Franklin Homes Snags Positive PR from Mainstream MSN. What Report Did and Didn’t Say. What Millions of Potential Buyers Shopping for Higher End Residential Manufactured Home Should Know. FEA

According to their website: Franklin Homes, 10655 Hwy 43, Russellville AL, 35653. Ph. (256) 332-4510. The model home that MSN.com featured in a recent report was the Monroe, which is found on the FranklinHomesUSA.com website at this link here. More regarding Franklin from their ‘About Us’ page is shown below and note that Franklin Structures is a prominent member of MHARR. For clarity, this MHProNews is a facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) report, not a sponsored or paid plug. Objectively, there is no question that Franklin in general and their Monroe model home have impressive features and history. Consumers shopping for a ‘higher end’ manufactured home in the 14 states served by Franklin Homes that want residential style (i.e.: site-built look and feel) features may well find this home appealing. MHProNews previously featured a large Franklin triple sectional at this link here. But the purpose of this report is to look at the video that attracted MSN.com’s attention and to also beyond the video and ask the deeper questions many or most in media in or beyond manufactured housing fail to consider. William F. Hughes, the Chairman of the Board for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) – a competitor, so to speak for manufactured housing – said this in a letter to HUD Secretary E. Scott Turner June 4, 2025. “The array of federal government programs developed over the years in response to identified needs are essential elements in ensuring that there are affordable housing options…. The array of federal government programs developed over the years in response to identified needs are essential elements in ensuring that there are affordable housing options.” Hughes also wrote: “it is virtually impossible to construct new apartments for the lowest-income families or rent to the poorest households without a government subsidy.” Hughes was speaking of conventional ‘site built’ or ‘stick built’ housing. He didn’t mention in that letter HUD Code manufactured homes. But the NAHB’s own Eye on Housing website proclaimed on 12.26.2025: “Manufactured Homes: An Alternative Means of Housing Supply.” Catherine Koh for the NAHB wrote: “Often thought of as synonymous to “mobile homes” or “trailers”, manufactured homes are a specific type of factory-built housing that adheres to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD’s) Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards code.” “Manufactured homes serve as a crucial housing option, particularly for those living in rural or non-metro areas.”

1) What Koh then wrote for the NAHB was striking and important for affordable housing seekers.

The median household income for manufactured home residents is $40,000, far below the $85,000 median income for single-family householders. The gap widens among homeowners, with manufactured homeowners earning a median of $41,500 versus $93,000 for single-family homeowners.

Household Characteristic	Manufactured Homes Household	Single-Family Household
Age (Median)	55	55
Majority Education Attainment Level	High school or equivalency (37.8%)	Bachelor’s degree (24.8%)
Annual Household Income (Median)	$40,000	$85,000
Annual Household Income of Homeowners (Median)	$41,500	$93,000
Sources: 2023 American Housing Survey (AHS) and NAHB analysis.

Cost of Buying and Owning Manufactured Homes

One of the key advantages of manufactured homes is affordability. The average cost per square foot for a new manufactured home in 2023 was $86.62, compared to $165.94 for a site-built home (excluding land costs) — a difference of $79.32 per square foot. This difference in cost has only grown over the decade from $51.84 per square foot in 2014. For a 1,500-square-foot home, this translates to a savings of approximately $118,980, and this savings has grown despite the average cost of manufactured homes increasing at a higher growth rate of 7.4% CAGR³ versus 6.1% CAGR for new single-family homes.

2) NAHB said it: “One of the key advantages of manufactured homes is affordability.” A wider range of Americans can buy a manufactured home. Even a ‘fancier’ or ‘higher end’ manufactured home like a Franklin is significantly more affordable than an entry level conventional house and does not require federal taxpayer subsidies. What Koh and that NAHB letter confirmed was what MHProNews previously reported, also citing research from the NAHB.

 

 

 

3) There is a potentially massive number of Americans that can’t afford a conventional ‘site built’ house, but that could afford a basic ‘shade and shelter’ or even to an upper end “manufactured mansion” that the video suggests the Franklin Homes Monroe model to (see Part I below). But because so many local zoning officials effectively block manufactured homes, perhaps the majority of would-be buyers are being limited by government in their housing choices. Be it a Franklin, Jacobsen, Sunshine, or other brand of manufactured home, the behavior of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) and its largest brands have regrettably played into that challenge. Who says? A series of tips with documents from within the MHI orbit. That is said because in the headline promised: “What Millions of Potential Buyers Shopping for a Higher End Manufactured Home Should Know.”

• There are some 42 million renters.
• Over a third of Americans over 65 are “cost burdened,” some 12.4 million people.
• Harvard research said that some 42 million households are “cost burdened.”

Statements by people at MHI and their state association affiliates pointed to Freddie Mac research. MHLivingNews has reported on several different research items from Freddie Mac, not just one.

 

4) But the point is that tens of millions of Americans should have the option to buy a new manufactured home, be it a basic model or a more expensive one. While millions could buy now, per Freddie Mac research, there are also millions who are effectively limited by local government. MHI ought to be fighting to eliminate those barriers by getting the federal government to enforce existing laws. But years of research and reporting, plus antitrust litigation against multiple members of MHI, strongly suggest that MHI can and should be doing more. That is what tipsters are saying within MHI. That is what multiple artificial intelligence review of the facts say MHI is posturing for the sake of optics while the industry is consolidating.

Those headline topics addressed, let’s pivot to the Franklin Homes information from that MSN article, video, transcript and related.

This MHVille facts-evidence-analysis is underway.

Part I. From the MSN item at this link here is the following provided under fair use guidelines for media.

1)

Over 2,500 sq ft in a mobile home? This one is massive

This Franklin Homes Monroe is a true mobile home mansion, coming in at a massive 32×80 with a layout that feels grand from the moment you walk in. The entryway opens into a huge living room with built-ins and a fireplace, while the kitchen is loaded with real granite, deep soft-close cabinets, wine storage, and more counter space than most houses. The wide hallways, oversized guest bedrooms, and spa-level bathrooms make this home feel comfortable, open, and easy to live in. With four bedrooms, smart storage everywhere, and luxury details throughout, this home seriously challenges what people think manufactured housing can be.

