“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln.   Preface before addressing the headline issues: Steve McDonald reminds us in the intriguing lyrics from the title song of Sons of Somerled that there’s been times when the sword is mightier than pen. Today, sometimes money seems to outweigh pen and sword, although …

The following are the comments as prepared for the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) virtual listening session scheduled for Wednesday 12.11.2019.    — FHFA Listening Session Comments by L. A. ‘Tony’ Kovach, Publisher of MHLivingNews.com, MHProNews.com, Award-Winning Manufactured Home Industry Expert and Consultant (LATonyKovach.com and http://www.linkedin.com/in/latonykovach)   Speakers addressed the Washington, D.C. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Duty to Serve …

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 …

Realtor.com says that Kristina Smallhorn goes by the moniker, “Your Real Estate Whisperer.” She tells those pondering the housing markets ‘secrets’ and insights that others may not realize. Manufactured Home Living News (MHLivingNews) stumbled across Smallhorn’s video last night, and we knew right away that we had to share it. Not because we think she’s made is a perfect video, …

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 …

During a widely acknowledged affordable housing crisis, one would normally imagine that affordable housing would be doing very well. While some segments may be performing well, perhaps the most proven form of U.S. affordable housing ever is struggling at historically low levels. How is that possible? Furthermore, millions of Americans who live in this most proven form of affordable housing …

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 …

Rent control is a hot topic in the U.S. as well as in Canada. It is an issue for those in apartments or other forms of rental housing, as well as numbers living in manufactured home land lease communities. The CBC News video below spells out the challenge in multifamily housing, north of the border. It will help tee up …

What follows below is a letter to the editor of MHLivingNews from a community resident-leader. It is worth mentioning that this person has lived and owned in conventional housing before moving into a manufactured home in a land-lease community. He loves his manufactured home, as he has said on his own blog. He enjoys the community, neighbors, and lifestyle. But …

There is no date on the article, but it appeared in a Google search on a topic that is relevant to the manufactured home industry and its current doldrums. Based upon its contents, it would appear to be less than 2 years old.   The reason that this a good look at this article is important to current owners of …

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 …

To understand the warning and/or alert noted in the headline, some background is useful.   Dave Anderson is the Executive Director of the National Association of Manufactured Homeowners Association (NMHOA). Prior to NMHOA Anderson was the executive director with the Minnesota-based All Parks Alliance for Change (APAC).  Both ‘resident’ organizations state as their mission to benefit and protect the rights …

“Credit is the lifeblood of housing.” – Eric Belsky, then with Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.   “Pay more attention to what people do than what they say.” – Marty Lavin, JD, prior finance and GSE consultant, manufactured home lending, years of experience in manufactured home retail and land lease. Lavin is a Manufactured Housing Instiute (MHI) award winner …

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 …

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 …