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Defining Manufactured Homes, Mobile Homes, Trailer Houses, and the Big Lie

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An article published on July 23, 2018 in Psychology Today explained the proper way to correct false or misleading information.   Start with the truth, put the problematic or deceptive claim in the middle, and end with the truth again. They said it is known as the #TruthSandwich.   Setting aside the partisan nature of their article, the balance of the …

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Discerning Quality, Value, Seller Ethics – Faithful Lifeway Homes, “Can I Bring My Cousin?”

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It is important to get a balanced view of anything that involves a major decision. Here on MHLivingNews, we’ve done a mix of stories for years, spotlighting the good, the bad, and the misunderstood about all kinds of housing, including those homes built in a factory.    How do you tell the difference between a proverbial ‘white hat’ company and …

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Presidential Hopeful Campaigns in Manufactured Home Community, Congressional Rep Cindy Axne Raising Concerns Over BBB “F” Rated Havenpark Capital Management

PresidentialHopefulCampaignsManufacturedHomeCommunityRepCindyAxneRaisingConcernsBBB-F-RatedHavenparkCapitalManagementMHLivingNews

Preface: it must be kept in mind that every business and profession have good, bad, and meh examples of that occupation.  Research by third-parties suggest that millions love their pre-HUD Code mobile home or post June 15, 1976 manufactured home.  University and academic studies by nonprofits have praised manufactured homes for decades. That said, there are clear-cut examples of ‘white …

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Long Overdue Respect, Authentic Manufactured Home Living, Politicos, Kid Rock, and You

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As previous and upcoming reports on MHLivingNews reflect, there is a growing interest in America by politicos spanning the left-right divide about supporting the use of more manufactured homes as part of the solution to the affordable housing crisis. It’s about time.   One of the reasons we like to spotlight the rich and famous who own a manufactured home …

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“…Roll the Stone Away, Let the Guilty Pay, It’s Independence Day”

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Songs can often capture ideas and emotions in poetic and transformative ways. Ballads by definition are songs that tell a story. The ballad that Gretchen Peters wrote that was performed by Martina McBride blends a range of symbols that brilliantly captures the story of an abused woman, as told through the eyes of her daughter. For the next few minutes, let’s …

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GSMOL’s Michelle Smith’s Cautionary Tale and MHAction, Key Manufactured Home Insights, Revisited

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“Follow the Money.” – a maxim used by journalists and investigators.   “Sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight.” – axiomatic expression used by numerous authors.   ‘One should separate wheat from chaff.’ – Per Dictionary, to separate wheat from chaff means sort the valuable from the worthless, as in ‘I hope we’ll get a preview of …

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Home Shopping Consumer Alert – BBB “F” Rated SSK Communities Rebrands As Flagship Communities

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It’s a sad day when a good and necessary product or service gets sullied by the bad behavior of certain businesses.   At the end of this fact check and exposé will be a video with happy manufactured home customers, but they are not customers of SSK Communities, who recently changed their name to Flagship Communities. Keep in mind that …

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Manufactured Home Resident Leader Asks For Federal Investigations

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Californian Robert ‘Bob’ Van Cleef is involved in manufactured home resident advocacy. Bob and his wife sold their home and moved into a manufactured home. They enjoy their manufactured home, but were unpleasantly surprised by certain developments in their community.  That’s when Bob stepped up to volunteer as community leader.    He is active with the Golden State Manufactured-Home Owners …

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Open Letter – Kurt Kelley, Joanne Stevens, Frank Rolfe, Manufactured Housing Review About Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Request For Information from Manufactured Home Community Owners

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Kurt Kelley, JD, is the publisher of the Manufactured Housing Review (MHR), as the below reflects in his quarterly’s “Publisher’s Message.” For the 2019 Quarter 1 issue, his message read in part as follows.   “…We also [in this issue] address Senator Elizabeth Warren’s attempt to gather private information from Manufactured Home Community owners. New things surprise us each day, …

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Senator Tina Smith Urges Republican, Democratic Senators to Provide Greater Financing Access to Affordable Manufactured Homes

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In a letter dated June 6, 2019 obtained by MHLivingNews, Senator Tina Smith (MN-D) wrote Senators Mike Crapo (ID-R) and Sherrod Brown (OH-D) to urge greater support for lending on affordable housing, particularly naming manufactured homes.   Senator Crapo is the chairman and Senator Brown is the ranking member of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Smith is …

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Manufactured Home Installation Goes Awry, Falling on Installation Team Member

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This NBC News 2 in Orlando, WESH, video report is insightful on numerous levels. First, it reflects the ‘right stuff’ exhibited by the members of the installation team that put the higher priority on saving a man’s life than protecting the home that was being installed.  That’s behavior that reflects a proper ‘people first’ concern that should be applauded. Next, …

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Goodbye Trailer Houses and Mobile Homes – Happy 43rd Anniversary, HUD Code Manufactured Homes

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We’ve done several serious reports in the last year or so that look deeper behind the often dark curtain to understand why manufactured homes – along with the mobile homes and trailer houses that preceded them – are so misunderstood.   Today will be a bit different. 43 years ago, today is the official “birth” of HUD Code manufactured homes. …

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“We as a Nation Can Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis,” Says Secretary Ben Carson, Spotlighting Manufactured Homes, Other Emerging Housing Technologies

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“Let’s make sure people understand what’s available,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson about affordable housing, as he spotlighted manufactured homes as a key part of the Innovations in Housing display on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.   “You can get one of these manufactured houses, for instance, for 30 percent less, and they are very, very resilient. Because that …

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Affordable Housing War – Does Ethical, Legal Way to Redistribute Wealth from Billionaires to Millions of Americans Exist Without Socialism or Passing New Laws?

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Let’s note from the top that what follows is rooted in reality but will be framed as an exploration of a hypothetical scenario that could redistribute wealth without resorting to socialism or new laws.  It could be done via a specific use of existing antitrust and RICO laws.   Let’s further note that while huge businesses may seem to offer …

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Oklahoma Tornado Kills – Sobering, Surprising Fact Check – Mobile Homes, Manufactured Homes, Commercial Buildings, Conventional Housing, Twisters, and Death

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Every year, there are hundreds of tornadoes in the United States.  Several dozen people in all kinds of housing die as a result of those storms annually.  There are statistical indications that more die in ‘mobile and manufactured homes.’ But is there more to that claim then meets the eye?  An on-the-record statement by a National Weather Service (NWS) expert …

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