News Reports: Housing news updates and reports for Manufactured Home and Modular Housing Industry professionals and investors. Business – daily fact checks, market reports, and analysis.
Fewer Americans are applying for mortgages. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey Wednesday for the week ending January 21, finding that a measure of mortgage loan application volume decreased 12.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the […]
Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey Read More
From North Carolina, Chapel Hill News featured a story on the development of Clayton’s i-house. The article says the home, originally unveiled in 2009, was the result of Kevin Clayton’s goal was to bring sustainable and energy-efficient housing to those who typically could not afford it. The i-house comes in
NC Paper Features I-House Read More
The Los Angeles Times ran a story this week about the developing recreational vehicle industry in China. According to the Times, China is hungry for the kind of recreational vehicles built in Southern California, and entrepreneur Winston Chung has struck a deal with Riverside-based MVP RV to export $5 billion
China Hungry for California-Style RV’s Read More
MHI held a conference call with 37 member state association executives and their staffs on Thursday, January 20. During the call, MHI staff discussed new Congressional membership of the House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee. Discussed were MHI actions related to the review and reform of Dodd-Frank
MHI Holds Conference Call with State Associations Read More
Industry members participated this week in a high-level briefing on Capitol Hill focused on high energy performance in manufactured and modular homes. Emanuel Levy, Systems Building Research Alliance, and Kevin Clayton, Clayton Homes, Inc., presented to a standing-room-only audience. Manufactured Housing Congressional Caucus co-chair Ken Calvert (R-CA) kicked off the
MHI Briefs Congress on Finance and Energy Issues for Manufactured Housing Read More
From Texas, the Seguin Gazette reports that a gas leak prompted a brief evacuation at a Cavco plant there. The report indicted a fork lift had hit an overhead gas line. Within 20 minutes, the gas was off and the workers returned.
Gas Leak Forces Evacuation at Cavco Plant Read More
Analysts are calling Obama’s State of the Union “business focused,” including proposals to aid small business and keep America competitive. The president proposed taking $30 billion repaid by Wall Street banks and using it to provide credit to community banks and small businesses. The president also proposed a new small
State of the Union “Business Focused” Read More
The first half of the year is the season for home shows, and 2011 is proving to be a milestone for those featuring manufactured housing. Following the successful Louisville Manufactured Housing Show in Kentucky, work is underway to bring the return of another event featuring the economy and innovations of
MHMSM.com Takes a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the 2011 Great Southwest Home Show Read More
The Dow was down for most of the day Tuesday, but managed to climb in the final hours to arrive nearly where it began, at 11,975—just 25 points away from the 12,000 mark. Several manufactured housing stocks, including Equity Lifestyle Properties and Cavco, managed to eke out gains of one
Dow Dives, Ends Flat Read More
Housingwire reports that two Texas Republicans, Reps. Jeb Hensarling and Randy Neugebauer, are on the front lines advocating the quick dismantling of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Last week, Neugebauer sent a letter telling Elizabeth Warren she is “tasked with executing a fatally flawed plan” as she forms the Consumer
Texas Republicans Push for Dismantling Fannie and Freddie Read More
Unlike the manufactured housing industry in the United States, the market for manufactured homes in Canada remains rather prosperous by comparison. A Canadian Manufactured Housing Institute (CMHI) report for the 3rd quarter of 2010 shows some 3,608 factory-built single-family homes were started in the third quarter, representing a 17 percent
Canada MH Market Remains Healthy Read More
Data through November, 2010 released today by Standard & Poor’s for its S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the leading measure of U.S. home prices, show a deceleration in the annual growth rates in 17 of the 20 MSAs and the 10- and 20-City Composites compared to what was reported for October 2010.
Housing Hits New Lows Read More
The “Sun Tunnel” that Lifestylist® Suzanne Felber spoke of last week during a report from the International Building Show appeared on a list of hot new home technology items provided by CNBC. The report says the Velux Sun Tunnel is a flexible tube that can deliver a small, round portal
“Sun Tunnel” Makes Another Press Appearance Read More
The Dow moved up more than 100 points today on anticipation of solid performance in several corporate reports. Manufactured housing and related stocks also generally performed well. Deer Valley closed up more than nine percent while Nobility Homes ended up more than seven percent. Walker and Dunlop, Drew Industries and
Dow Moves Toward 12,000 Mark Read More
The website SmarTrend recently compared several manufactured home builders with site builders on the basis of a measuring unit known as revenue per employee (RPE), finding the site builders outperforming manufactured home builders. SmarTrend says analysts use RPE as a measure to compare the productivity of companies in the same
Site Builders on Top in RPE Measure Read More
CNBC reports shares of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway were up nearly four percent in mid-day trading Monday after Barron’s suggested the company could pay its first dividend since Buffett took over in the mid-1960s. It’s also predicting Berkshire’s stock price could top its all-time high this year – that’s about
Berkshire Hathaway Could Set Share Price Record Read More
The New York Times reported Monday that since the government took over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, taxpayers have spent more than $160 million defending the mortgage finance companies in civil lawsuits. The companies produced an accounting revealing the information at the request of Congress. The newspaper says the bulk
Fannie and Freddie Pay out Millions to Defend Lawsuits Read More
Trulia.com released its latest Rent vs. Buy Index Monday, which found that it is more affordable to buy than to rent a two-bedroom home in 72 percent of America’s 50 largest cities. Meanwhile, a nation of renters has emerged as more Americans rent by choice or due to unforeseen financial
In Most Cities, Buying Still More Affordable Read More
From Canada, News 1130 reports that the City of Vancouver will start calling for submissions from architects and designers for a pilot project to get modular and affordable housing up and running. Officials told the reporter the city has a number of land holdings and is surveying locations for the
Vancouver to Call for Affordable Modular Designs Read More
From the Calgary Herald comes news that an Arizona manufactured home community is trying to lure Canadians with sunshine and sweet deals. The article notes for the past few weeks, the Canadian dollar has been at, just below or just above its American counterpart. The last time that happened, snowbirds
Arizona Community Looking to Lure Canadian Snowbirds Read More
