MHInsider™ March/April 2021 - Retail Edition

THE MAGAZINE FOR MANUFACTURED HOUSING PROFESSIONALS

RETAIL SALES ARE SIZZLING IN THE SOUTH NEIGHBORING FLORIDA COMMUNITIES RISE AGAIN TO MEET DEMAND

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14 CONTENTS

RETAIL SALES ARE SIZZLING IN THE SOUTH

HAPPENINGS 6 Industry Happenings EVENTS 11 Industry Events Update

RETAIL 20 Evolution of Manufactured Housing Retail Infographic 26 Create a New Comfort Zone ADVOCACY 30 A Word From the State Execs 39 Growing the Market for Manufactured Housing

VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 2 MARCH / APRIL 2021 MHInsider.com Publisher Patrick Revere patrick@mhvillage.com

Senior Graphic Designer

44 NEIGHBORING FLORIDA COMMUNITIES RISE AGAIN TO MEET DEMAND

Merit Kathan merit@mhvillage.com

Contributing Editor George Allen gfa7156@aol.com

Contributors Darren Krolewski Dawn Highhouse John Ace Underwood Dr. Lesli Gooch Suzanne Felber

Cover Image Photo Courtesy of Sandhill Shores, YES Communities

Advertising Sales Call: (877) 406-0232 advertise@mhvillage.com

Disclaimer

COMMUNITY 49 Development of New Manufactured Housing Communities Picks Up MARKETING / DESIGN TRENDS 53 You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression: Why Your Online Reputation is Becoming The Only Reputation That Matters

Although we make every effort to ensure that the information in this issue was correct before publication, MHVillage, Inc. and the publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Opinions expressed are those of the author or persons quoted and not necessarily those of MHInsider or the publisher MHVillage, Inc.

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Reproduction of MHInsider content, MHI or other contributor content, in part or in whole, is prohibited without written authorization from MHVillage, Inc.

SALES 57 Immediacy & Frequency: What Are They and Why Do They Matter?

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

SPRING HOME SALES HUM TO BEGIN THE YEAR

Y

Yes, hope does spring eternal. True enough for home sales at least. The uncertainty of 2020 managed somehow to solidify a red-hot housing market, the first ever during an economic downturn.

Are you feeling it yet? I sure am.

The sun is shining and spring has come, at least to most of the country. In other places we note our spring days with ice giving way to open water.

...builders are up to the challenge, improving efficiencies, upgrading technology, and creating enhanced programs...

Interview upon interview, earnings call after earnings call, there has been a continued sense of awe where the manufactured housing industry is concerned. Shipments are steady in the face of adversity, sales are on the rise, and communities are expanding and breaking new ground, too.

Dealerships are taking appointments and hitting marks not reached in decades. To my ears, the steady flow of high quality affordable housing has taken on a bit of rolling-

4 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

rumble, the type of sweet natural note that a stream gains when it turns into a river.

Check the financials of the larger, publicly traded companies,for instance, and you will see units and dollars that outpace projections, showing astounding year-over-year growth. Backlogs are up above all else.

There is indeed a swell of demand behind us.

Some material shortages, price increases, and labor challenges related to COVID-19 safety measures continue to cause pipeline disruptions. But builders are up to the challenge, improving efficiencies, upgrading technology, and creating enhanced programs around talent recruitment and training not just in their facilities but across business unit, and in transport and placement of new homes.

The number of Americans eager to own a manufactured home is on the rise, coming to the top form of non subsidized affordable housing for an array of reasons. For initial home ownership. For sustainable retirement living. For workforce housing. For a cherished getaway, or for a simpler, more efficient way to live.

In my estimation, manufactured housing is doing its job better than ever, and never at a more critical time for individuals and families in the market for their dream home.

Yes, I can feel it. The momentum, the continued innovation and advocacy. And that positive feeling accompanied nicely by the sweet hum of spring home sales.

Patrick Revere is associate vice president of publications for MHVillage and publisher for the MHInsider magazine and blog for industry professionals. His background is in print news, language, and communication.

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INDUSTRY

Happenings $4.5 Million in Financing Complete for Two North Texas Communities

Derry Residents Buy Manufactured Home Community

Maverick Commercial Mortgage closed on a $4.5 million loan for Hillcrest and Chiesa manufactured housing communities in Denton and Rowlett, Texas, respectively. Hillcrest is on 5.84 acres in an “enterprise zone” that encourages continued commercial development. The surrounding area also has ample retail, schools, and churches.

Homeowners in Rancourt Mobile Home Park have purchased their 38-unit manufactured home community, making it New Hampshire’s 134th resident-owned community.

A cooperative of homeowners used resources provided by the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund from ROC-NH to negotiate with the park's owner. They agreed on a $1.85 million purchase price finalized on Dec. 31.

Granite Estates Cooperative held socially distanced meetings through the summer and fall. Photo courtesy of NH Community Loan Fund.

6 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

Yale Advisors Transact 14 Manufactured Home Communities, RV Resorts to Finish the Year In December 2020, Yale Advisors sold and financed 14 manufactured home communities and RV resorts valued at $150 million. The assets financed and sold across the country included the sale of a 5-star parkowned home community in Texas, a 4.5-star community in California, and the financing of a 4-star MHC portfolio in Pennsylvania. Yale Advisors conducted transactions

HAPPENINGS

during the month in a dozen states, and to expand its market coverage has hired Max Hernandez to serve as Yale Advisors’ regional director for the Arizona region.

price. The 270-site property is in Mission, Texas, part of the Rio Grande Valley that has long been a strong market for RV and manufactured home communities.

Seven Communities in Three States Purchased for $22.7 Million

Hometown America Purchases Bay Area, New York Communities

Crystal View Capital Fund II acquired seven manufactured housing communities for $22.7 million in the third and fourth quarters of 2020.

The combined communities have 729 homesites in New York, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Eden Roc, a 200-site manufactured home community in Hayward, Calif., has been purchased by Hometown America for $17.5 million with a 10-year Fannie Mae loan arranged

by JLL Commercial Real Estate.

Eden Roc sits about two miles from Interstate 880, 10 miles from Eden Medical Center, and 10 miles from the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge, which offers access to Oakland, San Francisco, and the Silicon Valley.

Hometown American also purchased Foxwood Village, a 55+, 244-unit manufactured home community in Calverton, N.Y., for $16.8 million.

The 94-acre site was sold by locally owned Foxwood Corporation.

Industry Veteran Joins Pioneer Communities Pioneer Communities has hired Jeremy Gray as a regional manager.

Gray previously was a regional manager for Strive Communities overseeing nine communities with 924 homesites. He also worked at YES Communities in the management and operation of 13 manufactured home communities with 3,573 homesites.

Texas RV, Manufactured Home Community Sells NorthMarq’s national manufactured housing team arranged the sale of Circle T RV and Mobile Home Park for an undisclosed purchase

LCI Industries Acquires Veada Industries LCI Industries, a subsidiary Lippert Components, Inc., has acquired Veada Industries, Inc, a manufacturer and distributor of boat seating and marine accessories. LCI supplies components for manufactured and modular housing, as well as marine, RV, and many other industries.

Investor Purchases a Pair of Rehab Communities in Tucson A pair of manufactured home communities in Tucson, Ariz., were purchased from a community owner entering retirement. The local investor who purchased Palomino Mobile Home Park and Open Sky Mobile Home Park for a total of $2.4 million plans to remove and replace older homes in the communities.

Palomino was constructed in 1962, and Open Sky was constructed 10 years later.

American Financial Resources Now Provides Conventional Financing for Single-Section Homes American Financial Resources, Inc. now offers conventional financing for single-section manufactured homes, in addition to their existing financing for single-section homes from the Federal Housing Administration and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "AFR has been financing manufactured homes for more than 10 years, so we are experienced in this growing segment of the housing market," Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Bill Packer said. "With our growing portfolio of loan options for manufactured homes of all sizes, including singlewides, we Continued on Page 9

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 7

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HAPPENINGS

can help our partners bring more families home."

Ormond Beach Community Purchased by Capital Square 1031 The Falls, a 599-site manufactured housing community in Ormond Beach, Fla, has been purchased by Capital Square 1031, the fifth and largest property purchased since the company launched a mid-year fund. The community is on 141 acres in proximity to shopping, golf, and medical facilities. It sits eight miles from Daytona Beach, and provides a pool, tennis courts, shuffleboard courts, fishing ponds, and a wooded nature trail.

New Jersey Community Financed by Yale Capital In early 2021, Yale Capital arranged a $9 million purchase loan for the acquisition of a manufactured home community in coastal New Jersey, a 45-minute drive from Manhattan.

The loan was secured by Fannie Mae and featured a 75% loan-tovalue, a10-year term and 30-year adjusted mortgage, with four years of interest-only payments, and an interest rate-locked at 2.96%. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to aggressively pursue manufactured housing community loans and have recently reduced or removed COVID debt service reserves.

Three New York Communities Sell for $14 Million A New York residential investment group purchased three Forsyth County manufactured home com-

munities for a total of $14 million.

