In October 2017, new manufactured home shipments increased 20.6 percent to 8,613 compared to 7,144 homes shipped in October 2016.
Total shipments for October 2017 are 13.5 percent higher than September 2017.
Compared with October 2016, the trend shows across-the-board increases, with shipments of single-section and multi-section homes up by 28.9 and 12.5 percent, respectively. Total floors shipped in October 2017 increased 17.9 percent to 12,775 compared to October 2016.
Where FEMA Homes Shipped in October
Nearly 600 homes of the 8,613 homes shipped in October were FEMA units. Three states received FEMA units in October: Alabama (141), Maryland (17) and Texas (434).
Shipments have increased each month this year when compared to last year. Shipments from January through October of this year total 77,034 homes compared with 67,055 homes in 2016, a 14.9 percent increase.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of shipments increased to 91,761 in October 2017, up 6.1 percent from the adjusted rate of 86,495 in September 2017. The SAAR corrects for normal seasonal variations and projects annual shipments based on the current monthly total.
In conclusion, October 2017 saw 130 plants representing 35 corporations report production data, unchanged from September 2017.
In September of 2016, a young couple moved their manufactured home to McCrory, Arkansas, from a neighboring community.
Shortly after their move, the McCrory City Council passed an ordinance which stated no manufactured home could be sited in the city “unless it has a value established by a certified appraiser or a bill of sale of not less than $7,500.00.”
McCrory claimed the ordinance was necessary because it provided relief from over-crowding, was good for health and safety of McCrory residents, and promoted orderly growth in the community.
However, after the ordinance passed, the couple that had moved their home to McCrory was visited by the city’s police chief. He told them they’d have to move their home because it was valued at $1500 and did not comply with the city’s new valuation ordinance. Equal Justice Under the Law (“Equal Justice”), a D.C.-based legal aid organization, got involved and assisted the couple in filing suit against the City of McCrory.
Lawsuit Decries Practices Counter to Fair Housing
The 31-page, well- crafted original lawsuit labeled McCrory’s ordinance “a wealth-based banishment scheme, imposing a ‘fate universally decried by civilized people’” that essentially criminalized poverty.
The lawsuit asked for the Federal Court in the Eastern District of Arkansas to declare the ordinance unconstitutional.
Equal Justice was able to get the city to repeal the ordinance and according to a November 28, 2017 press release they finalized a settlement in the lawsuit.
JD Harper, who is Executive Director of the Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association has been following the case since its inception calls the case “a significant victory against zoning discrimination.”
He pointed out that the case has caused several other towns with similar ordinances to change their laws, too.
Editor’s note:MHVillageand theManufactured Housing Institutepartner on fair housing initiatives, and as part of that agreement, MHVillage will publish the MHI monthly fair housing update with this blog as well as its consumer blogwww.MHVillager.com.
The 2018 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show promises a full list of seminars by noted industry professionals!
The 2018 Louisville Show offers a full schedule of events and seminars in January.
Here are a handful of the scheduled speakers for this year’s event:
Tammey Thomas Panelist: How to Buy Manufactured Homes at the Louisville Show
Tammey is a hands-on owner and is active is all phases of the operation. This family owned community of 272 spaces is located in Belmont, NC; just outside of Charlotte. It’s recognized as one of the most professionally managed locations in the state. With over 30 years of experience, they’ve learned what it takes to run a profitable, well-managed community.
Ken Corbin Growing Your Business
Ken Corbin is the recognized leader in exciting and informative programs aimed exclusively at the Manufactured Housing Industry…and here’s why!
Frank S. Bowman Ask the Engineers: Beyond the Showroom – Installation & Cost-Effective Foundations
Frank is a motivated and versatile non-profit executive, with more than twenty five years of experience in project management, organizational development and effectively working with regulators and government officials. Frank has substantial knowledge of working with legislators, federal, state and local government agencies, administrators, contracting officers and regulators. He also has extensive construction project management experience and an expert understanding of actual construction issues.
We all know that first impressions can make or break a relationship. When staging a home to sell, you want to be sure you are giving your buyers the best first impression you can!
What does “Staging A Home” mean?
