On 2.24.2022 the MRSC published a study called “Manufactured Home Parks [MHPs] as a Local Source of Affordable Housing: A Case Study.” The Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) describes itself as “a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State.” While the data is location specific, there are no doubts implications for other cities and towns across America. More specifically, there are obvious implications for the manufactured housing industry, in this instance the manufactured home communities sector, because it was the specific focus of the study on affordable housing. A pull quote will serve to illustrate: “Although many local decision-makers and leaders acknowledge the value of manufactured homes, they often do not have a good understanding of MHPs within their communities or the perspectives of MHP residents.”

Another quotation is also relevant to grasp how this research report could ripple in waves through to localities in Washington state and beyond. It has both challenges as well as holds out opportunities for promising engagement.

“These are commonly situated in manufactured home parks (MHPs) and allow lower-income households to own or rent their residence at an affordable price while also attaining a sense of community and privacy that is often not found in mid-rise multi-family housing.”

Once someone digs into the details of the report, which MRSC’s snapshot and the entire report will be provided below, both the possible problems as well as the opportunities emerge. The image below is from the full BERK Consulting report, linked further below. Note it wasn’t referenced in the Kent post on MRSC.  That noted, it was one of several issues that merit attention from authentic, vs. ersatz, manufactured housing advocates. As our analysis further below will reflect, there are educational opportunities here, but only if experts that care about residents, millions of potential consumers, and robust industry growth engage and make the point that will be made further below.

Kent apparently commissioned the research to BERK Consulting.

BERK Consulting is described in the following terms: “Helping Communities and Organizations Create Their Best Futures” Founded in 1988, we are an interdisciplinary strategy and analysis firm providing integrated, creative and analytically rigorous approaches to complex policy and planning decisions. Our team of strategic planners, policy and financial analysts, economists, cartographers, information designers and facilitators work together to bring new ideas, clarity, and robust frameworks to the development of analytically-based and action-oriented plans.”

First, the MRSC report will be provided here under fair use guidelines. So will the download of the research document prepared by BERK Consulting. MHProNews will then provide Additional Information, and a “First Look” analysis and commentary in brief on one segment of the BERK findings. That segment holds both risks and opportunities for educational engagement. Further looks at their research are being considered for future reports and analysis either here or on ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com.

A focused check of Google, putting the search phrase into quotations to compel a refined result, yielded no results of engagement by the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) on this topic. While the MRSC’s post on this topic is fresh, the BERK document states it was published in April 2021. More than enough time for even MHI to weigh in, if they were so inclined.

But by way of comparison, MHI allowed approaching 4 years to publicize the seminal research by the National Association of Realtors Scholastica “Gay” Cororaton, CBE, on manufactured housing. That is not yet found on the MHI website, as of the date and time shown below.

With that backdrop, here is what MRSC had to say about the topline takeaways of the BERK Consulting research document.

MRSC – Manufactured Home Parks as a Local Source of Affordable Housing: A Case Study

February 24, 2022 by Justin Sharer, Steve Butler
Category: Housing

One important source of affordable housing in many communities is manufactured housing (formerly referred to as ‘mobile homes’). These are commonly situated in manufactured home parks (MHPs) and allow lower-income households to own or rent their residence at an affordable price while also attaining a sense of community and privacy that is often not found in mid-rise multi-family housing. Although many local decision-makers and leaders acknowledge the value of manufactured homes, they often do not have a good understanding of MHPs within their communities or the perspectives of MHP residents.

Manufactured housing also presents a particular challenges for residents — even though a person may own their residence, they are still a tenant of the MHP. This creates a unique real estate situation where a tenant’s housing security is dependent on forces outside their control: A MHP owner may decide to close or convert their property to another use and the tenant is left scrambling because it is expensive to move their housing unit and/or local zoning codes limit the locations to where those manufactured homes may be relocated.

The City of Kent has a relatively large number of people living in MHPs. In April 2021, the city completed a Manufactured Home Park Preservation Study that sought to “support the City’s future policymaking for MHPs including strategies to preserve MHPs where they provide quality, safe, affordable housing for Kent’s residents,” due in part to the affordable housing challenges facing communities throughout the entire state.

The Kent MHP study contains eight key findings:

There are a wide range of conditions at Kent’s MHPs.