The largest of the properties, Cedar Grove Mobile Home Park, sold for $6.58 million. The other properties were Parkwood Mobile Home Park on 29 acres for $4.36 million, and Lambeth Mobile Home Park on eight acres for $3.07 million.

Gary, Ind., Community Goes for $4.1 Million Melody Lane Mobile Home Park in Gary, Ind., about 25 miles southeast of Chicago, was purchased for $4.1 million in a deal brokered by Marcus & Millichap. The property consists of 154 homesites, including 54 parkowned homes for rent.

Marcus & Millichap Names New VP Michael DiCillo, Jr. has been named the vice president of investments in the Cleveland office of Marcus & Millichap.

A graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, DiCillo began his career with Marcus & Millichap in 2016, specializing in the sales and marketing of manufactured housing communities nationwide.

stores, as well other retail and dining choices. Iris Winds sits on 24 acres and includes 142 homesites, about half of which are occupied.

Chris Nicely to Lead Newly Founded Lane Associates Dallas-based Lane Associates has named industry veteran Chris Nicely as president and CEO in its effort to help municipalities, developers, and contractors understand what factory-built housing is and how it can contribute to community development efforts. Nicely is the former CEO of Next Step Network and was vice president of marketing for Clayton.

Oklahoma Manufactured Housing Communities Change Hands Big Bass Park in Checotah, Okla., sold to BoaVida Group for $1.4 million. The 105-homesite property was sold by Superior Management Co. Additionally, California-based Arena Realty Partners purchased Rolling Acres, a 30-site manufactured housing and RV community in Oklahoma City, for $900,000.

UMH Purchases First Manufactured Home Communities in Alabama, S.C.

In Memoriam Leader in Factory Built Housing Passes Away in Wisconsin

UMH Properties Inc. has acquired Deer Run in Dothan, Ala., for $4.6 million, and Iris Winds in Sumter, S.C., for $3.4 million, bringing the number of states the REIT operators in up to 10. The 195-homesite Deer Run was 37% occupied at the time of sale. It is on about 33 acres and is less than two miles from big-box

E d wa r d Jo s e ph Starostovic Jr., 87, of Stoughton, Wisc., passed away Dec. 16, 2020. Mr. Starostovic served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, earned a bachelor of arts degree, ow ned Str uctural Ply wood »

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 9

HAPPENINGS

Company, and was the manager at Wausau Homes. He held positions of leadership locally and nationally with Automated Builder, AST International, National Association of Home Builders, Industrialized and Modular Buildings, the Wood Heating Alliance, and on a presidential committee on manufactured housing. He was involved with the modular housing committee reports to Congress in 1988. Mr. Starostovic was a part-time lecturer on factory-built housing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and served as a delegate for the United States-USSR Technical Exchange Agreement in Washington, D.C. During his career, Mr. Starostovic was honored with the

E. Kurtz Award from the National Association of Building Manufacturers in 1972 and the S.A. Walters Chairman Award from the Building Systems Council. He is survived by his wife Marilyn, three daughters, and 24 grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Karen and son-in-law, Chris. The family held a private burial for Mr. Starostovic and will have a gathering at a place yet to be named in April.

Industry Mourns Loss of Lancer Homes Founder Ben D. Woody, of Wichita Falls, passed away Dec. 16, 2020. Born in Spur, Texas, on March 5, 1931, Mr.

Woody entered the manufactured housing industry in 1969 co-founding CWM Manufacturing Corporation, which later became Lancer Homes.

He took the company public, and expanded the operation with four new manufacturing plants, and shipped homes nationwide. Mr. Woody also was the owner and operator of KiddyLand, an amusement park for children and families that later was named Funland. He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Lesa, and is survived by his wife Betty, daughter Melissa, brother Gary, as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was laid to rest at Crestview Memorial Cemetery.

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INDUSTRY EVENTS

update O

rganizers across the industry are considering two approaches to manufactured housing industry education, leadership, marketing, and networking events — postpone or go virtual?

Whereas in 2020, the primary course for handling events was cancellation, unfortunately, the 2021 approach brings with it a bit of renewed optimism toward gathering. In February, the Manufactured Housing Institute Winter Meetings were held virtually, as had been several other of the national advocacy group’s recent convenings. MHI also pushed the brakes on the Congress & Expo in Las Vegas, moving the large, national event from April to a date-to-be named later in the year. » MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 11

EVENTS

In the spirit of the Illinois Manufactured Housing Association's very early-pandemic virtual meeting followed by the SECO National Conference of Community Owners, virtual events everywhere have been able to find a digital audience in 2021.

Holding a virtual event or conference can be done in a variety of formats, and allows organizers to depend on a firm date, reducing risk.

However, those in-person events we’ve all attended continue to have a certain allure.

For those itching to get out, you’ll be happy to know that event organizers are working on events in select locales that provide ample outdoor space, and will include capacity limits, social distancing, mask requirements, and plenty of hand sanitizer.

A mainstay at industry events, a day of golf, has been a primary recreational activity during the pandemic because it naturally allows people to participate outdoors in small pods.

So, make your plans, practice your putting game, and remember to bring your business cards.

Manufactured Housing Communities of Arizona Annual Conference & Golf Tournament May 18-20 Maricopa, Ariz. - Harrah’s Ak-Chin Hotel & Casino MHCA invites you to join in on an opening day round of golf, followed by a poolside professional mixer. The exhibit hall opens on May 19, providing manufactured housing professionals two days of the latest in products and services, industry education and updates, as well as continued networking. For more information on attendance, exhibits, and sponsors, visit www.azmhca.com.

Florida Manufactured Housing Association Annual Convention June 17-18 Sarasota, Fla - Hyatt Regency Sarasota FMHA welcomes back members and guests with “We’re Better Together”, a celebration of the industry’s reunion that will help manufactured housing professionals with an update from economist Elliot Eisenburg, as well as provide an in-depth look at 2020 and ’21 legislation, COVID liability issues, and the impact from Chapter 12 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

723, the Florida Mobile Home Act. For attendance, exhibits, and sponsorship, visit www.fmhamember.org/ annual-convention.

2021 Multi-State Convention July 31-Aug. 2 Orange Beach, Ala. — Perdido Beach Resort Join the Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi manufactured housing associations to explore “New Horizons”, the theme of the 2021 event, which will include networking receptions, banquets, educational speakers, and state-specific continuing education opportunities. Attendees can explore an upscale marina near the resort that offers deep sea fishing, dolphin excursions, boutique shopping, a day spa, and local eateries. Of course, a round of golf is available nearby at a number of signature courses.

Registration, exhibit, and sponsorship opportunities are available. Visit www.msmmha.com/convention.

RV/MH Hall of Fame Induction Dinner & Ceremony Aug. 16 Elkhart, Ind. - RV/MH Hall of Fame and Conference Center After a year’s wait, the RV/MH Hall of Fame invites industry professionals, family, and friends to celebrate the hall of fame inductees from 2020 and 2021, with an earlier 5 p.m. start and an abbreviated presentation schedule to accommodate the larger than usual induction class. Dinner will be served, and a cash bar will be available in the newly enlarged, and renovated space, with a view of the new Manufactured Housing Museum currently under construction. For more information visit www.rvmhhalloffame.org.

If you have an event or gathering — virtual or in person — you would like to have listed with MHInsider, please contact us at: www.mhvillage.com/pro/ manufactured-housing-industrytrade-shows/

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RE TAIL

14 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

RE TAIL

Retail Sales are Sizzling in the South

By Dawn Highhouse

I

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

"It's just been escalating, particularly over the last two years," Stricklin said.

Regional Homes, based in Flowood, Miss., runs the majority of its retail home sales operations in the state, though they also have locations in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina. The organization employs about 200 people, and last year they moved about 2,500 homes.

"The whole year in 2020 just continued to improve, improve, and improve in sales.

No one thing happened that blew us up; it's just been consistent growth," he said.

Actually, each of the last three years has proven to be new record-sales years for Regional Homes. Sales in 2020 were up 10% from the prior year, Stricklin said.

And while the buyers are aplenty, the most notable change in recent years has been the diversity of the buyer and their willingness to take advantage of the current financing terms.

Continued on Page 17

Regional Home Sales provides manufactured homes for customers in four states.

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 15

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RE TAIL

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

"A customer with strong credit and a good down payment can get a rate on a 23-year chattel loan at about 5%," Stricklin said. "If you had that same really strong customer three years ago, you could get a 7 or 7.5% rate, and that makes a big difference in your monthly."

According to Stricklin, it is similar with a customer who has some debt, or doesn't have as good credit, or as solid of a down payment; the rate three years ago would have been 12%, now it's 9%.

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

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

Backlogs and wait times were growing well before the pandemic, too. This compelled Regional Homes founder and President Heath Jenkins in 2018 to become a minority investor and part-owner in Hamilton Homes in Alabama, thus securing a regional segment of the production pipeline.

For years, Regional Homes has also done business with Cappaert,

Champion, Deer Valley, and Winston Homes to keep a wide array of offerings available for their manufactured home buyers.

What Are Homebuyers in the South Asking?