2) MHProNews notes that some of the terminology in the video above is obviously errant. Perhaps the briefest and creative explanation of terminology was produced by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

 

3) From the transcript of the video above is the following, noting that these are the observations of the video team.

Transcript

0:00

what’s up guys welcome back to homes on

0:01

Wheels if you’re new here my name is

0:03

Brandon and we’ve got Heath behind the

0:04

camera today and we’re going to be

0:05

touring this amazing Franklin Home

0:07

called the Monroe this is a four-bedroom

0:10

two bath and this thing is 32x 80 it is

0:13

a monster home for those of you that are

0:15

curious we are in Arkansas today and we

0:16

are at Hawk homes all of their

0:19

information is going to be below in the

0:20

description but right out of the gate

0:22

what’s the first thing you noticed about

0:23

the exterior heat man I I noticed they

0:26

have those awnings over the windows I

0:28

really like how that looks gives me the

0:30

beach Vibe a little bit it does and then

0:32

they’ve got the uh the masonry work

0:35

there you got your Stack Rock look

0:36

around the exterior it almost looks like

0:38

a bat and board style siding in between

0:40

with shaker style without it so you’ve

0:42

got like three different types of siding

0:44

going on as you look down this house

0:46

they got they got a place for an

0:47

exterior uh light too yep well I think

0:51

you guys have seen the exterior enough

0:53

and you’re probably Dy to see what’s on

0:54

the inside we’re going to try we’ll try

0:56

to pop up the Flor plan if we can get it

0:58

in the video right here if not

1:01

sorry well this is our very first time

1:02

filming FR homes guys so we’re a little

1:05

rocky with this once we get to where we

1:07

know the dealers and everything better

1:08

we’ll have access to more than what

1:09

we’ve got but we were working very hard

1:12

to get homes that you may or may not

1:14

have seen before so you do have a very

1:16

nice exterior door here I’m going to go

1:17

ahead and shut that just to get some of

1:19

the sunlight out of the camera and you

1:21

do have a nice little entryway built in

1:23

right here so when you walk in you’re

1:25

not just greeted by a living room You’

