Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/124916
DEVELOPMENT MARKETING Ask Eddie BY ED HICKS What is the key to getting the average American to view factory built homes as a viable source of reliable housing? Gary W., Pittsburgh, PA The manufactured housing industry has "fit" itself in to a space between the proverbial "Rock and the Hard Place". Is there anyone out there who doesn't believe that if you build something for less, it must be "cheaper", or of inferior quality? Sadly our image in the mind of the general public, remains a series of "taints", as in "taint" real homes, "taint" ordinary people living in 'em, "taint" easy to finance, "taint" too pretty, "taint" structurally safe, "taint" reliable, "taint" safe in windstorms, "taint" safe in fires, living in one "taint" going to do anything for your social status, "taint" gonna appreciate, "taint" appraising well, etc. On the one hand we can build safe, functional, relatively attractive homes in a factory environment to the same, if not better quality than entry level site built homes. But too often the additional in-factory and on-site costs which the public demands to make them appear more "site built", raise home prices to the point where they no longer have an economic advantage, especially when one looks at total monthly housing costs, using today's higher interest rates and sometimes shorter loan amortization. But if building it better, but at less cost, con- tinues the impression that our homes are "cheap" a good idea. There is just something about peoples attitudes which attach themselves to their impression of the items involved. Some people would never consider seriously living "in a box" any more than they would consider enjoying fine wine from a box, no matter the quality of either. . Why not try to create homes and communities which are "different", better, more functional, which may create a less expensive living cost, but are not perceived as necessarily "cheaper". A few of us have proposed home ideas which accomplish all this, but so far have not caught on primarily because of the reluctance for factories to retool and recapitalize to adjust to new manufacturing processes. Research the "Interloktm Home" as portrayed in the PATH Report published by HUD and PD&R entitled "Innovations At The Cutting Edge, New Ideas for Manufactured Housing", for a few of them. Our image may be improved by encouraging writers and producers of mainstream media to show m/h lifestyles in a positive light. Interestingly, seniors moving to popular retirement areas in Arizona, The Carolinas, and Florida often change their attitudes towards living in m/h communities, once they see the higher quality homes, nicely maintained com- What is the key to getting the av- erage American to view factory built homes as a viable source of reliable housing? MAY 2013 28 THE JOURNAL munities, and options for community ownership through cooperatives. They also enjoy retirement in seniors m/h communities located near Western, Midwestern and Eastern Cities, such as the San Francisco Bay, Chicago, Philadelphia, and others. Wouldn't it be interesting if some creative writers were to capture many of the interesting lives and times of people living in some of these communities, notably: The Villages in Central Florida which started out as a m/h land lease community, and is now over 100,000 strong. My wife and I have chosen not to live in a Condominium Apartment, or entry level site built home in our retirement, but love our new HUD Code Factory Built Home which is sited in a compact, secure, high quality resident owned homesite lease community. Want the reasons? Do the research: value, quality construction, community management, rights to screen residents, ease of evicting non-compliant residents, being with independent thinkers not sheep. We love it all. T J Edward "Ask Eddie" and Lynne Hicks. Proud residents of Hidden Harbor on Lake Harris,, Leesburg, FL. 34748 (813) 300-6150 www.mobilehomepark. com, www.factorybuilthome.com, www.fha207m.com. Mr Hicks lic. RE Broker, and Lic Mortgage Broker, is a national consultant providing marketing and economic services, community brokerage, and financing for m/h communities with over 45 years industry experience. Lynne Hicks nee Lepine is a highly successful HUD multi-family community manager, and is a certified m/h community manager.