Staging a home is more than cleaning and organizing personal belongings. It’s also different than “decorating” a home.
When you decorate a home you are showing the buyer your sense of style and personality.
VS.
When staging a home to sell you are arranging furniture, picking paint colors and changing decor to better show off the home and all of its benefits.
Here are a few tips on staging a home to sell in the most beneficial way for the buyer:
Clean it up and clean it out!
Be it interior or exterior, the ideal outcome is a “move-in ready” level of clean. This means organized cupboards, cobweb-free corners and an”eat off the floor” level of clean. We all know the need of de-cluttering available homes, but when it comes to selling homes you really want to be sure to have as many clean surfaces as possible. This allows the buyer to see the potential for their decor. Of course, ensuring the home is clean is an important tip, but often times when you’re getting ready for an open house or preparing for a showing, it’s worth hiring a cleaning service to come in and help out with the dirty work.
A fresh coat of paint goes a long way!
Not only does a fresh coat of paint give everything a new look, it also forces you to move the furniture in the process. Picking the right color also can be a tricky step depending on what your ideal impression of the home is.
“Home sellers are often advised to slap on a fresh coat of paint before listing their properties, but they shouldn’t overlook the impact of color.” – CBS News
The above article is super helpful in this area, since not only will a coat of paint freshen up the home in cleanliness it might also have an emotional impact connecting with the buyer!
Furniture and layout- Less is more!
While youmight feel obligated to use all of the furniture in the home, you want to be sure to allow the home buyer to see their furniture in the space. You would be surprised how different a room can look and feel with just a few less pieces than what may normally be there. It’s important to allow the buyer some physical space to envision themselves in the home.
As for layout, simply placing all of the furniture up against the walls can make the room feel “boxed in”. However, you don’t want to have all of the pieces in the center obstructing the flow of the space either. There are a number of tips online that reference the best layout options for different rooms in a home.
“Square footage is important to homebuyers, so when you’re selling a house it’s important to maximize the space to appear bigger and highlight each room’s dual functionality to enhance buyer appeal.” –Tori Toth, Contributor w/ US News
Strong Bipartisan Support Buoys ‘Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act’
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1699, the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act, to remove regulatory burdens that have impeded financing for manufactured homes.
The bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 256 to 163.
It was supported by 27 Democrats, more than a 20 percent increase from the House vote on H.R. 650 in 2015.
H.R. 1699 is bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives:
Andy Barr (R-KY)
Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)
Bruce Poliquin (R-ME)
Terri Sewell (D-AL)
David Kustoff (R-TN)
and Kathleen Rice (D-NY)
The bill addresses federal regulations that have jeopardized access to manufactured housing financing and disrupted the market. As a result, home values for existing owners have eroded. The legislation ensures that manufactured housing financing is available for consumers of manufactured homes.
The grassroots outreach from MHI members and state executive directors – totaling more than 2,200 calls/emails – was instrumental in helping Representatives understand the importance of the bill.
In addition, 35 companies sent a letter of support for the legislation, refuting claims by those speaking in opposition that the bill would only benefit one company. It is important to note that none of the members speaking against the bill had more than 1% of manufactured housing in their districts.
During the U.S. House of Representatives debate of the legislation, House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), H.R. 1699 sponsor Representative Andy Barr (R-KY), and original cosponsors Representatives Bruce Poliquin (R-ME) and David Kustoff (R-TN), delivered strong remarks about the federal regulations that have impeded consumers from obtaining financing for manufactured homes and urged their colleagues to support this important bill.
“Under the CFPB’s regulations, many small-balance manufactured home loans are now being considered ‘high-cost.’ This means many people – particularly those with lower and moderate incomes who want to buy a manufactured home – are not able to buy that home. Their access to credit is being unfairly restricted through no fault of their own,” Hensarling said.
From The Floor on H.R. 1699
In his remarks, Representative Barr said, “Homeownership for many is part of the American Dream, but over-broad burdensome regulations arising out of the Dodd-Frank Act are limiting the ability of Americans to realize that dream. As members of Congress we have an obligation to protect the American people from regulations that harm their ability to purchase affordable homes for themselves and their families. We need to end government policies that are issued under the guise of consumer protection, when those policies actually are protecting Americans right out of homeownership.”