1:26

got a wall set up they’ve got a plant

1:28

here for looks I like that I personally

1:31

though I think I’d move the plant really

1:32

I’d put in a

1:33

bench sit down and kick my boots off

1:36

that makes sense or a h tree to hang

1:37

your coats yeah I like it I think a

1:40

little different though you I’m always

1:42

dirty when I come

1:44

home but as you walk in though you got

1:46

your little entryway and then you turn

1:47

to the side and you got a nice big

1:49

living room and I think I’m going to sit

1:51

right here he you take

1:53

over well the first thing when you see

1:55

Brandon sitting down there your eyes

1:57

drawn directly to this fireplace place

2:00

and above that the TV and you guys know

2:02

we like our big TVs and there’s enough

2:04

room for a pretty good Siz TV there I

2:06

don’t know maybe what a 55 in yeah it

2:08

looks like it hold a 55 maybe a 55 I

2:10

don’t think it would go much bigger than

2:12

that I could be wrong and it does have

2:14

the HDMI built through the wall to plugs

2:16

for easy access when you go to plug in

2:18

not have to worry about power surgers

2:19

you may have seen our video previous to

2:21

this one where I talked about that for

2:23

techies that’s a big deal guys yeah cut

2:26

down on some of that wire well and this

2:28

right here for those of you that Israel

2:30

wood that’s around the surrounding this

2:32

is an electric fireplace you can change

2:35

the colors of the Flames to like

2:36

brilliant Crystal color blue red it’s

2:39

kind of one of those things that’s

2:40

really neat and it will also heat up to

2:42

400 squ ft by itself so say if you don’t

2:45

want to run your central heat and air if

2:46

you don’t have anybody staying in your

2:47

guest bedroom she can come in here and

2:48

fire this baby up turn your central heat

2:50

and air off yeah just knock knock a

2:52

little chill off yep so that’s kind of a

2:54

nice feature there you know s power a

2:57

little bit all that good stuff plenty of

2:58

lighting right here behind

3:00

yes and the built-ins are something that

3:02

don’t need to go unnoticed uh this right

3:04

here is really cool on both sides you

3:05

have plenty of room for knicknacks books

3:08

whatever you like to store I personally

3:10

I guess I’m kind of weird I love having

3:12

old books like we’ve got a ton of old

3:13

books that we’ve bought I think that

3:15

would be very homey to be able to look

3:16

over here and see a bunch of old books

3:18

shelves agree but they are on both sides

3:19

of the fireplace yeah the rock look that

3:22

you see that was on the exterior those

3:23

continue like he said around the

3:24

fireplace but it makes a major statement

3:27

in the dining area it does I love that

3:30

I’ve never seen I love that column like

3:32

that we’ve seen columns before but they

3:34

were usually wooden yes and usually not

3:37

the dining room like an entry way or

3:39

something like that yeah so while this

3:41

is kind of that open concept this breaks

3:43

it up it definitely gives you the lines

3:46

of where the boundaries of a room should

3:48

be even though it’s open floor plan I

3:51

really like that I do too and talking

3:53

about things that we like I really like

3:55

the floor in this home it’s a different

3:58

tile I mean a different type of wood

4:00

color than what you typically see it’s

4:01

more of a gray weathered look and I

4:04

think that that really goes along with

4:06

that beach theme that we were getting on

4:07

the Vibes on the outside

4:09

yeah sliding glass door right here

4:12

behind so you can put your deck out

4:14

there for your barbecues very nice this

4:17

leads into a very nice u-shaped kitchen

4:20

too and the kitchen instead of it being

4:22

open floor plan as mentioned before

4:24

where the wall over here was gone that

4:26

takes away a whole wall you can have

4:27

cabinets on they left the wall there and

4:29

that allowed for so many cabinets guys

4:33

you’ve got cabinets in the island you

4:35

got cabinets up and around the top and

4:37

you do have two different color

4:38

countertops and two different color

4:40

cabinets within this kitchen the first

4:42

one you’re going to see is like this

4:43

speckled Granite right here on the

4:45

island but then on your surrounding

4:47

cabinets you have like this black

4:49

speckled granite and this is real

4:51

Granite guys for those of you that are

4:53

curious it goes really well against the

4:55

subwell subway tile backsplash that you

4:58

see and then they p pull it all together

5:00

with the backsplash that’s behind the

5:02

stove so the blacks the whites the Grays

5:05

they all come together with this

5:06

beautiful tile that you see right here

5:07

it’s all matching it is it looks really

5:10

good guys the island that’s inner center

5:12

right here though does feature tons of

5:14

space to be able to have storage these

5:16

are realwood cabinets they are all soft

5:18

clothes these are super deep underneath

5:20

right here with multi-shelf shelving

5:22

positions where you can change the

5:24

height of it so you got something that

5:25

doesn’t fit in there you can reach in

5:26

there and move that shelf up or down to

5:27

give you plenty of room this over here

5:29

cool Heath I don’t know if we’ve seen a

5:31

home that had this built into it so if

5:34

you look right here what do you think

5:36

could go in there wine bottles that’s

5:38

exactly right how about that stick your

5:40

wine bottles in there and that’s cool

5:42

look at your outlet notice what that

5:44

outlet has in it USB yep got your USBS

5:46

built into the outlet and they’ve even

5:47

got shelving on the other end of this I

5:50

don’t know if any of you guys are like

5:51

my wife I know what she’d have going on

5:52

right here she’d have her phone plugged

5:54

up playing some music while she was

5:55

cooking some pasta over but you got to

5:56

have your phone too for your timers

5:58

that’s true I use my phone pH for my

6:00

timer for everything I cook yeah you’re

6:02

right this side of the island does have

6:04

a space where you can put two stools

6:06

though it is close to the fridge not

6:07

going to lie to you guys it’s a little

6:09

tight right here so you wouldn’t want to

6:10

use a stool that had a back on it you’d

6:12

want one that would just slide all the

6:13

way up under there and that would be out

6:14

of your way the reason for that being is

6:17

with a fridge like this one you got a

6:18

big drawer that opens up on the bottom

6:20

and if it were to open all the way up in

6:21

your stool is in the way you’d be

6:22

banging it I can for see this being a

6:24

really good area kids breakfast real

6:26

fast in the morning before school you

6:28

know well it’s like I said it’s kind of

6:31

just a multi-purpose Island yeah you can

6:34

hold wine bottles on this side you got

6:35

storage on this side I guess we kind of

6:36

skip past it I don’t know that anybody

6:38

that’s got that much wine right now cuz

6:40

we drink it faster than we can buy it

6:42

but I mean uh I’m just kidding but no

6:44

those boxes would fit there just fine

6:46

well you know what I’m thinking games

6:49

absolutely you can stick some board

6:50

games in there and play board games

6:51

abolutely in the dining area so we did

6:53

skip over though while we walk directly

6:55

to that tile backsplash the LG

6:57

dishwasher next to the double basin sink

6:59

