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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

The first step to solving a problem, said the late Zig Ziglar, is to admit that a problem exists.   Manufactured homes are widely misunderstood. But why? The facts – when carefully examined – speak well about today’s manufactured homes, as a few video interviews on this page from experts and actual homeowners alike suggests. So why is there such …

Nia Peeples explains in this video how her husband nudged her into considering a manufactured home near the beach. “The thing that surprised me the most about how I responded to moving in to such a small place is not that I loved it; the thing that surprised me was that we would always have people in our house, and …

A recent Washington Post (WP, the Post, or WaPo) report about a recent protest made it clear that manufactured housing is an important part of the solution to the growing affordable housing crisis in the USA. Here is part of what the WP report said. “The average price of a “stick-built” home in January was $382,700, according to the Census …

There are over 8 million affordable housing units needed in America today. Third-party research reveals that the most affordable kind of quality, safe, durable, and economical homes in America today are manufactured homes.   The vast majority of Millennials want to own, but don’t want to sacrifice quality and green features. Baby boomers and retirees tend to want a single …

People are people. Rich, or poor. Small or tall.  Every able bodied person pretty much put our pants on the same way as others do. Christmas and the holidays are “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as Andy Williams sang, decades ago in this video snippet from a performance. It’s true. “It’s a Wonderful Life,” as this free full-length …

Disclosures.  Among the most common requests we get from home shoppers is a variation on this question.  How do you recommend we determine which company or location to buy from? Because the responsibility for due diligence is with the buyer, this article is being provided as a public service. This column will be the first in a periodic series of articles …

Every year, millions of Americans are looking for a new place to call home.  A new report on the Daily Business News states that 1 out of 9 Americans are moving a year, per the U.S. Census Bureau. People move for many reasons. Among the top reasons mentioned are to: 1)    save money, 2)    and to get a new home …

This past Thursday, I spent the day in Livonia teaching a continuing professional education class about estate administration for the Michigan Association of CPAs. One of the topics I discussed with a room full of CPAs was the transfer of homes to the loved ones of the deceased. What if you own a mobile home or a titled manufactured home? …