The Masthead

Next week, we will launch our new March issue.  It will feature a number of various perspectives on manufactured housing associations.  You either are or are not a member of an association.  Either way, you have a perspective, and you may find the commentary and discussion eye opening.  Two other MH CONSORTIUM publishers sparked this discussion.  While our one March issue on this subject won’t bring closure, it will bring more to light from the varying perspectives.

Sometimes when ideas clash, the sparks can shed light.

As we move from sparks and vigorous discussion, we may also see apathy.  An industry leader spoke to me this past week about apathy in manufactured housing circles.  Dictionary.com says this about apathy:

ap·a·thy  (noun)

1. absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.
2. lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting.

There are many possible reasons for apathy.  One may be a feeling of powerlessness.  A person may feel they don’t have a voice or a say.  It may be fear or the paralysis of over analysis.  Lacking the federal funding for a study of all who are ‘apathetic,’ let’s just say that apathy has roots.  It is worth noting that some may seem apathetic, but are not engaged for other reasons that may not be obvious.

Apathy is a choice, just as action is a choice.

Let’s return for a few moments to the clash of ideas.

Part of the vision for the free press in America was this notion. By presenting ideas and then candidly discussing them in the public square, possible solutions could be found.  It was the notion that the clash of ideas, respectfully discussed, could bring clarity to a subject. In the study of the Good to Great companies, we saw that vigorous discussion and debate often lead to clarity and success.

This ideal of the free press has never been fully realized.  But the potential for making the free press a way to spark and engage public discussion is now more real than ever!

With the Internet and the ability to post reasonable comments – or write directly to the editor for your own guest column – makes it possible.  This Manufactured Housing news and views media platform – MHMSM.com – can be one of the ways that you or others you know can sound off.

This is also a way for your voice and others to be heard.

Through vigorous discussion – in that clash of ideas done with mutual respect – solutions can come to light.  So I applaud those who take the time to sound off intelligently and respectfully.   We also must understand that those who sit quietly on the sidelines do so for a reason.

A very bright and successful professional shared with me the idea of KYP.  KYP is short for Know Your Prospect.  If you research your prospect, if you truly understand and know them, then you can craft an invitation and an offer that will appeal to them.  More to the point, if you know your prospect, you can better deliver what they need, want and can afford.

Research is thus important in the Know Your Prospect process.

We have a great product in manufactured homes.  Land lease communities can offer great value that needs to be better presented.  Many believe factory built homes ought to be front page news and in broadcasts or on cable from coast to coast.  Factory building is far more accepted, another caller told me last week, in Europe or Japan than in the U.S. Our recent article on factory built homes in Canada should make us realize that we have work to do here in the U.S. that will enhance our acceptance in the housing market place.

We can and should be able to do much better than we have been.

Last year at the International Networking Roundtable in Phoenix, Randy Rowe presented his five point plan for manufactured housing industry recovery.  We will be looking at that plan, because it deserves more attention.  We need to share ideas and engage each other so that the best ideas can come to the surface. We can through KYP advance our cause in the marketplace.

A great place for Industry pros to test ideas and products is at Public Days in two upcoming shows. The 2011 Great Southwest Home Show in Tulsa, OK and HOMExpo 2011 in York, PA will feature Industry Trade Days followed by Public Days.  This is smart!

Imagine being a retailer who has a home they bought from the factory that is on display during Public Days.  You have a crowd.  They are there by choice!  They see these nicely-displayed model homes.  You have the energy of large numbers shopping.  Prospects can not only give you valuable feedback, but one or more may buy or apply for what you have on the spot!

This is not a theory, but a reality.  See our photo gallery from last year’s Great Southwest Home Show.  Retailers there sold homes on the spot, some for cash.  Other retailers reported selling homes days, weeks and months later to people who shopped their homes during Public Days! You can also click on the HOMExpo 2011 page to see crowds walking around the homes in York, where no doubt the same thing happened.

Our Industry sells quality, energy efficient, appealing and affordable homes.  Showing those homes to the public with all the excitement of Public Days is a big reason to attend and support the Trade Days portion of events like these.

What ties all these subjects together in this blog post today?

Associations are making these Industry Trade Days followed by Public Days events happen.

So Associations can make KYP – knowing your prospect – easier and more effective.

Associations can help make plans like Randy Rowe’s 5 Point plan for Industry recovery possible.

Associations are a key vehicle to protect and promote our Industry.

The new Feature Articles in our March Association issue goes live next week.  Please download or read your favorite February Feature Articles or Podcasts today, and see you back here soon.  #  #

Two Snapshots of topics in manufactured housing – plus a bonus! So thanks for joining us again. Let’s dive in and get started!