H.R. 1699, the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act, modifies the definition of “high-cost” loans so that manufactured home loans are kept from being unfairly swept under this designation simply due to their small size. It also excludes manufactured housing retailers and sellers from the definition of a loan originator so long as they are only receiving compensation for the sale of the home and not engaged in financing the loan.
MHI’s efforts to pass the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act are multi-pronged. In addition to passage of the standalone legislation (H.R. 1699), MHI successfully included similar language in the House Financial Services Committee’s financial reform package (H.R. 10) and the House Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations package.
Senate Action on ‘Preserving Access’
In the U.S. Senate, companion legislation, S. 1751, was introduced by Senators:
Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
Pat Toomey (R-PA)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Tom Cotton (R-AR)
and Gary Peters (D-MI)
Using a similar strategy as in the House, MHI is working to move the legislation through the regular legislative process. Also, it seeks opportunities to attach the language to other legislative vehicles that are moving. A key tenet of the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act – language clarifying that a manufactured housing retailer or seller is not considered a “loan originator” simply because they provide a customer with some assistance in the mortgage loan process – was included in the Senate Banking Committee’s financial reform package (S. 2155), which will be considered in Committee next week.
Update:
On Dec. 6, the Senate Banking Committee passed legislation to clarify that a manufactured housing retailer or seller is not considered a “loan originator” simply because they provide a customer with some assistance in the mortgage loan process.
This content provided through a partnership between MHI and MHVillage.
Do you know all of the benefits of advertising your Community with MHVillage?
This article will highlight some of the benefits and the details about advertising your community on MHVillage.
Advertise Your Community on MHVillage
With more than 36,000 communities on the website, by including your community you will gain exposure to the already robust traffic on MHVillage (Last month better than 500,000 visitors to the site!).
“MHVillage has been our number one lead generating and converting source year-over-year. Their support staff is quick to respond and very helpful on all fronts. If they don’t have an answer they will find a workaround or another solution that may be even better than you thought. MHVillage always goes above and beyond for us, which helps me in my day to day.”
Most of the manufactured home communities in the U.S. are already on MHVillage. All you need to do is either claim your community advertisement or contact our customer service professional to add your community to our database!
“What does it cost?”
The Basic Community Listing is: FREE!
You read that correctly, for no charge you can create an account and get started advertising your community about the following on our site:
Two Community Photos
A complete list of community details
An email contact option (Hello, free leads!)
“What if I want more than two photos?”
We also have a community upgrade called The MHVillage Showcase (Current Price: $34.95 per community, per month)
This upgrade offers:
Unlimited Community Photos
Your Community Logo at the top of your page
A complete list of community details & features
A full community description (great for vacant sites too!)
An email, phone and website contact option
Your community will show higher in a search result with a bolder appearance
The Showcase upgrade has a monthly cost. This feature can be upgraded or downgraded at anytime.
“We typically upgrade our focus properties on MHVillage, which is extremely helpful in getting our listings to the top and our community highlighted. I also like how we can have more than two photos on the Showcased Community. If a community needs more traffic, my first question is always regarding MHVillage and if they have updated their page, added new pictures and refreshed their listing. Because having good presence on MHVIllage means having a good presence online.”
The biggest manufactured housing show in the Midwest is less than two months away, and The Louisville Show Schedule has been released.
The 2018 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show, Jan. 17-19, is a can’t miss for industry professionals. It provides 57 new model homes to tour, which also is an opportunity to learn from and ask questions of manufacturer representatives.
“A selection of manufacturers will show new ‘community series homes’ in Louisville and profile a unique partnership in the industry,” Midwest Manufactured Housing Federation Chairman Kreil Moran said. “This can help create prolonged success for everyone involved in the industry.”
Community Series homes are modest size multi-section homes and single section homes that have the latest features and appointments of the larger, contemporary manufactured homes. Replacing an old home or infilling an empty space improves the look, value and profitability of the community.