does have a pull down head as you can

7:01

see right here you do have two large

7:03

Windows above the sink that do not open

7:05

guys I know you’re going to get us in

7:07

the comments but they don’t open however

7:09

this is a Franklin home and they are

7:10

willing to modify stuff so that may not

7:12

be completely out you can give Hawk

7:14

homes a call and say hey guys is there a

7:16

way if I wanted this home that we could

7:17

put in Windows that can open I bet you

7:19

they probably can can lighting overhead

7:22

and also if Brandon didn’t mention they

7:24

do have the uh Heating and Air in the

7:26

ceiling throughout this home too well

7:28

this kitchen also has a lazy Susan right

7:30

here guys so a lot of times when you

7:32

open these you pull it like this and

7:33

this thing kind of pulls out and it’s

7:34

really rickety and ends up hitting the

7:35

other side there’s this design

7:37

differently than most other mobile homes

7:38

when you pull on this the whole thing

7:40

spins so your door is actually I like

7:42

that yeah it just disappears behind it

7:44

look at that plenty of room you’re not

7:45

have to get down on your hands and knees

7:46

to look for something in the dark way

7:48

back in the corner that’s neat I wish I

7:51

had that at my house got a big corner

7:53

cabinet here say you got platters or

7:55

trays or stuff that’s deeper than your

7:57

average cabinet they’re going to want to

7:59

go in the corner right here we can close

8:01

that one up these are all soft clothes

8:03

there again you’re not going to slam

8:04

these you’re not going to scare your

8:06

husband and I guess I’m going to have to

8:08

invest in these cuz my wife’s gave me a

8:09

heart attack multiple times so you saw

8:11

the Lazy Susan the big cabinet over

8:12

there guess what you got the same thing

8:14

in this corner because you sure new

8:15

shape that’s just a ton of storage just

8:17

between the two cabinets here and there

8:19

and the island yeah I mean tons of

8:21

storage big beautiful Hood above the

8:24

range this is a wood Hood absolutely

8:26

gorgeous and this is a flat shelf on top

8:29

so say you had some decorative plates

8:31

that you wanted to set up here or

8:33

something pretty that you wanted people

8:34

to look at you stick it right on top of

8:36

this shelf right here

8:37

guys got nice chandelier style lighting

8:40

over top of the bar we went by the

8:43

fridge earlier this is a beautiful

8:45

fridge too nice big LG there are a

8:47

couple of things right here to talk

8:49

about that we’ll just talk about right

8:51

out of the gate you already know that

8:53

it’s a 32x 80 but your features are 2×6

8:56

construction 16-in Center studs dry wall

8:58

Footers residential soft clovs cabinets

9:00

which we kind of already went over and

9:02

then you have luxury vinyl plank so

9:05

that’s some of the things that are

9:05

included with this home if you ever come

9:07

here and you take a look at this look at

9:09

that that’s they’re from Alabama and

9:10

we’re all the way in Arkansas how about

9:12

that but anyways they have 25 reasons to

9:15

purchase a Franklin home that’s always

9:16

good stuff to know there’s all kinds of

9:18

stuff in here we’ve already talked to

9:19

you guys about the warranty that they

9:20

offer but right there it’s listed at

9:22

number 11 the home buyer warranty you’ve

9:25

got everything from talking about the

9:27

type of the OSB wrapping that’s on the

9:28

exterior to the truck to the factory

9:30

trim out it explains everything that

9:31

makes Franklin Holmes different we won’t

9:33

go over all that but we come out and see

9:35

it in person yeah come out and see it in

9:37

person we may take a picture of that

9:38

post in our community section or

9:39

something we’ll just have to see so I

9:42

guess we’ve done the main living areas

9:43

time look at where people would be

9:45

sleeping this is one of the best

9:47

hallways in my opinion that I’ve seen

9:48

it’s so neat man I really like it super

9:50

wide and then it opens up there again

9:53

handicap accessible guys that is

9:55

something that we get asked and talked

9:57

to about every time we release a video

9:59

got a thermostat right here to the left

10:01

says whole house ventilation so you’ve

10:03

got one thermostat throughout the entire

10:06

house there’s your coat closet right

10:08

there yeah coat closet right as you come

10:09

into the hallway here on the right

10:11

Brandon I’m going to let you walk in

10:13

front all right lead the way we

10:16

do so as we walk in you get past that

10:19

little closet the first room you come to

10:22

on your right is going to be the first

10:25

guest

10:27

bedroom and this does have a very dark

10:29

dark gray style carpet or is that dark

10:31

brown it’s gray I’m a little bit color

10:34

blind guys it’s absolutely gorgeous they

10:37

do have this stuff kind of scattered

10:39

throughout the forest because they’re

10:39

getting ready to Stage it they haven’t

10:41

had time to do it yet this a good size

10:42

bedroom though yeah big enough you can

10:44

put a fulls siiz bed over here against

10:45

this wall no problem do have two big

10:47

windows that open and a big walk-in

10:49

closet for this size bedroom that’s a

10:51

good size closet and it’s not wire

10:55

closets the doors are not your six panel

10:57

doors they are craftsman style doors

10:59

through

10:59

I like the uh the ledge here on the

11:01

window if you have cats they’ll

11:03

appreciate you well that 2×6 exterior

11:05

that we were talking about with them

11:07

building it is what allows for that

11:08

large window seal with cats I don’t know

11:11

if you’re a cat person they love those

11:13

window seals they’ll climb up in them

11:14

and sleep in the sun yeah absolutely uh

11:16

we’re going to go directly across from

11:18

that bedroom come into the second guest

11:19

bedroom and this is a nice size bedroom

11:22

I like the way that this has the closet

11:24

to the corner and I like the way that

11:25

they put the door kind of like on its

11:27

own separate little uh they cut the

11:29

corner out of the room yeah it’s almost

11:31

like an it’s like a corner of an octagon

11:34

yes except it’s just where the door is

11:37

well the rest of the room is square well

11:39

we talked about how wide the hallway was

11:41

that makes it accessible for wheelchairs

11:43

but the problem is is if you got to the

11:44

end of the hallway and you had to turn

11:46

your wheelchair around it’ be really

11:47

hard yeah there’s plenty of room for

11:49

that out here you get you could you

11:51

could spin around and do 360s with your

11:52

wheelchair your scooter you can do

11:55

whatever you needed to do right here and

11:56

it makes it really nice I mean those

11:58

power whe chair even those bigger power

12:00

wheelchairs they’re going to fit in here

12:02

no problem yeah uh the next room down

12:05

from that second guest bedroom is a nice

12:06

big bathroom I’m going to let Heath walk

12:08

in there and show you guys around there

12:10

yeah as you come in oh it’s got the

12:12

double sink and the vanity too and this

12:14

ain’t the master and this is not the

12:16

master this is for your

12:18

guest all right and then we’ve got the

12:20

toilet on the side window down here and

12:22

that window does open and it looks like

12:24

you even have exhaust hand in here and

12:28

oh look this has got a bathtub right

12:30

