Manufactured Housing Web Notes

Dan Freeman

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Mobile Home Profits In the Buyers Market

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:36:00 +0000

Selling new manufactured homes is a very difficult business these days. There is little, reasonable, wholesale or retail financing available. The cost of field work and installation has quadrupled over the past decade. Marketing, selling, financing, finish work, dealing with permit authorities. All take a huge investment of time.

We are deep into a buyers market, new inventory has been hanging around longer and profits are lower. There is one bright spot in the manufactured housing business and that is selling pre-owned homes.

Time proven truths that separate new home sales and pre-owned home sales:

1- New Homes: You limit your profit when you sell the home.

2- Pre-Owned Homes: You limit your profit when you buy the home

When selling new homes you may have more than one supplier offering different price points... but one thing you can be certain of is that you will never get any serious discount below the wholesale (dealer) price. From time to time you may get the incentive of a discounted or free option but it is rare to bring any factory builder down from their listed price. The only room you have for profit is between the fixed wholesale costs and the price the local market will permit you to sell for, in reasonable amount of time.

With pre-owned homes there is also a top price that the local market will permit. When you purchase pre-owned homes you are in business to buy low and sell as high as the market will permit... on both ends. Your profit spread jumps up as your purchase price drops down. Most homes you invest in will need some referb. We turned six home and land packages last year (2009) The average cost of renovations was under $5000. Less then a quarter of what it costs to prep private land and installation cost for a new manufactured home today. Renovation work often needs no permits or inspections and never includes the "impact fees" and red tape that are becoming popular within an ever increasing number of permitting authorities.

At this moment, in most markets, there are a huge number of manufactured home and land packages in foreclosure. Homes installed on deeded residential real-estate (not leased lots in a park) are selling at as low as 20% of what the sold for new several years ago. Investors with the ability to locate these manufactureds home and land foreclosures are making killings.

Next time we will discuss how we have been finding great deals on pre-owned manufactured homes.

The best kept investment secret of modern times.

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:16:00 +0000

At the end of this month, in sunny Florida, there will be an exciting oppertunity to learn about mobile home park investing An intensive three day "boot camp" delivering a combination of classroom and real world training at near-by mobile home parks. The seminar will be led by Stu Silver, (pen name Zalman Velvel) author of MOBILE HOME WEALTH II and a national leader in high-quality continuing education services. Stu has decades of successfull investing in mobile homes and mobile home parks. It pays to learn from an expert that has already been there and can show you, not just how to move forward.... but also how to avoid the classic investing mistakes for this unique, and often misundeerstood investment class

You will learn the skills needed to develop a superior cash flow and consistently improve the value of your investment. Advanced investing education doesn’t have to be a lengthy uphill challenge. This is the opportunity you have been looking for, to ramp up your understanding and skills in the best kept investment secret of modern times... Mobile Home Parks!

More Details......

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:52:00 +0000

Take great care to educate yourself on a variety of issues regarding mobile or manufactured home financing. You'll save yourself a lot of time, money and headaches.

5) Mobile Homes built before 1976 cannot be refinanced The HUD Code, instituted in 1976, changed the standards of safety and the construction procedures for mobile and manufactured homes. As such, homes built prior to 1976 were not subject to the HUD Code and are regarded by mobile home investors as a higher risk loan for a lack of a minimum code of construction. Due to this condition, investors will still provide financing and refinancing for pre-HUD manufactured and mobile home loans, yet at a slightly higher rate than their post-HUD counterparts.

4) You can get a co-signer if you have trouble qualifying Contrary to popular belief, mobile homes are not cars and cannot be financed like them. The loan contract regards the signers as "borrower" and "co-borrower(s)". Also, it is inferred, when a manufactured home loan contract is executed by the borrower and co-borrower(s), that they are agreeing to live in the home as their primary residence. Making a false statement such as this constitutes loan fraud and is grounds for federal prosecution.

3) 100% Financing is available to purchase a mobile home There are NO 100% (or "zero down payment") financing programs available for any manufactured or mobile home loans. Do not be fooled! Many loan brokers will attempt to accomplish this type of mobile home loan, fraudulently, claiming the home to be a stick-built condo. Be sure not to implicate yourself in this kind of scheme by verifying that your loan broker truly understands and has a wealth of experience in dealing with mobile and manufactured home loans.

2) Mobile Home Loans are not conventional loans It is a common mistake to classify mobile or manufactured home loans as not being conventional loans. A conventional loan is any loan that is not insured by the FHA or guaranteed by the VA or Farmers Home Administration. There are FHA and VA loans available on mobile or manufactured homes and they carry many stipulations and restrictions with them; however, a mobile or manufactured home loan through a financial institution such as a bank or credit union is absolutely a conventional loan.

