Manufactured and Modular Housing News

Potential Home Buyers Shift Attention to Holiday Shopping Read More

Potential Home Buyers Shift Attention to Holiday Shopping

By Matthew Silver / December 6, 2013 / Business, Economy, home buyers, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Trends

The number of people looking to buy a home in November dropped seven percent from October, but it was less than the 11 percent drop for the same period last year, according to what Redfin tells nationalmortgagenews. Meanwhile, eleven percent fewer people signed offers in Nov. over Oct., but an

Jobs Report Spurs Major Indexes and Tracked Housing Stocks Read More

Jobs Report Spurs Major Indexes and Tracked Housing Stocks

By Matthew Silver / December 6, 2013 / Business, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Stocks

The better-than-expected November jobs report spurred the Dow to gain nearly 200 points following a week of losses, even though it may mean tapering of the Federal Reserve’s stimulus activity. CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 198.69 points, +1.26 percent, to close at 16,020.20. The Nasdaq advanced +0.73

Beech St. Capital Refinances Manufactured Home Communities Read More

Beech St. Capital Refinances Manufactured Home Communities

By Matthew Silver / December 6, 2013 / Business, Company News, Finance, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Manufactured Homes

MHProNews has learned from cpexecutive.com Bethesda, Maryland-based Beech Street Capital has refinanced eight manufactured housing communities for $158 million through Fannie Mae. Chad Thomas Hagwood of Beech St. says, “The refinance has enabled Beech Street to provide affordable housing in relatively high-cost markets.” The seven-year, fixed-rate loans have a 10-year

Aussie Proposal would Hit Manufactured Home Communities Hard Read More

Aussie Proposal would Hit Manufactured Home Communities Hard

By Matthew Silver / December 6, 2013 / Communities, Legal, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Manufactured Homes

A proposal by the Austalian Tax Service to apply the ten percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) to manufactured home communities (MHCs) has residents of the communities up in arms, MHProNews has been informed. A ten percent increase at Sunstrip MHC in Blacksmiths would result in a $1000 a year

Modular Home Shipments up a Fraction Read More

Modular Home Shipments up a Fraction

By Matthew Silver / December 6, 2013 / Business, Factory-Built Homes, home buyers, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Manufactured Homes, Modular

The National Modular Housing Council (NMHC) reports 3,840 new modular homes were shipped in the third quarter of 2013, an increase of 0.8 percent from the same quarter in 2012. Compared to Q3 2012, 16 states showed increases in shipments for Q3 2013, 17 experienced decreases and one state had

Award-winning ENERGY STAR Program Includes Clayton Homes Read More

Award-winning ENERGY STAR Program Includes Clayton Homes

By Matthew Silver / December 6, 2013 / Awards, Business, Company News, home buyers, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Manufactured Homes, People

Clayton Homes participated in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA’s) ENERGY STAR Manufactured Homes pilot program, conceived to encourage more production of energy efficient homes by the manufactured housing industry and to motivate consumers to upgrade to ENERGY STAR qualification. The pilot program was awarded honorable mention by the American Council

Housing Markets Slowly Improving Read More

Housing Markets Slowly Improving

By Matthew Silver / December 6, 2013 / Advocacy, Business, Economy, home buyers, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Trends

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 54 of the 350 major metro markets returned to or exceeded their last normal levels of economic activity. Based on current permits, prices and employment data, LMI

Job Growth Spurs Mortgage Rates Read More

Job Growth Spurs Mortgage Rates

By Matthew Silver / December 5, 2013 / Business, Economy, home buyers, Manufactured and Modular Housing News

On the heels of ADP’s report that private companies added 215,000 jobs in November, the 30-year, fixed-rate loan, the most popular product for homebuyers, rose to 4.46% from 4.29% last week, according to CNNMoney. The average for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM), often used for refinancing higher interest mortgages, rose

Tracked Housing Stocks Close Mixed; Three Major Indexes Slide Read More

Tracked Housing Stocks Close Mixed; Three Major Indexes Slide

By Matthew Silver / December 5, 2013 / Business, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Stocks