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

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

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

Regional Home Sales has a broad customer base and meets a wide range of homebuyer needs.

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 17

RE TAIL

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

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

in Dresden, Tenn., to satisf y that demand.

"We have plenty of customers who want what they want, and they're willing to pay for it," he said.

"They're looking for a last-purchase home with some higher-end materials. Deer Valley buyers are nearly all what you might call a custom home buyer, which is 5 to 8% of our sales, but it's growing, and it's largely because of those interest rates."

In fact, the higher-end Deer Valley, Winston, and Champion homes begin to hit a price-point that almost competes with the site-built market.

Regional Homes offers diversified product lines to meet customers' wants and desires in each market,

18 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

and the number of markets continues to grow.

"We're happy to have expanded our footprint," Stricklin said. "We've worked hard. This year, 2021, will be our first full year with North Carolina, one location, and we added three locations in Louisiana last year." MHV D aw n Highh ou se has been in the manu fa c t u r e d h o u s i n g industry for 22 years and is the vice president of customer experience at MHVillage.com. In her role, Dawn manages and implements strategic customer service, product development, and marketing initiatives.

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Evolution of Manufactured Housing Retail

Caravan/Trailer Home

Formalization

The early days of the industry really ended up being a tale of two industries, manufactured housing and recreational vehicle. While the industries remain closely related, including geographically in production, and as commercial property owners, the two offerings were split to meet the growing postwar demand for affordable housing as well as the continued for the revelry and lifestyle of taking to the open road.

The buildup to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development code on manufactured home safety and construction allowed for broader assurances of quality and enhanced lifestyle features for potential home buyers, as well as improvements in the secondary market that continue today to make homes more accessible and affordable. What we now know as the HUD code was signed and approved on June 15, 1976.

MANUFACTURED HOME SHIPMENTS IN THOUSANDS 400 300 200 100 0 1959

1963

1967

1970

The Golden Age

Factory Home Store

During the 1960s through ’90s, the emerging sophistication of factory-built housing kept droves of street retail locations and mobile home/manufactured home sales professionals busy. The open showrooms and expansive model home centers sometimes created a village setting of their own for prospective buyers to envision the new home of their dreams. Prospective homeowners physically toured each home to know how the floor plan and features could perform to make this model their home.

Manufactured home builders often started their own retail operations, or bought existing sales centers to help guarantee “shelf space”. But opening a factory owned home store was a novel concept that lowered cost for retailers given the immediate proximity of their sales offices to the product they sell. It’s a strategy that continues to work today, including many factory retail locations that have operating agreements with manufactured home builders.

In-Community Sales In the middle ’90s, most customers shopping for a new manufactured home were walking into traditional home centers, or “street retailers” as they’re often called. Coming off the industry’s biggest years, the faulty lending practices propped up by “gain-on-sale” accounting created hundreds of millions of dollars in loan write-offs that limited or effectively eliminated most forms of home-only financing known as chattel financing for manufactured homes.

MANUFACTURED HOME SHIPMENTS IN THOUSANDS 400 300 200 100 0 1974

1980

1984

1988

Evolution of Manufactured Housing Retail

Online Retail

Branded Community Retail

Many street retailers, as well as factory home stores at the dawn of the internet, saw the benefit of online marketing and sales, introducing the customer to a manufactured or modular home with a curated selection of home styles, floor plans, new home photos, and contact information.

In-community sales continued to grow in regularity and sophistication amid industry consolidation. A consistent program, look, and outreach for community sales operations across a portfolio became the norm, so customers buying at Bay Village in Florida or Rolling Hills in Illinois could each receive the same customer-oriented experience they’ve come to expect.

MANUFACTURED HOME SHIPMENTS IN THOUSANDS 400 300 200 100 0 1992

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1996

1998

2002

Coronavirus Economy

Web 2.0 Home Retail

Manufactured home retailers nationwide felt the greatest amount of pain among all industry players when coronavirus safety regulations forced many organizations to cease in-person retail efforts, as they had been conducted.

Fortunately for most, the ability to implement improved technology such as virtual home tours, remote document signing, and curbside closings to interface with customers in new ways.

Many of the solutions that surfaced during the coronavirus economy will stick around and become commonplace.

Web-based features such as detailed floor plans, access to dozens of home images, virtual home tours, and advanced software to help design and upgrade homes are now central to the customer experience.

MANUFACTURED HOME SHIPMENTS IN THOUSANDS 400 300 200 100 0 2006

2010

2014

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MARKE TING / DESIGN TRENDS

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RE TAIL

Create a New Comfort Zone

By Suzanne Felber

Palm Harbor Homes Design Center in Plant City, Fla.

W

hat a difference a year makes!

It's hard to believe a bit more than year ago we were in Las Vegas at The International Builders Show and Kitchen and Bath Show with over 100,000 of our peers from all across the globe. So many things that we did and enjoyed such a short time ago we wouldn't dream of doing now.

This year the show was virtual, and despite some technical difficulties, it was a very beneficial and dramatically safer experience than it could have been otherwise.

As much as we all want “back to normal” it won’t be happening as soon as we’d like. The good news is that this has been the year for more reasons than ever in which consumers understand that factory-built homes can be an excellent option for their new home. Being constructed in a controlled environment has a different, even more, positive message than it did even six months ago. I jokingly tell my clients that I have almost put myself out of business — they have been selling the homes that I have merchandised right off of the lot, furniture and all.

As a result, they have fewer homes to show. More homes are sold before they even arrive at the retail centers than ever before. As early as February, it became clear that the manufacturers have backlogs of orders that will keep them busy for the rest of 2021. »

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How Do We Use The Tools That We Have And Keep The Sales Coming?

Your sales office is where you begin your in-person customer experience, perhaps the only physical tool you have for now to sell your homes. Here is a checklist of five things to evaluate within your home center or sales location when you are thinking about selling more homes in 2021.

1. Welcome home — When a customer drives past your location, why are they driving past and not coming in? What incentive do they have to spend time with you instead of just doing a Google search and seeing your homes online? A well landscaped and welcoming sales center is a critical investment. Ensure that the paint or siding is fresh and that the office is easily accessible and ADA compliant. Do you have a porch area and furniture where you can sit outside and learn more about the customer and their needs while you look out over the new models? Is there room for more than one family member to wait for a sales team member without feeling uncomfortable?

Creating multiple greeting spaces is a priority right now.

2. First Impressions — When a customer walks up to your front door, are they greeted by an inviting, well-designed reception area, or is it furnished with sofas and furniture that came out of storage or from a model you sold long ago? The sales center should be one of the first things you think about, 28 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

not an afterthought. An easy, inexpensive way to greet guests is to have a signboard at the door that you can use to welcome people who have appointments with you— greet your customer on the sign by name, like Welcome Smith Family! This makes your customer know you put time and effort into their visit and it encourages drop-ins to make an appointment next time, as well.

3. Moving on Up — Breeding discontent with a buyers’ current living situation is a subtle way to help them decide that it is time for a new home of their own.

You want the finishes, furniture, and decor in your sales center to be just a step up from what your buyers have, not intimidating, but something they can aspire to. A sales office is a great place to partner with a local furniture store. I am a huge believer in marketing partnerships and giving a complementary company a place to showcase what they offer. This is a win for everyone, including your customer. In return, ask them to promote your business at their location just like you are happy to promote them.

4. Decision Makers — Treat your sales center like a sales center, not just a place that your sales team spends time between leads. Do you have inspiration or storyboards on the walls? Do you tell your story and why they should be comfortable and buy from you instead of the competition? When I was active in merchandising site-built homes, we often didn't have an actual home to show prospective clients.

We would use actual materials from our homes to build refreshment spaces or tables, the flooring that was available in our homes would be used on the floors in the sales center, and the wall colors would be ones that we currently offer in our homes.

I would love to see manufacturers do something like this for our homes’ retailers.

5. Closure — Your closure room should be a celebration room; it is where the customers’ dreams come true! Is this a pleasantly designed space, or is it just a corner with old files stored around it? Please don’t let it be the place your team uses to eat lunch. You ask a customer to spend up $100,000 or more with you, please go as far as you are able to let them know they are special and that you appreciate them and

RE TAIL

their business. Stock a fridge with a non-alcoholic refreshment, like sparkling cider, and have disposable champagne glasses on hand. It's a beautiful way to celebrate them making one of the most significant milestones in their lives. You and the entire family can participate!

The Palm Harbor Village Model Center in Plant City, Florida, is an excellent example of a well-designed sales center. It has tremendous visibility right on the frontage road of Interstate 4 and is the largest model center in Florida. It is in front of the builder’s manufacturing facility, and the 33 acres and 22 furnished model homes make quite an impression. I have visited a few times and it is always beautifully landscaped with a large lake in the front that some of the houses are sited around. They also do a great job on the website for the center. A factory tour video is highlighted so you can see how your new home

scrolling “News This Week” on the site where they share and congratulate new Palm Harbor homeowners. It’s a creative, personal touch.

Now is a great time to rethink your sales office strategy for the spring selling season. Don’t be afraid to ask your team and customers for their input as well — a different perspective can make all of the difference in how your view the selling process.

