Attached, for your review and information, is a copy of an introductory welcome letter sent by MHARR on January 7, 2014 to former Rep. Melvin Watt (D-NC), the new Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). FHFA is the federal regulator of the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) and the agency […]
REP. Melvin Sworn-In as New FHFA Director Read More
MHI News MHI’s Financial Services and CFPB Updates CFPB Publishes Updated Mortgage Rules Readiness Guide In anticipation of mortgage finance rules that go into effect January 10th, the CFPB has released an updated mortgage rules readiness guide to help financial institutions come into and maintain compliance with the new mortgage
MHI Week In Review — January 10, 2014 Read More
None of the three major indexes moved more than one-half percentage point up or down as investors speculated what the Federal Reaerve might do in light of December’s poor jobs report. CNNMoney reports the Dow slid -7.71 points, -0.05 percent, to close at 16,437.05. The Nasdaq advanced +0.44 percent, +18.48
Cavco Industries Posts Largest Gain of Tracked Housing Stocks Read More
Building products company USG converted notes held by Berkshire Hathaway into an equity stake, making Warren Buffett’s company the largest shareholder in the company at 30.5 percent. During the financial crisis in Nov. 2008, as wsj.com reports, Berkshire invested $300 million in convertible notes at a 10% interest rate. Fairfax
Berkshire Hathaway now Largest Shareholder in USG Read More
Ten new honorees will be inducted into the RV/MH Hall of Fame Class of 2014 on Aug. 4, 2014 at the Hall facility in Elkhart, Indiana. MHProNews has learned the inductees from the manufactured housing industry are: • Barry Cole, president of Manufactured Housing Insurance Services and Cole Housing Corp.(insurance
Honorees chosen for RV/MH 2014 Hall of Fame Read More
Former North Carolina Democrat Melvin Watt was sworn in Jan. 6, 2013 as the new head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), replacing the acting head since 2009, Edward DeMarco. The Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) says Watt was instrumental in the passage of the Manufactured Housing
Melvin Watt : New Light at the Federal Housing Finance Agency? Read More
Speaking to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray said the new mortgage regulations that take effect today, Jan. 10, 2014 will protect consumers from the type of risky loan products that contributed to The Great Recession and housing bubble. Reminding NAR members
CFPB Director Cordray Addresses the National Association of Realtors Read More
The Wildhorse Estates subdivision in Florence, Arizona has 84 large lots designated for manufactured homes (MH), but there are only 15 MH sited, and the remainder are site-built homes, making it out of compliance with county zoning. Many homes have horses and other farm animals, some of which have more
Manufactured Houses in Wildhorse Estate Read More
Housing finance reform is expected to be at the top of the agenda in Congress at the beginning of the new session, but unless the initiatives move forward quickly, chances increase they will stall as the mid-term elections approach in November. The bi-partisan proposal introduced in the Senate will pare
Will Housing Finance Reform Please come Forward? Or Not Read More
Increasingly, more mortgage borrowers are rising to the water’s surface instead of being underwater. According to RealtyTrac, 19 percent of all homes with mortgages were “deeply underwater,” meaning they owed at least 25 percent more on their mortgages than their homes are worth in December, a total of 9.3 million
Underwater Mortgages Gradually Decrease Read More
The Clayton Family Foundation has pledged $500,000 to the Motlow College Foundation’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) endowment fund, according to tullahomanews.com. Jim Clayton, the founder of Clayton Homes of Maryville, Tennessee, and of the Clayton Foundation, has degrees in law and engineering, and currently is director and vice-chairman
Clayton Foundation Donates 500k to College Read More
The three major indexes were mostly flat in today’s trading as investors awaited the government’s jobs report due out Friday, Jan 10. CNNMoney reports the Dow slid -17.98 points, -0.11 percent, to close at 16,444.76. The Nasdaq dropped -0.23 percent, -9.42 points, to finish at 4156.19, while the S&P moved
Nobility Rises, Skyline Falls, Major Indexes Straddle the Fence Read More
Wells Fargo & Co. upgraded shares of manufactured housing community (MHC) owner Sun Communities, Inc. (NYSE:SUI) to an outperform rating from a market perform rating. Two analysts had previously cut their price target on Sun, but both now have issued an outperform rating for the stock, according to tickerreport.com. In
Sun Communities Garners Outperform Rating on Stock Read More
A Cody, Wyoming couple was denied a variance to site a modular home on their land by the Park County Commissioners. The current ordinance prohibits mobile homes in the North Fork Planning Area where their land sits. MHProNews has learned “mobile home” includes manufactured and modular homes in their definition.
Variance for Modular Home Denied Read More
A subsidiary of manufactured housing and recreational vehicle community owner Sun Communities, Inc. borrowed $141.5 million from Bank of America, split in to two loans. The $72.4 million Pool A Loan accrues interest at 4.89 percent annually, while the interest rate on the $69.1 million Pool B Loan is 4.90
Sun Borrows Millions, Adds Board Member Read More
The owners of Santee Modular Homes, Inc. in Orange County, South Carolina protested the county council’s decision to award a contract for debris removal to an out-of-state company instead of their firm, Santee Debris Removal. As part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) guidelines for disaster preparation, local jurisdictions
Modular Home Builders Protest South Carolina Decision Read More
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/First American Leading Markets Index (LMI), which recently replace NAHB’s improving market index (IMI), indicates markets in 56 of the 350 major metro markets returned to or exceeded their last normal levels of economic activity, indicating a net gain of two over the previous
Housing Market Gradually Picks up Steam Read More
Minutes from the most recent Federal Reserve meeting reveal only that the Fed wants to move cautiously in tapering its stimulus bond-buying program. Meanwhile, the three major indexes moved little in today’s trading as investors await Friday’s jobs report from the government, anticipating that hiring grew in December. CNNMoney reports
Skyline Corp. Leads the Housing Pack We Track–Again Read More
According to official statistics compiled on behalf of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) reports HUD-Code manufacturers produced 4,870 homes in November 2013, an increase of 11.5 percent over the 4,365 homes manufactured for the same period of
Production of HUD Code Manufactured Homes Continues to Rise Read More
A modular house for sale in Townsville, Queensland, Australia offers spectacular views of Cleveland Bay from every room as it rests on 18 large steel pins drilled 20 feet into the rock foundation below. “It’s a very strong design because all of the columns work in unison, like spokes on
Modular Home built into Steep Cliff Read More