Nearly 3,000 people are set to attend The Louisville Show, including more than 90 service and supply exhibitors who will provide all the latest parts, tools, products and solutions for 2018.
In addition to the recently released Louisville Show schedule provided in summary below, the Manufactured Housing Institute and KMHI have collaborated on an appreciation luncheon from 5-7 p.m. on the opening day. The reception is open to attendees and will be held at The Crowne Plaza.
A new Commodore Home.
The Louisville Show Schedule
Wednesday Jan. 17
Designing a New Class of Manufactured Homes…………………………8 – 9 a.m.
Speakers: Chris Fisher and Richard Jennison
Update on MHI’s Underserved Home Buyer Strategic Research Initiative.
How to Buy Manufactured Homes at the Louisville Show…………… 9 – 10 a.m.
Moderator: George Allen
Panel Discussion and Q & A moderated by George Allen of GMA Management
The Millennial Opportunity: Reaching the Next Generation
of Homeowners and Residents ……………………………………………..10 – 11 a.m.
Speaker: Darren Krolewski
MHVillage provides the latest trends and topics in reaching the next generation of homeowners and residents.
Thursday, Jan. 18
Growing Your Business…………………………………………………………..8 – 9 a.m.
Speaker: Ken Corbin
What it takes to grow your business and create long-term success.
Advances in Chattel Finance…………………………………………………. 9 – 10 a.m.
Moderator: Ken Rishel
Traditional outside finance sources and as other sources for buyers and residents.
Friday, Jan. 19
Ask the Engineers: Beyond the Showroom
Install and Cost-Effective Foundations …………………………………………….. 8 – 10 a.m.
Moderator: Frank Bowman
For more information regarding the 2018 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show, contact Dennis Hill at (770) 587-3350, or visit the Louisville website www.thelouisvilleshow.com.
The Louisville Show is a professional industry event. Therefore, it is not open to the general public.
November JLT Market Reports provide information on 264 communities, including 14 in the new Olympia report
Datacomp has published its November 2017 JLT Market Reports for manufactured home community rent and occupancy in Oregon, Washington and the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA.
Publisher of JLT Market Reports, Datacomp is the nation’s #1 provider of market data for the manufactured housing industry.
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 in 131 markets throughout the U.S. Reports include the latest rent trends and statistics, marketing programs and a variety of other useful management insights.
JLT Market Reports November Summary
November 2017 JLT Market Reports includes information on 264 “All ages” and “55+” manufactured home communities in Oregon’s four major markets, three major markets in Washington and the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA.
Altogether, the reports include data representations for about 46,867 homesites, up from 17,319 homesites in 2016.
“We are pleased to expand our reporting in November to include data on 14 new communities and 1,056 homesites in Olympia, Wash. This is information that will be updated and published annually, as is custom for our full range of reports,” Datacomp Executive Vice President Darren Krolewski said. “All of our reports are designed to assist in business decision making for owners, managers and others manufactured housing professionals with interests in specific markets.
Information on JLT Market Reports
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 November 2017 rents and occupancy rates to November 2016. Most market report include a historical recap of rents and occupancy from 1996 to present.
The November 2017 JLT Market Reports for Oregon, Washington and Minnesota 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 manufactured home communities is a comprehensive look at investment grade properties within a market. This enables owners and managers, lenders, appraisers, brokers and other organizations to effectively benchmark those communities and make informed decisions.
About JLT Market Reports
For more than 20 years, countless professionals have trusted JLT Market Reports for timely and accurate management reports on land lease manufactured home communities. JLT Market Reports are currently published for 131 markets nationwide and are recognized as the industry standard for manufactured housing industry data. In 2014, JLT & Associates merged its resources, skills and expertise with Datacomp, the industry’s oldest and largest national manufactured home appraisal company and number one provider of market data for the manufactured housing industry, and MHVillage, the premier website for advertising mobile homes for rent and sale nationwide. For more information, or to purchase complete JLT Market Reports, call (800) 588-5426 or visit www.datacompusa.com/JLT.
