Florida Rent, Occupancy Continues Growth

By

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July 31, 2017

MHVillage sister company Datacomp, publisher of Florida JLT Market Reports and the nation’s #1 market data company for the manufactured housing industry, has made available a 17-year summary report of its manufactured home community rent surveys for 32 Florida markets.

The most recent Florida JLT Market Reports released May 2017 include 752 communities and 208,881 homesites. This summary report is based on rent and occupancy trends from May 2000 to May 2017.

For the seventh consecutive year, occupancy rates for Florida “All Ages” manufactured home communities increased. As of May 2017, the occupancy rate for All Ages communities is 91 percent. That is an increase of 1.8 percent compared with May 2016. The national average for All Ages communities as of December 2016 was 89 percent.

For the fifth consecutive year, occupancy rates for Florida “55+” communities increased. As of May 2017, the occupancy rate is 95 percent, up 0.9 percent compared with May 2016. The national average for 55+ communities as of December 2016 is 95 percent.

As of May 2017, Florida ranks third among five states in the south for average occupancy in All Ages communities. Of the four states within the South region that include 55+ communities, Florida ranks second for average occupancy among this segment.

Among All Ages manufactured home communities,Florida ranks eighth nationally for average occupancy. Of the 55+ communities in the 33 states where JLT market reports are published, Florida ranks fifth.

Strong Rent Growth in Florida JLT Market Reports

Average rents in All Ages Florida manufactured home communities continued to increase for the 17th consecutive year.

In May 2017, the average adjusted rent in All Ages communities increased by 2.1 percent to $497. This is lower than the average annual compounded increase of 3.5 percent during the last 17 years. In comparison, the national average adjusted rent for All Ages communities was $458 as of May 2017.

The average adjusted rent among 55+ communities in May 2017 increased by 4.2 percent to $498. That value puts Florida above the average annual compounded increase of 3.7 percent through the last 17 years. In contrast, the national average adjusted rent for 55+ communities was $519 as of May 2017.

Nationally, Florida ranks eighth in average adjusted rent for both All Ages and 55+ manufactured home communities in the 33 states where JLT market reports are published.

All Florida manufactured housing research is based on data published in JLT Market Reports. Complete reports, including detailed information on manufactured home communities in 32 Florida markets, are available for online purchase with a major credit card at www.datacompusa.com/JLT or by calling (800) 588-5426. Each Florida manufactured home rent survey is fully updated in May and 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.

MHVillage Home Listing App

By

Dawn Highhouse

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July 28, 2017

If you are a professional in the Manufactured Housing industry, MHVillage has created a special home listing app just for you.

Find the new MHVillage Home Listing App in the App Store or on Google Play today!

A number of members expressed a need for an easier way to list homes while in the field. They wanted to be able to enter the listing information while walking through the home, easily upload photos from any phone, and be able to add and remove listings from the road! In response, we created the MHVillage listing app.

This free app will let you manage your home inventory right from your phone. You can easily create new listings, edit existing listings and remove homes that have sold.

Over Half of MHVillage Traffic is on Mobile

Over 50% of the people shopping for homes on MHVillage are doing so through their phones. We are constantly working on our mobile interface to make it easier for those shoppers to contact you. We currently have a programming team working on making that process simple and effective.

We also wanted to give you, the MHVillage Professional, powerful tools that you can use on your phone. To check out our app, either head over to iTunes or Google Play to download. We would love to hear your comments and suggestions as we further develop these tools, so please, let us know what you think!

Perfect Your Home Listing Description

By

Ellie Walker

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July 28, 2017

Your home listing description can make all the difference

The home listing description space is where MHVillage invites you to give a detailed description of the home.

Something we see quite a bit on MHVillage is home sellers using the description area to either list additional details (sometimes the same features already selected and listed in the home features section) or enter nothing at all.

We have found that this is simply not as effective as taking the time to give the shopper more information about the home, the community it is within and any other details that might make this home stand out from the crowd.

Here are some examples of actual home descriptions on MHVillage:

Option 1:

The description has no word limit. Still, this seller only included two sentences about the home.

Option 2:

This seller took the time to walk the buyer through the home describing each room!