Many manufactured and mobile homes in Kent need repairs and upgrades to modern safety standards.

MHP tenants include a diverse range of household types.

MHPs fill an important, affordable niche between apartments and single-family housing.

Some MHPs have professional third-party management with active oversight and higher levels of service, while management in others is largely absent and/or difficult to contact.

MHP communities can be supported through local regulations, tenant supportive services, and investments in site conditions.

Resident resources, misaligned owner incentives, and dated infrastructure serve as barriers to needed park improvements.

MHPs located in higher density zones can be sold for other uses. When this happens, residents need supportive services to avoid the worst impacts from displacement.

The Kent MHP study offers an approach and methodology that could be used by other local governments wanting to learn more about how MHPs provide housing options within their community. Although the structure of this blog isn’t directly aligned with the outline of the Kent study, the eight findings above are discernable in each of the sections below.

An Overview of Kent’s Study

Kent’s study has a replicable approach that can be broken down into the following components, with each component containing parts of the corresponding eight findings mentioned above:

A review of current MHP conditions (addresses key findings 1-4);

MHP ownership/management considerations (addresses key finding 5);

Support options for MHP residents (addresses key findings 6 and 8);

Barriers to needed improvements (addresses key finding 7); and

Recommendations.

The study’s results are presented in an easily understandable format due to an effective use of data visualization and quantitative measures.

A. Current conditions of Kent’s MHPs

In this section, Kent describes the approach to their MHP rating system, provides a breakdown of the site conditions for each MHP in the community (including resident feedback on home conditions and the age breakdown of mobile/manufactured homes in each community), and analyzes other demographic and socio-economic factors.

Here are a few of Kent’s key findings in this section:

Many manufactured homes need repairs and upgrades to meet current safety standards.

MHP communities include a diverse range of tenants, such as families with children, older adults, low- or fixed-income households, and Spanish-speaking households.

MHP monthly costs are often lower than apartment rent, but there exists an inconsistent price-to-quality relationship for MHPs.

A large portion of MHPs in Kent contain a majority of manufactured/mobile home units that predate the 1976 HUD standards (these older “mobile homes” are very difficult to relocate, due primarily to their structural condition and a fairly common restriction against older units being able to relocate to another MHP).

B. Ownership/Management considerations

In order to know how to best help or improve upon the conditions of a MHP, it is important to be aware of the ownership and management of each, since the owners are accountable for maintaining common areas and keeping them clean, exterminating pests, maintaining utilities, keeping roads in good condition, and obeying other applicable codes, ordinances, statutes, and regulations (see RCW 59.20).

Key findings in this section of Kent’s study include:

Tenants most often look to park managers for assistance;

Kent’s mechanisms for owner accountability are their municipal code standards, state laws regulating manufactured/mobile homes, and lease contracts; and

The most commonly reported “significant” or “moderate” challenges Kent MHPs face according to owners and managers were environmental issues, stormwater/drainage, and neighboring land uses.

C. Options for supporting existing MHP communities and tenants

There are several ways that a local government can support and encourage the continuation of MHP communities. Kent’s study identified the primary support options as being:

Specific MHP zoning and land use designations (for example, see Kent Municipal Code Ch. 12.05 on Mobile Home Parks);

“Home condition improvement” programs that provide funds and labor to make necessary repairs and upgrades — including modification assistance for senior households and disabled households — as well as programs that provide financing to help homeowners make necessary repairs and upgrades to their mobile homes; and

Enforcement of existing MHP regulations and standards.

Kent’s study also focuses on the challenging issue of displacement. When a MHP closes or is sold there are a wide range of adverse effects on MHP tenants, especially those who own older mobile homes that cannot be moved (due to age or poor condition) to another MHP. Some good examples of support options addressing MHP closure and tenant displacement that the City of Kent already uses are to:

Require owners to notify tenants of an impending MHP sale/closure (see Kent Municipal Code Ch. 12.05.320),

Provide relocation assistance for homeowners (RCW 59.21.120 and RCW 59.18.440), and

Provide legal/mediation/resolution assistance that helps to minimize hardships.

See Kent’s Housing Resources webpage for more details.

