“Pending home sales crept higher in May, ending a six-month streak of declines. However, year-over-year contract activity slid across the U.S.” So said the tweet, shown below, by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Where is the similar monthly and other public statements from the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI)? Missing, say MHI critics. While some similar data on manufactured housing that is provided to the general public by the NAR can be accessed for MHI members, that’s a limited group. By comparison, the much smaller and production focused Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) provides monthly reports to the public on their website. They have done so for years.
Pending home sales crept higher in May, ending a six-month streak of declines. However, year-over-year contract activity slid across the U.S. https://t.co/IXyoPQYGJg pic.twitter.com/T4TK4pCzZQ
— NAR Research (@NAR_Research) July 1, 2022
MHProNews editorially hereby challenges MHI to answer publicly to the Arlington, VA based trade group’s critics. The month of June has come and gone. Where was there any mention of National Home Ownership month by MHI? In what sense can they claim to represent “all segments” of the industry, when they don’t do what NAR or the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) do for their members in terms of promoting their housing option?
Here is another example of NAR research being publicized.
First-time buyers are still struggling to enter the market and represented 27% of buyers in May, down from 31% a year ago. Learn more about key market conditions in the latest REALTORS® Confidence Index. https://t.co/QHLBvEidce pic.twitter.com/GISUktztUX
— National Association of REALTORS® (@nardotrealtor) June 30, 2022
Here is another example.
Instant Reaction: Mortgage rates. June 30, 2022. pic.twitter.com/gNHpcO6tOp
— NAR Research (@NAR_Research) June 30, 2022
When left-leaning CNBC does a report, when was the last time that they cited MHI monthly data? Tweets by MHI? This is objective, factual, third-party evidence of just how weak MHI is at doing their own claimed job.
CNBC’s Diana Olick reports on a rise in housing supply and affordability.
Here are two more recent tweets by NAR.
Nationwide, NAR estimates that each home sale at the median generated about $113,000 of economic impact in 2021. See the impact in your state: https://t.co/Q1HieCCau1 pic.twitter.com/NLTbPo1db1
— National Association of REALTORS® (@nardotrealtor) June 29, 2022
“Contract signings are down sizably from a year ago because of much higher mortgage rates,” NAR’s Lawrence Yun said in a statement. via @CNNBusiness https://t.co/aR3Yy0GoVR
— NAR Research (@NAR_Research) June 29, 2022
So, NAR and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) are producing a steady diet of factual information, colorful and informative professional graphics, and tweets or other delivery methods to inform media, policy makers, the home owning and home seeking public. By contrast, notice that two of the tweets below from MHI have the same image. Back in 2018, in a series of tweets ‘thanking’ lawmakers, the featured images used by MHI were routinely the same. The contrast between the professionalism of conventional housing associations and that of MHI is apparent for those who look, or now, for those who read this article and see the facts and evidence for themselves.
Nor is the NAR or NAHB (see an example further below) afraid to take a shot politically at the administration holding office when the facts and policy provisions in place are harmful to their members interests. A recent example of that from the NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, Ph.D., is found in the report below.
A similar statement could be made about small-business focused trade groups, such as the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) or the Job Creators Network (JCN). Two recent linked reports provide examples. Thoughtful manufactured housing industry professionals who wonder why the industry is still operating at only about 1/3rd of the previous highwater mark of 1998 during an affordable housing crisis should compare their approach to MHI’s methodology.
It should be noted that somewhat similar to NAR or NAHB, the NFIB and JCN merit another embarrassing comparison for MHI – which is both a production and post-production or ‘umbrella’ trade group – and that is that they tweet regularly. Meanwhile, in stark contrast, MHI from one of their Twitter feeds hasn’t tweeted in years – see their @MHIUpdate Twitter account. Their second and apparently newer account since 2018 has only been lightly used, as will be illustrated by the screen shots further below.
MHI’s other Twitter account @MHIAction can be measured in how many tweets per year, while NAR may tweet more in a day or week than MHI has in some years.
- What does MHI’s communications and other professionals do with all their time?
- Where is there an internal and/or external accountability and performance study to measure MHI’s effectiveness or communications?
- Keep in mind that a relatively small number of dominating brands make up the MHI board of directors. It is they who hold sway, say MHI insiders and longtime observers.
Note that MHI’s ‘newer’ Twitter feed for June 2022 has ZERO tweets about National Home Ownership Month. The screen captures below from their Twitter feed reveal a paucity of engagement, despite their pledge some years back that they were and would robustly promote the manufactured housing industry. The evidence demonstrates that once MHI’s 2018 “momentum” campaign launched, the industry demonstrably went into a 2.5 year downturn. If that is the result of MHI’s handiwork, perhaps the industry should be happy that they aren’t doing ‘more’ ‘for’ the industry?
By contrast, NAHB and NAR are routinely and seemingly successfully overall at promoting their industry, including with relevant, new data or on the theme of National Home Ownership Month.
As the Federal Reserve tries to fight high inflation, costly mortgage rates have begun to price people out of the housing market.https://t.co/zcfAXQIIjP
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 30, 2022
On the latest podcast episode, NAHB Chief Lobbyist Jim Tobin welcomes Paul Lopez, SVP for Public Affairs and Communications, and Chief Economist @dietz_econ to discuss whether a #recession is on its way and the implications of an economic slowdown.https://t.co/M16RJDwEMz
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 27, 2022
Sky-high prices of #buildingmaterials in recent years can be attributed to intense demand and insufficient supply. But as interest rates rise, demand is beginning to soften. Will this mean material prices are finally on their way down? https://t.co/0tkWCn2Vct
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 27, 2022
After posting four consecutive monthly declines on rising mortgage rates and worsening affordability conditions, new home sales posted a solid gain in May as some buyers rushed into the market in advance of the Federal Reserve’s June interest rate hike. https://t.co/MYYgEzOjmC
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 24, 2022
New home prices continue to rise. Median price is up 15% year-over-year to $449K. Only 10% of new homes were priced below $300,000 in May. It was 23% a year ago. @NAHBhome
— Robert Dietz (@dietz_econ) June 24, 2022
NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter issued a statement after Reuters reported that @USTreasury Sec. Janet Yellen said the Biden administration will not cut tariffs on Canadian lumber to fight inflation. https://t.co/2DCEHCkcMM
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 22, 2022
The 2022 Innovative Housing Showcase on the National Mall featured more than a dozen exhibitors — including full-size prototype homes — that address #housingaffordability and resiliency, and emphasize energy efficiency and sustainability. https://t.co/8qsOhndvG5 #IHS2022
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 18, 2022
Current economic and policy data indicate a housing downturn is underway, and NAHB is forecasting a broader economic recession in 2023. Although this will not involve a financial crisis, it will mean rising unemployment and declines for the housing sector. https://t.co/I6rpv2fFEs
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 16, 2022
Total housing starts fell 14.4% in May to an annual rate of 1.549 million, 3.5% lower than May 2021. Single-family home starts dropped 9.2% last month to an annual rate of 1.05 million. #realestate #economicindicator pic.twitter.com/uLNiE0bQnx
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 16, 2022
Great piece on what NAHB has long said: Local zoning restrictions are perhaps the largest barrier to building the number of housing units this country needs. Local officials need to do a better job rebutting NIMBYs and we need to do a better job educating. https://t.co/aCdeSwpjJp
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 13, 2022
“Missing middle” home construction continued its lackluster trend in Q1 2022. This housing sector includes townhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily properties that can be built on lots typically zoned for single-family homes. https://t.co/KzRGhZ0Oc7 #realestate #zoning
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 6, 2022
“Missing middle” home construction continued its lackluster trend in Q1 2022. This housing sector includes townhouses, duplexes and other small multifamily properties that can be built on lots typically zoned for single-family homes. https://t.co/KzRGhZ0Oc7 #realestate #zoning
— NAHB (@NAHBhome) June 6, 2022
The above is just a sampling of some what NAHB has done to promote their business interests.
Compare that, or NAR’s, sampling – each a mere percentage – of their tweets with ALL of the MHI tweets shown above for 2020-to their year-to-date posts on Twitter for 2022. Note that none of them, including the one from June 2019, made a specific mention of June as National Home Ownership Month. How is that possible? Doesn’t that support the concern raised by an MHI affiliate that previously asserted that MHI was guilty of “association malpractice” in their performance? Doesn’t this underscore the reasons that some have previously broken ranks with MHI or still are discussing the launch of an MHI post-production alternative?
MHProNews takes the editorial view that MHI is in need of a formal performance audit.
Perhaps as or more important, some of their own members have quietly or openly broken or defied their messaging and claims, as has been noted above or is evidenced by the recent reports linked below.
Don’t miss today’s postscript. With no further adieu, here are the headlines for the week that was from 6.26.2022 to 7.3.2022.
What’s New and Recent on MHLivingNews
What’s New and Recent on the Masthead
The Latest from Washington, D.C. from the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform
“The ‘Woke’ War On Affordable Housing” MHARR – Issues and Perspectives, by Mark Weiss
What’s New on the Daily Business News on MHProNews
Saturday 7.2.2022
Friday 7.1.2022
Thursday 6.30.2022
Wednesday 6.29.2022
Tuesday 6.28.2022
Monday 6.27.2022
Sunday 6.26.2022
Postscript – More Facts, Editorially Commentary, and Analysis
The latest shots across the MHI bow by the Manufactured Housing Association for Regulatory Reform (MHARR) has buttressed the concerns raised by this publication that a serious downturn on the industry’s entry level production will result unless MHI seriously changes course. MHI has essentially admitted that in their own public statements. But the ‘response’ by MHI to these concerns as conveyed via email to their own members gives no hint that they will engage in litigation to stop the DOE rule.
Put differently, there is no obvious indication that MHI will do anything more than they currently have postured or signaled, no matter how feckless those MHI moves may prove to be.
Industry members of state associations, which are routinely MHI affiliates, or who are buying products from one of the big three producers should be asking their representatives, will they push for litigation by MHI to get the industry’s rights defended?
The evidence suggests that MHI is following their pattern on the destructive DOE Energy Rule that they have on Duty to Serve (DTS) or the enhanced preemption of manufactured housing made possible by the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000. Meaning, they have and will wring their hands and posture effort. But the net result of following that pattern will be harmful to the industry’s independents.
Perhaps one of the ‘backup plans’ should be to press the wave of GOP lawmakers that appear to be poised to retake Congress in the November midterm election on 11.8.2022. State and federal antitrust officials and elected officials should be made aware of the harm this is causing to the most affordable permanent homes sold in America today. There should be a serious exploration of MHI’s behavior as a tool of big brands that are deliberately deceiving smaller members in ways that benefit the larger brands while harming the smaller ones.
But, if MHI surprises and in fact makes a genuine (vs. fake) pivot on DOE, that sort of change should be cheered. Time will tell, and readers can count on MHProNews and our MHLivingNews sister site to provide the facts, evidence, and expert commentary that can help the industry’s white hats to navigate and plan in difficult times and treacherous waters.
Again, our thanks to free email subscribers and readers you, our tipsters/sources, and sponsors and God for making and keeping us the runaway number one source for authentic “News through the lens of manufactured homes and factory-built housing” © where “We Provide, You Decide.” © ## (Affordable housing, manufactured homes, 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.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and 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.
Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach
Related References:
The text/image boxes below are linked to other reports, which can be accessed by clicking on them.