1) Mobile Homes must be attached to a permanent foundation to get financing This false statement is the telltale sign of a loan broker who truly does not know anything about mobile or manufactured home finance. Permanent foundations have NO bearing on the financing of a mobile or manufactured home whatsoever, and usually it's just an excuse for the broker or institution to avoid making (what is perceived as) a higher risk loan for your home.

About the Author: Josh Ladick is with the San Diego Mortgage Group , a mortgage funding and brokerage firm, with a specialty in mobile home loans. They are located in San Diego, and have financed hundreds of loans across California, however they can finance loans for chattel mortgages across the USA. For more information: San Diego: Mobile Home Loans or Refinance California: Manufactured Home Loan United States: Manufactured Home Finance . You can follow his articles at http://www.mobilehomenews.com/

The power bill gets really pricey in the summer. HELP!

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:28:00 +0000

Question:

I have a double wide manufactured home in which one side of the house cools better than the other. I have had the crossover duct work changed out to regular metal duct work. It is all tight and secure. The crawl space under the house is very cool. This is the reason I had the duct work changed out--to make sure the crossover was secure. The back of the house has plenty of air coming from the vents but there is very little coming from the vents in the front of the house. The AC runs almost constantly in the summer. The power bill gets really pricey in the summer. HELP!

Answer:

It seems that you are air-conditioning the space under the home. If it is cool under there the air is escaping under the home. You replaced the crossover so it appears that it is not where the problem is. You have good air flow on the back side of the home so you can assume that the problem is in the front side where your not getting sufficient flow.You need to start just past the cross over and follow the duct work under the home. With a bit of luck you will be able to feel with your hand where the cold air is escaping. If not you will need to start exposing the duct work... By opening the belly board and inspecting the duct run, 'till you find the leak.

Once the problem is found and resolved be sure to repack the insulation into the floor and reseal the belly wrap. You should take precautions when opening the bottom and handling the insulation and use proper protective methods.

Rolled fiberglass insulation has plenty of air space included in it. I like to use the highest R value, thickest, rolled, insulation I can fit into the space between the bottom of the floor joist and the floor decking, with our crushing it. Once the insulation is in place you can purchase rolled vapor barrier material called Bottom Board by MH repair people and install it from below, stapling it to the bottom of the floor joist so it supports the insulation.

You can find bottom board products at The Mobile Home Parts Store

For details about installing insulation and important safety tips see How to Install Fiberglass Insulation and Crawl Space Insulation, from the U.S. Dept of Energy.

If your looking for a book that covers all facets of manufactured home repair see The Manual for Manufactured Home Repair & Upgrade

Ask Your Question at http://mfdhousing.com/phorum5/list.php?2

4 Top Reasons to Refinance your Mobile Home

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:23:00 +0000

There are plenty of good reasons to refinance. I will explain some of the most common reasons and also provide some useful advice on what you need to consider before refinancing your mobile home.

Why consider a manufactured home refinance? When you refinance your manufactured home, you are basically getting a new loan, usually with better terms, to pay off or replace the loan you currently have. While the mobile home refinance loan process is quite different than a real property stick built refinance, financing for manufactured homes is available in space rent parks, co-op parks, parks where you own your own lot, and mobile homes or manufactured homes located on privately owned land. In no particular order , here are the Top Four Reasons to refinance your Mobile Home:

1. For a fixed rate loan, to provide stability
2. To access home equity for home improvements
3. To lower interest rate and/or monthly payments
4. To consolidate debt/pay off credit cards.

The first reason for refinancing your mobile home mortgage is to obtain a fixed interest rate and eliminate the costly adjustable rate feature of your existing loan. Sure, an adjustable rate mortgage is a good way to purchase a mobile home with low initial monthly payments, however, the sporadic rate fluctuations and the potential for large interest rate jumps can be not only alarming, but very costly. This is why many homeowners consider refinancing into a fixed interest rate loan.
The second reason for refinancing is pulling the equity out of the mobile home; this is a popular reason for refinancing. Perhaps you are in need of some cash to pay for your children or grandchildren's college tuition, or you are looking to make some home improvements to maintain the value of your home. Planning for retirement is another common reason to tap into the equity you have built up in your manufactured home.
The third reason behind refinancing a mobile home is to lower your current interest rate and monthly mortgage payment. Now this may seem simple; who doesn't want lower payments? But even if you are currently in a situation where you can afford your monthly payments, then refinancing your mobile home loan with a lower interest rate may allow you to shorten the length of your loan, pay it off sooner, and easily make additional principal payments towards the principal balance of your loan from time to time, if you so desire, to pay the loan off even sooner.
Now let's review the fourth reason that mobile home owners have for refinancing; consolidating debt, paying off high interest rate credit cards and auto loans. Taking cash out of your home to pay off debts that have high interest rates and non-deductible interest costs is a very popular reason behind refinancing mobile home and manufactured home loans. The interest on your mobile home loan is, typically, tax-deductible. If you have a considerable amount of credit card and auto loan debt, it can make sense to use some of the equity in your home to pay off these costly amounts. After paying these debts off with a manufactured home loan, the interest you pay on your new mobile home loan is now tax-deductible. Now, keep in mind, it is always advisable to seek advice from your tax advisor about your particular tax situation.

