Videos and Special Reports

Wittingly or not, most people thirst for the truth.  We may not want to hear that our hair isn’t quite right, that we age, or that we aren’t as fast on the tennis court as we once were.  But when one deals with more serious topics – like housing – what most want is the intelligible truth.   People like …

Foreward.  Susan M. Wachter, writing as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said, “Most new homes in the United States are site-built to State and local codes, but an increasing number are “manufactured homes,” designed and constructed to meet the requirements of the preemptive Federal Manufactured Home Construction and …

Imagine any honest and legal profession. Each one exists because of some necessary or desired function served.   The good farm or ranch hand is doing their part to feed the world. The good line worker, mechanic, or service person builds and keeps things running. The good office staffer is a model of understanding what it takes to keep operations …

While not all media outlets acknowledge the debate in the same way, there is a dispute about the effect on climate from so-called greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) as to how much that may impact the climate in possibly harmful ways.   That said, where there is strong consensus is that energy efficiency, clean air, and clean water simply makes good …

The executive summary of this article could read something like this.  Accurate housing or other fact checks are useful.  Pulling back the curtain on popular reports, to see what’s not stated, can be beneficial too.  When affordable housing shoppers hear about reports like the ones posted or linked below, its wise to step back to look anew at what the …

“Mobile homes were perfected by humans, but invented by snails,” John Oliver on HBO’s Last Week Tonight, per Time. “The homes of some the poorest people in America are being snapped up by some of the richest people in America.” Really? Let’s explore these and other claims in the fact check that follows, because some is true, some is spin, …

In just over three weeks, this video below entitled “Seattle is Dying” by KOMO, a local ABC TV affiliate there, has broken 2.1 million views. It is an hour-long and compelling documentary that ends with hope based upon some promising solutions.  But it first lays out one troubling fact and example after another.   Misplaced compassion is part of their …

There are few turn-offs that are arguably worse to manufactured home owners and residents than that of ‘trailer trash.’  First, it is unjust.  Second, there have been no mobile homes since June 15, 1976.  The ‘trailer house’ era ended roughly 2 decades before then. Its an issue on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border, as the quote from Canadian Al …

There’s an incongruity stirring in most of the U.S. and Canada. Hundreds of millions think of mobile and manufactured homes as housing built for the poor or lower middle class. Really?   Tell that to the celebrities, millionaires, and billionaires who own and love their manufactured and mobile homes.     Don’t get me wrong. Yes, many lower income people …

Preface. Mistakes happen. People can learn from them, or not. Mature adults should ideally not allow themselves to be defined by errors – because everyone has their share of mistakes and ignorance. Rather, people of all ages and backgrounds are better defined by their behavior after an error has been uncovered.   How is a mistake addressed? Is it swept …

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” –        Theodore Roosevelt   For years here on MHLivingNews and our professional sister site, MHProNews, we’ve worked with a simple premise.  Affordable quality living is a non-partisan issue. Rephrased, that means it should be a bipartisan effort to understand and promote the most proven kind of affordable housing that …

“There’s nothing in the middle of the road  but a yellow stripe and roadkill.” – variation of a Texas maxim.   Seeking bipartisanship can be dangerous, as the dark humor noted above reminds readers. But let’s risk finding common ground for the next few minutes.   Affordable homes ought to be a non-partisan or bi-partisan issue.  The topic of this column, properly …

Facts are at times uncomfortable.   At others times, the realities of life are truly a puzzle. What follows is arguably the single-most covered topic in the mainstream news media involving mobile or manufactured home living at this time. After the ubiquitous Drudge Report – one of the top news sites on the planet – linked Millie Francis’ story on …

“We as an independent manufactured home producer’s association have often worked successfully with resident groups, on issues of mutual interest. We don’t deal with community related issues directly. I believe that people of good will may agree or disagree on details, and still have mutual respect. Let me express my sincere condolences to those touched by the loss of Ed …

“During my time at MHI, I was often asked the same question, “What must happen for business to return – for manufactured housing to begin growing again? ” My stock answer would usually start with ‘financing’ and end with a general comment about the need to bring ‘value’ to our customers.” The person making that comment was Chris Stinebert. It …