is referred to as a secretary-initiated complaint. This means the complaint was brought by HUD Secretary Ben Carson because the issue is national in scope.
And, the action comes following a recent announcement by HUD that the focus of fair housing enforcement is shifting to a goal of promoting more housing development overall. As HUD begins its formal fact-finding process against Facebook, MHI encourages ALL manufactured housing communities, retailers and manufacturers to review their on- line advertisements to determine if their targeting follows a pattern outlined in HUD’s Complaint. Any targeting of advertisements that purposefully excludes classes of persons protected from discrimination under federal, state or local law should be discontinued IMMEDIATELY.
And while the Fair Housing Act prohibits ads that show discrimination against protected classes, there is nothing in the law that prohibits advertising to attract protected classes as residents. Thus, an advertisement stating the property has a “family playground” or a “handicapped accessible club-house” or similar protected class targeting is acceptable under the Fair Housing Act.
Additional Best Advertising Practices
Advertise the virtues of the property itself instead of the types of tenants desired.
Do not exclude protected classes in your social media targeting.
Include the Fair Housing logo in all advertising (traditional and social media).
A disparate impact claim allows a plaintiff to attack a housing policy that may seem nondiscriminatory on its face, but which has a disparate impact on certain protected classes
Community owners and operators dealing with Fair Housing has become a top issue as more and more owners are shoveling out money for fines and lawsuits.
Hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear about another community owner getting nailed over these issues. Thanks to Rick Robinson of MHI, industry leaders are learning about the dangers that community owners, and to a more limited extent, retailers face every day.
The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (“FHAA”) is a federal law prohibiting discrimination in the rental of dwellings for certain protected classes.
The exhaustive list of protected classes consists of:
Donna Rishel, contributing columnist to MHInsider on issues of Fair Housing
Race
Color
Religion
Sex
National origin
Familial status
Handicap
The Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, also provides additional protection for individuals with disabilities.
In addition to federal laws, there are a morass of state, regional, and local laws, rules, regulations, and letters of advisement to deal with as well.
HUD Guidance on Disparate Impact Stems from Screening Practices
The Fair Housing Act, FHAA, ADA, and state or local laws are called the “Acts”, which seek to prevent discrimination in housing. A community owner should adopt clear and uniform application and leasing practices to ensure that members of all protected classes are treated equally.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued guidance on background checks in a document, dated April 4, 2016, conducted during the application process.
This is a very new area of compliance for Fair Housing and is based on a Supreme Court ruling affirming the validity of applying disparate impact to the screening methods and standards of community owners and other community owners.
How Criminal Background Checks Affect Disparate Impact
HUD warned on April 4, 2016 that criminal records-based barriers to housing are likely to have a disproportionate impact on minority home seekers. This is in light of statistics that show African Americans and Hispanics are incarcerated at rates disproportionate to their share of the general population.
Accordingly, community owners will need to have a substantial, legitimate, and nondiscriminatory reason for implementing a policy that considers criminal records in the housing application process. Moreover, community owners and management should ensure the interest achieved by criminal background screening cannot be achieved by another practice that has a less discriminatory effect.
Criminal background checks are being reviewed by HUD to determine whether processes have a potential “disparate impact” (meaning “unintentional impact”) on protected classes. This is regardless of whether a background check policy is non-discriminatory on its face.
Thus, while criminal background checks should be conducted in a uniform manner, the results should be reviewed and analyzed on an individual basis to ensure that applicants are not denied based on discriminatory purpose or disparate impact.
When this subject comes up, the question I most often hear is, “How exactly does a disparate impact claim work? And is it as draconian for community owners as it seems?
The short answer is that while the threat of a disparate impact claim may give management a bit of heartburn, there are safeguards in place to protect legitimate, nondiscriminatory policies and practices.
As I’ve written about before, a disparate impact claim allows a plaintiff to attack a housing policy that may seem nondiscriminatory on its face, but which has a disparate impact on certain protected classes. As upheld by the Supreme Court, and as originally promulgated by HUD, a disparate impact claim encompasses a burden shifting framework.