D. Barriers to needed MHP improvements

The study analyzed findings from the previous three sections to identify the major obstacles MHPs face in being able to make necessary infrastructure improvements, including:

Limited financial resources of homeowners,

Rents rising faster than the incomes of MHP residents,

Lack of incentives for MHP owners to invest in needed improvements, and

Inadequate site configurations and insufficiency of park systems.

The study makes the following observation about the lack of investment in infrastructure:

The lack of maintenance overhead required in comparison to the demands of an apartment building is one of the attractive traits of MHPs as an investment opportunity. Owners collect rent from tenants, enjoy land appreciation at the time of sale, and can keep a minimal operating budget.

The study also goes into detail on how an MHP can be inadequately configured to meet current needs:

The size of individual manufactured housing units has expanded over time, but lot sizes in older parks have not changed. In Kent, the result is that many parks have homes that are larger than the original platting was intended to accommodate, which reduces the required separation between units.

E. Study recommendations

The last section in Kent’s study provides substantive recommendations that tie together the overall goal to “support the City’s future policymaking for MHPs including strategies to preserve MHPs where they provide quality, safe, affordable housing for Kent’s residents.” Some of the major recommendations include:

Support best practices in park management,

Protect tenant’s rights and manufactured homeowner equity,

Encourage MHP homeowner participation in home repair programs,

Implement a “rolling inspection” program,

Improve the level of municipal services for the city’s MHPs,

Reduce hardship to residents when parks close, and

Support resident, nonprofit, or local housing authority purchase of MHPs.

The study offers more details about these recommendations.

Conclusion

A key finding of Kent’s study is that “manufactured home parks fill an important, affordable niche between apartments and single-family housing.” This is evident in Exhibit 10, taken from the study and included below, which shows that affordability, privacy, and a sense of ownership are key reasons why current Kent MHP residents enjoy living in mobile homes.

 

 

Kent’s MHP study sets a solid foundation for future planning and decision-making by analyzing the current conditions of the MHPs, undertaking relevant stakeholder engagement, and being cognizant of what the city is currently doing and what obstacles may be in its way for future actions. The city will be utilizing these study results when undertaking an upcoming major update (i.e., periodic update) to its comprehensive plan, as required for all GMA-planning local governments.

The Kent study also serves as a useful model for other local governments to consider when assessing its housing needs, especially those interested in retaining existing MHPs as a valuable affordable housing option. A future MRSC blog post will focus on how some local governments in Washington State are using MHP zones to encourage the continued existence of MHPs in their communities.

Other Resources

Here are additional resources on MHP policies and regulations:

Grounded Solutions Network: Promoting Infrastructure Maintenance in Manufactured Housing Communities (2016) — This document is intended to help local decision makers identify strategies for improving infrastructure in private, investor-owned manufactured housing communities in order to preserve and enhance these critical community assets.

Manufactured Housing in Minnesota: Overview and Policy Challenges (2008) — The purpose of this study, which uses a descriptive research process, is to compare and contrast manufactured housing and site-built housing and to gain a better understanding of the policies surrounding manufactured housing in Minnesota. ##

 

The MRSC report concludes with the bios of authors Justin Sharer and Steve Butler.  Note they referenced research in 2008 from Minnesota. More recent bipartisan research from that state is found in the report at the link below.

The full downloadable BERK Consulting research document that inspired this analysis above is found further below.

 

Additional Information, more MHProNews Analysis and Commentary

As noted, BERK Consulting produced this research. They describe themselves in the following terms: “Helping Communities and Organizations Create Their Best Futures” Founded in 1988, we are an interdisciplinary strategy and analysis firm providing integrated, creative and analytically rigorous approaches to complex policy and planning decisions. Our team of strategic planners, policy and financial analysts, economists, cartographers, information designers and facilitators work together to bring new ideas, clarity, and robust frameworks to the development of analytically-based and action-oriented plans.”

Some of the items that didn’t make the top lines from MRSC are these.

The word “government” appears only twice in the Berk report. Both are in this paragraph.

“For MHPS, the overlapping landowner and homeowner interests and overlapping federal, state, and city regulations have created confusion over regulatory authority and responsibility. The insular nature of many MHP communities, distrust of government, and the belief that city governments are an antagonist of MHP housing prevent MHP tenants and manufactured homeowners from calling on their local cities for assistance.”