Costs are another important consideration when refinancing a mobile home. Some mobile home lenders now offer low flat rate fees, if you are looking to refinance with the lowest expenses possible. Most borrowers have the option to pay any fees associated with refinancing up front while closing their loan, however one may also be able to include these fees into the new loan amount and keep out of pocket expenses at a bare minimum. Just like a traditional home loan, borrowers can also buy down the interest rate. To do this, borrowers may be charged with points.

Points are additional fees that are paid at the time of closing to the lender that is financing your new manufactured home loan. Usually a point is considered one percent of the new loan amount.
You will want to carefully consider all of your options first with a qualified professional mobile home and manufactured home lender. Knowledgeable lenders that are licensed to do mobile and manufactured home loans in your state should be able to help you decide whether the cost of the loan is worth the savings. Also, they should be able to tell you the facts before you have to make a payment of any sort.

About the Author: Josh Ladick is with the San Diego Mortgage Group , a mortgage funding and brokerage firm, with a specialty in mobile home loans. They are located in San Diego, and have financed hundreds of loans across California, however they can finance loans for chattel mortgages across the USA. For more information: San Diego: Mobile Home Loans or Refinance California: Manufactured Home Loan United States: Manufactured Home Finance You can follow his articles on manufactured housing financing at www.mobilehome.com

Can I Install French Doors In My Manufactured Home ?

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 08:04:00 +0000

You can renovate your manufactured home in much the same way as any other framed structure

Like any structural changes putting in a French Door could create a problem if it is not done correctly. The header that holds up the structure over each window would need to be increased in length and probably in width in order to hold up the structure of the home that will be over the greater open space of the double doors.

We have successfully replaced windows with sliding glass doors several times. If you have not had experience with this type of carpentry you should seek the services of a competent contractor who understands how to compensate for the added open space.

Most glass doors placements make the interior of the home feel more spacious and open. The additional access to the exterior, especially if you add a porch or patio just outside the door can greatly enhance your enjoyment of being at home.

If your looking for a book that covers all facets of manufactured home repair, take a look at The Manual for Manufactured Home Repair & Upgrade As you would expect from the title, The repair and upgrade techniques described in this manual are specific to manufactured homes. This book will answer most question on manufactured home repair. Not only does this book show you how to repair and maintain your home, but also great methods for upgrading it.

If your looking for a French Door or other parts for manufactured home repair or renovation try the Online MH Parts Store? If you dont find what you need on the web site, friendly & knowledgeable customer service representatives are available to answer your questions or take your special order.

How to stop rain water from washing out your manufactured home foundation

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:01:00 +0000

I had water running down hill under my manufactured home that was starting to wash out the foundation system. We installed a French Drain on the high side of the house.

A French Drain is nothing more than a trench that goes across the end of the home where the water is coming from. Its depth will depend on the amount of water you want it to handle. At my place we trenched down about 5 feet.. put about a foot of drain field rock on the bottom... above that layer of rock we put perforated pipe with the holes
pointing up. We extended the trench and pipe around to the low side of the house and let it break out of the ground at a steady drop. We covered the pipe with six inches of rock, then a layer of septic field sand filter paper, and then
rock to the top.

PLAN CUT VIEW OF FRENCH DRAIN

This creates a drain that will carry the water around the house and drop it off the low side... The ground water drains from the surface into the gravel, this water flows through the gravel slowly into the perforated pipe which acts like a
"highway" removing water from the trench

We are fortunate as the low side of our property drops into a lake. You may run into a problem is there is another home or other fixture on the low side that your drain water would damage. . French drains can lead to dry wells or environmentally-friendly rain gardens where the extra water is held and absorbed by plants, when city water
systems, or other waste water areas can not be used.