Happy selling! MHV Lifestylist Suzanne Felber has been active in the housing industry for over 30 years.

Suzanne realized that factory-built housing was the housing of the future, and has been actively working to promote the lifestyle ever since. She started American Housing Advocates as a way to share the great news about manufactured housing. To learn more about her work, visit www.lifestylist.

will be constructed. There is a lot of information, and they have actual photos of the models at the center - all professionally decorated and displayed. I also love the

com and www.americanhousingadvocates.com, or read her @lifestylist social media posts.

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ADVOCAC Y

»A WORD FROM THE STATE EXECS MHInsider asked the directors from four state associations across the country their thoughts on the status of manufactured housing where they do business, as well as input on the industry as a whole. Here is what manufactured housing advocates from Tennessee, Alabama and Florida had to say.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MARLA MCAFEE 30 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LANCE LATHAM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JIM AYOTTE

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»1

ow that you’ve had N some time to reflect on 2020, tell us how you feel the manufactured housing business fared in your state during what most would consider a year of unprecedented challenges.

Tennessee Manufactured Housing Foundation Executive Director Marla McAfee: In Tennessee, the manufactured housing "community of services" was very fortunate to be able to remain open, as all divisions were categorized as essential services. As the year progressed and more states moved to unprecedented shutdowns of businesses, schools, recreational activities and personal gatherings, Tennessee found itself as a state of desire, for those wishing to relocate. As well, many rural area MH retailers reported record high home sales and home installations, as individuals within the metropolitan areas of the state sought respite from the confines of small urban apartments. Tennessee manufacturers soared in new production and continue to maintain a backlog of requests. Preliminary 2020 year end data reports Tennessee home production numbers up over 9%, with state shipments up just under 15%, over 2019.

Alabama Manufactured Housing Association Executive Director Lance Latham: The industry has done really well in Alabama! Our manufacturers have faced challenges, of course, with supply issues and labor shortages in their plants due to COVID, but retailers and finance companies are having some of their best months on record.

And on their end, things don’t seem to be slowing down any in 2021. The demand for MH is high, and once the vaccine is widely distributed and the supply chain issues are resolved you will see our plants get back to producing at the same rates they were before COVID.

shortage of labor. Building material shortages have further exacerbated production delays. The good news is that most home building plants are sitting on healthy backlogs. The bad news is that material price increases and extended delivery times have negatively impacted home buyers and retailers.

»2

Tell us how you communicated with and supported retail in your state, the segment of our industry that most believe faced the greatest challenges related to the measures taken to curb the number of coronavirus infections.

Florida Manufactured Housing Association Executive Director Jim Ayotte:

Marla McAfee: Early in the

Overall, Florida has fared pretty well during the pandemic relative to other states. While consumer demand slipped in the spring and summer due to stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions, builders and retailers remained open for business. Consumer demand rebounded relatively quick, but home production has and continues to be challenged. Florida’s homebuilding plants have not operated at capacity due to labor and material shortages.

Home building production has been disrupted because of worker absences due to COVID-19 and the ongoing

2020 season of the pandemic and for most of the year, THA provided weekly updates to retailers and other divisional members relative to the ever-changing landscape of city/ county/state mandates and directives.

THA published a website pandemic page which was updated daily. The page provided visuals and quick links for our retailers and others on state retail operational guidance, available federal and state financial assistance, and other miscellaneous items such as access to PPE providers and childcare. The Association was called upon more by members, to Continued on Page 33

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do research or provide clarification on local initiatives related to the pandemic and other general business items. As well, industry related online webinars or seminars produced for the selling market were highlighted, with participation encouraged. As hard as it has been for all segments of the industry, it has provided an opportunity to showcase the value of membership.

Lance Latham: We continue to communicate with all of our members through email, phone calls, text messages and Zoom meetings.

We also took advantage of the situation and began introducing new educational programming for retailers specifically helping them market and sell homes during the shut down and the subsequent restrictions that have been put in place by the national, state and local governments. A key part of this has been teaching strategies for “free marketing” such as making Facebook Live videos, getting the most out of their social media accounts, and how to target paid advertising through social media to get the most out of your advertising budget, even if its just $25 or $50. We’ve also begun partnering with companies such as Office Depot to offer our members exclusive discounts at those stores to help them save money during a time when many are having to trim back their budgets.

Jim Ayotte: In March 2020 FMHA shifted its focus from state and local government advocacy to providing members with timely information

for operating their business during the pandemic. To date, the association has sent 29 COVID-19 updates to its members. The updates included summaries of the Governor’s executive orders, how to obtain PPP and DIA loans, information on rental assistance programs, CDC guidelines and best business practices for ensuring a safe and healthy business environment. Additionally, the association provided free webinars to help members operate their business during the pandemic and sell homes in a virtual environment. The association continues to provide timely COVID-19 updates anytime there are changes impacting association members.

»3

etail the top program, D initiative, or legislative push that consumes most of your time in early 2021.

Marla McAfee: The Association provides resources and training assistance to the state’s regulatory department, to meet HUD’s educational requirements for initial licensing within the MH industry and subsequent continuing education for license renewal. In the first weeks of the 2021 educational season, THA processed over 160 requests for education and educational material.

Annually, the Association reviews upwards of 2,000 bills submitted by members of the General Assembly during the January through April legislative session timeframe. As a multi-divisional Association, we typically find many bills which could

potentially affect one or more of our divisional partners. This takes up an enormous amount of time, but is the landscape with which we live within.

Lance Latham: One of our legislative priorities is getting the emergency rental assistance funds appropriated by the State Legislature and then guiding our community members through that application process. We are also introducing several new benefits to our members this year. We will be offering a professional housing consultant certificate program free of charge to our members, in addition to the Office Depot discounts and our new members-only page of our website where members will have exclusive access to industry data, a job board for those looking to hire, and many other features. Also, a big focus for us is planning the 2021 Multi-State Convention with our colleagues in Mississippi and Louisiana, which may end up being one of the industry’s first in-person events since the pandemic began.

Jim Ayotte: Since local governments have reopened the association is moving forward with its land use strategy. The association is challenging cities and counties that outright ban or discriminate against manufactured housing. The initial effort is to educate, and if that fails, the association is committed to testing the validity of the state law prohibiting discrimination based on the HUD building Code.

Additionally, the Florida Legislature convenes next month and FMHA is »

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 33

ADVOCAC Y

supporting tort reform to protect businesses from frivolous COVID-19 liability claims. The association is also working with the legislature to protect the state-sponsored manufactured housing regulatory program from being turned back to HUD.

»4

hat is the most W prominent and positive manufactured housing industry trend that provides energy and optimism for you and your colleagues?

Marla McAfee: While the factory built housing industry has gained national recognition in the most recent years for engineering, innovation,

flexibility of design and amenities; there is now a national, focused attention on pairing those attributes with true affordability. This industry is a master at producing products which can meet the various and ever-changing needs of our buyers, while working well within an area’s respective affordable housing threshold. As well, legislators, regulators, and other officials are calling upon our industry for assistance and guidance with their respective affordable housing expansions and initiatives.

Mainstream acceptance has not been fully accomplished, so there is always work to be done, but we are turning a national corner on becoming a solution partner in resolving the

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nation’s affordable housing crisis.

That is exciting!

Lance Latham: The demand for our homes continues to be strong.

Orders keep coming in and loan applications are through the roof!

Low interest rates and the prospect of more federal relief money will, I believe, continue to feed the purchasing power of our customers and keep that demand for our homes going strong. The vaccine being distributed and the declining COVID numbers that we are seeing all indicate that our economy is on the recovery, even if it is a slow one, and that our supply chain issues will hopefully begin to improve in the coming months.

Jim Ayotte: Two trends support the long term growth of Florida’s manufactured housing industry.

First, recent studies report over 150,000 retirees a year are moving to Florida, resulting in a net migration of 70,000 seniors annually.

This population trend will continue as baby boomers retire and seek a warmer climate and a lower cost of living, including no personal income tax. Second, Florida, like many other areas of the country, is facing an affordable housing crisis.

Factory-built manufactured and modular homes are well-positioned to be part of the affordable housing solution. This is an exciting time of growth for the Florida manufactured housing industry. MHV

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Growing the Market for Manufactured Housing

By Dr. Lesli Gooch

W

hile 2020 brought unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19, the nation’s housing market still had a record-breaking year. Despite slowdowns due to supply chain and labor challenges, industry shipments of new manufactured homes ended the year at over 94,000 – nearly equaling the prior year.

In 2021, Americans continue to change their living situations by seeking out homeownership, and backlogs at manufactured housing plants are three to six months, on average. With a focus on growing the market, the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) is working to ensure our members are positioned to thrive during this unprecedented time of challenge and opportunity. We have organized our work around three main goals: telling our story, engaging our members, and developing our »

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 39

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team. Through these lenses, we will help to elevate housing innovation and expand attainable homeownership.

MHI is helping the industry seize growth opportunities and is setting new standards in excellence so that the industry can continue to help an increasing number of families achieve the dream of homeownership. We are committed to creating a better future for manufactured housing by clearing the path for a regulatory environment that favors increased manufactured housing production and a better business environment for our members.