1. This week’s Manufactured Housing Events:

2010 Five-State Mid-Atlantic Convention
Oct 18 – Oct 20
Albany, New York
Contact: Nancy Geer (518) 867-3242

Manufactured housing industry professionals from the states of NY, NJ, PA, DE & MD will gather in Albany, NY Oct. 18-20 for networking, business building insights, exhibits and much more! Here is a snapshot:

Adolfo Carrión, Jr., HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey and Jeff Blatnick, 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling and cancer survivor are keynote speakers. 

• Market and demographic trends, how they impact your business

• Using Social Networking Sites to increase your business

• Resident Screening including background checks and more

• SAFE Act Update and its impact in your state

• Mitigating risk and lowering your insurance costs

• Investing in difficult economic times

Please contact Nancy Geer (518) 867-3242 for more information. 

Illinois Manufactured Housing Association Finance Seminar

October 21, 2010

Springfield, IL

Contact: IMHA (217) 528-3423

• Greg O’Berry, Hometown America, Keynote Speaker

• Valerie Ross, SBA

• Heather Chandler, CSI, Title II

• George Allen and the ‘Ah-Ha’ Moment

• Sandra Lewinthal, JD, Eviction and Abandoned Home

• Lindsey Keyes, Rural Development

• Donna and Ken Rishel, Captive Finance

8 AM-5 PM, Oct 21 2010. Registration can be found by calling the Illinois Manufactured Housing Association at 217-528-3423 and requesting a registration brochure; info@imha.org. The event will be at the Northfield Inn and Suites in Springfield, Illinois.

2. Manufactured Housing Communities of Arizona (MHCA) Fall Conference

October 20-22, 2010

Tucson, AZ

Contact MHCA: (800) 351-3350

• A Manager’s Basic Responsibilities: Neal Haney, NTH Property Management, Inc., will speak on some of the basics every manager needs to know.

• Fees and Charges: Neal Haney will discuss what you can and cannot charge residents.

• Who is Living in Your Community? What do you look for when doing your background checks? Neal Haney will discuss this topic.

• Crime Free Program: Rebecca Noel, Tucson Police Department, will discuss the program.

• Reasonable Accommodations under Fair Housing Laws for Disabled Residents: MHCA Attorney Michael Parham of Williams, Zinman & Parham, P.C. will speak on this issue that has raised some concerns.

• Red Flags Rule: MHCA Attorney Michael Parham will speak on the Rule. Have you developed your Community’s Rule as required by federal law?

• Property Management Today

• Dealing with Utility Companies – What You Need to Know! Neal Haney, NTH Property Management, Inc. and President of MHCA, will review some of the new issues.

• New State Law for Storage Lots: Attorney Scott Williams of Williams, Zinman & Parham, PC. will explain the new state legislature passed a new law regarding storage lots. If you offer storage facilities to your residents, this is important!

• Maintenance Issues in Your Park: MHCA Attorney Michael Parham will speak on this topic.

• Improving Your Bottom Line with Solar: Many businesses (including parks) are finding they can save money with solar energy. Art Robertson with Cal Energy Group will explain what can be done.

• Update on the RV Act: MHCA Attorney Michael Parham will explain the new laws on utilities and evictions that went into effect this year.

• You Be the Judge: This is always fun! The attorneys will argue a case – and you vote on who wins! Attorneys Scott Williams, Doug Nelson and Michael Parham will present.

• Proper Documentation for Manufactured/Mobile Home Parks

• Proper Documentation for RV Parks: Neal Haney, NTH Property Management and MHCA President, will speak on what you should have in each tenant’s file.

• The Government & You: Land Use Law for Your Community – What the Government Can and Cannot Do: As we hear of more land use issues, it’s important both owners and managers realize what the law says. Attorneys John Buric and Dennis Zwagerman will give this presentation.

• Property Rights Concepts and Strategies Every Landlord and Manager Should Know: Attorney John Buric will discuss these issues.

• Important Legal and Practical Concepts to Help You Thrive in a Struggling Economy: Attorney John Buric will review these ideas.

====>> When you see these fantastic topics and speakers at these various seminars, you begin to understand the value that attendance at these events and association membership can mean to you and your business! 

Are you a member of one or more Industry Associations? Well, you should be! I learn at every event I attend, and the same is true for all those who participate. It would cost you many times more to ‘go it alone’ by hiring the legal and other business insights you need today. Association membership doesn’t cost, it pays.

3. George Soros and the Mid-Term Elections

The mid-term elections are only about two weeks away now. Almost everyone agrees that Republicans will pick up dozens of seats in the House and perhaps eight or more Senate seats. 

The questions of the day seem to be, just how many seats will ‘Tea Party’ energized Republicans gain? How is our Industry positioning itself for the political sea shift to come? Are we using our time and resources wisely?

You can listen to experts from both sides of the political aisle share their opinions as to why their party will do well or ‘better than expected.’ Since this is often just self-serving information, what struck me as a more insightful news item this past week was George Soros’ public statement that he will sit out this election cycle.