The term “Manufactured Housing Institute” isn’t found at all. Two other sources are cited by MRSC, not MHI, as a ‘resource.’

The Berk study merits additional investigation for several reasons. The first exhibit, which was shown above, is once more presented below for clarity on an issue that this report brings forward. It has to do with perceptions of manufactured home quality.

One is highlighted by the addition of arrows below in the graphics shown above and below.

• Note that the graphic below is reflective of mobile and/or manufactured home communities that reported a higher level of reported problems and concerns shown in Exhibit 7. Notice that MHProNews will provide this same image with colored arrows added. The reason for that will be made clear further below.

 

• The second graphic represents an MHProNews analysis that is superimposed on the Berk exhibit with either yellow or orange arrows.

• The orange arrows represent communities that do not appear at all on the list of communities with the most reported problems. These are communities that from their own data suggest that they are routinely composed of post-HUD Code manufactured homes.
• The yellow arrows represent communities that do appear on the list and have HUD Code manufactured homes.

Another area that merits exploration is illustrated by these pull quotes.

“The study does not address options to encourage the development of new MHPs.^[1]”

In footnote #22) “Barriers to development of new MHPs is available in Commerce 2020.”

[1] Barriers to development of new MHPs is available in Commerce 2020.

Taking their data at face value, MRSC’s publication of Kent’s BERK Consulting research – linked here as a download – merits attention as well as more fisking.  Some of it seems fine, and some of it arguably could have used additional manufactured housing expertise before publishing their findings.

As a closing thought, there is value to having outsiders looking in at manufactured housing. But prior to publishing, researchers who want the best possible end product should seek expert eyes to review their report pre-publication. Feedback from an expert could then be used to refine the final research document. Something similar is what occurred when MHProNews and MHARR engaged with Scholastica “Gay” Cororaton on their initial research document on the manufactured housing market. To her and NAR’s credit, they made every requested correction, and then republished the entire issue that Gay’s report was published in. She further noted that in her footnote number 1.

For more on third-party manufactured housing data research, see the reports linked below.

Next up is our daily business news recap of yesterday evening’s market report, related left-right headlines, and manufactured housing connected equities.

The Business Daily Manufactured Home Industry Connected Stock Market Updates.  Plus, Market Moving Left leaning CNN and Right-leaning (Newsmax) Headlines Snapshot. While the layout of this daily business report has been evolving over time, several elements of the basic concepts used previously are still the same. For instance. The headlines that follow below can be reviewed at a glance to save time while providing insights across the left-right media divide. Additionally, those headlines often provide clues as to possible ‘market-moving’ news items.

 

Market Indicator Closing Summaries – Yahoo Finance Closing Tickers on MHProNews…

Headlines from left-of-center CNN Business – from the evening of 2.25.2022

• Russia open to talks
• The New York Stock Exchange is seen in New York, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. U.S.
• Dow has stages in one day and is now flat for the week
• Corporations: These international companies have the most to lose from Russia’s attack
• Oligarchs: Russian billionaires lost nearly $40 billion in stock market rout
• Wall Street: Why sanctions against Russia worry investors
• List: These are the global sanctions on Russia
• ‘Last resort:’ The West could still kick Russia out of SWIFT
• FCC: Agency probes media and telecom sector for Russia ownership ties
• Tech: Russia moves to ‘partially restrict’ Facebook access
• Gas: When will you see $4 a gallon in your state?
• China: Lifts restrictions on Russian wheat imports
• Energy: Oil traders are shunning Russian crude. Here’s why
• Travel: British Airways cancels Moscow flights as Russia retaliates over Aeroflot ban
• At home: Why the Russian invasion will have huge economic consequences for American families
• Inflation: Russia’s attack means these prices are going even higher
• Watch: Biden announces new sanctions against Russia
• Analysis: Americans are not being well served in Ukraine coverage
• A Foot Locker store on August 02, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois.
• Foot Locker says its sales will plummet this year. Blame Nike
• Elon Musk and brother reportedly face insider trading probe
• The Black homeownership rate is lower than it was a decade ago
• This key measure of inflation climbed at the fastest pace since 1982 last month
• Instacart desperately needed them once. Now some workers say they are struggling to get orders
• Burger King’s largest franchise cuts chicken nugget count as prices surge
• Labor shortage could lead to a recession in 2023
• Jobless claims haven’t been this low since 1970
• The race for talent: Now job offers can come within days
• Parents are desperate after baby formula recall wipes out supply
• Random braking in Honda Accord and CR-V under investigation
• How a battery shortage could threaten US national security
• Economist: Market is overestimating Fed’s rate hike plans
• Your delivery orders are making restaurants mad. Now they’re fighting back
• CRYPTO
• A picture taken on December 3, 2020, shows the world trade centre (R) and the skyline of the Bahraini capital Manama. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)
• The Middle East already has a crypto hub, and it’s not Dubai
• Bitcoin price falls after Russia attacks Ukraine
• How cryptocurrencies could trigger a financial crisis
• Feds seize $3.6 billion in stolen cryptocurrency
• Welcome to the crypto Super Bowl
• LABOR SHORTAGE
• A 'help wanted' sign is posted in front of restaurant on February 4, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
• Here’s why a whole group of men is being overlooked in the workforce
• Return-to-office could mean even more resignations
• United Airlines has an answer to the pilot shortage
• Home Depot could have a next-day job offer for applicants
• Forget Great Resignation. It’s the Great Upgrade