The demand for increasing the affordable housing supply has reached a fever pitch in Washington, as the new president and Congress seek to expand the American Dream of homeownership and promote fair housing opportunities for all. It is a time of opportunity for the industry, and MHI is keeping manufactured housing at the forefront of policymakers’ dialogue as they seek ways the federal government can support the production of more affordable housing across the country.

Working with New Leadership at the Capitol As the nation transitioned to new leadership in Washington, many worried that with HUD Secretary Ben Carson’s departure, the industry would lose its champion.

While Secretary Carson moved things forward at HUD for manufactured housing and was a vocal champion of our industry, MHI is working to ensure the groundwork he laid will continue into the new administration.

When HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge was nominated, MHI met with her to talk about manufactured housing’s contributions to the affordable housing supply challenges in the country. To corroborate this message, we also worked with our Senate champions to ensure she heard from them during her confirmation hearing that they want her to prioritize manufactured housing at HUD. During the hearing, in response to a question from Senator Tim Scott, R-S.C., she called manufactured housing an “outstanding option,” and she touted its affordability and efficiency. She told the Senate Committee that she is “100% supportive” of looking at incorporating manufactured

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housing into the Department’s affordable housing strategies. Further, she told Senator Thom Tillis, R-N.C., that she recognized the need to address the backlog of HUD Code changes that have been passed by the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee but not finalized by HUD. She also assured Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., that HUD would implement a requirement that localities consider manufactured housing as a part of their comprehensive housing affordability strategies and community development plans. A former senior aide to Secretary Carson said about her comments at the hearing, “Fudge is sounding like as big a fan of manufactured housing as her predecessor.”

Honing in on Housing Policy In addition to advocacy efforts with the new members of Congress and the administration, MHI is partnering with CQ Roll Call to produce a virtual series for policymakers and their staff about attainable homeownership in America, with a focus on manufactured housing.

This impactful series will convene prominent members of Congress, the administration, and the industry with the goal of ensuring that manufactured housing is on the top of policymakers’ minds as solutions to the housing supply shortage are discussed.

MHI’s political team has fostered trust and built relationships with leaders and policy makers from both political parties. As your advocate, we are your eyes and ears in Washington to ensure federal policies support the industry. Among our priorities, we are working to improve the availability of financing, ensure the HUD Code reform supports innovation, and address adverse zoning and land ordinances.

Information and Education MHI’s advocacy work helps create a business climate that is conducive to industry growth. We are also committed to ensuring that our members have the opportunities to learn, network, and grow. Because MHI represents every segment of the manufactured housing industry, we are constantly expanding our offerings to ensure our members have the tools and resources necessary to succeed. We offer members a variety of educational opportunities and accreditations through the Manufactured Housing

Educational Institute (MHEI) – each tailored to suit individual segments of our industry. Because of these efforts, we are seeing a shift in perception about our

The new program is up-to-date with federal laws and will be a valuable tool to anyone involved in selling manufactured homes.

–Dr. Lesli Gooch

homes and our industry among consumers as they look for safe and affordable housing options.

MHEI recently re-launched its Professional Housing Consultant (PHC) designation, an updated training program to help retailers increase sales and improve the customer experience. The course highlights what today’s buyers are looking for in manufactured housing and covers a wide variety of topics including an overview of industry history, regulation, and business practice; in-depth information about mortgage financing, including both real property and personal property loans; and successful sales techniques and “real world” strategies to help meet the demand of today’s manufactured home shoppers and make more sales. The PHC designation is a source of pride for the more than 1,000 salespeople who completed the original training program. The new program is up-to-date with federal laws and will be a valuable tool to anyone involved in selling manufactured homes. To learn more about this course, visit www. manufacturedhousing.org/phc.

Our education division also offers training for manufactured home installers, plus the online course offerings for » MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 41

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both initial licensing and continuing education were expanded last year.

The programming provides detailed explanations of the installation process. These courses are valuable guidance for installers through every step of the installation process. MHEI is a HUD-approved provider of online installer training for states where the Department administers the manufactured housing installation program. Combining the HUD licensed-states and state-based programs MHEI trains installers in more than 30 states. To learn more about MHI’s installer training course, visit www.manufacturedhousing. org/online-training.

Working together we are elevating housing innovation and expanding

attainable homeownership. MHI is committed to ensuring industry participants have the tools, platform, and information they need.

Our members are able to access production reports, directories, statistical data, changes in federal housing codes, and continuous news and information on current housing news, trends, and financial issues. They benefit from discounts to attend, exhibit, and sponsor MHI’s very popular meetings, flyins, and workshops — including the industry’s premier event, Congress & Expo. MHI’s rapidly expanding webinar series includes several archived sessions on development and displaying new homes. Additionally, members receive special discounts at

MHI’s bookstore and have access to ongoing career development through certifications, training programs, and workshops with industry experts.

With MHI membership, industry participants also find peer-to-peer best practices and advice, networking opportunities, and additional advocacy outreach.

MHI is excited about the opportunity in front of us to grow the market for manufactured housing. While much has changed in our country in the last 12 months the desire to own a home, and the need for affordable homeownership, continue to increase. These changes bring opportunity for all retailers to increase sales and MHI’s purpose, “Elevating Housing Innovation and Expanding Attainable Homeownership” has never been more fitting.

MHI’s membership includes over 975 companies from all segments of the manufactured housing industry including 540 street retailers. Retailers belonging to their state associations can join MHI for just $100 and we invite you to support MHI and take part in the exciting opportunity in front of us to showcase the value of manufactured housing. MHV Dr. Lesli Gooch is the CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute, the national trade organization representing all aspects of the factory-built housing industries.

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MHINSIDER.COM 42 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

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By Patrick Revere

44 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

Sandhill Shores is a 55+ manufactured home community near the Atlantic Coast of Florida. Photos courtesy of YES Communities.

A

55+ manufactured home community that rose from the ashes in St. Lucie County, a short drive from Fort Pierce, is extending a hand to pull up its adjacent sister community, which will bear a new name and an array of amenities for families in South Florida.

Seventeen years ago residents in St. Lucie County ducked and covered as a system of Atlantic storms — Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne — pounded the southern coastline, driving area residents from their homes, including those at Sandhill Shores.

“A lot of homes were destroyed and people weren't able to come back,” YES Communities Senior Vice President Shawn Harpin said. The Denver-based community ownership group inspected Sandhill and its adjacent property, interested in the possibility of a purchase. »

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 45

COMMUNIT Y

“We went down and looked around, getting a feel for the asset and the surrounding area,” Harpin said. “I remember saying out loud ‘This is a great location’. You’re a couple golf strokes from an outdoor recreation area, Savannas State Park, with camping, boating, fishing, and picnic facilities, while only being a five minute drive to downtown Fort Pierce.”

The Market is Hot in South Florida Harpin said if anyone was to inquire in March about the pace of sales — the expectation for continuing to fill one property, and developing another amid the challenges of the pandemic -- he would have cringed a little, maybe, and certainly would have hesitated.

Today, the story is told.

Sandhill was about 30% occupied when Yes Communities purchased the property in August of 2017, and it since has added about 130 homes.

“We are 70% occupied now and we’re hoping to have the community full in the next two years,” Harpin said.

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“It’s been quite a wild time,” he said. “In this area, there’s been a 23% in drop in inventory on average from a year ago and prices are higher than 2006. As the impact of the pandemic eases , the demand for housing, especially affordable housing, will increase.”

Homes at Sandhill Shores come from across the state line in Waycross, Ga., from Clayton’s home building facility there as well as some from the ScotBilt Homes facility.

Sandhill sits on more than 58 acres and eventually will have 375 homesites. It is a gated community, with a gym, shuffleboard, swimming, outdoor pergola kitchen, putting green, horseshoe pit, pickleball, fire pit, and gameroom.

All of the homes are for sale, Harpin said. But the community does have a small number of park-owned rental homes as well.

The demand for housing is so high that YES is reviewing the option to convert many of the RV slips in Sandhill back to manufactured housing homesites. And it purchased the adjacent community and built a plan to have it complement the existing housing stock for homeowners and renters with families.

The New Community That is Savannas Ridge The neighboring community to Sandhill, just across a small canal, once was a place called Pleasure Cove. The communities were planned and zoned at the same time, under the same ownership. Pleasure Cove changed hands from its original ownership, was held up by a management company, went into receivership, and was fee-managed for a time before development was halted.

“We knew the company that was looking to sell the property, and (YES CEO) Steven Schaub and I were talking about it and we could tell they wanted something positive to come out of it,” Harpin said. “We made the purchase, got city approval and right now we are in the assessment stage, cost and timewise, on what it's going to take to bring this community up to what we want it to be. We are hoping by the fourth quarter of ‘21 we’re breaking ground.”

The community has underground utilities and a former clubhouse with “good bones”. Savannas Ridge and its 32 acres will have 209 homesites, a renovated clubhouse, swimming, and a playground for individual residents and south Florida families.

The Sandhill Shores clubhouse and sales offices.