VIEW OF FRENCH DRAIN FROM THE TOP

FRENCH DRAIN WITH BASE ROCK AND PIPE

For more details see:

BUILDING A FRENCH DRAIN TO STOP MOISTURE UNDER A HOME

How To Install French Drains for Yard Drainage
Wikipedia on French Drain
French Drains cure Saturated lawns & basement flooding

Why I Love Mobile Home Investment

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 20:21:00 +0000

Contributed by Zalman Velvel

When you are fortunate to live a half a century or more, you have a long gray beard, and you have a few bucks, sometimes people younger than a half a century, with no beard, and less money, ask you for advice. (I'm not sure if it's the beard, or the bucks, that is the key ingredient, but it's probably the bucks.)

Two of the questions I am most frequently asked are:

1- What career should I choose?

2- If I choose a career in real estate, what should I invest in?

Whenever I answer, I try to imagine the person asking is a member of my family, like the picture above, and the answer will set an important milestone for the rest of their life. Then I answer like my Dad. He told me, "You're going to spend a lot of time working, so you might as well enjoy it. Pick something you like doing, which will probably be something you have talent in, and chances are you will be successful. Don't choose something where the only reward is the money, not the steps that lead to it."

What my Dad didn't say, but I then add, is that every career has its ups and downs, and days when you want to say, "Who needs this aggravation?" Every career is like that, from what I've seen after living more than a half century, even that of a super-star. What separates success and failure is the ability to persevere, and it's easier to persist in that which you enjoy, and easy to quit something that only frustrates you, and whose only reward is money, like the bill on my left.

That being said, when the second question is asked, "If I choose a career in real estate, what should I invest in?" I answer the same, "Pick an investment you like, because you are going to spend a lot of time on it, and you might as well enjoy it."

If you like working with business people, invest in commercial property - offices, stores, warehouses, etc. If you like raw land, invest in farms, develop residential subdivisions and/or industrial parks, etc. If you like working with the elderly, invest in ACLF's, health care facilities, nursing homes, and the like. If you like houses, then own houses. If you love apartments, then buy duplexes, triplexes, and apartment buildings. The real estate investment field is rich in its diversity, and will make you rich if you choose wisely. Yes, you must choose wisely, with your heart and with your pocketbook. No matter how much you love an investment, it's just no fun going broke or working for free, so make sure before you invest that you are going to make a profit, and are aware of all the risks.

I own warehouses, mini-warehouses, single family houses, duplexes, a motel, an outdoor storage yard, offices, stores, etc., but I specialize in my favorite investment, mobile homes and mobile home parks. Why? Because I love 'em. I love the new ones, straight out of the factory, which are now built better and cheaper than site built homes (I.M.H.O.). Look at the home pictured on the left and tell me it isn't beautiful.

I also love the older ones, which I can buy for less than $10,000 on a leased lot, and they still provide a safe, healthy home for people, with lots of cash flow.

I love the feeling of empowerment I get from moving a mobile home onto a vacant lot, which only eats money (taxes, insurance, and interest), and converting it to an income earning resource that provides shelter for a family. The home pictured on the right was the first mobile home I ever set up on a vacant lot, with the chickens and the BMW of the physician's assistant who bought it from me.

And yes, I love the "mobile" in mobile home, having the flexibility to move it from one place to another, if the need arises. I don't need to call them manufactured homes so I will respect them more. I love and respect them plenty already.

Recently, I was training a group of future mobile home investors, and while the class was out at lunch break, I bought a mobile home. It cost $11,000 with the lot. It came with an excellent rent-paying tenant and will earn 25% a year after all expenses. When the class returned from lunch, they were surprised to see me signing a contract with the broker and handing over an escrow deposit.

When I started the class again, I said, "Hi, my name is Stu, and I am a mobile home addict." The class answered, like a true 12 step group, "Hi, Stu!" Then I added, "I have to come realize I am powerless over my addiction to cash flow."

I could give you many more reasons while I love mobile homes, but I will stop here. In my next article, I will talk about my love for mobile home parks, which just means buying them in bunches, instead of one at a time. I love a mobile home as an individual, and I also love them in groups.

Before I close, let me add what my Dad also told me about selecting a career. He said, "If you're lucky, you will get to work at something that helps people, because in the end, all we really have is each other."

When you choose a career in mobile homes, which are the most affordable housing we have, you will get that chance.