Billionaire Soros is a well-known champion of liberal/left wing political causes. When asked why he isn’t actively supporting with those mountains of money the current crop of Democratic incumbents and newcomers, his reply was direct and revealing. He doesn’t believe in standing in the path of an avalanche.

Corporate, state and national association leaders are wise to position themselves for what promises to be a more fiscally conservative, and likely pro-business makeup of the House and Senate in the aftermath of the 2010 election cycle.

4. News at Noon and the Industry Market Report!

If you aren’t already signed up and logging onto Factory Built Housing News at Noon with Erin Patla and the Industry Market Report, brought to you exclusively every business day here at MHMSM.com, you are missing out! You can sign up free in seconds, and then log on daily to listen online, or download for your convenience.

Exclusive reports from our Eric Miller, edited by our own Catherine Frenzel, these are daily news features brought to you in minutes that often have insights that you can use in your business, professional or association planning.

Until next time, thanks for joining us daily here at MHMSM.com! # #

I. Return of the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show in 2011

Hats off to Dennis Hill at Showways Unlimited, as well as to the bold, forward looking manufacturers, exhibitors and others who are lining up rapidly behind the return of the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show, coming up quickly in 2011! My understanding from recent conversations with Dennis suggests most of the region’s manufacturers have already bought in, literally and figuratively. The few remaining ones are considering what model(s) would make the most sense for them to display. Exhibitor space is also filling up nicely, with more vendors coming on board, calling for details or already in the pipeline.

Plans are also underway to promote the returning show in positive, new ways so as to attract more manufactured housing industry members to attend this big event. These signals bode well for the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show’s success in 2011.

Let’s take a quick look at some additional background details.

For 50 of the 51 years of its history, word has it that this has been a profitable show. The concerns caused by the MH Industry’s long slide – which contributed to the show’s suspension – have diminished, for multiple reasons. First, the decline of recent years has flattened out; perhaps even a bit of a rise may occur in 2010 vs. 2009.

Despite clear Industry challenges still to be navigated, near future projections are reason to believe that the future for our MH Industry is bright. Those who step out now are those who will benefit from the market share growth the factory built housing Industry can capitalize upon.

Let’s take a snapshot of two recent studies that tell me that this is a great time for savvy, forward looking Industry players to line up behind Dennis Hill and the Louisville Show.

1. At this year’s International Networking Roundtable, Cornell University’s Dr. David Funk provided an in depth look at what he projects will be the next housing boom. This boom will begin in about 3 years, is based on growing population, aging housing stock, as well as other factors. Dr. Funk’s objective study and research concludes that various economic and demographic factors can position the manufactured housing industry for serious growth for decades to come. This research is so compelling, that Dr. Funk will be presenting this same information to the Urban Land Institute at an upcoming meeting. Let me note that Dr. Funk has indicated he will share his research with our readers here at Manufactured Home Marketing Sales Management (www.MHMSM.com) in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned for that important article.
2. Charles Shinn made an equally compelling public case last week for what should be a future boom for manufactured housing. Shinn, a respected consultant who has deep ties with the conventional housing industry and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), presented very similar statistics to Dr Funk’s at the Manufactured Housing Institute’s (MHI) annual meeting last week in Denver, CO. Shinn has been referred to as “the profit doctor” in the housing world. So when Shinn speaks, smart people in the housing industry listen. As noted with Dr. Funk, we plan to reach out to Charles Shinn asking him to share his research with our readers here at MHMSM.com.

The point is that here are two respected professionals with no axe to grind. Both of these experts are saying that the manufactured housing Industry’s best days can and should lie ahead! Frankly, they cited similar thinking to what we presented in our recently released book, The Manufactured Housing Revolution. These are three of many powerful reasons for forward looking manufacturers, suppliers and vendors to attend and get behind the Louisville Show. They are also the same reasons for community operators, retailers and other Industry professionals to attend.

We plan to share more reports on the good news of the return of the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show in the days ahead. Kudos to Dennis Hill and all who are making the return of this great event happen!

II. George Allen to sell INR?

During a committee meeting of the Manufactured Housing Educational Institute, chaired by Joe Adams, an interesting personal and professional revelation was shared with those in attendance. George F. Allen revealed that he has been approached to sell some of his current operations, including, but not necessarily limited to, the respected and acclaimed International Networking Roundtable (INR) and other aspects of his consulting practice to the land lease community business and manufactured housing industry in general.

This was mentioned in the context of MHEI’s possible interest in George F. Allen’s work. Given the informative nature of the INR, and the mission of MHEI –

The MHEI® Mission:
To support the educational purpose of the Manufactured Housing Institute by creating and delivering professional programs and resources for the manufactured housing industry

- it is certainly an understandable concept to consider. Allen also referred to his client mailing list and other aspects of his profitable operations as part of his phased retirement planning.