The difference in these two listings is crystal clear. One of the sellers took the extra steps to really show off what this home has to offer, while the other seems like they tried to list the home as quickly as possible, not really giving much information.

Rise Above the Rest

It is important to remember, a lot of home buyers are looking at tons of listings and a good number of these buyers are looking at homes in other states. So by giving buyers more information in your home listing description, you set them up to be interested enough to contact you for a tour or more information. And this is the whole point of advertising in the first place!

Now, there are plenty of different ways you can use this space from a marketing stand point. You can follow the two examples mentioned in this article or you can write it more in the style of a newspaper article where it’s in paragraph format. Either way you want to be able to give the buyer the experience of walking through the home, noting all of the details that matter to a home owner. We found that the ads where you can tell that the seller took the time to describe the home, keeps buyers interested and eventually gets them to contact the seller.

So, no matter what your style of advertising is, it’s important to share with the buyer why they should consider your home over all of the other options out there. Why not take the time to use this space to your benefit?

We try to give you all of the tools you need to go the extra mile in your advertising, but if you find you have some questions about what features you have on MHVillage, give us a call or an email today! We are happy to help.

What is the “Talk To Your Fans Feature” on MHVillage?

By

Ellie Walker

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July 28, 2017

MHVillage helps you “talk to your fans”… Your fans are the people who have shown interest in your listings.

We love the “Talk To Your Fans” feature, and we’d like you to use it more.

As you know, our website offers a number of advertising tools to home sellers, community managers, and retailers. We also offer shopping tools for home buyers on the site. Home shoppers can set up alerts for home listings of interest.

So who are your “Fans”?

Homebuyers have two different ways to become a fan of a listing, community or retail sales center.

1. While searching MHVillage, buyers can click the “Like” option. That saves the listing, community or retail sales center to their account.

2. Buyers also can create an “Ideal Home Search” alert, which will make them a fan of any listing that matches their criteria, (even homes listed after the alert is created).

Once a customer is a “Fan” certain events will trigger automatic updates:

Reduced Sale Price
Updated Photos
Updated Description
Added Open House
A Home Marked “SOLD”
Homes added to Community or Sales Center

So, when any of these happen, MHVillage send them an automatic email letting them know.

You can email your Fans directly through the “Talk To Your Fans” tool!

Want to reach out to people who have expressed interest in homes in your area? Here’s how to do it:

Click “Talk to your Fans.” This feature is located on your account page to the right side.

Select which fans you wish to reach out to. You can choose fans of a particular home, or all your fans all at once.

Here you can send an email directly to your interested buyers. There is space for additional information about the home or any buyer incentives you might be offering.

The Talk to your Fans tool is incredibly useful since it gives you the opportunity to reach your consumer base directly. This allows you an added opportunity to connect with them and hopefully sell them their next home!

If you have any questions about the Talk to your Fans tool – or anything in your account – send us an email. We are happy to help!

Internet Marketing in 2016 and Beyond; MHI presentation

By

Dawn Highhouse

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July 21, 2017

A big thank you to all the folks that made the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show for the MHVillage presentation on Internet Marketing in 2016 and Beyond. Yes, it was such a great success, once again! I was honored to give the opening seminar to a fantastic, engaged audience.

Several professionals have asked for a copy of my slide deck for Internet Marketing in 2016 and Beyond.

The file is too large to email, so we’re posting it here so that you can download the PDF.

Click the first slide below to download. Note, the PDF is password protected. If you have questions or need the password, please feel free to contact me at MHVillage. Thanks again for a great show – and we’ll see you in Tunica!

By Dawn Highhouse, MHVillage VP of Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategy

Large File – please allow a moment for download – Internet Marketing

Energy is Up at MHI Congress & Expo in Las Vegas

By

Patrick Revere

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July 21, 2017

Congress & Expo Draws Large Crowds

It was a stellar year at the MHI Congress & Expo in Las Vegas. Five of us from MHVillage attended the show this year, along with about 1,200 others.

This year’s attendance represented the biggest turnout in a decade, organizers said.

“That’s proof that the industry is back, it’s healthy, and it’s growing,” MHI President and CEO Dick Jennison said.

He was quick to add that year-over-year shipments to date are up 17 percent.