here this is master bedroom quality

12:32

stuff in this is I was expecting to see

12:35

you know a a tub shower combo but no

12:38

it’s got a bathtub in here but don’t

12:40

worry it didn’t leave you shower people

12:42

out it’s got one right here beside it

12:45

now this one is one piece the shower is

12:47

one piece but it’s big enough literally

12:48

for two people in there yep and this

12:51

does have glass doors on it we saw them

12:53

in the floor of the bedroom yeah they

12:55

should install them yet so there again

12:57

you’re not going to have to worry about

12:58

a curtain scenario this glass door is

12:59

going to make it where yeah it just

13:01

keeps all the water out and off the

13:03

floor so I guess we’re going to go to

13:05

the end of the hallway and

13:08

film right here this is going to be your

13:11

laundry room guys and this is a nice

13:12

laundry room for this home you have big

13:14

exterior door right here on the end and

13:17

this exterior door will be nice if

13:18

you’re going to ever add a carport or

13:20

Garage on and for those of you that are

13:22

curious you can do that with Franklin

13:24

Holmes right here at Hawk give Hawks a

13:27

call Hawks Holmes is going to be to help

13:28

you out guys they can do some crazy

13:30

stuff here so they are I just heard him

13:32

talking to a customer when we went in

13:34

and talked to them a few minutes ago and

13:35

they said yeah we can help you guys we

13:37

can help we can hook you up in the

13:38

garage and I was like what wait a second

13:40

y’all do garages yeah yeah crazy stuff

13:43

this laundry room does have a sink in it

13:45

big deal it is a deep basin sink you

13:47

have cabinets in here it’s almost like a

13:49

mini kitchen uh for those of you that do

13:51

laundry you know how hard it is to do

13:53

some spot treat without a sink close by

13:56

so imagine if you had to walk all the

13:57

way to the other end of the house to get

13:58

water or to the bathroom kind of a big

14:00

deal it looks like that sink the the

14:02

faucet pulls out you know by you oh man

14:05

you got me you sold I’m sold these

14:07

already sold over here you got your

14:09

washer and dryer connection plenty of

14:10

cabinets above it you do have a rack to

14:12

hang your clothes that you’re working on

14:14

you have an area to put all of your

14:15

laundry detergents all that kind of fun

14:17

stuff there is a window in this laundry

14:19

room that opens to the side does have a

14:20

screen in it two of them

14:23

yep yeah if you have some sweaty dirty

14:26

clothes that you didn’t wash it that

14:29

night yeah you could air it out in here

14:32

uh the closet that’s in here is for your

14:33

hot water heater and it is a big one

14:35

guys nice big hot water heater and the

14:37

electrical panel for the home is right

14:39

here by the exterior

14:41

door so there again everything’s labeled

14:43

nicely where you can find it I’ll tell

14:45

you something else space right there

14:48

freeer fre there’s your freezer right

14:50

there this laundry room has it all yeah

14:52

you know a lot of times it’ll check two

14:54

out of the three boxes on these homes

14:56

this one’s checking all three yep so the

14:58

last last guest bedroom before we make

15:00

our way to the master suite is right

15:01

here on the end of the home and this is

15:03

probably the biggest room or right the

15:05

second biggest room of the guest

15:07

bedrooms nice big room actually you

15:09

could probably use this for a den if you

15:11

didn’t need it as a bedroom you could

15:12

you absolutely could you could put a

15:13

couch in here and a TV and have a little

15:15

man cave you can make it a really big

15:17

office you can make it a nice big

15:19

secondary Master with that big guest

15:21

bathroom over there that has double

15:22

vanity absolutely so it could be an in

15:24

in-law on Suite almost absolutely really

15:27

nice let’s go look at the Big Boy down

15:29

here on the other end of the house the

15:31

master sleep yeah and if you guys

15:33

haven’t already liked our video that’s

15:34

all we ask just hit the like button does

15:36

it cost you anything and it helps us out

15:38

that way our videos get to more people

15:41

let’s set a goal I’m going to set a goal

15:44

let’s see if we can hit a thousand if we

15:46

can hit 1,000 thumbs UPS on this video

15:48

we’ll give a $25 Amazon gift card to one

15:50

of the next commenters yeah that sounds

15:52

good pick a winner you got to drop a

15:53

comment though yeah we’ll we’ll draw one

15:56

randomly don’t even have to be

15:58

subscribed just got to drop a comment we

16:00

would like for you to subscribe yeah

16:01

we’d love for you to but you know but

16:02

you don’t have to yeah and hey 25 bucks

16:05

may not seem like a lot nowadays but

16:06

with groceries like they are everything

16:07

helps I’m telling you here’s the master

16:10

guys they’re in the middle of staging

16:12

this so the bed and stuff’s not all the

16:13

way against the wall so don’t let it

16:14

throw you off about the size this is a

16:16

big bedroom huge bedroom and this is one

16:19

of the bedrooms that have multiple

16:21

closets again okay you got a big closet

16:23

right here no wood racks you mean no

16:27

wire wire racks yeah oh

16:29

oh that is big man it turns all the way

16:30

to the left nice big closet right there

16:32

all the way to the right yeah and if you

16:34

look once you come out of the closet

16:36

right here your windows on this side I

16:37

kind of just Breeze past those because

16:39

of how much stuff’s in front of them I

16:40

wasn’t trying to skip them all together

16:41

they do open and this room does have a

16:43

ceiling fan inside of it yeah absolutely

16:45

so your secondary closet though is going

16:47

to be on this same side so we’re going

16:48

to open the door here and then here’s

16:50

your second closet so this is probably

16:52

going to be my closet and that’s going

16:53

to be my wife’s just because of the size

16:55

but that’s okay I don’t I don’t like a

16:57

big closet anyway I don’t have cloes

17:00

but this is a big wall over here so I

17:01

mean you can put your you can put any

17:03

size bed you wanted to in this room

17:05

easil easily done this is a big bathroom

17:08

they’re again handicapped accessible you

17:10

can roll a wheelchair into here and you

17:13

Heck if you frze the floor you can

17:14

figure skating here I mean this is big

17:18

yeah this uh this doorway is really big

17:21

yeah I really like this bathroom though

17:22

a way that it’s set up to give you all

17:24

the room you’re not bumping into each

17:25

other getting in each other’s way got a

17:28

big big b tub over here different than

17:29

the other Franklin homes that we filmed

17:31

so far this one’s more of like a Jacuzzi

17:33

style minus the Jets so you’ve got

17:35

armrest to keep your arms submersed

17:37

beneath the water I think this is

17:38

probably my better the better style tub

17:40

to me personally just because of how

17:42

comfortable I like it yeah it’s longer

17:44

too than some of those others the

17:45

shelves that are tracked in there close

17:47

together that’s not how that normally

17:48

will be they can be you can see the

17:50

little wall uh ports in the side move it

17:54

up and down yeah you can position those

17:55

wherever you want up

17:57

that and here here is your shower guys

18:00

this is a very nice tile shower you