George has certainly floated in his own blog hints of his looking ahead to retirement, so this is certainly no secret. But this statement in front of 30 or so of his peers at the MHEI meeting in Denver last week might cause a ripple among Industry pros. As one committee member later came to me and asked me, “You aren’t going to report on George’s statement are you?” I felt it wise to confirm with George his thinking on the subject. Here is part of his reply:

“As I told you, I have no ‘prob’ with you mentioning my informal intention to begin planning for personal and corporate retirement, expressing sincere concern about how to perpetuate the dozen or so ‘work products’ the MHindustry and LLCommunity asset class have come to count on month by month and year by year.” – from George F. Allen via email

III. Thayer Long joins www.MHMSM.com as a contributor. More to follow.

Thayer Long from the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) will be joining us this week on a periodic basis in our Industry Voices Guest Blog. As regular readers of www.MHMSM.com know, we already showcase news from both MHI and MHARR, as part of our effort to provide fair and balanced information and perspectives from a variety of manufactured housing industry leaders.

In our current issue, as in previous ones, we have presented interviews with various manufactured housing industry leaders, including our periodic – and well read – A Cup of Coffee with interviews. In the current issue, we have two A Cup of Coffee interviews with the Iowa and Arkansas respective State Association Executives, Joe Kelly and JD Harper.

In conversations with Industry pros at Denver and Phoenix, we expect to see more interviews and articles by respected business and association leaders in the future.

So let me personally welcome Thayer Long to our growing online Industry news and views forum!

Let me also take a moment and invite professionals like you to join in the Industry conversation here at www.MHMSM.com.

This media platform is for and about supporting the efforts of professionals like you. Even a brief look at the incredible feature articles content generated by our writers every issue, or the business daily podcasts of Factory Built Housing News at Noon with our Erin Patla, or the reports our exclusive Industry In Focus reporter Eric Miller delivers to readers with a free sign up – all of these are excellent reasons for you and your team members to log on 15 minutes a day at www.MHMSM.com. This is where you can learn the latest tips, and read the most news from our varied sources.

That is why these and other Industry leaders say what can be found at:

http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/what-our-readers-say

This is your invitation to:

• Send in news, articles and topics for discussions. Please see the about us page.
• Provide documents and research of Industry interest.
• Read and share the insights of our team of top industry pros, writers and thinkers.

Thank you for allowing our team to serve you and the factory built housing industry here at www.MHMSM.com. # #

Part of the appeal and insight from the International Networking Roundtable (and at Super Symposiums for that matter) is the presence of new factory-built model homes.

Two show homes were present in Phoenix last week, and in alphabetical order, we will present Cavco’s first. Then the New Champion’s manufactured home on display may well be ready here on my upcoming weekend blog post, so stay tuned!

This Cavco manufactured home featured full finished drywall, with 9’ ceilings and transom windows.

The home shown was a 2 bedroom 1 bath, but obviously Cavco builds 3 bedroom 2 bath models, in varying lengths and widths.

I’ve been walking model homes at home shows, factory shows, retail centers and communities since the early 1980s.  I confess I never get tired of it!  It is wonderful to see the residential touches that Cavco produced for this show.

For example, the residential look of the entertainment center was tremendous.

Notice the plant shelf at the top of the entertainment center.

The plant shelf was also found in the hallway, one of those elegant touches that made the home’s appeal seem more ‘site built.’

Unlike many homes, this one featured a ¾ bath with a walk-in shower vs. the standard tub/shower combo.  Again, the look and feel was residential.

The cabinetry shown in this home was a wrapped MDF.  While I didn’t inquire, I’m confident that a solid wood cabinet door is available as an upgrade.

Bill Danforth stayed late to accommodate my request for photos.  If I were Bill’s supervisor, I’d also commend him for being Johnny on the spot with a personalized follow up to me immediately after the show.  That is the type of attention to detail and rapid follow up that a good rep provides.   Bill’s email for details on this home is: billd@cavco.com

While I’m pressed for time tonight, and seeking to keep this blog post brief, I would be remiss if I failed to mention again the fantastic information and presentations that were the hallmark of the International Networking Roundtable in Phoenix.  As time permits, we plan to do follow up reports on various presentations in the days ahead.

Next stop on the www.MHMSM.com September 2010 road trip is Denver and the MHI meeting!  I hope to see many of you there. # #

The International Networking Roundtable (INR) is behind us, and we are only days away from MHI’s meeting in Denver. A few brief thoughts… and more to follow.

