MHVille feedback on the news that officials with the GSEs at Freddie and Fannie are telling MHProNews.com that they have no interest in doing chattel lending to fulfill the Duty to Serve mandate of HERA 2008 continues to come in.

As MHPros know, this is far from the only financing or regulatory hurdle that the industry faces.

• HUD’s new on-site completion rule and other ominous steps from HUD,
• local zoning battles,
• DOE,
• CFPB,
• in some jurisdictions, rent control on MHCs and

a growing alphabet soup of regulators that seem bent on blunting manufactured housing’s 6 year recovery.

Opening, Closing and Consolidations

The good news of plant expansions or HUD code production facilitates being opened has to be balanced out by the reality that some modular and manufactured home builders are still struggling, or in some cases, closing down. In every aspect of manufactured housing, but perhaps most notably in the communities space, more consolidations are taking place.

Are mom and pop independents being marginalized by the growing maze of regulatory, finance and other pressures?

Pro-active steps need to be taken by those whose interests are being the most impacted.

While activity at the national level in DC metro based associations continues, is there something MHPros can hang their hats on for relief from the pressures coming from HUD, CFPB, DOE, etc.?

Don’t get me wrong, we along side and in support of MH pros – state associations and their members – plus others who want to see regulatory relief continue to work. But is there any substantive progress to report?

The CFPB is seemingly thumbing their nose at manufactured housing.

We have strategic and tactical thoughts on this matter, but are keen to hear from others in the trenches before we roll those options out.

We’ll close on the good news, which is that MH shipments – the sales of new homes – continues to rise. But make no mistake, we can and should be doing far more that we currently are.

Its that combination of encouraging results and pressing for more that should keep MHPros eyes focused on the prize of ever greater results for a public that needs precisely what we collectively as industry professionals offer. ##

L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach
Publisher of www.MHLivingNews.com

and www.MHProNews.com.

Video, Websites, Contract Marketing & Sales Training,

Consulting, Speaking. 

www.MHC-MD.com |www.LATonyKovach.com

Office 863-213-4090 |