Author and trainer Zalman Velvel, CCIM, is a Licensed Real Estate Broker and Mobile Home Dealer. He has 28 years of experience in Real Estate investment, 28 years as a Realtor, and 17 of those years in manufactured home investment. He has conducted 3-day live trainings and Internet Distance Learning on Mobile Homes and Real Estate Investments to over 5,000 enthusiastic clients all over the country. His books, Mobile Home Wealth and Mobile Home Wealth Part 2: Mobile Home Parks, are available on www.MobileHome.com .

Stu Silver is a real estate investor, writer, speaker and trainer who deals with the lucrative, but often overlooked, subject of Mobil Home and Mobile Home Park investment. Mr. Silver and his family have real estate holdings that include 500 rental units, comprised of 11 mobile home parks, warehouses, mini-warehouses, offices, single family homes, duplexes, and motels. Under the pen-name of Zalman Velvel, he has written two well-received books: Mobile Home Wealth and Mobile Home Wealth Part 2: Mobile Home Parks.

Mr. Silver has been a full time investor for more than 28 years. He holds the coveted CCIM designation, and is licensed as a real estate broker, mortgage broker, auctioneer, mobile home

SIX HUNDRED Pages covering every step of the MOBILE HOME PARK INVESTMENT process. Including 12 places to find the BEST DEALS Written for people that have little or no experience investing in income producing real estate, or those who have read MOBILE HOME WEALTH (Part One) and are ready to go to the next level. Delve into the exciting and lucrative world of mobile home park investing. Mobile home parks are the best kept secret in the real estate market. Previously hidden from the average investor. The reason... successful people dont want to make their business easy for competitors to copy. The author is not concerned with that. There are thousands of mobile home parks and hundreds or thousands of individual mobile homes for sale at any time... plenty to go around for everyone. Jump in and join the fun.
Purchase Now!

Why are mobile home parks the "red-headed stepchildren" of the commercial real estate investment world?

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Mobile home park investors across the nation are raking in the dough while countless single family home real estate investors are struggling to turn a monthly profit. Okay, so it's not exactly like investing on Madison Ave. However, if you have the knowledge you can do just as well as the Donald Trump in real estate. Just ask Jim Clayton of Clayton homes who sold his company and portfolio of mobile home parks to Warren Buffet for a cool $1.7 Billion dollars!
Why are mobile home parks the "red-headed stepchildren" of the commercial real estate investment world? Read More --> Creating a Lifetime of Cash Flow and Equity through Mobile Home and Mobile Home Park Investing!

In order to take advantage of this hidden opportunity, some investors will need to free up a few pre-conceived attitudes about manufactured homes. Here is a good place to start.

The Southeast Symposium for MH Community Owners will be held Thursday, August 27, at the DoubleTree Guest Suites - Galleria in Atlanta. The first-time event is being sponsored by the Georgia Manufactured Housing Association, and will feature a welcome and “Why we’re here” presentation by industry consultant George Allen.

MHI Executive Vice-President Thayer Long will offer a national perspective on issues facing Mobile Home Park owners. The morning general session will also feature presentations on a variety of topics tentatively scheduled to include:

A Case Study – 18 Years of Owner Financing of Manufactured Homes in parks

Reducing Your Tax Burden through Cost Segregation & Cost Allocation

Insurance Options to Reduce Costs & Generate Profits

Efficient Marketing to Generate mobile home Buyers in Your Community

The afternoon session will be headlined by an interactive discussion with manufacturers on the design and pricing of affordable homes specifically for purchase, resale and owner-financing by community owners The registration fee for the event is $75 and includes lunch, internet access and a hosted reception at the end of the day. For up-to-date information and details, please go to http://mobilehomenews.com/stories.php?nid=8129

Checking A Mobile Home For Level Just Got Very Easy

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:31:00 +0000

The WatrLevel is an improvement on traditional water levels used for years to level mobile homes. It incorporates a built-in measuring tape that will provide instant readings as to how much out-of-level your mobile home is.

It consists of a reservoir, 50’ of tubing, and a 12” measuring staff. Just place the reservoir so that the top of the water in the reservoir is about 4” below the I-beam. Then take the measuring staff to your first point (it can be anywhere you want to start) and butt it up against the I-beam. Now move the scale to zero, this is now your reference point. Next go to each pier block and butt the measuring staff against the bottom of the I-beam and just read the scale. This reading will tell you how high or low this spot is compared to your reference point. Do this at all the points you want to measure and you’ll have a complete picture (make a map) of how out-of-level your mobile home is.

With this information you can then decide on how best to level your mobile home. Maybe you’ll want to jack up the mobile home and place shims (each cut to the thickness from your readings), then lower the mobile home and use the WatrLevel to check your work. This is only one suggestion, there are other methods as well.