Senate Banking Committee Draft Gives Manufactured Home Retailers Dodd-Frank Relief
The Senate Banking Committee released a bipartisan agreement to provide Dodd-Frank relief by redefining the role of a manufactured housing retailer/seller. New language shows the dealer/retailer is not considered a “loan originator”.
Previous language associated the roles simply because dealer/retailers provide a customer with assistance in the mortgage loan process.
This is a key tenet of the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act, which excludes manufactured housing retailers and sellers from the definition of loan originator so long as they are only receiving compensation for the sale of a home.
Manufactured home retailers and sellers are in the business of selling homes and have no involvement in loan origination. They currently are at risk of being considered mortgage loan originators. Loan originators must comply with licensing or qualification requirements unrelated and irrelevant to manufactured home retailers and sellers.
MHI Works Toward Dodd-Frank Relief
The committee agreement affirms MHI’s position that current language is inappropriate for a manufactured housing retailer.
The language was a part of a bipartisan regulatory reform package drafted by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID). A bipartisan group of nine Republicans and nine Democrats cosponsored the measure.
The provision is in Section 107 of the package, which is within the title of the bill dealing with improving consumer access to mortgage credit. Specifically, Section 107 amends the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) to exclude from the definition of “mortgage originator” an employee of a retailer of manufactured or modular homes who does not receive compensation or gain for taking residential mortgage loan applications while maintaining consumer protections.
Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN), author of the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act (S. 1751) and long-time supporter of manufactured housing, strongly advocated for inclusion of this important consumer access provision in the package.
New Language Complements Recent Actions
The Senate’s bipartisan reform package should be considered by the Senate Banking Committee within weeks. MHI will continue working with the sponsor and authors of the package as it moves through the legislative process.
The inclusion of new language in the Senate’s financial regulatory relief package is the result of MHI’s persistent efforts. The institute wants to ensure changes in Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing are passed into law as soon as possible.
In addition to the Senate regulatory reform package, the full Preserving Access to Manufactured House Act was passed as a part of the House’s financial reform package (H.R. 10) in June. In addition, the House in September passed the bill’s provisions as a part of its Fiscal Year 2018 Appropriations package.
This communication was contributed to MHVillage by MHI. Contact MHI’s Government Affairs Department at (703) 229-6208 or MHIgov@mfghome.org with any questions about Dodd-Frank relief.
Update on Dodd-Frank Relief
The United States House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on H.R. 1699, the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act.
Please contact your Representative and ask them to vote in favor of H.R. 1699, the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act.
Click here and follow the simple steps on MHI’s website to correspond with your Representative on this important matter. An email to your Representative has already been composed. All you have do is insert your home address and click submit!
Please give this your immediate attention and send it along to others in your organization and everyone else you know in the industry urging them to do the same.
7,590 New HUD-Code Homes Shipped in September 2017
In September 2017, new manufactured home shipments increased 2.9% to 7,590 homes as compared to the 7,375 homes shipped in September 2016. Total shipments for September 2017 are 9.9% lower than August 2017.
Compared with September 2016, the trend shows across-the-board increases. Shipments of single-section and multi-section homes by were up 0.4% and 3.6%, respectively. Total floors shipped in September 2017 increased 3.6% to 11,694 compared to September 2016.
Shipments have increased each month this year when compared to last year. Shipments from January through September this year total 68,421 homes compared with 59,911 homes in 2016, a 14.2% net increase.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of shipments was 86,495 in September 2017, down 6.7% from the adjusted rate of 92,754 in August 2017. The SAAR corrects for normal seasonal variations and projects annual shipments based on the current monthly total.
In September 2017, 130 plants for 35 corporations reported production data, unchanged from August 2017.
In August, the RV/MH Hall of Fame will celebrate the 2025 class of inductees, five from each industry.
“Our selection committees held meetings to review...
A fresh coat of paint goes a long way!
than 2,200 calls/emails – was instrumental in helping Representatives understand the importance of the bill.
H.R. 1699, the Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act, modifies the definition of “high-cost” loans so that manufactured home loans are kept from being unfairly swept under this designation simply due to their small size. It also excludes manufactured housing retailers and sellers from the definition of a loan originator so long as they are only receiving compensation for the sale of the home and 
This upgrade offers:
