As we begin a new year, the word heard in manufactured housing circles is “cautious optimism.” Sure, there are some who think MH is dying, while others think we are going through a trying rebirth. There are those who think that depending upon what the industry does or fails to do we could go either …
Manufactured Housing News, Tips and Views – Jumping January 2015 Read More »
Sources tell MHProNews there are visible and not-yet-visible changes in process that relate to activities in Arlington, DC and manufactured housing in general. 1) Potentially billions from capital investors continues to pursue manufactured housing communities (MHCs), that’s not new. But what may become public knowledge in the next few months – that would signal a …
Literally Historic Changes are In Process In Manufactured Housing Read More »
Let's let each of these leader's voices speak on the subject of manufactured housing, then we'll share some implementation commentary. "Kevin, it seems to me that the problem with your industry is resale." – Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, parent to Clayton Homes, 21st Mortgage, etc.. "Pencil Head, it's not a trailer park." – Sam Zell, Equity Lifestyle …
Warren Buffett, Sam Zell and Legendary Quotes from Manufactured Housing Leaders Read More »
Saturday morning, February 2nd, a Forbes on Fox panelist predicted 25% growth in housing stocks in the next six months. One analyst gave a strong thumbs up for Berkshire Hathaway (BH), echoed by another analyst. Our readers know that BH is parent to Clayton Homes, other factory-home builders and a number of housing suppliers. Nor …
David Booth's lengthy tenure at the head of Clayton Homes retail division came to an official close at the 2012 Tunica Manufactured Housing Show. David demurred a photo op, and simply expressed looking forward to a well earned retirement. Kevin Clayton has personally taken over those duties. For those who wonder how that is possible …
David Booth, Kevin Clayton, Warren Buffett, Barack Obama and Associations Read More »
You don't have to be an economist to realize that the Christmas shopping season is off to a good start. My wife and I were among those millions who came to the pre-dawn (okay, midnight) Black Friday door buster blowouts. The line of shoppers waiting to check out in the middle of the …
Attention getting headlines vs. a true analysis. This sums up what many in the factory-built home world believe is the heart of the issue with the IBISWorld report on the ‘top ten dying industries’ in America. IBISWorld named manufactured home dealers as one of the top ten, and publications such as The Atlantic , Huffington …
Why Buffett Bets Against IBISWorld on Manufactured Homes Read More »
In our Friday edition of the Factory Built Housing Industry News at Noon, we featured stories from Canada and the United States, including our daily Market Watch report on manufactured housing stocks. My focus for this post is the part of the News at Noon that recapped the Wall Street Journal’s recent article on the …
The Wall Street Journal and the Manufactured Housing Industry Read More »
Elephants in the Room and Manufactured Housing
Warning: This blog post is not for the faint of heart or for those who think they can skim and get it all. As an Industry Pro, directly or indirectly, this impacts YOU every day.
In a recent conversation with George F. Allen, I mentioned a discussion topic that Finmark’s Dick Ernst and I shared in preparation for our INdustry in Focus interview with Dick about manufactured home financing. During that conversation, Mr. Ernst used the memorable phrase, “elephants in the room.” Specifically, we spoke about the challenges that lenders and home owners face when resale time comes. “That’s the elephant in the room, Tony, that we as an industry need to deal with.” was the gist of Dick’s revealing statement.