The stock market fell for the fifth consecutive day as investors express concerns about the Federal Reserve paring down its bond-buying program despite good economic news. CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 68.26 points, -0.43 percent, to close at 15,821.51. The Nasdaq fell -0.12 percent, -4.83 points, to

New Final Rule Exempts Manufactured Homes Read More

New Final Rule Exempts Manufactured Homes

By Matthew Silver / December 5, 2013 / Advocacy, Finance, home buyers, Legal, Legislation, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Manufactured Homes

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) new consumer disclosure forms, called “Know Before You Owe,” that will take effect Aug. 1, 2015, is designed to give the borrower more control over the mortgage loan process as well as add transparency to the transaction. Paul Trepeta of the National Association of

Quick Assembly Modular from Australia Read More

Quick Assembly Modular from Australia

By Matthew Silver / December 5, 2013 / Business, Company News, Factory-Built Homes, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Modular

The SMART2 (Superfast Modular Affordable Robust Transportable) buildings by JAYZ Building Solutions of Melbourne, Australia were created to support affordable housing development, either as a permanent home, an addition to an existing structure or for workforce development sites requiring temporary housing. The Butterfly model can be folded out and installed

Rent Control Initiative on Calif. Ballot Read More

Rent Control Initiative on Calif. Ballot

By Matthew Silver / December 5, 2013 / Advocacy, Communities, Legal, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Manufactured Homes

A manufactured housing community (MHC) senior rent control initiative may become law when it goes on the ballot for voters to decide in Lakeport, California on the June 2014 referendum. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to put the measure to the people after the group, “Save our Seniors,” collected

55+ Modular Complex Rising in New York Read More

55+ Modular Complex Rising in New York

By Matthew Silver / December 5, 2013 / Business, Factory-Built Homes, home buyers, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Modular

A modular senor-living community is being built in western New York state overlooking Keuka Lake, according to chronicle-expess.com. The 15 single-family, single level residences, comprised of three quadplexes and one triplex, will each include two bedrooms, two baths, a fireplace, kitchen and laundry appliances, front porch, single attached garage and

Community Owners must Correct Violations Read More

Community Owners must Correct Violations

By Matthew Silver / December 5, 2013 / Business, Communities, Company News, Legal, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Manufactured Homes, mobile home, Zoning

Two manufactured housing communities (MHCs) in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin in the southeast corner of the state may lose their licenses to operate Dec. 31, 2013 unless they correct zoning and building violations. Westwood Estates Manufactured Housing Community must remove a pile of dirt and repair a stockade fence as conditions

Housing Stocks we Track Moved Under One Percent Up and Down Read More

Housing Stocks we Track Moved Under One Percent Up and Down

By Matthew Silver / December 4, 2013 / Business, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Stocks

Stocks were up and down during the trading day as investors tried to sort through positive economic reports and determine the direction the Federal Reserve will take, leaving the three major indexes mixed. CNNMoney reports the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 24.85 points, -0.16 percent, to close at 15,889.77. The

New Single-family Homes Spike in October Read More

New Single-family Homes Spike in October

By Matthew Silver / December 4, 2013 / Business, Economy, home buyers, Manufactured and Modular Housing News

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports data from the the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Census Bureau indicate sales of newly-built single-family homes rose 25.4 percent in October, following a drop in sales in Sept. of 6.6 percent. Both government reports were delayed by the

Algeco, Modular Workforce Provider, Acquires Chard Read More

Algeco, Modular Workforce Provider, Acquires Chard

By Matthew Silver / December 4, 2013 / Business, Canada, Company News, Factory-Built Homes, Manufactured and Modular Housing News, Modular

Algeco Scotsman announces the acquisition of Chard Camp Catering Service Ltd., a provider of remote modular workforce housing and catering services, by its subsidiary, Target Logistics. With significant space for future expansion to accommodate steam-assisted gravity drainage operations, Chard owns and operates a 278-bed workforce camp just south of Fort