Two Manufactured Home Communities with Ties to Open Land “We want to work with the city to provide a connection from the communities to the city greenbelt,” Harpin said. “That’s been part of the vision from the beginning, and it’s something I feel confident we can achieve given the relationship we have with the city and surrounding community.

Harpin said some of Yes’ success in the area is attributed to is the city’s realization that Yes is a partner with many of the same goals, not just an organization looking to get in, win a buck, and get out.

The connection between what Savannas Ridge will be and what the public recreation area is creates a lifestyle mix that both retiree residents at Sandhill and all-ages residents the emerging community value.

The locale is the common denominator that will make each property a success.

“Savannas Recreation Area is a rare wilderness area, and just happens to be our neighbor in Fort Pierce,” Harpin said. MHV

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COMMUNIT Y

Development of New Manufactured Housing Communities Picks Up

A

fter decades of minimal new development in the manufactured housing community sector the pace is increasing for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the current stock of aging properties and a need for updated infrastructure and amenities.

New manufactured home communities, built from raw land, have been hampered by zoning difficulties, NIMBY (not in my back yard) pressure, lean access to financing, regulatory burdens, and a general misconception about the value of manufactured housing. »

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 49

COMMUNIT Y

Since 2002, the number of new “ground up” manufactured home communities nationwide in the U.S. remains something less than 400. As a matter of reference, in the 15 years prior there were more than 2,600 such communities built, including 395 in 1986-87 alone.

escalation, has captured the attention of policymakers and legislators alike.

“Despite the challenges, if you can find the right piece of property, the math works all day long,” Callaghan said. “I don't think that was the case even five years ago.”

A New ‘Development’ Business

A Strategy Toward New Community Development

Michael Callaghan is a managing partner at Four Leaf Florida, Texas, the Carolinas, Colorado, and Arizona Properties, an Illinois-based owner/operator of manuare leaders in recent years among locales for new manufactured home communities as well as factured housing developments. a professional third-party manager for Following the sale of Four Leaf’s portcommunity owners who desire or require folio in 2018 sale to YES Communities, added resources. one of the nation’s largest community “That expansion Callaghan said he and his team have owners, the company began to aggresmarket has been been working with increased regularity sively acquire with a development focus with operators interested in developing in some prime locations. red hot and no new communities, so much so that Four Four Leaf owns and manages comone wants to pour Leaf has formalized a new business unit munities in Florida, Indiana, Michigan, cold water on it, within the company to manage and and Texas. Callaghan said the new pursue that work. development group currently has about but there has to be “Cap rate compression and the demand 2,500 sites underway, or in entitlement a next step,” for vacant lots has taken us to a point awaiting development. More than half –Michael Callaghan where we’re now spending almost as of those homesites will be available for much for a vacant lot with 1970s infraoccupancy home placement and occustructure as a newly developed lot with pancy by the end of the year. new infrastructure,” Callaghan said.

“We learned by executing smaller “The trick to land sourcing, as an alternative to existing expansions at several of communities,” Callaghan said. communities, lies in finding a location where the demand “It was 20 spaces at a time developed a bit informally. Over for the product is met with an equal amount of municipal time, however, we identified the resources and established support. It’s as if you’re contending with two buyers, the the processes to take on bigger projects moving forward.” end-user and the municipality. You need to see demand The development strategy is approached as a joint from both sides to make a project viable.” venture between Four Leaf, the community owner/ Callaghan emphasized that community owners have developer, and local governments. Callaghan said prebecome developers by necessity, driven by the massive emptive sales and marketing efforts, thoughtful staging shortage of affordable housing. Historically that has and phasing, a designated construction entrance, and been addressed in the manufactured housing industry good communication with residents throughout the through the expansion of existing communities. However, development cycle are just a few of the keys to success in that opportunity is gated by limited land for planned developing new communities. expansion and availability of adjacent property that can One of the largest obstacles in having new communities be acquired and entitled. built during the last 25 years has been the lengthy wait Financing for new communities also continues to be a in recovering investment costs. hurdle, but interest rates for commercial real estate loans “But you don’t have to bite the apple all at once,” Calremain near historic lows. Those rates and the rapidly laghan said. “There is an option for putting in utilities growing demand for housing, along with housing price and developing homesites prior to full development of 50 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

COMMUNIT Y

infrastructure and amenities, taking the sting out of the owner and investor wait for return on investment. If you don’t have to incur all your asphalt and concrete costs before the community is filling, you can hold back a lot of your costs. But you have to do it right, and stage it correctly, because you can’t bring in 100 new residents and ask them to live on a construction site for 12 months.”

One of the remaining challenges is getting industry involvement for a new movement, a transition from traditional MH property acquisition to a focus on new developments.

“The MH market has been red hot and no one wants to pour cold water on it, but behind closed doors we’re all recognizing that paying top dollar for obsolescent infrastructure is really dangerous to the health of the business. There has to be a next step in the evolution of the MH industry,” Callaghan said. “We’re at the point where we need to match the modern nature of the home product with modern infrastructure, property design

layouts and amenities. Placing six-figure assets on ten-dollar infrastructure is bad, long term, for the industry.

"This is the beginning of the end for the first-generation infrastructure, but we’re replacing those old dinosaurs with far better product, better lot configurations, and that translates to a better living experiences for residents,” Callaghan said. “You’ll know we have turned the corner when you see manufactured housing developers coming into a place like metro Detroit where massive housing demand meets a glut of old product and no new supply. All the characteristics for success are in place.

That day is coming.” MHV

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You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression Why Your Online Reputation is Becoming the Only Reputation That Matters

By Darren Krolewski

N

o one is exactly sure who first shared the cautionary phrase, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression," but truer words were never spoken. Whether you attribute it to Oscar Wilde, Will Rogers or Head & Shoulders, one thing is certain: the impression you make online is more important to your business than ever. In today's digital-centric marketplace, nothing shapes first impressions quite like online reviews. »

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 53

MARKE TING / DESIGN TRENDS

Consumer Trends According to research by the messaging platform Podium, 93% of consumers say that online reviews

they also determine whether a prospect reaches out to you in the first place. A recent study by Cone Communications found that four

Over the past year, the realities of doing business during a pandemic have placed even more emphasis on the importance of a positive digital

have an impact on their purchase decisions. It's easy to understand why. Reviews are everywhere, from Google to Facebook to industry-specific websites and consumer forums like Ripoff Report and Reddit. Online reviews have gradually evolved to become a trust signal. A survey by marketing software provider BrightLocal found that eight out of 10 consumers now place as much confidence in online reviews as they do personal recommendations.

Not only can online reviews make or break whether someone ultimately does business with you,

out of five consumers have changed their mind about doing business with a company or product after reading negative reviews online.

Even if you maintain a relatively low profile online and believe your business relies primarily on word of mouth, you're not immune from the influence of online reviews. The Better Business Bureau points out that having a limited online reputation can be just as damaging as a bad one. Their research has shown that consumers will often question a businesses' credibility if they can't find out enough about it online.

footprint. Multiple studies have demonstrated that an overwhelming majority of homebuyers begin their home search online, and continue to turn to their internet throughout the home shopping process. This behavior has only accelerated over the past year, with virtual showings, video conferences, and electronic correspondence all taking a greater role in an industry that has traditionally relied on in-person contact with the consumer.

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Manage Your Reputation Managing your online reputation is a critical part of the overall image and reputation you demonstrate to your customers. Accordingly, it deserves as much attention as any other aspect of your marketing presentation. So where to begin?

Before you can begin to manage anything, you need to have a complete picture of your online reputation as it currently stands.

Here's a six step process to start you off in the right direction: 1. R un a Google Search — Most consumers are going to start by typing the name of your business into a search engine. It's good practice to begin by doing the same. Open an incognito window in your web browser and conduct a search on your company name, principals and community to see what comes up where. As Google tends to serve up different results based on whether or not

MARKE TING / DESIGN TRENDS

you are logged in as well as your location, incognito mode helps to remove any unintended bias in the search results.

2. Check the Major Social Media Sites — Search your company name, property names and brand names on the most widely used social media channels of Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Most social media sites encourage reviews and discussions, which not only show up on their platforms but also appear in organic search results on the popular search engines.

3. Claim Your Online Business Listings — Make sure you've submitted or claimed your business on the major directories like Google My Business, Yelp, MHVillage, MHBuyersGuide and other relevant sites. Business listings and reviews often appear ahead of organic results when searching online, particularly when browsing from a mobile device. Many directory websites host online reviews that can go unanswered by companies that have not claimed their listings.

4. Search Complaint Sites — Consumer experience and advocacy websites such as Ripoff Report, Complaints Board, and Trustpilot rank highly in search engine results due to scores of consumer-generated content. As a result, it's good practice to search your organization or property names for any negative comments. Advertising agency GoFish Digital maintains a handy tool that searches over 40 complaint sites

at http://gofishdigital.com/complaint-search so you can identify any issues that require attention.

5. Scan Your Existing Reviews — Better than doing all the work manually, get a free summary of your online reputation score from MH.Reviews, the online reputation management plat-

Multiple studies have demonstrated that an overwhelming majority of homebuyers begin their home search online.