Headlines from right-of-center Newsmax – evening of 2.25.2022

• US to Levy Sanctions on Putin Personally
• Russian Invasion of Ukraine
• Kyiv Mayor: ‘Difficult Night’ Ahead
• US Asked China to Help With Russia; Intel Instead Given to Kremlin
• Ukraine Asks NATO for No-Fly Zone Over Airspace
• Latvian Official: EU OKs Asset Freeze That Includes Putin
• Russia to Restrict Facebook Access for ‘Censoring’ Its Media
• Space Station Faces Challenges Following Ukraine Invasion
• Zelenskyy to EU: ‘Might Be the Last Time You See Me Alive’
• Ex-Ukraine President Poroshenko Joins Forces Defending Kyiv
• Departing From Protocol, Pope Goes to Russian Embassy
• Russia Says It Captures Aerodrome Northwest of Kyiv
• More Russian Invasion of Ukraine
• Newsmax TV
• Burchett: US Can Bankrupt Russia by Resuming Oil Production
• Fallon to Newsmax: Putin a ‘Megalomaniac’ Who Could Kill Thousands | video
• Reschenthaler: Biden’s Sanctions Too Little, Too Late | video
• Pat Fallon: ‘Look at the Pattern,’ Putin Was Contained Under Trump | video
• Mullin: Biden Changed Narrative on Reason for Russia Sanctions | video
• AG: Biden Intentionally Undermining Law | video
• Graham: ‘Isolate’ Putin like a COVID Case | video
• Buck: Congress Would Be ‘Sympathetic’ to Defense Budget Hike | video
• More Newsmax TV
• Newsfront
• RNC Chief McDaniel Rips Biden’s SCOTUS Pick
• Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel is blasting President Joe Biden’s nomination of federal appeals court Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court…. [Full Story]
• Related Stories
• Biden to Nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court
• Kyiv Mayor Warns of ‘Difficult Night’ with Russian Troops ‘Very Close’ to City
• The mayor of Ukraine’s capital city Kyiv on Friday warned that [Full Story]
• DeSantis Hits Democrats, COVID Restrictions in CPAC Speech
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis heavily criticized Democrats and the safety [Full Story]
• Related
• Marco Rubio to CPAC: Americans Should Learn From ‘Inspiring’ Ukrainians
• Official: CPAC Death Penalty Debate Shows Conservative Opposition Growing
• Ted Cruz Tells CPAC: ‘Don’t Ever Apologize to the Woke Mob’ |video
• Hawley to CPAC: Biden Makes US ‘Subservient’ to Russia, China, Enemies |video
• Report: US to Levy Sanctions on Putin Personally
• The U.S. is planning to levy a new set of sanctions aimed more [Full Story]
• New U.S. COVID Guidelines Allow Most Americans to Go Mask-free Indoors
• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday [Full Story]
• Related
• New York City Ends Outdoor Mask Mandate for Public Schools
• China Could View Russia’s Ukraine Invasion as Test for Taiwan Battle
• With the eyes of the world trained on the Russian invasion of [Full Story] | Platinum Article
• Robust Consumer Spending, Core Capital Goods Orders Showcase US Economic Strength
• S. consumer spending increased more than expected in January, [Full Story]
• White House Hosts Roundtable Focusing on Climate Denialism
• As Russian troops advanced on Ukrainian cities Thursday, the White [Full Story]
• Sally Kellerman, Oscar-Nominated ‘M*A*S*H’ Actress, Dead at 84
• Sally Kellerman, the Oscar-nominated actress known for her role as [Full Story]
• Hillary Clinton: Sanctions Against Russia Will Take Time
• Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday morning said it [Full Story]
• Rick Scott: US Must Do More for Ukraine
• Rick Scott, R-Fla., said the U.S. must focus on crippling the [Full Story]
• Sasse: US Needs to Provide Intel So Ukrainians Can ‘Kill’ the Russians
• Ben Sasse, R-Neb., called on the U.S. to provide further [Full Story]
• Key Inflation Gauge Hit 6.1 Percent in January, Highest Since 1982
• An inflation gauge that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve [Full Story]