There was plenty of discussion about financing mechanisms, a conversation that runs up to Washington D.C. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in talks with government oversight committees to provide greater access to personal property. Otherwise called “chattel loans”, this type of lending helps feed manufactured home sales.

The Congress & Expo was held at Caesar’s Palace, May 2-5.

MHI Congress & Expo — MHVillage exhibitor booth in Vegas

MHVillage had a front and center spot in the exhibit hall, greeting longtime advertisers and partners, as well as gaining new ones.

“We get about 45 to 50 leads a month from MHVillage. We do a lot of business with MHVillage, and it helps,” said James Reitzner, who owns manufactured home communities in Wisconsin and Northern Michigan. “About 45 percent of our leads come from MHVillage.”

Many of the attendees at this year’s show were investors, who have honed in on the trend toward manufactured housing as growing stock in the affordable housing market, and as a stable and long-term solution to diversify real estate holdings.

Tyler Gordon, of West Partners, an investment group in Carlsbad, Calif., chimed in.

“There has been a lot of movement in the industry. There’s a lot of consolidation, and eager sellers. It’s a matter of finding the right property to buy, which is why many of us are here,” he said.

Save the Date – SECO17!

By

Patrick Revere

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July 21, 2017

SECO17 will draw more than 350 small- and mid-size manufactured home community owners and other industry personnel Oct.11-12, 2017 in Marietta, Ga.

New location for SECO17:

Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel and Conference Center
Marietta, Georgia

This year we will meet at the idyllic, and historic, Hilton Atlanta/Marietta Hotel and Conference Center. The grand structure and idyllic location warmly welcome guests traveling for SECO17. Stay at this hotel in Marietta, Ga., and be near hiking, mountain trails and the on-site City Club Marietta Golf Course.

Other Notable Program Highlights for SECO17:

Network with Fellow Community Owners and Managers.
Hear the Good, the Bad & the Ugly from Fellow Community Owners
Explore New Ways to Run Your Community
Acquire the Knowledge to Better Your Bottom-line
Get Tips from the Experts – Steps to Becoming More Efficient
New Ways to Finance
Walk Through Affordable Community Series Manufactured Homes & Interact with Manufacturers
Share Ideas and Best Practices to Ensure Greater Success.
501(c)(3) dedicated to community education

Attendance at SECO17 will include community owners, managers, vendors and other industry personnel from more than 25 states. Additionally, we offer educational workshops, presentations and panel discussions to complement three days of networking.

Who should attend?

Anyone who owns or has an interest in the health and operation of manufactured home communities. The program focuses on tactics that can benefit professionals who own anywhere from one to 100 communities. This includes the owners and investors, but SECO17 also is beneficial for general managers and managers.

The networking opportunity with owners/operators will be beneficial for lenders, suppliers, home manufacturers and corporate property managers as well. But there is no mistake – this is a gathering directed by community owners for community owners.

More information about SECO can be found at secoconference.com

Your Sales Center Page on MHVillage.com

By

Ellie Walker

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July 21, 2017

Your Sales Center page on MHVillage is a place to include all relevant information about your company. This page offers details such as location, hours, contact options, and an “About Us” section.

Customers will see this page first when they search for Retailers/Dealers on our site.

With the array of professional specializations in our industry, MHVillage offers features and benefits across the board. Our services are set in such a way that you can pick and choose, mix and match, and create a truly customized advertising platform – sure to generate the best results possible.

The questions is, are you getting the most out of your professional account with us?

Our top priority is ensuring you understand the wealth of options you have at your fingertips. We’ve found that professionals who know all of the features, and apply them as needed, get the best results. Nicholas M. makes a great example;

Blue Island, IL
Thank you so much, when I posted my ad on this website I got an offer an hour later and sold it the next day! I work amongst investors and I will use this site for advertisement again in the future.
– Nicholas M., January 2016

Let’s Get Back to Your Sales Center Page!

It is incredibly important to keep your Sales Center page updated. In effect, this page represents your company brand, and tells potential customers about the value of your organization. For customers looking to make a purchase, your entire inventory is in one convenient spot. Your first impression may be your last, so make it a good one!

If you haven’t tried our Pro+ upgrade yet, give it a try. Customers enjoy incredibly high traffic year round, but especially so in the first couple months. This upgrade does not lock you in: you can apply and remove this enhancement at any time.

