Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Bacon’s Rebellion, George Mason University – Struggle for Affordable Housing, HUD, and the Manufactured Homes “Enhanced Preemption” Coverup

BaconsRebellionGeorgeMasonUniversityStruggleaffordableHousingHUDManufacturedHomesEnhancedPreemptionCoverupMHLivingNews

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 …

Read More »

Understanding the Truth About Manufactured Home Customer Satisfaction – Interviews, Surveys, Focus Group Videos, and Expert 3rd Party Research

UnderstandingTruthAboutManufacturedHomeCustomerSatisfactionInterviewsSurveysFocusGroupVideosExpert3rdPartyResearchMHLivingNews

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 …

Read More »

Monopolization of American Dream, Telling the Inside Story of Home Ownership Gone Awry

MonopolizationAmericaDreamTellingInsideStoryHomeOwnershipGoneAwryManufacturedHomeLivingNews

Superficially, manufactured housing is an easy to understand product, service, and industry. It costs far more to build a house on site – so-called ‘stick building’ – then it does to build one in a factory and was permanently installed on a buyers preferred home site. It costs more to build apartments than it does a manufactured home community. The …

Read More »

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

DefineTrailerHouseNotEqualToMobileHomeNotEqualtoManufacturedHomeDefinitionPhotosImagesMobileManufacturedHomeLivingNews

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 …

Read More »

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

DiscerningQualityValueSellerEhticsFaithfulLifewayHomesCanIBringMyCounsinManufacturedHomeLivingNews

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 …

Read More »

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

RollTheStoneAwayLetTheGuiltyPayItsIndependenceDayMarthaMcBrideManufacturedHomeLivingNews

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 …

Read More »

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

GSMOLsMichelleSmithCautionaryTaleMHActinKeyManufacturedHomeInsightsRevistedMobileManufacturedMomeHLivingNews

“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 …

Read More »

Manufactured Home Resident Leader Asks For Federal Investigations

RobertVanCleefManufacturedHomeResidentLeaderAsksForFederalInvestigationsMobileManufacturedHomelivingNews

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 …

Read More »

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

OpenLetterKurtKelleyJoanneStevensFrankRolfeManufacturedHousingReviewSenatorWarrenRequestInformationManufacturedHomeCommunityOwnersMHLivingNews

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, …

Read More »

Manufactured Home Installation Goes Awry, Falling on Installation Team Member

ManufacturedHomeInstallationGoesAwryFallingInstallationTeamMemberManufacturedHomeLivingNews

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, …

Read More »

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

WeAsNationCanSolveAffordableHousingCrisisSaysHUDSecretaryBenCarsonSpotlightingManufacturedHomesOtherEmergingTechnologiesMHLivingNews

“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 …

Read More »

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

AffordableHousingBattleLegalWayRedistributeWealthWithoutNewLawSocialismSenWarrenRepAOCPresidentTrumpHUDSecBenCarsonCashPileMHLivingNews

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 …

Read More »

MarketWatch says Amazon Selling New Homes for Under $20,000, Don’t Buy One Before Reading This

MarketWatchSaysAmazonSellingNewHomesUnder$20,000DontBuyOneBeforeReadingThisManufacturedHomeLivingNews

First, let’s make it clear that there are all kinds of reasonable and good housing options. This publication is broad-minded about all safe, legal, and legitimate housing options.   That said, Amazon has made headlines recently with some of their kit homes. What are those? Kit housing has been around for about a century that we know about, because the …

Read More »

Affordable Housing Needed, Corporate Corruption, and Manufactured Homes – Time to Get Federal Officials Fully Involved?

AffordableHousingNeededCorpCorruptionManufacturedHomesTimeGetFederalOfficialsFullyInvolvedMHLivingNews

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 …

Read More »

Conventional or Manufactured Housing – Facts Matter, and Public Engagement Matters Too

ConventionalOrManufacturedHousingFactsMatterPublicEngagementMattersMHLivingNews

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 …

Read More »