Courtesy of Zeman Homes
A Deeper Examination of Disparate Impact
So, what does that mean in plain English? Well, under the Supreme Court’s guidance, a disparate impact claim works as follows:
First, the plaintiff must make a threshold showing of disparate impact, meaning that the plaintiff must show that a challenged practice or policy has caused, or will cause, a discriminatory effect.
Importantly, pursuant to the Supreme Court’s guidance, there must be a causal relationship between the defendant’s practice or policy and the discriminatory effect – if there is not, then the plaintiff cannot make its required initial showing, and the case is dismissed.
If the plaintiff does make this initial showing, then the burden shifts to the defendant to show that the practice or policy is necessary to achieve one or more substantial, legitimate, non-discriminatory interests. Presuming the defendant makes this showing, then the burden shifts back to the plaintiff to prove that the interests offered by the defendant in support of the practice or policy could be achieved by another practice or policy with a less discriminatory effect.
The above framework may seem complex. But the key takeaway is that ownership is still able to articulate and rely on a valid interest served by the challenged practice or policy as a defense to a disparate impact claim.
Threshold Requirements are ‘Robust’
The causal requirement set out by the Supreme Court – which the Court itself described as needing to be “robust” – is designed to ensure that defendants will not be held liable for disparities that they did not create. In fact, the Supreme Court specifically has cautioned that courts should examine with care whether a plaintiff has met the threshold requirements to make a disparate impact claim. And that courts should promptly dismiss those cases where the plaintiff’s initial showing is insufficient.
While the safeguards can provide community owners with a little peace of mind, it is still instrumental for them to analyze all practices and policies to determine if they might have a discriminatory impact on any protected classes. If so, consider whether there are any less discriminatory means that might equally achieve the intended goals of the practice or procedures.
Professional, Legal Counsel Recommended in Many Cases
It is strongly suggested that most operations will either need to retain a qualified consultancy, or an experienced regulatory attorney or firm, as this requires careful calculation and documentation.
In the rental of manufactured homes or lots to homeowners, ignorance of the Acts is not considered an excuse for avoiding liability. A discriminatory act or statement at any stage of the rental process can place community owners on the losing side of a lawsuit.
Community owners can be held liable, through vicarious liability, for any discriminatory act made by an employee who is at any level in the company, or an agent of the community owner.
By holding community owners liable for all levels of employment or third-party agents, the community owner must take affirmative action to provide training to all staff. Community owners should protect against liability under the Acts by making sure their employees are highly trained in what to say and what to do when dealing with prospective residents and current residents as well.
Donna Rishel is Rishel Consulting Group’s Director of Compliance Issues and Training. A Certified Compliance Trainer, she oversees all consulting and customer employee training for Fair Housing, ADA, and a variety of other issues. While the above safeguards should provide management with a little peace of mind, it is still instrumental for management to analyze all practices and policies to determine if they might have a discriminatory impact on any protected classes and, if so, to consider whether there are any fair means that might equally achieve the intended goals of the practice or procedures.
Finance News Publication Bloomberg Looks at Rising Influence of Manufactured and Factory-Built Housing Industries
In a stellar Bloomberg write-up published today, the leading finance news outlet takes a look at manufactured and factory-built housing and how it may be a key player in solving the domestic housing crisis.
The headline says a lot: “A New Home for $90,000? Manufactured Housing Is Making a Comeback”, the Bloomberg piece by Jeremy Hill begins.
But read beyond the headline, because the story tells a deeper tale:
About the passion of leadership in the industry
In regard to the high quality of new homes; granite surfaces, hickory cabinets among the options
Toward efforts underway to counteract the sometimes negative perceptions regarding manufactured and factory-built housing
How the regulatory environment has improved, and progress will continue
Hill interviews and shares insight from Triad Financial Services‘ Don Glisson Jr., whose Jacksonville, Fla.-based group now writes $2 million in loans each day. The story also features Cavco Industries CEO Joe Stegmayer, who intones “I think our industry’s time has come.”
Scott Richards, a salesmen for Rona Homes in Pataskala, Ohio, says his “whole arsenal” of homes, options and amenities are turning heads and changing ideals.
The Bloomberg Story on Manufactured and Factory-Built Housing looks at annual shipments for manufactured home floors, using U.S. Census data. We’ve pulled the same data and compare it against U.S. median home price and U.S. median household income. All numbers come from the Census Bureau.