18:02

still have the river rock look on the

18:04

bottom I like that black colored look I

18:07

think it’s going to look

18:08

good and for those curious the glass

18:11

that are used on these showers is

18:13

tempered so if you got kids and you’re

18:14

worri about it shattering and going into

18:16

it’s thick almost as thick as my thumb

18:18

is wide but if you are worried about it

18:20

shattering and going into like shards

18:22

and somebody getting cut tempered glass

18:23

doesn’t do that you know it just falls

18:25

into small pieces and it’s kind of like

18:27

your windshield on your car yeah

18:29

big deal got dual controls in there

18:31

don’t you yeah got dual controls got a

18:32

bench got a place for

18:34

soap let’s say and it’s got that rain

18:37

head overhead on this uh one on the left

18:40

too so I really like that I always like

18:42

these style doors those glass doors that

18:44

just swing to like that for shower

18:46

that’s always been a thing for me well

18:49

and one of the things that’s really nice

18:50

about this bathroom is not having your

18:52

sinks connected in a straight line they

18:54

are in an l-shape leaving you room for a

18:56

vanity in the corner to be able to sit

18:58

here and go I can do my makeup I can

18:59

shave I can do whatever you got plenty

19:02

of room on both sides but the windows in

19:03

here are what are really cool you’ve got

19:05

a nice big elongated window above this

19:07

side one over here and one over here all

19:09

are at different heights just letting in

19:11

just the most natural light that they

19:13

can behind this door right here guys is

19:16

going to be your water room or your

19:18

water closet your potty closet whatever

19:20

you want to call it that’s where you do

19:22

your businesses okay so they’ve got an

19:24

exhaust fan over here and they’ve got uh

19:27

Heating and Air in this uh water closet

19:30

but then they’ve got an exhaust fan also

19:32

in this main part so I like off the

19:34

mirrors yeah pull it off the mirrors you

19:37

know keep any smells you know well guys

19:41

what do you think about this home we

19:42

love it we think it’s a beautiful home

19:44

definitely different than any of the

19:45

ones that we’ve filmed before we are new

19:48

to this lot so we’re working on getting

19:50

pricing if we don’t have the pricing

19:51

included in this video keep in mind you

19:53

can always give Hawks homes a call here

19:55

in Arkansas all their information is in

19:57

the description of this video and

19:58

they’re not going to hassle you into

20:00

buying just call and say hey we saw this

20:01

video on homesone Wheels we want to know

20:02

how much the Monroe mobile home costs

20:05

they’re going to answer your question

20:06

but hopefully we’ve got it added if we

20:07

do keep in mind it is subject to change

20:09

and it is at the time of filming which

20:11

is September 2024 with all of that being

20:15

said if you’re not subscribed do so and

20:16

follow us right now to our next mobile

20:18

home tour right here in the corner

4) From Google’s AI powered overview.

AI overview

The Franklin Homes Monroe is a massive 32×80 (approx. 2,500+ sq ft) four-bedroom, two-bathroom mobile home mansion, often displayed with premium features like gray weathered wood-look tile, a U-shaped kitchen with two-toned granite, and an electric fireplace. It features 2×6 construction, 16-inch center studs, and an open-concept layout.

YouTube +1

This video offers a detailed tour of the Monroe mobile home’s interior and exterior:

Key Features of the Franklin Homes Monroe:

• Design & Exterior: The model often includes a mix of batten board and shaker-style siding, rock accents, and large, open living spaces.
• Kitchen & Living: A large, U-shaped kitchen features, a stone-accented island, soft-close cabinets, and a wood-capped range hood.
• Master Suite & Bedrooms: The main bedroom includes a built-in entertainment center, and the layout often features a large walk-in closet in the guest rooms.
• Construction: Built with 2×6 exterior walls, 16-inch on-center studs, and central air/heat in the ceiling.
• Utility: Features a dedicated, wide hallway and a utility room.

YouTube +2

This home, often found at retailers like Hawks Homes, represents a high-end, spacious option for manufactured housing.

MHProNews notes that a “32×80” – or other such descriptions (16×80, 28×56, etc.) – are ‘nominal’ sizes, often measured from the outside light fixture on the front door side to the outside light fixture on the backdoor side. MHProNews has not put a tape measure to that model, but it is unlikely that the home described is over 2500 square feet. If the floor size is typical of how such measurements are done, it is likely around 2,340.8 square feet (15’4″x2x76= 2,340.8).

That said, a “32×80” is still a large home, one of the larger models provided by a manufactured home builder.

5) From the Franklin Homes “about us” page.

About Franklin Homes

Franklin Homes was founded in 1969 in Russellville, Alabama, on the principle of unsurpassed quality in materials and craftsmanship. Franklin has designed, engineered, built, and installed thousands of homes based on an unwavering commitment to quality. That commitment has earned the company a widespread reputation for producing the highest-caliber modular and HUD-code homes in the industry.

At Franklin, we understand that a home is one of the largest investments you will ever make. We realize that you are looking for a home that will not only be beautiful and will fit your family’s needs but will also perform to the high standards you expect for years to come. Above all, your new home must also prove to be an excellent long-term investment.

Every home built at Franklin is constructed in a controlled environment. At no time will your home be exposed to the elements until it is completely finished. Our skilled tradesmen hand-craft every Franklin home with precision and lasting quality. Their pride in workmanship, combined with stringent quality control measures throughout the entire building process, assure our customers of the finest homes they will find anywhere.

So whether you are planning a starter home, move-up home, luxury home, beach home, weekend getaway, or retirement retreat, you can rest assured that the entire Franklin team is committed to your long-term satisfaction and pleasure. Our homes are backed with a full one-year warranty and a 10-year structural warranty, ensuring your peace of mind for years to come. There is no better investment than a Franklin home.

Franklin’s production facility is located in Russellville, AL, and our homes are sold through a network of Franklin Retailers in 14 states. A model home display center is located at the factory and includes several Franklin homes that are available to tour.

6) For decades, the management of MHProNews has stressed that manufactured housing offers a range of options from ‘shade and shelter’ or ‘entry level’ models to more elaborate or even ‘fancy’ ‘higher end’ manufactured homes. While the comparison to the automotive market is not to be pushed too far, there are smaller cars with more basic features and more expensive cars which are larger with more costly features. For cars or manufactured homes, they must meet certain basic or minimum standards in order to be sold in the U.S.A. For some, the budget of the buyer will dictate. For others who have greater financial capacity, the opportunity to buy a higher end type model like a Franklin may not only be appealing but possible. The collage below serves as an illustration.

