Why is there so little competition in the manufactured home lending market? While there are several interlocking factors, one of the simplest points to make is that the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not doing the robust lending in the manufactured home market as they are doing for conventional housing. What follows is a step-by-step explanation based …

Anything that has happened before can happen again. So said historian turned politician, Democratic House Majority Whip James Clyburn. Whatever someone’s political beliefs, or lack of them, may be – Clyburn is demonstrably correct on that point. History does not precisely repeat. But once something has occurred in human history, something similar is obviously capable of re-occurring.  Biblically, history was …

Prejudice and ignorance are not bliss. Bias against affordable housing and/or manufactured homes are costly to most of society, save a few well-connected elites. In fairness, over a decade before the self-described “atheist” dark lord of Omaha entered the manufactured home industry, Americans were understandably complaining about a lack of affordable housing. Part of the problem was and remains NIMBY …

“Factory-built cars. Factory-crafted clothing. Factory-made appliances and electronics. Factory-made cells, smart phones, tablets, and computers. Factory-crafted homes…it just makes sense, doesn’t it?” © L. A. “Tony” Kovach.   For some time, this platform and our MHProNews.com sister site have made common-sense points like the ones above. Which begs the question, why is there so much misunderstanding about such a common-sense …

The title to the report linked here is California Feudalism – The Squeeze on the Middle Class. But research authors Joel Kotkin and Marshall Toplansky for the Center for Demographics & Policy at Chapman University themselves point out the relationship of their report to those who want to see America become more like California. They also use the phrase “working …

Preface. This article will first outline a five-point plan for affordable housing and manufactured home living recovery. Then, it will give some specific examples of why this plan makes more sense than others that are being discussed. Interlaced with that will be facts, evidence and specific examples of how the battle for affordable housing has been weaponized by some powerful …

Complex problems cited in the headline can be simplified by making this specific point. Affordable housing and income or wealth inequality are in several ways related issues. Home ownership is the most common form of wealth building in America. There are already good laws ‘on the books’ that make more affordable housing available. There are also good laws that make …

First, the good news. Then, we’ll follow the good news up with what’s problematic. This will be systematic: quotes, facts, and eye-opening insights. “People live better when they have less financial stress,” Lindsey Bostick said. “They can do more of what they really want to do with their lives when they pay less for their home.” She explained that, “I …

The truth has been hiding in plain sight for years. But politics, the revolving door, and other factors have kept Americans – living in one of the wealthiest nation per capita on planet Earth – out of the top 40 countries in the world in terms of the percentage rate for personal home ownership.   How did that relatively low …

For several years in our Inside MH Road Show series of videos, MHLivingNews interviewed politicos, experts, but also homeowners of various builders of manufactured homes. Those video interviews are real people, who own actual homes and were not paid for their comments. We’ve learned over the years that manufactured homeowners gladly tell their stories, because they want to be part …

Imagine for the new few minutes that you are a detective trying to solve a mystery. Detectives look for clues and examine evidence. Investigators ought to be objective. Like a doctor seeking the cause for an ailment, there are tests, results, facts, and reason that should to be the drivers for solving any puzzle.   Investigators ask questions, such as …

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 …

Congressman Andy Barr, from Kentucky’s 6th Congressional district, spoke in the House of Representatives on March 9, 2017 in favor of manufactured housing. Representative Barr addressed challenges caused by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulations.  This is an issue of importance to manufactured home owners and prospective buyers, and is a topic that has been covered several times by MHLivingNews, …

“I don’t care whether you are a liberal, conservative, independent or something else – the bottom line with this year’s election was simply more of the same or something new, different or unique,” said Tim Connor, CSP. Connor earned the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, and is the author of over 80 books on business, management and personal development. He …

“Some had lower rates of crime than you would expect, because they had pride of ownership and the shared backgrounds of residents.” — Researcher William P. McCarty   Homeowners love them. Affordable housing advocates laud them. Municipal planners approve them. And yet, many local governments throughout the land, spurred by neighborhood activists, are working relentlessly to block new manufactured home …