• Bird Flu Sweeping Through Poultry in Eastern US
• Mass cullings have been implemented as a highly contagious form of [Full Story]
• AP Source: Oklahoma GOP Sen. Inhofe to Announce Retirement
• Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe plans to announce soon that he will retire [Full Story]
• Trump National Security Adviser: Biden to Blame for Russia’s Power Play
• President Joe Biden is to blame for Russia’s power play because he [Full Story]
• Rubio Predicts Kyiv Offensive, ‘Depravity Not Seen in 80 Years’
• Russia might have been surprised at the resistance of the Ukraine [Full Story]
• Poll: 56 Percent Say Biden’s Response to Russia Not Tough Enough
• A Fox News poll conducted a day before the Russian invasion of [Full Story]
• Zelenskyy: Other Countries ‘Afraid’ to Support Ukraine’s Accession to NATO
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zeleneskyy on Thursday said others were [Full Story]
• Russian Conductor With Ties to Putin Released From US Concert Tour
• On the eve of the Vienna Philharmonic’s U.S. tour, The Associated [Full Story]
• McMaster: ‘Could Be Beginning of End’ for ‘Overextended’ Putin
• Russian President Vladimir Putin is overextending his military by [Full Story]
• Texas High Court Questions Clinics’ Abortion Law Challenge
• Justices on Texas’s high court on Thursday sharply questioned whether [Full Story]
• J&J, Distributors Finalize $26B Landmark Opioid Settlement
• Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors finalized [Full Story]
• Are China, Russia Forming New ‘Axis of Evil’?
• A burgeoning alliance between two of America’s greatest geopolitical [Full Story] | Platinum Article
• Biden’s Ukraine Policy Could Cause NATO War With Russia
• The response by President Joe Biden and NATO to Russia’s invasion of [Full Story] | Platinum Article
• Taiwan will join “democratic countries” in putting sanctions on [Full Story]
• Report: Elon Musk, Brother Probed in US Over Stock Trades
• US market regulators are probing whether Tesla boss Elon Musk and his [Full Story]
• Roger Stone Sues Lawmakers Probing Jan. 6 Riot
• Republican political operative and Donald Trump ally Roger Stone on [Full Story]
• Airline Industry Shifts Attention to Russia Risks After Ukraine Closure
• Alaska’s Anchorage Airport said airlines have started making [Full Story]
• Twitter, Facebook Mum on Allowing Russian Officials to Use Platforms
• Social media entities are refusing to comment on permitting Russian [Full Story]
• Biden Has Reportedly Decided on His US Supreme Court Choice
• President Joe Biden has decided on his choice for the U.S. Supreme [Full Story]
• Why People with Breathing Problems Are Ditching Their Inhalers for This
• Finance
• Some Investors Wary of ‘Buying the Dip’ as Ukraine, Fed Gyrate Stocks
• S. stocks are drawing buyers after a recent tumble, but some investors believe buying the dip this time may be a far riskier bet than in the past…. [Full Story]
• US Largest Pension Funds CalPERS, CalSTRS Exposed to Russian Assets
• Inflation Hitting Your Wallet Everywhere, Including Your 401(k)
• Stocks Up, Fear Down on Wall Street Despite Ukraine Invasion
• SEC Investigating Goldman Sachs Employee Communications
• More Finance
• Health
• Life May Actually Flash Before Your Eyes at Death: Study
• The notion that at the time of death, life “flashes before your eyes” has been a cultural expression featured in many forms of literature and film. However, new research shows that brain activity does continue after the heart stops, giving hope that at the time of passing,…… [Full Story]
• How Wearing Headphones Changes a Listener’s Perceptions
• New Transplant Therapy Could Be a Cure for Type 1 Diabetes
• Serious Food Allergies Can Begin in Adulthood
• Pet Ownership Slows Age-Related Cognitive Decline