The Roundtable (INR) featured a number of important ‘reality check’ keynote topics:

• Randy Rowe, State of the Asset Class address, in which he outlined 5 points that need to be addressed.
• Joe Adams, who touted leaders by example in the Industry, but also candidly addressed gaps in marketing and sales skills that hold individuals, companies and thus the MHIndustry back.
• Dick Ernst, who spoke about the SAFE Act, and how that impacts our Industry, why it needs to be understood and how it must be positively addressed.
• Dr David Funk from Cornell University, who gave us compelling insights into the world of Manufactured Housing demographics, general housing trends, and what it can mean for the Industry.
• Panel discussions on financing, manufacturing and general Industry issues, along with numerous other topics and presentations.

We plan to cover all of these, photos of show homes on display, my own presentation and more in some depth in the days ahead.

The rally?

What I wanted to focus on for a few moments was George F. Allen, ably accompanied and supported with Susan McCarty, some comments he made and some take-aways and posers.

Most of the attendees I spoke with felt INR was meaty, compelling and very much worth the time and investment. Many first-time attendees were present, and about 175 total came. As many noted with/to me, that attendance is nearly double the number who came to MHI’s summer session this past July.

While others aided in the process, there is no doubt that George F. Allen (GFA) deserves major kudos for what this (and previous) INRs represent! MHC and other Industry pros from some 26 states, plus Canadians, came to Phoenix, AZ for this executive level meeting. Chairman, CEOs, execs, owners and association leaders were in attendance. This scope and depth takes significant organizational skill; it is a laudable and noteworthy accomplishment indeed!

George Allen promoted MHI and gave Thayer Long the floor to speak, proving an opportunity as well for MHI PAC to raise Funds for the upcoming election campaign season.

GFA, who has inexplicably been passed over by the national MH/RV Hall of Fame, handed out literature for that worthy cause. GFA encouraged support and a visit to their historic facility in Elkhart, IN.

George took the time to pull me aside and make suggestions, share tips and insights. This he did for many others as well.

In short, GFA was a team player and a true Industry leader, living up to the Man of the Year award he earned not so long ago.

All that said, I want to note what GFA himself said. “Only some 2% of the MHC Industry leadership was in attendance.”

GFA spoke of the tough love statements by Randy Rowe and others. Thayer mentioned that MHI now has some 331 members. While billions of dollars were represented in that room – or are represented by MHI – wouldn’t it make sense for more people to be involved in associations and functions that are geared to support our Industry at its time of great need?

More than one speaker made the point that the Industry can’t wait for the FEDs or any outside force to come in on a white horse to save our collective bacon. We as an Industry are modestly up in shipments year to date. Some companies are clearly showing signs of improvement. Those who are improving are the ones committed to success, regardless of what is coming at them! They are the ones adapting, profiting and benefiting while some avoidably may fall by the wayside.

Regular readers of the Masthead blog know I believe we need to engage the Federal and other regulators, call on Congress, rally industry members and our customers into a force to be reckoned with politically. But I agree, we can’t wait for outsiders. But neither should we abandon the lobbying efforts. We need multiple converging paths to success. As any investment counselor would say, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Too many are outside the ranks of associations. Too many don’t attend meetings like INR. Too many fail to invest in self-improvement, coaching and the like, even if they clearly need it.

Some say to me, “Why should I be in an association? I don’t agree with so and so. I don’t see how they have turned our industry around yet.” But isn’t that like watching your neighbors man the levees during a flood, and saying, “Until they have all the sand bags in place, I won’t join and help”?

Where someone sees it differently than MHI or MHARR or any other association, group or leader, he or she should say so respectfully and also explain why. Those with a different perspective should say what they propose instead, and not just criticize. They should be prepared to do what so many others do, volunteer time and talent!

The same applies to Industry publishers, including us.

I don’t mind the occasional critiques that come in from readers or their posts. I don’t mind a different point of view, especially if it is respectful and well-articulated. So long as there are no ad hominums, no profanity or slander, sound off! It makes for a better discussion!

What I do think is often lacking from nay-sayers in general is something beyond a gripe. We are not going back to the Conseco-GreenTree days. We should not want to return to worst practices, when best practices are the way to long-term sustainable success. We must care for our customers, as Randy Rowe, Dick Ernst, Joe Adams, Don Westphal and so many others at INR said.

But let’s move towards a close on the rally point. Hats off to George for pulling together such an impressive array of speakers and solid content! MH/RV Hall of Fame… are you listening?

If you aren’t already involved in positive change in association(s) and forums like INR that make it happen, please, get engaged! We need both – the new blood and new ideas, and also the wisdom that history and experience brings.

We must learn from the past, live in the present, and build for a bright future. We need more leaders willing to invest time, talent and treasure. We need more committed engagement. Working together is the path to success for any company, any team and – yes, for most industries, too.