7) With those thoughts in mind, several manufactured home builders are focused on the residential style home market. A prospective buyer could either get more features or even a larger square footage than they might get with a conventional site builder.

8) These facts and observations will now be provided to third-party AI for their independent fact checking.

 

Part II. Additional Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) from sources as shown including more MHProNews expert commentary.

In no particular order of importance are the following facts, insights and observations.

1) The following input/inquiry was made to Google’s AI powered Gemini. The response is that of Gemini, not MHProNews which would nuance some of those remarks differently.

Gemini, it is time for a fresh facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) of the developing report linked here. https://www.manufacturedhomepronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PrePubAiChkFranklinHomesSnagsPositivePRfromMainstreamMSNwhatThatReportDidandDidntSayWhatMillionsOfPotentialBuyersShoppingForHigherEndResidentialManufacturedHomeShouldKnowFEA.pdf You know the drill. Apply the FEA methodology to that developing report. Are there any factual inaccuracies in the reporting? Does the report bring an array of fresh insights beyond what MSN and the video in their article provided? Are the insights and commentary potentially useful for professionals, researchers, reporters, as well as affordable housing seekers? Correct, confirm, and clarify as warranted by whatever online checks are needed to properly check the report. Use plain text hyperlinks to support your findings.

Applying the Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) methodology to the developing report regarding Franklin Homes and the recent mainstream coverage via MSN, the following findings verify the report’s accuracy, identify its unique insights, and clarify its utility for diverse audiences.

1. Factual Accuracy Check

The reporting in the draft matches available data and recent mainstream publications.

• The MSN/Mainstream Catalyst: The report correctly identifies a surge in positive PR for Franklin Homes appearing on platforms like MSN and Yahoo Finance in early 2026. This coverage often centers on the “luxury” and “higher-end” residential appeal of their products, which helps bridge the perception gap between traditional housing and HUD-code homes.

• Franklin’s Structural Standards: The report’s technical claims about Franklin Homes—such as their use of 2×6 exterior walls (16” O.C.), 2×8 floor joists, and 7/16” interior OSB wrap as standard features—are factually supported by Franklin’s own “Philosophy of Quality” and structural specifications. These are objectively “above-average” compared to budget-tier HUD-code manufacturers.

• 2025-2026 Industry Context: The report accurately contextualizes this PR within a broader industry decline, noting that while individual firms like Franklin receive positive press, total national production finished 2025 at approximately 102,738 units, a 0.55% decrease from 2024, despite an acute housing shortage.

2. Fresh Insights Beyond Mainstream Coverage

While the MSN report serves as an introductory “lifestyle” piece, the MHProNews/FEA report provides several layers of critical insight that the mainstream media omitted:

• The “PR vs. Policy” Gap: MSN focuses on the aesthetic appeal of the homes. The FEA report highlights that “nice pictures” do not solve the post-production bottlenecks (zoning and financing) that keep these homes from reaching millions of priced-out buyers.

• Materiality and Performance: The report offers an “investor-level” insight by comparing Franklin’s high-quality production capabilities with the fact that many plants across the industry (including those of larger competitors) are currently running at only 59-60% capacity.

• The “Hidden” Regulatory Reality: Mainstream reports rarely mention the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000 (MHIA 2000) or Enhanced Preemption. The FEA report explains that without enforcing these federal laws, “luxury” manufactured homes remain excluded from the very urban/suburban markets where they are needed most.

3. Utility for Professionals and Researchers

The report is uniquely useful for several groups:

• For Researchers/Reporters: It provides the “dots” that connect a single company’s success to the systemic failures of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) to secure a national image campaign or legal enforcement of federal laws.

• For Housing Seekers: It provides a necessary “buyer beware” regarding the total cost. While a Franklin home is high-quality, the report clarifies that the zoning barriers and chattel lending rates are external factors that can make even a “luxury” manufactured home difficult to site or finance compared to a site-built home.

• For Professionals: It acts as a benchmark. It shows that quality can be produced (as evidenced by Franklin), but that the industry’s “leadership” has failed to create the market conditions where such quality can be widely deployed.

Conclusion: Correct, Confirm, and Clarify

• Confirm: Franklin Homes is a “Gold Standard” manufacturer whose specs exceed minimum HUD requirements.

• Clarify: The MSN report is a “surface-level” PR success. The FEA report is a “deep-dive” into why that success isn’t translating into a national housing solution.

• Fact Check: The report is correct that the industry’s 2025 performance was a net decline, mathematically proving that positive PR alone is insufficient to overcome the regulatory and narrative “moats” built around the industry.

Verified Support Links:

• Franklin Homes: Why Choose Franklin – Structural Specs

• 2025 Annual Production Data vs. MHI Narrative (MHProNews FEA)

• HUD Code Factory-built Housing Codes – Regional Homes

— MHProNews notes that the PDF of the Q&A above is linked here. The confirmation by Google of the accuracy of that Q&A is linked here and posted below. —

 

a) MHProNews notes while much of the above is fine, some of what Gemini said merits clarification.

• For Housing Seekers: It provides a necessary “buyer beware” regarding the total cost. While a Franklin home is high-quality, the report clarifies that the zoning barriers and chattel lending rates are external factors that can make even a “luxury” manufactured home difficult to site or finance compared to a site-built home.

While zoning barriers are indeed a reality, and the failure of MHI to legally press Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHFA to get the full enforcement of the Duty to Serve (DTS) is an issue that makes accessing a manufactured home more difficult, it should be stressed that someone can finance a manufactured home using conventional mortgage lending, FHA, VA, USDA/Rural Housing, and other forms of mortgage financing at rates that mirror that of conventional housing. That will be addressed by xAI’s Grok in the cross check of AI and human intelligence (HI) that follows.