Take a look at MH home shipments versus media home prices and household income through 27 years.
*2016 median household income data with 2017 numbers yet to be released
mhvDirect™ is an optional service that is now on MHVillage!
We are always looking for ways to help you make more sales. We know that lead response times matter. As such, we frequently add new tools and services to help you reach customers quicker. The latest we are rolling out is mhvDirect™.
You can add this service to any professional MHVillage account. It provides a local telephone number you can use on your MHVillage listing pages. As a result, you can capture more leads and make more sales!
What the mhvDirect™ Phone Number Can Do For You:
The assigned phone number allows you to capture incoming caller information. It also provides round-the-clock information about your homes, sales center or community. When buyers or potential residents call the number, you can choose where those calls go. For example, if you are in the office, the calls can go right to your office phone. On the other hand, if you are in the field, send them to your cell. After hours? You can have callers hear a pre-recording message with all the important sales information you want them to know. Whatever happens or whatever time it is, you know you are covered!
Even More mhvDirect™ Features:
mhvDirect™ also lets you automate follow-up with customers through text messaging. Or, if you have a sales team, you can even track calls for reporting and training purposes. In other words, if you need a simple, inexpensive call tracking program – this is for you.
The mhvDirect™ Line Up of Features:
Capture Incoming Caller ID
24/7 Answering System
Route Incoming Calls to Your Preferences
Promote Return Visits to Your Listings on MHVillage
Automate Text Follow-Up Messages
Provide Call Reporting and Analytics
Record Calls for Training and Coaching Purposes
Pre-Qualify Prospects in Real Time
Receive Real Time Notification of Incoming Calls
Do you want to learn more? Contact the Customer Service Team at MHVillage.com. Then, someone on our staff will help you set up your mhvDirect™ account.
Skyline Champion Corporation will show its Athens Park Models at the Tiny House and Simple Living Jamboree in Austin Aug. 23-26.
Several Manufactured Home Builders in Tiny House Industry to Attend 2018 Tiny House and Simple Living Jamboree in Austin, Texas, Aug. 23-26
The flow of manufactured home builders in the tiny house industry is increasing year by year, as evidence by increased attendance at the Tiny House and Simple Living Jamboree, which this year is launching a new “Industry Days” to the front of its public show.
Approximately 75 homes will be on display. These include park models, small modular homes and tiny homes on wheels, often called “THOWs”.
The event takes place August 23-26 at the Travis County Expo Center. The first two days will be the first-ever industry only event for tiny home professionals. The Jamboree opens to the public for the weekend.
Manufactured Home Builders at Tiny House and Simple Living Jamboree
Dungan has made his name as an architect by building large, custom residences — something he continues and that’s about as far off as you can be from the tiny house.
“When I was approached by Clayton I had no background with tiny homes, but when they showed me a few things I thought it might be a challenge to design something that is small and still has a good feel,” Dungan said. “It’s a fascinating thing to watch this industry evolve and attract so many people from other places that you might not have guessed would be entering this arena.”
Dungan said he put together five designs for Clayton, and two have been built.
“It really can work, and work very well,” he said of tiny spaces. “I’ve been in a tiny home with five or six other people, and it felt really relaxed and inspiring. The homes have come out very nicely.”
In addition to the design and build disciplines, the exhibitor’s floor will have several service and product suppliers that cross sectors from manufactured housing to tiny houses and RVs.
More than 1,500 people will attend the new Industry Days at the Tiny House Jamboree, according to Jon Fontane of Reed Exhibitions. However, another 10,000 could be in attendance for the general public on the weekend.
The Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree offers a special discount code to MHInsider readers. At point of purchase, just enter “MHVillage”.
Manufactured Home Builders Among the Many to Converge on Tiny Spaces
There has been a convergence in the tiny structure space. This coincides with a more organized and professional approach from independent builders and “hobbyists” in establishment of accepted building codes, education, and work on zoning requirements.
Tiny House Jamboree Programming for Industry Days
Dick Grymonprez, director of park model sales for Athens, will serve on an event-opening panel with several other builders, developers, product and services providers, including yours truly from MHInsider.
