manufacturedhomelivingnews.com Manufactured Home Living News
When you strive to tell the truth as you know it, consistency becomes easy.
Former President Barack Obama is beloved by millions. Others opposed his policies. It is similar, albeit more intense, with the current President Donald J. Trump. Each man stands quite apart on many issues. But on at least one thing, they agree. Both men believe that the mainstream news media is polarized too.
As a quick segue, let’s note that during the Obama Administration, a very important piece of research was performed by HUD. That university level study demonstrated that manufactured homes appreciated side-by-side with conventional ‘site built’ or ‘stick built’ housing. That HUD PD&R study is linked here as a download, and is part of our Ultimate research collection, linked here or that can be accessed below. Other important Obama Administration era research on manufactured homes is also found in that collection, and at least two of them cite this author and or this publication – Manufactured Home Living News.
That’s important to you, as much or more as it is to us. Why?
Because we have always sought to provide factually accurate information. We cite insightful, third party research, others have cited our work. It is part of what sets us apart from all others that write about manufactured homes.
Yes, we believe in manufactured home living. Yes, I’ve personally owned conventional housing in nice neighborhoods as well as manufactured homes in nice communities. Those points are not to say that we are infallible, we get typos, for example, in part because we are doing many other things.
But accurately conveying what is known at the time is always a priority for us. So while our understanding on some issues have evolved, the core truths have remained the same. As a Florida Atlantic University (FAU) professor said, manufactured home living can be a good financial deal.
Which brings me back to Manufactured Housing’s former President Barack Obama’s moment. It can be viewed through the lens of this quotation.
It Should Be Self Evident
Pre-HUD Code mobile homeowners, or post HUD Code manufactured homeowners know manufactured housing better than most. They, and we as pro-manufactured housing trade publishers, have had a lived experience. That’s why it is worth noting that the satisfaction with the homes is routinely high, per third party research.
Manufactured homes and their owners are misunderstood. That was part of the reason for the report linked below.
To clear up all-too-common misunderstands about mobile or manufactured home living were among the reasons this site was created. We didn’t want to just moan about the misunderstandings. We wanted instead to be part of the solution to help dispel false notions. We do so based upon research and experience. We do so using fact checks, interviews, ‘follow the money,’ and reason or ‘common sense.’
- Since affordable housing is in crisis, why are manufactured homes so misunderstood?
- Since affordable housing is in crisis, why are the sales of manufactured homes at historically low levels?
Hold those questions in mind, because we are going to ask you to help us, help you. Here is our contention. That the manufactured housing industry has been manipulated by a relatively small number of powerful firms and industry-influential nonprofits. Among them, Berkshire Hathaway, Clayton Homes, 21st Mortgage Corporation and the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI). Berkshire owns Clayton and 21st along with other companies like Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance (VMF). As a look at the funding and executive committee structure reveals, Warren Buffett led Berkshire wields an enormous amount of influence over MHI. These and what follows are claims made here that we’ve repeatedly asked them to clarify, correct or disprove our evidence. They’ve repeatedly declined to publicly challenge our research.
But that last point isn’t proof, but it is interesting. It is worth noting, that Warren Buffett was a strong public supporter of Barack Obama. Wealthy people often contribute to campaigns, obviously hoping for something in return. Some wealthy people contribute to each major party, hoping that whoever wins will return the favor. So, let’s not make too much of that at this time, beyond the statement of fact.
All that is to set the table for this simple request.
Please go to:
https://www.snopes.com/contact/
Ask them to fact check the link below.
This may seem like a simple step, but it can’t hurt and could help. My thought is to try to get Snopes to start with that research, and if they do that fact check, we’ll go onto others.
Why is that possibly useful to current manufactured homeowners and shoppers?
Because perhaps hundreds of thousands of thousands of manufactured home owners are concerned about the trend described in the report linked below.
What Oliver didn’t say is that if you follow the money trail of Buffett’s ‘dark money’ donations, it flows through the Tides nonprofit to MHAction. That point was brought to our attention by former Golden State Manufactured Homeowners League (GSMOL) president Michelle Smith.
So once, more, here is the simple request.
Please go to:
https://www.snopes.com/contact/
Ask them to fact check the link below.
Here is how it looked when I did it, but you don’t have to do more than just put the link in. Let’s get some third-party fact checkers to study the issue of how Warren Buffett led Berkshire Hathaway and certain brands connected to MHI impact for good or ill manufactured homeowners.
In closing, let me stress that there are ‘black hat’ operations and ‘white hat’ operations. Just because someone is in MHI, or working for Clayton Homes, we are not implying that they are automatically a black hat. We stress the principle of separating the wheat from the chaff. On the other hand, their own home town news did this troubling report.
If you are shopping for a manufactured home, the majority of community operations don’t behave in a black hat fashion, but some do. Most independent retailers know that you have to take good care of your customers, or you won’t get more of them. But to be sure, you have to do your homework about any company you are about to do business with. See the related reports, further below the byline, to learn more.
In our view, there should be antitrust and other legal action brought against Berkshire Hathaway, Clayton, 21st and VMF. That’s based upon research we’ve done for years as industry experts. Someone might look at the same research and come to a different conclusion. We put our research out there for anyone, including fact-checkers like Snopes, to review. We’re asking readers to take 30 seconds go to this link, and drop that link in for a fact check. They may or may not do it. They may or may not do a good job of fact checking, but let’s cross the bridge if and once they do so.
There is plenty of smoke around Buffett, Berkshire, Clayton, 21st, VMF, and MHI. But smoke isn’t proof in a court of law. We’ll remind readers to consider the steps suggested by another manufactured home resident leader, linked below. He and his wife love their home, they enjoy their community, but they have concerns about what’s ahead. That has to be fixed. There is evidence that the Omaha-Knoxville-Arlington axis are part of the problem, at least obliquely. Let’s get fact checkers and public officials to look into these issues.
Together, we can encourage them to do it. First step? Start here.
Please go to:
https://www.snopes.com/contact/
Ask them to fact check the link below.
Help us, help you, help more Americans. There is ‘good news’ that these sources have brought forth, but for whatever reasons, they generate bad news too.
Fact checks are useful, and knowing the truth matters. Former President Barack Obama made a point that people across the political and media spectrum agree with. Our goal here is to help serious thinkers sort out what is true from what is misleading or fiction. We also want to put the spotlight on those that cause the problems that give manufactured home living an often undeserved image.
Take a global view, and you can sift out what is good vs. those who are problematic with respect to manufactured homes and manufactured home living. If you haven’t already done so, we invite you to send to Snopes that request for a fact check. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. “We Provide, You Decide.” © (Lifestyle news, 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 MHLivingNews.com.
Tony earned a journalism scholarship and earned numerous awards in history and in manufactured housing. For example, he earned the Lottinville Award in history from the University of Oklahoma, where he studied history and business management. He’s a managing member 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.