That said, on to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) meeting in Denver, CO! # #

Bring on the magic! Not the smoke and mirrors of illusion, but the real results of proven “outside the box” thinking and innovation – applied to the way you perceive the economy – to opportunities for financing – to technology and online marketing strategies – to Industry-media relationships – to recreating our Industry image – to sales-customer relationships – i.e., to every aspect of the Manufactured Housing Industry.

Our Editor L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach is presenting at the 19th Annual International Networking Roundtable in Phoenix Sept 15-17! His subject: “How to Get 150 Inbound Sales Calls a Week at your Location!” This is all part of the Manufacturing Magic made possible through eye-opening, mind-expanding insights on how to grow YOUR business, and thereby grow THE INDUSTRY! Check out Tony’s Blogs for more information.

Celebrate our 12th MHMSM.com Issue – one whole year of passionate pro-Industry service designed for win-win outcomes – through Innovation – Information – Inspiration for Industry Professionals like YOU – presented through DAILY news (News at Noon podcasts), WEEKLY (or MULTIPLE TIMES WEEKLY) Blogs and Industry In Focus reports, plus MONTHLY Feature Articles in podcast and written form, and TIME-SENSITIVE Calls to Action to help YOU get the results you want!

NOTE: There is still one Call to Action on the table:

• By September 30: LET’S UTILIZE SOME AVAILABLE MONEY for Retailers! YOUR assistance is needed to contact members of Congress and ask them to support the Dealer Floor Plan Program Extension and Improvement Act of 2010. This can benefit retailers, communities and manufacturing.

As we gear up for our First Birthday with the October Issue (Vol. 2, No 1), we want to hear from YOU:

1. What topics, issues or challenges are important to YOU that you want us to address?
2. What viewpoints or comments do YOU WANT TO MAKE to encourage and contribute to the Manufactured Housing Revolution? Think of writing a Feature Article, an Industry Voices Guest Blog – or easiest of all, join the conversation by posting, tweeting, calling or emailing your responses to what’s posted on the website. Increase your SEO; get compliments and feedback! Be part of the Revolution!

Easy emails to remember: Publisher/Editor L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach tony@MHMSM.com; IT Manager Bob Stovall bob@MHMSM.com; Industry In Focus Reporter Eric Miller eric@MHMSM.com; Associate Editor Catherine Frenzel catherine@MHMSM.com and News at Noon and Article Podcasts Erin Patla erin@MHMSM.com

Right now, Get More & Better Results! thanks to the galaxy of Feature Article contributors from A-Z – a spectacular selection of Industry Pros sharing vision, “possibility thinking” and answers to help YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS thrive and prosper. Check out the dozens of Feature Articles this month:

Featured Articles
and Reports for Vol. 1 No.12

Let’s shake things up for this 12th Issue and reverse the lineup of “All the Best” Top-Talent professionals from Z for Ziglar to A for Adams! Here’s your big September line up…

Zig Ziglar – Motivation & Inspiration
• Zig On…Staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down, Down World – Part 1. You get back what you send out.

Don Westphal – MH Community Planning
• Land/lease Communities – Many Possibilities. Five scenarios for land/lease community layouts with terrain flexibility

Heather Vela – MH Business Practice
• Fostering a Positive Attitude in the MH Workplace. Multiple benefits include increased sales!

Bob Stovall – Online Marketing
• Online Marketing 1-2-3, Part 3 – Social Networking. Getting your company involved in Social Networking provides access to new customers and vital feedback about your products and services.

Dave Shanklin – MH Industry Financing
• Six Major Recent Changes in MH Chattel Finance Guidelines that You Need to Know. Stunning drops, disallowances, requirements and considerations are Good News-Bad News!

Kenneth Rishel – MH Industry Finance Commentary
• Lender’s Guide to Hispanic Marketing. How to tap into the $1 trillion+ purchasing power of this market by 2020 and $2.5-$3.6 trillion by 2050

Dan Rinzema – Online Marketing
• Turn Internet Leads into Sales! What if you used these 5 Tips to improve your closings?

George Porter – MH Evolution and Finance
• Why Do We Need Two Foundations? Lenders are making structural decisions that result in twice the work and many more problems!

Shawn Mullins – Energy-efficient Manufactured Housing
• Flaunt It If You’ve Got It! How might homebuyer’s priorities change if we were able to demonstrate the dollar-by-dollar payback of energy-efficient manufactured homes?

Mike Moore – Sales
• What Are You Waiting For? We have become so distracted by new sales that we forgot the best way to get more sales is to make customers.

Eric Miller – MH Industry Reporting
• A Cup of Coffee with…Joe Kelly. “A good plan (violently executed) today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

Eric Miller – MH Industry Reporting
• A Cup of Coffee with…JD Harper. Financing is the tide that raises all boats in this industry; a unified voice is needed.

Greg McClanahan – Soft Skills and Personal Development
• Stop Selling Houses – Start Helping People. Every genuinely successful professional embodies the point of this story.