The WatrLevel takes the guess work out and is much, much easier to use than the standard tubing levels used for so many years. At just $39.99 plus shipping it is a very inexpensive tool. In addition the WatrLevel can also be used for a wide variety of other projects such as brick work, building decks, fence building, etc.

It comes with an awesome guarantee: if you don’t like it return it within 30 days and we’ll refund your money AND pay to have it sent back. After 30 days and up to 1 year you can return it for a full refund but you pay the shipping back.

The WatrLevel is NOT LIKE a regular water level!It is used in a completely different way, read on ... We've combined the traditional water level with a measuring tape to produce a completely new type of water level -

The WatrLevel. Easy to use, accurate, reasonably priced! Perfect for all of your long distance leveling and measuring jobs.

Advantages of the WatrLevel:

fast set-up accurate simple design
1 person operation
excellent for long distances
easy to read scale
excellent for blind leveling
no batteries required
very few moving parts
1 year unconditional guarantee

An inexpensive alternative to Laser Levels and Transits.

Get more details or order here

For more mobile home repair tips see http://mobilehome.com/repair.php

Manufactured Home Appreaciation

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Im afraid that most Americans have been misinformed about manufactured home appreciation/depreciation - "one which has been perpetuated in the news media... IN FACT, manufactured homes held up well, even when compared to site-built homes. That this was be the case should not really surprise anyone: since 1999, manufactured homes have been built and installed to standards tougher than any but the most recent codes for site-built structures." (http://www.builtstronger.com/myths.html)

For a point of view from the Lakeland Florida area, where there are more manufactured homes per sq mile than any place else on earth, take a look at this article from LEN BONIFIELD. He tells us "As with all real estate, location and maintenance of the home play a huge role in determining the rate and extent of appreciation. In a community setting, location equates to amenities, location in the state, proximity to rivers, lakes coastlines, etc. In most average communities, homes that are 25 to 30 years old can be found selling for $15,000 to $30,000, when they sold new for under $10,000. It's not much, but it is some, appreciation. A recent newspaper article related a manufactured home for sale for more than $250,000 in Broward County. It is common to see 30-plus-year old homes sell for more than $100,000 in the Fort Myers area." He tells us "If you go to Natalie Estates in Stuart and hundreds of other good communities in Florida, you will find 1970's parks where housing has appreciated greatly. California is another classic example of selling prices several times more than they sold for originally." Read the entire article - Factory-Built Homes Appreciate

Consumers Union also has point of view different than most http://www.consumersunion.org/pdf/mh/Appreciation.pdf Read it and learn that "average appreciation rates of manufactured homes packaged with owned land are statistically in line with the site built market, and there are few inherent reasons that a home built in a factory should perform differently than one built on site"

"For many years, people have assumed that the value of manufactured homes depreciates. This is not so. Studies conducted at two Universities revealed that the determining factor of appreciation in both types of homes was their location. Maintenance also plays a major role. If a home of any kind is built or setup in a bad neighborhood or area it will probably depreciate no matter what. In a good area or neighborhood they will generally appreciate in value depending on the local housing market and economy. In the case of a manufactured home, if it is setup on a permanent foundation with a concrete pad, blocked properly and anchored properly, with good drainage so water does not sit under the home and if one buys from a reputable dealer who uses good setup people, the home will be no different than a site built home. It would appreciate in value at the same rate as a site built home in the same area. The cost of manufactured homes is significantly lower than the cost of site-built homes. This gives them an instant appreciation between what the home actually cost the homebuyer and what its market value is. In some cases, a multi-section manufactured home has sold for more the second time than the first. Properly setup and well taken care of, you are talking about a fantastic investment potential." (http://www.rebelhome.net/myth.html)

Here are a few more opinions - lifted from the MHI web site:
Manufactured Housing Research ProjectUniversity of Michigan, 1993Dr. Kate Warner and Dr. Robert JohnsonThis study is divided into six sections dealing with various questions surrounding manufactured housing: Quality, Costs and Finance, Values, Impacts on Adjacent Property Values, Manufactured Housing and the Senior Population, and Alternative Ownership and Innovative uses. Findings included:

- Manufactured housing quality has become essentially equivalent to that of conventional housing - Manufactured housing compares favorably with site-built housing as an affordable housing option - Manufactured housing, like site-built housing, can be viewed as an investment with probabilities of appreciation and equity accumulation - Manufactured housing has no impact on the appreciation rates of surrounding properties, putting to lie the myths of negative property value impacts.