–Darren Krolewski

form developed by MHVillage.

Type in the name of your business or community and get an instant report on how your company appears in dozens of popular review sites and directories.

6. D on't Forget About Your Reputation as an Employer — Employment sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor are often overlooked when managing online reputation. Current and past employees as well as interview candidates can leave reviews about their experience with your company. These tend to rank highly in online search

results and are not always picked up by review monitoring tools.

Once you have developed an understanding of your current online reputation, you can begin the process of analyzing the results and identifying a plan for response and ongoing management. There will be some issues that require immediate attention and other lower priority items that will be difficult, if not impossible, to address. As the old adage goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. Building a positive online reputation will take time and attention to see results.

Fortunately, there are many tools you can use to monitor your reputation, encourage positive reviews, and easily respond to any negative reviews you may receive. We'll cover more online reputation strategies and tactics in upcoming issues of the MHInsider.

In the meantime, continue to treat everyone how you would like to be treated and focus on making those first impressions count. MHV Darren Krolewski is co-president and chief business development officer of MHVillage, the top website for manufactured homes, retailers, and communities, and leads efforts that generate 25 million annual visitors and home transactions of more than $3 billion.

FOR MORE INDUSTRY NEWS, VISIT OUR BLOG AT

MHINSIDER.COM

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 55

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IMMEDIACY & FREQUENCY What Are They and Why Do They Matter?

By John Ace Underwood

N

umerous studies have been done, all pointing to the necessity of responding to a new lead within minutes of receiving it and attempting a minimum of six more times over the next 48 hours if you want to maximize the results you get from your marketing efforts.

We are currently in a seller’s market reminiscent of the post-crash era just about 15 years ago. Everyone is busy, lots of orders are being written, factories have long backlogs, and there is a fully justified feeling of overall optimism.

Volume hides a multitude of sins and these times are no different.

In the best of times, we prepare for the worst of times.

In times as these, we solidify our internal systems and »

MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 57

SALES

processes, minimize slippage, and maximize the bottom line.

For many retailers experiencing substantial growth and abundant opportunity, as is the case in the southeastern U.S., Florida, Texas and other states; their systems may deteriorate, sales efficiency drops, all under the cover of ever-increasing sales.

One reason is the lack of lead management efforts. Salespeople simply do not understand the impact technology has had on the way people shop, the way people buy and, consequently, the way we have to sell.

The internet has given customers access to more information than they can possibly sort. All one has

to do is Google any random query and thousands of pages appear within seconds.

Between mobile phones, web browsers, and e-mail, we can instantly connect to anyone anywhere, and at any time.

Here’s the catch. With instant access comes the expectation of immediate response. We want the information we ask for NOW… not later today, not tomorrow, not next week.

The two terms I mentioned in the title have an impact of biblical proportions on your organization’s ability to maximize sales. Immediacy is the speed at which you respond

58 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

to a lead, measured in minutes, not hours or days.

Frequency is the number of times you reach out to a lead after having received it. Whether you reach out by telephone, text, or e-mail is determined by the information they provide in your lead intake system.

Here is why most retailers will never maximize internet marketing.

Both immediacy as well as frequency must be measured and managed.

Even well-meaning sales professionals slip into apathy with regards to lead follow-up and management, and before you know it, potential buyers rarely hear from your organization.

Even if they do, they will hear from them once after a few days, and very likely after talking with one or more of your competitors.

Many retailers live under the assumption that their salespeople follow-up quite well, and therein lies the beginning of the illusion.

Test your hypothesis. Have a friend contact your company via your intake system and see what happens.

If you think it’s an anomaly, do it a second, third, fourth and fifth time. Soon you will have some meaningful statistics.

Here is what most business owners and salespeople fail to realize. Even the most technologically challenged individuals will browse their desktop, tablet, or smartphone looking for information on what they want to buy. They see the places they can go, which as I stated earlier are way too many, and so begin the process of reducing this list to a more manageable number.

SALES

They eliminate retailers by distance, floorplans, lack of information on the website, and many other reasons. The websites that do pique their curiosity, they will either call, chat, or e-mail with a representative for further information. You can only guess what happens to those retailers whom they never hear from, or if they do, only once.

Here’s the bottom line. We’re living in a radically different world compared to when many of us came to the industry. People today think differently, shop differently, and they buy differently.

If you're successful today, but you’re not 100% sure as to why, then you can’t replicate that success,

and you’re not preparing for the downturn.

Take this opportunity you have right now, as you have plenty of sales and decent profits, to prepare for the downturn we hope doesn’t come.

Regardless, you will benefit.

Learn to maximize your internet leads and start by implementing procedures for following up with those leads. Measure immediacy and frequency and hold your tea m accou nt able to meet predetermined standards.

Always remember… The hardest business to measure is the business you lose.

Would-be customers don’t call to let us know how your team dropped the ball. They just disappear, never

to be heard from again. Don’t let that happen. MHV John Ace Underwood is the founder of SellingEdge, a consulting firm within the manufactured housing industry, as well as microseminars.com, an online training program. Reach him at johnaceunderwood@gmail.com, or (520) 241-9907.

Manage Your MHInsider Subscription Online!

Go to http://subscriber.mhinsider.com on your computer or mobile device

MHEI’s Accredited Community Manager (ACM®) Certification Earn Your ACM Online In a world where almost everything can be done virtually through the comfort of your own home or office— access MHEI’s Accredited Community Managers (ACM®) curriculum online. Manufactured housing communities can represent million or multi-million dollar investments that deserve professional management. The ACM courses cover hands-on financial management challenges which were written by a team of industry experts. This program educates the land-lease community operators on issues unique to their career.

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Please contact education@mfghome.org for more information.

Manufactured Housing Educational Institute | 1655 Fort Myer Drive, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22209 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 59

Continued from Page 64

THE ALLEN LEGAC Y

shopping visits. These frequently occurred on-site in the hot property’s clubhouse, where several to many property managers from several other communities gathered.

We taught the basics of telephone etiquette, to answer on the second ring, SMILE, qualify the caller, and invite them to the property. We also covered the importance of fresh and appropriate signage , like a WELCOME HOME sign at every entrance, and parking spots that are RESERVED FOR FUTURE RESIDENT with easy access to the information center, and the value of good resident relations and how that effort translates into a money-making equation; Good Resident Relations = More Resident Referrals = Maximum Resident Retention.

Beyond the Tactical Efforts, It’s the People You Meet The networking aspect of freelance travel and work was especially enjoyable.

How so?

The persons and personalities I met and befriended over the decades, though some are retired or deceased now, were intriguing and memorable.

Martin Newby, now retired, was the founder of Newby Management, a 100% fee-management firm. Newby brought resident relations to manufactured home communities nationwide in the early 1990s. Had a chaplain on staff, and was widely known and respected for his “24 Hour Rule”, which was a mandate to address and correct every resident concern within 24 hours, or to communicate a solution and date in writing.

Florida Communities Team This tale is well told in “Swan Song: A History of Land Lease Communities & Official Record of MH Shipments”.

Here, an aggressive community development and marketing plan was articulated and implemented to quickly fill a dozen communities with an average of 100 rental homesites for Florida seniors. They accomplished this by using conventional highway billboards, attractive entrance and community signage, fresh landscaping every six months, and home sale and site leasing consultants who were thoroughly trained and effectively monitored for progress. We regularly mystery shopped these properties, where the prevailing attitude was “You came here 60 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

to visit, so you want to buy; you’re not going to leave until you do!” This mantra was so effective, one of our senior “shopper” couples bought a new home from the Florida Communities Team, even though they owned a manufactured home in a nearby community!

The most notable personality, who I never met in person but did some work for his firm, was the late Maurice Wilder, founder of Wilder Management, in Tampa, Fla. Here are some career highlights of this low profile, high value individual: · Hailed from Decatur, IL. where he started out as an independent (street) MHRetailer · Owned ten land lease communities and RV parks throughout Florida and Texas · Purchased the Westin Harbour Island Hotel, selling it for $46.5 million in 2014 · Owned eight office towers in Clearwater, Tampa, and Brandon · Invested in vast reaches of farmland, and was called the king of federal farm subsidies · Collected classic cars for his auto museum in Branson, Mo. · Drove a $234,000 Bentley he claimed was faster than his Corvette · Owned and raised buffalo in North Dakota, as well as ostriches, zebras, and camels in Plant City, Fla. Maurice died in 2016, but his firm, Wilder Corporation, owns three land lease communities in the state, and is an active member of the Florida Manufactured Housing Association.

Another longtime land-lease community owner-friend was the late Lawrence Maxwell, founder of CRF Communities, a.k.a. Century Communities, headquartered in Lakeland, Fla., with a portfolio of about a dozen properties.

Larry also was the brother of John C. Maxwell, the famous Christian author, public speaker, pastor, and one of 25 authors named to Amazon.com’s 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame, for his business leadership books, each selling more than a million copies. I mention this because, in years past, while visiting Larry at his office, he’d load me down with copies of John’s latest books to read, and I always considered it a bonus to the work I performed for him.