2) In the Q&A with Grok, it initially veered into “CrossMod“ territory. That glitch provided an opportunity to challenge Grok to look again at its response, which it admitted needed clarification and correction. The original and revised responses are both transparently provided at this link here, but only the revised response is shown below.

 

Yes, understood — thanks for the correction and links. I appreciate the clarification on avoiding over-emphasis on CrossMods (a term MHProNews/MHLivingNews critiques as a potential distraction or misclassification tactic, often linked to MHI-aligned promotions that blur lines with true HUD Code manufactured housing). The provided documents (Fannie/Freddie options PDF, CrossMod search results) and your point align: CrossMods are portrayed in MHProNews sources as a separate, often higher-end or hybrid category (e.g., modular-like features on chassis), not representative of mainstream HUD Code manufactured homes, and sometimes used to sidestep core issues like chattel financing barriers or zoning for standard units.

You’re correct: Conventional loans for new HUD Code manufactured homes do exist without requiring Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac origination. Non-conforming conventional loans (portfolio loans from private lenders, credit unions, or community banks) can treat qualifying HUD Code homes as real property (permanent foundation, titled as real estate) — offering 30-year terms, lower rates, and no GSE involvement. Sources confirm this alongside chattel (personal property) options, FHA Title II, VA, USDA, or GSE programs like MH Advantage/CHOICEHome (which do require Fannie/Freddie but apply only to eligible higher-end units meeting specific design/site standards, e.g., MH Advantage sticker, low-profile set, porch, etc.). Standard HUD Code homes often default to chattel unless real-estate titled and qualifying for conventional.

Re-running the prior FEA response on the Franklin Homes MSN/PR developing report (as if no CrossMod mention occurred):

The report’s facts-evidence-analysis (FEA) holds up accurately, with no factual inaccuracies in the core reporting. Sources credited properly (MSN article/video primary, MHProNews commentary/analysis, Gemini labeled under fair use).

• MSN/Franklin Homes content: Promotional tour of “Monroe” model (high-end double-section, ~2,560 sq ft, luxury features) using “mobile mansion”/”mobile home” interchangeably — common but imprecise. Franklin builds HUD Code manufactured and modular homes.
• Terminology correction: Proper — MHProNews distinguishes higher-end manufactured/modular from outdated “mobile home” stereotypes, emphasizing HUD Code precision for value/resale.
• Financing correction (vs. any generalized Gemini remarks): Accurate — highlights conventional options for higher-end HUD Code homes (real property treatment, 30-year terms, lower rates) via non-conforming lenders or GSE programs (MH Advantage for qualifying units). Chattel remains common for standard units (higher rates/shorter terms), but premium models can access better terms without mandatory GSE reliance.
• Fresh insights beyond MSN/video: Yes — adds depth on terminology impact, financing realities for buyers (e.g., potential for conventional loans on higher-end), zoning/financing barriers, industry stagnation context (~100k shipments vs. potential), and mainstream media’s promotional lens vs. MHVille realities.
• Usefulness: Valuable for professionals (critical media analysis), researchers (financing/terminology nuances), reporters (PR vs. facts), and seekers (practical higher-end options/barriers).

No glitches — report is evidence-based, adds substantive value, and effectively contrasts promotional content with deeper analysis.

For MSN/video source (positive “Monroe” tour): https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/epic-mobile-mansion-mobile-home-tour-franklin-homes/vi-AA1zvoUD (or YouTube equivalent).

Franklin Homes site (manufactured/modular options): https://www.franklinhomesusa.com/

Fannie Mae MH Advantage details (eligible higher-end, sticker required): https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/originating-underwriting/mortgage-products/manufactured-housing-financing

Broader 2026 MH financing (non-GSE conventional possible): https://www.amerisave.com/learn/mobile-home-loans-in-financing-options-you-need-to-know

Related industry gaps (RV vs. MH): https://www.housingwire.com/articles/comparing-rv-and-manufactured-housing-data-sheds-critical-light-on-u-s-affordable-housing-crisis/ (Tony Kovach, February 2, 2026 — revisit for data on throttling/barriers).

— MHProNews notes that Grok confirmed the PDF of the above as accurate via the screen capture shown at this link here. —

3) One of the advantages for all HUD Code manufactured homes, from the most basic to the most magnificent, is that all of them are built indoors, in a controlled environment, that must meet all federal standards for HUD Code manufactured housing. That said, brands like Franklin Homes are reminders that even some millionaires and billionaires own manufactured homes. If it is good enough for the wealthy, it should be good enough for those in the working class, middle class, or retirees too.

 

 

4) It is simply a truism that:

There is always more to know.

As MHVille and the world enter a new year, stay tuned to the industry’s documented runaway #1 source for more “News through the lens of factory-built homes and manufactured housing” ^©  and “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use”^© where “We Provide, You Decide.”^© This is the place for “Intelligence for your MHLife.” ^© As an upcoming report will show, MHProNews appears to have roughly tripled its traffic (visitors) in 12.2025 than in 12.2024. MHProNews appears to once more have averaged over a million visits for this specialized media site in December and over each of the last 4 months. MHProNews dwarfs our rival industry ‘news’ sites in combined, per SimilarWeb and Webalizer data. Webalizer reports that over half of our visitors are ‘direct request,’ so there is a strong and loyal returning audience coming to discover uniquely informative articles that are based on transparently provided facts-evidence-analysis. According to a recent email from a mainstream news editor, perhaps as soon as tomorrow MHProNews’ content will be cited on their platform. Stay tuned for updates on that and more.

Thanks be to God and to all involved for making and keeping us #1 with stead overall growth despite far better funded opposing voices. Transparently provided Facts-Evidence-Analysis (FEA) matters. ##

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statement of William C. “Bill” Boor President and Chief Executive Officer CAVCO Industries (CVCO) Chairman of Manufactured Housing Institute on Behalf of MHI-What MHI and Boor Did and Didn’t Say