The Future of Manufactured HousingHarvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies, 1997Kimberley Vermeer and Josephine Louis

The Harvard Joint Center report is essentially a survey of previous academic studies of manufactured housing. It draws from earlier Joint Center studies, particularly Residential Property Value and Mobile/Manufactured Homes: A Case Study of Belmont, New Hampshire," which is Thomas Nutt-Powell’s 1986 examination of property value impacts of manufactured housing, as well as the Manufactured Housing Research Project abstracted above. The Future of Manufactured Housing points out some areas that the industry needs to address (many of them dealt with in the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act, such as installation) and the conclusions that it draws are generally very favorable for the industry.

The Impact of Manufactured Housing on Adjacent Site-BuiltResidential Properties in North CarolinaEast Carolina University, 1997Dr. Richard Stephenson and Dr. Guoqiang Shen.

The first examination of property value impacts of manufactured housing that draws on real-world spatial relationships via GIS data, The Impact of Manufactured Housing on Adjacent Site-Built Residential Properties in North Carolina dispels the twin myths that manufactured housing automatically depreciates and drags down surrounding property values. The most telling findings were:

- Manufactured homes with a fixed foundation or listed as real property appreciated at comparable rates to site-built residential properties - There is no clear negative correlation between the overall appreciation rate of site-built residential properties and the presence of manufactured housing in close proximity

Manufactured Home Life, Existing Housing Stock Through 1997Iowa State University, May 1998Dr. Carol B. Meeks

An update to an earlier study conducted when Dr. Meeks was with the University of Georgia, this study takes a more comprehensive look at the manufactured housing stock to determine the life expectancy of manufactured homes. Manufactured Home Life, Existing Housing Stock Through 1997 finds that the life expectancy of manufactured homes is comparable to the life expectancy of new site-built homes.

Code Comparison Study - MHCSS vs. CABO One- and Two-Family Dwelling and Model Energy CodesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Architecture, January 1998Jeffrey Gordon and William B. Rose

Compares the applicable requirements of standards for construction of a home built to the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (HUD Code) with the CABO One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code and Model Energy Code. The comparison concludes that while in some areas the HUD Code requirements are more restrictive, and in other areas the CABO code are, on balance the two codes are comparable, resulting in houses that perform similarly.

Identification and Measurement of Zoning Barriers Related to Manufactured Housing: A Location and Accessibility Analysis East Carolina University, 1999Dr. Richard Stephenson and Dr. Guoqiang Shen

The 1999 ECU Study examines what impact zoning has on manufactured housing placement and it’s proximity to "positive" versus "negative" public facilities. For the purposes of the study, "positive" facilities included environmental, health and emergency rescue services; cultural, recreational and education services; and auto, food, shopping and other business services. "Negative" facilities include landfill and solid waste sites and other similar uses. Findings include:
- Manufactured housing is located farther from "positive" community facilities, which is especially significant in the area of life safety services - Manufactured housing is located closer to "negative" public facilities such as landfills and solid waste facilities - Zoning districts where manufactured housing is a permitted use have a higher percentage likelihood of being located in flood zones The general conclusion is that many of the negative perceptions of manufactured housing are in fact self-fulfilling prophecies perpetuated in part by the limited placement opportunities created through local government zoning actions.

The Impact of Manufactured Housing on Adjacent Site BuiltResidential Properties in Two Alabama CountiesAuburn University - Montgomery, 2000Charles E Hegji and Linda Mitchell

This study used property valuations from Montgomery and Lee Counties in Alabama to assess the impact of proximity to manufactured housing on site-built property value. Using a methodology similar to that use by East Carolina University in their earlier study, including a spatial analysis using GIS, the Auburn University - Montgomery study concluded that:

- The appreciation rates of individual manufactured homes in both counties were comparable to those of site-built properties - Proximity to manufactured housing did not appear to be a significant determinant of property values of site-built residential housing (www.manufacturedhousing.org/)

"The appreciation in value of manufactured homes comes back to the old real estate axiom -- location, location, location. When properly sited and maintained, manufactured homes will appreciate at the same rate as other homes in surrounding neighborhoods" (http://www.mhao.org/myths.asp)

Mobile Home Parks For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:52:00 +0000

Manufactured housing will be the first segment of the housing market to see a real recovery. I'm betting along with Warren Buffet and investing in manufactured housing as the solution of the near and extended future. At this time price is king. The same scale of economy and benefit of assembly line production can be found in today's modern factory build homes.