 

MHProNews has pioneered in our profession several reporting elements that keep our regular and attentive readers as arguably the best informed in the manufactured housing industry. Among the items shared after ‘every business day’ (when markets are open) is our left-right headline recap summary. At a glance in two to three minutes, key ‘market moving’ news items are covered from left-of-center CNN Business and right-of-center Newsmax. “We Provide, You Decide.” ^© Additionally, MHProNews provides expert commentary and analysis on the issues that others can’t or won’t cover that help explain why manufactured housing has been underperforming during the Berkshire era while an affordable housing crisis and hundreds of thousands of homeless in America rages on. These are “Industry News, Tips, and Views Pros Can Use” ^© features and others made and kept us the runaway #1 in manufactured housing trade publisher for a dozen years and counting. 

 

Manufactured Housing Industry Investments Connected Equities Closing Tickers

Some of these firms invest in manufactured housing, or are otherwise connected, but may do other forms of investing or business activities too.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • NOTE: The chart below includes the Canadian stock, ECN, which purchased Triad Financial Services, a manufactured home industry lender
                          • NOTE: Drew changed its name and trading symbol at the end of 2016 to Lippert (LCII).
                          • NOTE: Deer Valley was largely taken private, say company insiders in a message to MHProNews on 12.15.2020, but there are still some outstanding shares of  the stock from the days when it was a publicly traded firm.  Thus, there is still periodic activity on DVLY.

Manufactured Home Communities (a.k.a. ‘Mobile Home Parks’ – SIC) – Exploring UMH Properties; Fellow Manufactured Housing Institute Member Yes! Communities Suits and Settlements; plus MH Markets Updates

Clayton-21st Storm Watch – Sinatra’s Summer Wind Blows Early? – Manufactured Housing Moat Breach – Manufactured Home Values Increasing Faster than Site-Built – Case for Something New in 2022

• 

  

  • 2022 …Berkshire Hathaway is the parent company to Clayton Homes, 21^st Mortgage, Vanderbilt Mortgage and other factory-built housing industry suppliers.
    · LCI Industries, Patrick, UFPI, and LP each are suppliers to the manufactured housing industry, among others.
    · AMG, CG, and TAVFX have investments in manufactured housing related businesses. For insights from third-parties and clients about our publisher, click here.
    Enjoy these ‘blast from the past’ comments. MHProNews. MHProNews – previously a.k.a. MHMSM.com – has celebrated our 11th year of publishing and have completed over a dozen years of serving the industry as the runaway most-read trade media.

Sample Kudos over the years…

It is now 12+ years and counting…

Learn more about our evolutionary journey as the industry’s leading trade media, at the report linked below.

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That’s a wrap on this installment of “News Through the Lens of Manufactured Homes and Factory-Built Housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, stock, investing, data, metrics, reports, fact-checks, analysis, and commentary. Third-party images or content are provided under fair use guidelines for media.) (See Related Reports, further below. Text/image boxes often are hot-linked to other reports that can be access by clicking on them.)

By L.A. “Tony” Kovach – for MHProNews.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship along with numerous awards in history. There have been several awards and honors and also recognition in manufactured housing. For example, he earned the prestigious Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member and co-founder of LifeStyle Factory Homes, LLC, the parent company to MHProNews, and MHLivingNews.com. This article reflects the LLC’s and/or the writer’s position and may or may not reflect the views of sponsors or supporters.