Dick Grymonprez, director for park model sales for Skyline Champion Corporation.
Grymonprez spent 37 years in manufactured housing and the RV industry, working exclusively in RV for the last 14 years.
While Skyline Champion builds large numbers of manufactured homes, it also builds park model RVs, built to the ANSI Code, in 13 locations nationwide.
Grymonprez said the “tiny home craze” has helped the business, which sells its park models through Titan Factory Direct.
“We’re bringing three beautiful park model RVs for attendees to see,” Grymonprez said. “We want to let ourself be known as an attractive part of the mix when it comes to tiny spaces.”
Byron Fears, Creative Designer & Builder SimBLISSity Tiny Homes, will moderate the opening panel.
Another presence on the panel from manufactured housing will be Ernesto Iglesias, who has been in in the manufactured home industry for more than 25 years. He is vice president of sales and marketing for Roberts Communities. Based in Austin, he is a primary player in the development of Village Farm, a tiny house community, and with ongoing management of Austin’s Original Tiny Home Hotel.
Darin Zaruba, founder of the Jamboree and CEO of Zinc Homes, said builder and product exhibitors at the 2018 Jamboree will get automatic first-year membership into the new Tiny Home Industry Association.
The Tiny Home Industry Association will exhibit at space 304, and talk with attendees interested in how the organization will professionally advocate for the tiny home lifestyle and the emerging industry by supporting its people, product and policies.
The association already has an interim board of directors. When the membership rolls grow, a call for votes will determine the new full-time board and will result in committee assignments to address industry needs like land development, code and safety, builder and product interests, marketing and other areas of intent.
General Public Sessions at the Jamboree
Among the special guests for the weekend general public days will be Zack Giffin, co-host of Tiny House Nation, He has a knack for creating unique space-saving furniture for tiny houses.
There also will be performances from street artists, including tiny food connoisseur Tom Brown, a miniature objects artist who works with a one-sixth scale kitchen. He makes tiny food with more than 100 tiny tools, and will do a series of live demonstrations and tastings.
General admission tickets for the weekend are available for between $15 and $45, plus taxes and fees. Industry days show tickets for professionals are available for $40 to $150.
Buy tickets and book lodging now while access is available.
August 2018 JLT Manufactured Home Reports Include Information on 813 communities from 18 major markets
Datacomp, publisher of JLT Market Reports and the nation’s #1 provider of market data for the manufactured housing industry, today announced the publication of its August 2018 manufactured home community rent and occupancy reports for select California markets.
Recognized as the industry standard for manufactured home community market analysis for more than 20 years, JLT Market Reports provide detailed research and information on communities located in 140 major housing markets throughout the United States, including the latest rent trends and statistics, marketing programs and a variety of other useful management insights.
Datacomp’s data published in the August 2018 JLT Manufactured Housing Community Market Reports includes information on 813 “All ages” and “55+” manufactured home communities located in 18 major markets in the state. Altogether, the reports include data representations for more than 160,906 homesites.
“In the August JLT reports, we’re seeing occupancy increases in most markets and increases in adjusted rents across the board,” Datacomp Co-President Darren Krolewski said. “California is a primary market for the manufactured housing industry, and one where affordable housing is exceeding demand in comparison with most other major markets nationwide.”
2018 JLT Manufactured Home Community Market Reports Issued Each Month For New Markets; Each Market Updated Annually
Northville Crossings, a Sun Community in Michigan
Each JLT manufactured home community rent and occupancy report published by Datacomp includes detailed information about investment grade communities in the major markets, including number of homesites, occupancy rates, average mobile home community rents and increases, community amenities, vacant sites, and repossessed and inventory homes.
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 August 2018 rents and occupancy rates to August 2017, as well as a historical recap of rents and occupancy from 1996 to present date in most markets.
The August 2018 JLT Market Reports for select California markets are available for purchase and immediate download online at the Datacomp JLT Market Report website at www.datacompusa.com/JLT, 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 decisions.
Three Days for Manufactured Housing Professionals at Soaring Eagle in Mid Michigan
Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort is the venue for the 2026 Michigan Manufactured...