L.A. ‘Tony’ Kovach – MH Industry Reporting
• Reality Checks – Inspirational Dissatisfaction. What is the key to change what can be changed?

Susan Knowles – MH Community Case in Point
• Indian Creek-A Case Study of Companies Working Together. Who wins when investment and technology companies work together with community residents?

Chrissy Jackson – Land Lease Community Management
• Upgrading Your Community – Part V. How to keep your residents happy and personally engaged during the disruption caused by your community upgrade program

Mike Hourigan – MH Business Practice
• When you think about it: It Is the Best and Worst of Times. Find how attitude, tenacity and creativity can turn the worst into the best!

Nadeen Green – Legal, Fair Housing
• 10 Tips on Parking as Reasonable Accommodation. What you don’t know can hurt you!

Sue Frost – Green, Energy-efficient Manufactured Homes
• Greenwise legislation ushers in the “Green Revolution”. Why is the manufactured housing industry well-positioned to increase market share?

Suzanne Felber – Trend Tracking
• How Dramatic Are Your Manufactured Model Homes? Three Tips for making your model homes irresistible.

Tim Connor – Sales
• Effective Cold Calling in a Changing World. Do you know the do’s and don’ts of getting hot results from your cold calls?

Tim Connor – Management
• Why Successful Executives in the Manufactured Housing Industry use Personal Coaches to Grow their Business. “You can’t solve a problem with the same mindset that created it.”

Chad Carr – Management
• E-mail marketing – What You Need to Know. A false start carries serious consequences, so learn from my mistakes.

George F. Allen – MH Industry Commentary
• Best Kept Affordable Housing Secret in the US! Why HUD Code Manufactured Housing & Landlease (nee manufactured home) Communities Continue to be ‘Best Kept Affordable Housing Secret’

Joe Adams – Marketing
• The Greatest Opportunity in Marketing Today! 6 Tips and more to make it your own

Only the patient folks with open minds and eyes to see – those committed to improve their results – will get the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) in this weekend’s blog post. I hope you’re one of them!

If you want to grow your business, if you want to see REAL Industry growth, please use the powerful resources known as passion and patience, then carefully clear your mind and then line by line, check this out…

Think road trip.

Think comfy and spacious SUV (environmentalists, what can I say…) with the leather and luxuries you’d like.

Think multi-night get-away stay in a resort area with your dear owner/friends in their avant-garde, magazine-stylish home and manicured acreage with all the goodies.

Think the all-natural high that family, friends, stunning sights and stunning company yields. Think shop talk mixed with delightful small talk. John Denver’s song, “Rocky Mountain High” came to life from a soul now long passed…

Then leave the life and love of the majestic mountains to travel through the dry deserts and sometimes lunar-like landscapes…

Think…Jersey Boys. Blue Man Group. Cirque de Soleil… Phantom of the Opera.

Think living legends like Willie Nelson or Cher.

Think World Class shopping and New York City style Fashion Night Out.

Think restaurants to delight the senses to be discovered in every resort and seemingly on every corner.

Think the energy of the Fremont Street Experience:

Think more Elvis wanna-be types than most any place on the planet. Imagine The Strip. The Lights. The Sounds. “Viva Las Vegas” is more than a tag line; it seems to be a statement of reality, for indeed this once hot and dusty spot in the desert has become a palm-tree-lined magnet for people all over the world!

This is what the past week has been for me and mine. From the Colorado Rockies to Vegas, what a grand time as we slowly work our way toward The 19th Annual International Networking Roundtable in Phoenix this week! But back to last night in Vegas…

As we walked, talked and gawked (isn’t that what we secretly do?) hand in hand watching performances and people from around the planet, my lovely lady and I bumped into a few Hungarians. It would have been a good night for a bet on 00 in roulette, because even in Vegas the odds are like a gazillion-to-one against that. So the son of immigrant parents (c’est moi) and the lady who studied at a noteworthy school there (my wife) are speaking with visiting Magyars in their own tongue. They were shocked and delighted, and of course we were, too.

So what does the rushing white water streams of the Rockies, the desert and the dazzle of Vegas have to do with factory built housing? With your future and that of the Industry? Potentially, plenty!

Visionaries took a look at a spot near the world famous Hoover Dam, a mere day trip (or quick copter ride) from the Grand Canyon, and said,

‘We can create a magnet here that will draw millions of people! We can create casinos, shows, shops, stores, churches (an amazing number of religious people in this city, especially by European standards) and eateries galore, all designed to serve and separate people from their plastic and paychecks.’

And so Las Vegas came to be! And so it has steadily grown for decades, in spite of the ups and downs of the economy!

We have that type of opportunity in our Industry, too! Not someday, but every day. Not in just a good economy, but in THIS economy!