THE ALLEN LEGAC Y

The Northwestern Mutual Real Estate, Murex Properties Partnership Northwestern Mutual, according to the 32nd annual ALLEN REPORT, owns 10 top quality land-lease communities with 3,929 rental homesites in two states. And these, for the most part, are fee-managed by Murex Properties from their offices in Fort Myers, Fla. Murex, according to the ALLEN REPORT, owns and manages 7,202 rental homesites in 16 communities. The latest trade news from Northwestern has veteran loan originator, everyone’s friend, John Jacobs, confirms his retirement from the firm in January 2021. Steve Adler, founder and owner of Murex Properties, is a member of the RV/MH Heritage Foundation’s Hall of Fame Class of 2020 – awaiting induction in early August 2021, due to coronavirus pandemic-related gathering restrictions.

The most well-known snowbird Floridian, often in Michigan during spring and summer, is military veteran Lou Vela, loan originator with Q10 Lutz Financial. I don’t know anyone in the land-lease community sector who

does not know and like Lou. He’s in his mid-80s and, as they say, going strong. Given the pandemic turmoil of year 2020, he turned from originating community mortgages to commercial real estate sales, mostly selling communities and self-storage facilities. This spring he’s transitioned back to lending, but is focused on securing raw land development financing for clients. And there’s this Lou tale worth telling here. During the 1999 Networking Roundtable, when snowed-in at the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel, Lou phoned Bill Marriott’s office to have our hotel and bartender provide the group with some beer, so we could properly enjoy the baseball World Series games being played that weekend. That is vintage Lou. MHV George Allen has owned and fee-managed land-lease communities since 1978. He’s a former MHI Industry Person of the Year and a member of the RV/MH Hall of Fame. He has been designated a Certified Property Manager-Emeritus and a Manufactured Housing Manager-Master. He’s also a senior consultant and staff writer with EducateMHC. Allen can be reached at (317) 346-7156 and gfa7156@aol.com.

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CREDIT MONITORING DOES NOT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL CREDIT INQUIRIES AND HAS NO IMPACT ON THE CONSUMER’S CREDIT SCORE. THIS SERVICE IS OFFERED AT NO CHARGE TO CONSUMERS WHO INQUIRE THROUGH ASK-CADE.COM. ALL LOANS ARE SUBJECT TO CREDIT AND PROPERTY APPROVAL. NOT ALL BORROWERS MAY QUALIFY FOR THESE TERMS. PROGRAM TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. NOT ALL PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE IN ALL STATES OR FOR ALL LOAN AMOUNTS. OTHER RESTRICTIONS AND LIMITATIONS APPLY. Southwest Stage Funding, LLC dba Cascade Financial Services (licensed and dba as Cascade Land Home Financing in WA, OR, PA,and DE), 2701 E. Ryan Road #150, Chandler, AZ 85286, (877) 869-7082, NMLS #89599(www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) Equal Housing Lender. Mortgage Lender License Information in: AL #21156, AR #103432, AZ #0904764, CA #4130836 Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act, CA #60DBO79436 Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lender Law license, CO #89599 Regulated by CO Division of Real Estate, CT #ML-89599 & MS-89599, DC #MLB89599, DE #011888, FL #MLD978,Georgia Mortgage Lender Licensee, License #31581, ID #MBL-8421, IL #MB.6850003 Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee, IN #15632, IA #MBK-2012-0107, KS #MC.0025086 Kansas-Mortgage Company License, KY #MC73414, LA #89599, MD #06-20056, ME #SLM12305, MI #FR0020576, MO#17-2305-M,MS #89599 Licensed by Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance, MT # 89599,NC #L-152241, NE #89599, Nevada Mortgage Broker License #4892, NH #21916-MB, ND #MB103030, NM #01875, OH #MBMB.850145.000, OK # ML011108, OR Mortgage Lending License #ML-4674, PA #33954 Licensed by PA Dept. of Banking, RI#20173500LL Rhode Island Lender License, SC #MLS-89599, SD #ML.04967, TN#110368, TX #89599, Licensed by Virginia State Corporation Commission Lender License #MC-5544, NMLS ID #89599 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org), VT #7154and 7155, WA #CL-89599, WV #ML30833, WI #89599BA, WY #MBL-2922.

Classified

MARKETPLACE Wasserman & Associates FOR SALE 1978 Minute Man

Used Hilman Model BSP-6P Rollers

44'-7" to 57'-7" Expandable

6 Ton Capacity - 66 Available at

Modular Trailer - $7,500 (PA)

$275 Each (NE)

Used AeroGo DuraGlide Air Casters

2009 Endisys/Graco

3.5 Ton Capacity - 27 Available at

Skid Mounted Foam Insulation System

$360 Each (NE)

$7,900 (NE)

Visit our website at www.wasserman-associates.com for more details and photos.

Wasserman & Associates • Milford, NE • Phone: 800-382-0329

Required Qualifications • Minimum 10 years B2B sales experience.

We’re Hiring!

Business Development Manager

• Experience managing and directing a sales team.

• Media sales or creative services background preferred.

• Proven personal sales ability.

• Excellent communication skills.

The Business Development Manager is a senior sales executive that oversees the business development activities of multiple business units. Working in collaboration with the Chief Business Development officer, the Business Development Manager ensures the achievement of planned revenue objectives as well as identifies and cultivates new business opportunities for continued growth.

In addition to providing ongoing coaching, mentoring and direction to a small business development team, this position functions as a subject matter expert on the organization’s products and services and directly manages key account and prospect relationships including a personal book of business.

• Availability to travel to industry conferences and events (subject to travel restrictions and public health guidelines).

We offer an attractive compensation program including benefits, profit sharing and matched 401(k).

This is a full-time position in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Permanent remote work with occasional travel to the corporate office will be considered for the right candidate.

For immediate consideration, please contact Darren Krolewski, Co-President and CBDO, at darren@mhvillage.com or 877-853-0298 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM | 63

THE ALLEN LEGAC Y

The Southeast: Land of Learning & Memorable Personalities

by George Allen, CPM Emeritus, MHM-Master

A

s a freelance consultant I often worked in Florida and throughout the Southeast. I “mystery shopped” land-lease communities for portfolio owners/operators, assessed hurricane damage to properties and infrastructure, and taught the basics of home sales, site leasing, and resident relations. I also networked with clients and manufactured housing trade association executives and staff.

Persons and personalities met along the way Mystery shopping is commonplace for conventional apartment communities nationwide, not so much for and-lease communities.

Why? Despite the high value of their income-producing properties, property owners/operators are reluctant to spend the money to gauge on-the-job performance of on-site staff, curb appeal, and resident relations. The usual mystery shopping assignment included an unscheduled telephone “visit” to the property to discern how the phone is answered, the smile in one’s voice, and efforts to close, such as an invite caller to visit the property.

I would do a drive-through inspection of the community, photographing marketing shortfalls such as 64 MARCH / APRIL 2021 EDITION • MHINSIDER.COM

lack of signage, as well as the nature and volume of rules violations, and conduct an on-site anonymous visit and evaluation of sales/leasing efforts by staff in the information center. All of this was reported in written form to the property owner/operator, sometimes followed by an onsite re-training session.

One of my most unusual consulting assignments – ever, involved flying into Miami the day after Hurricane Andrew devastated southern Florida in 1992. My assignment was to assess and photograph damage to my client’s manufactured home communities, and report back to him. My uncle, a decorated WWII veteran, met me at the airport and served as my tour guide. All the way down the interstate, highway signs had been blown away, and exit names were painted on the roadway! In community after community we saw single-section manufactured homes askew, often stacked atop one another, sometimes three deep. Large pine trees, 40-feet tall with two foot diameter trunks, stripped bare of branches. Bulldozers and large-volume dump trucks already were clearing debris, dumping it onto a huge, growing hill, 40 feet tall by 300 feet long. My client lost all the homes in his properties.

Being an itinerant teacher of manufactured home sales, site leasing, and resident relations often followed mystery Continued on Page 60

REDEFINING VALUE FOR THE MH/RV ASSET CLASS BROKERAGE & ADVISORY SERVICES  CLIENT

FOCUSED

 DRIVEN

 PROVEN

Christopher Nortley President | CEO (586) 884-8416 chris@mhreinc.com

Amanda LaConte Senior Financial Analyst (407) 670-0552 amanda@mhreinc.com

MANUFACTURED HOUSING GROUP

RESULTS

Colleen Lannoo Melissa Wade Broker Associate | Senior Transaction Director of Data Research Manger (586) 580-7322 (586) 884-8415 colleen@mhreinc.com melissa@mhreinc.com

Tammy Fonk COO | Director of Sales (262) 498-3837 tammy@mhreinc.com

Detroit HQ Location 12900 Hall Road, Suite 190 Sterling Heights, MI 48313

Michel Mikkola Senior Advisor (407) 640-7046 michel@mhreinc.com

Tampa Location PO Box 4174 Tampa, FL 33677

Christine Ticconi Chief Financial Officer (586) 884-0671 christine@mhreinc.com

www.mhreinc.com

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