With the Pro+ upgrade your Sales Center page gains a spot for your own company website, a banner logo and a square logo with a bolder and higher appearance in Retailer/Dealer searches.

All you need to do to update or upgrade your Sales Center Page is log in to your account, and select the “Edit Sales Center” option. From there immediately edit any necessary fields. You can even upgrade to the Pro+ on this page by adding your logos, and/or website!

Stats: MonthlyPro+ accounts receive on average 4 times more page views than MonthlyPro accounts since they show higher in the search results and have bolder appearances than their counterparts. Customers also enjoy the option to visit your website and with the upgrade you get to include a link, which we track in your statistics.

As always, if you would like one of our account reps to walk you through your account and ensure you are getting the most out of your MHVillage options, please email or call us! We are happy to help!

Check Your Stats Any Time on MHVillage

By

Ellie Walker

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July 21, 2017

Let us help you find ways to better advertise your home

Monitoring your leads and other vital information is the perfect way to ensure you advertise your home, company or community at the level that will provide the most exposure to our consumers.

Within your account we offer a few different ways for you to see how your ads are performing on our site.

If you are a professional, you can log into your account and from your account page, select the “Account Statistics” option for the overview of all of your stats, and then break them down by advertisement type (Listings, Sales Center, Community). Our goal is to provide maximum control over how you advertise your home.

Both professionals and individuals can see the statistics for a specific home in their account by choosing the “Edit Listing” or the “View/Change Listing” option from the account page. To the right of the home of interest, click the “Statistics” option.

When looking at the graph, it’s important to note the Views and the Searches.

The view count will tell you how many page views your ad received. The search count will tell you how many searches your ad appeared in. By reviewing both, you can get a feel for how effective you are in the manner you’ve chosen to advertise your home. Also look at how many consumers in your area are searching, and then how many of them chose your ad.

It’s also important to note that when we count your page views we do not count when you are looking at your ads and we also only count each customer one time per day.

Thank you for using MHVillage, if you have any additional questions please let us know!

New Feature Improves Lead Response Time

By

Patrick Revere

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July 21, 2017

MHVillage Offers Sales Professionals New Text Feature to Improve Lead Response Time

If you’ve been in the sales profession for any amount of time you understand the importance of lead response time. How fast you respond is a key factor in closing a deal. You want to be the first to talk with a potential customer. And you want to ensure the original response time for a query is as short as possible.

MHVfastLead™ is yet another resource available for MHVillage.com advertisers who want to improve lead response time. This generally helps a sales professional to have better communication with potential customers.

Professional account holders receive a text message when there is a new sales lead from the site. This allows industry professionals the opportunity for a more immediate response than alerts sent via email, particularly when you’re out in a community.

Enable text lead notifications at no additional charge. It’s a simple change of settings within your account dashboard. First login, then click “Update Your Account Information” on the right side of the page. Days of the week and hours of each day can be designated for receipt of text messages on sales leads from the site.

MHVillage unveiled the new service to improve lead response time, in BETA form, during the 2017 MHI Congress & Expo in Las Vegas.

The Research Says

Here are a few bits of information we considered during the development of MHVfastLead.

The odds of making a successful contact with a lead are 100 times greater when a contact attempt occurs within 5 minutes versus 30 minutes
Odds of the lead entering the sales process, or becoming qualified, are 21 times greater when contacted within 5 minutes versus 30 minutes
43 percent of sales go to the sales professional who was first to respond
The odds of a call resulting in a contact with a lead decreases by 10 times within the first hour following lead notification

MHVfastLead text notification works on Android and Apple devices.

Email lead notifications will continue uninterrupted regardless of participation in the MHVfastLead program. Leads received via text will provide the date and time of the inquiry, name of the interested person and a reminder link for home location. Often, other details on the home will be included.

So, now you can contact that hot lead, even while they’re still browsing MHVillage. Be the first to register for MHVfastLead, and be the first to land that sale!

MHInsider

Florida Rent, Occupancy Continues Growth

Strong Rent Growth in Florida JLT Market Reports

MHVillage Home Listing App

Over Half of MHVillage Traffic is on Mobile

Perfect Your Home Listing Description

Your home listing description can make all the difference