Or think…

What does 9/11 mean to manufactured housing and you? How about how a single event can rock your world, can send shock waves of tremendous loss, fear and paralysis, until the Sleeping Giant is awakened and action is taken? 9/11 has tons of lessons for the Republic and our great Industry, if we will just stop and think clearly about it!

What do the Rocky Mountains, the Western Slopes, resorts, the desert and more mean to modular and manufactured housing? It is hard to travel through such areas without seeing old pre-HUD Code mobile homes and more modern manufactured housing. It is easy to see the many uses, applications and needs for modular, pre-fab, panelized and manufactured homes in resorts and remote areas alike.

There are many areas in America where conventional construction simply doesn’t make good sense, or is flatly not available without premium pricing. You don’t see this by flying overhead, but it is a fact that can’t be missed while you are traveling in your SUV with your iPhone and iPad close at hand. While the signal failed in parts of the Rockies, notes, photos and videos can still be made until the 3G signal returns and you can push Send!

The recent dip in stats from MHI, the recent report and analysis from MHARR, both remind us that we are still in the doldrums as an industry.

The exclusive we did with Congressman Joe Donnelley reminds us that we have tons of work to do collectively to move us to health as an Industry.

But in the past few days, I also spoke with and emailed with owners who are profitable! Right now. There are winners and losers in every economy! Which group are you in? Which group do you want to be in? What are you willing to do to achieve positive change? Wishing and wanting are meaningless, until we work with wisdom and will towards the wonderful world that can be! If developers and promoters can create a whole successful city in the desert, one step at a time, can’t we do the same with our wealth of opportunities from sea to shining sea?!!!

I spoke with and emailed with Execs this past week who are sick and tired of being sick and tired! Some of them are getting ready or are seriously exploring how to market/sell/manage their way back to good health with a little help from new friends (in some cases, that means us)!

Las Vegas is a Dream Come True because people saw not the dry desert that it was, but the oasis and modern man-made Paradise that it could be! Those visionaries didn’t focus on the obstacles and let those stop them. Rather they asked and answered,

‘How can we overcome this scenario and make this one of the all-time money makers?!’

We need such visionaries leading in our Industry today.

The Manufactured Housing Revolution spells out the ways and reasons why factory built homes can become the dominant or a main stream form of housing in America.

My presentation on “How to Get 150 Inbound Customer Sales Calls a Week at YOUR Location!” at The International Networking Roundtable in Phoenix in a few days will demonstrate real world scenarios that can drive business for YOU – TODAY. In YOUR market! I will share real world examples where we teamed up with Community Owners, MHC Operators and home retailers who had struggled with sales, and moved them from nearly dead to well-fed!

There are Industry writers and publishers like George Allen or Ken Rishel or myself who have real world seasoning in this Industry. We three are among many who have personally, in their own locations, managed the home sales and filled the sites and provided or created the financing for their incoming residents and buyers of manufactured homes. Their insights and experiences, plus those gained by consulting and working with many firms from coast to coast, has power that a publisher who has never had such powerful and useful experiences simply can’t match.

When writers like those whom we feature here every day speak from real world experiences that worked, versus mere theory, there is a power to that which can’t be matched.

When you have filled hundreds of vacant sites at a community, like Ken Rishel has; when you have driven thousands of calls that lead to hundreds of sales at properties and locations that previously struggled, like I have for clients and companies – this has potential value and importance for YOU! You will want to read Ken’s amazing white paper on Hispanic Marketing, which will be an exclusive right here at Manufactured Home Marketing Sales Management (aka MHMSM.com) trade journal ezine in a few days!

I think the Industry has plenty of fine publications and many useful resources. At the end of the day, leaders have to do their jobs and tap the resources needed to move the Industry from where it is to where it wants to be!

Your business, your market, may seem like a desert. But it can come to life again and flourish – with the right attitude, resources, people, plan and execution! From desert to money-making oasis, Vegas has ridden the waves and keeps coming up a winner! From the fruitful fields of Nebraska or Kansas into the Rockies of Colorado, we can climb from the valley of the shadow of death to new and exhilarating mountain top experiences!

This isn’t mere daydreaming or cheerleading. If you are a struggling pro, this is YOUR wake-up call!

From Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima seemed like a long way. But American drive and determination made that a reality!

From the post 9/11 days with skies without airplanes, to 9 years without a successful terrorist strike in the U.S., we can go from fear to facing reality with courage and will.

I could have made this short and sweet and just said with our friends at Nike,

Just do it.

No excuses. This is America. You can do it, because where there is a will, there is a way.

Catch a Vision. Fire up and inspire yourself and your troops. If you try an excuse or some finger pointing at someone else, just remember you have three pointing back at you…

Learn or hire the skills you need from resources the Industry offers at MHMSM.com, or beyond. You have had successes in the past. With the will and resources, you can again.

So just do it. # #