Mobile home parks will play a part in the initial recovery also. We urge mobile home park brokers across the country to list properties on www.MobileHomeParkExchange.com (http://mobilehomeparkexchange.com)

THE SITE offers FREE listings to licensed brokers and park owners. Potential buyers will contact you via a form within your listing. You may upload as many as seven photos of your park for sale or remove or edit your listing(s) anytime. Once you list your park watch your e-mail for responses from potential buyers. Your listing will remain active for six months at which time you will receive an automated e-mail reminder to renew.

There will NEVER be a charge to list or view parks for sale.

The site managers do offer a service and will post your listings for you for a small fee. This includes optimizing and uploading up to seven photos and adding a birds eye aerial view of the property. If you would like us to post your listings please phone 352 288 2328

The Manufactured Housing Global Network, with its flagship sites www.MobileHome.com ((http://mobilehome.com)for consumers and www.MobileHomeNews.com (http://mobilehomenews.com) for business participants is a proven powerhouse for attracting web surfers specifically searching for just about anything that has to do with manufactured homes. The Network's combined web sites currently enjoy over 4 million visitor hits a month. Our targeted web promotions continue to exhibit a constant expanding level of traffic with demographic characteristics extremely attractive to the retail, finance, park, insurance and developer segments of our industry.

Go to www.mobilehomeparkexchange.com(http://mobilehomeparkexchange.com) and add your listing(s) NOW. When your done see the manufactured housing business weekly newsletter see www.MobileHomeNews.com. (http://mobilehomenews.com)

There is now, and has always has been, a tremendous demand for affordable housing in virtually every area of these United States, and manufactured homes are the most affordable. And there are a lot of them! Watch this segment to lead a strong and early recovery from the housing blues.

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:40:00 +0000

"You can make a lot of money with a lot of little deals."

Imagine sitting in a classroom with thirty other people, and your instructor is dancing down the aisle doing the Pachanga, and singing that sentence over and over.

"You can make a lot of money with a lot of little deals."

I’ll never forget it, and now I’m not letting you forget it. Why? Because I am going to suggest a simple way of increasing your commission income that you may not have thought of – listing and selling a hidden segment of the affordable housing market, which has an even smaller price. Because of price, this segment is easy to market and "you can make a lot of money with a lot of little deals." Becoming attuned to this market will also fill in gaps in your current residential marketing making you more efficient.

This is exactly opposite of a failed trend I witnessed years ago. I watched my residential Realtor Brothers and Sisters (yes, we are a family) seeking to expand their markets, and their commissions, by listing and selling commercial property. The reasoning went like this: If I can make a certain commission selling a $100,000 house, I can make 10 times that selling a million dollar commercial property.

Perhaps this makes sense to you, and it does mathematically, but it didn’t work out that way for many of the residential Realtors that tried to expand into the commercial real estate market. They learned, through a painful expenditure of valuable time, that commercial property buyers, sellers, marketing, and financing were a world apart from residential real estate. The amount of transactions were much more limited, and competition for those listings was fierce. For that reason, the commissions usually went to specialists who committed all of their time to commercial transactions, and were willing to risk waiting six months or more year for a payday, for perhaps many years in a row.

Now I’m asking you to go in the opposite direction – don’t go bigger, go smaller in price and wider in market reach. The hidden segment I am speaking about is manufactured homes. Why manufactured homes, you ask? Because there is now, and has always has been, a tremendous demand for affordable housing in virtually every area of these United States, and manufactured homes are the most affordable. And there are a lot of them! There are 9 million manufactured homes in this country, one residence out of every ten, yet it’s like they are hidden and not even on the radar screen of most Realtors. This means there are less Realtors listing and selling them, so there is less competition for listings, and more opportunity for you.

About two thirds of manufactured homes, or 6 million, are sold exactly the same as real estate because they are sold together with the land, on a lot similar to a single family house. They can be listed and sold by any licensed Realtor. The remaining one-third of manufactured homes, about three million, are located in manufactured home communities. In some of those communities, the residents own the lot under their mobile home so they can also be sold by any Realtor. In other communities, the resident only owns the home, and leases the land underneath. In Florida, and perhaps other states, you need a separate license to list and sell manufactured homes on leased lots, since they are considered personal property. No problema. The license is easy and inexpensive to obtain.

In order to take advantage of this hidden opportunity, some Realtors will need to free up a few pre-conceived attitudes about manufactured homes, the first of which is their quality. The beautiful home on the left was built in a factory and towed to the home site and fit together. Because of advances in factory building, many newer manufactured homes are equal or superior in quality to a site built home.

Another mistaken belief is about their longevity. Manufactured homes, because they are built in a factory like a car, also have a title just like a car. For this reason, some people believe that manufactured homes wear out, just like a car. However, if a homeowner takes care of a manufactured home the same way they care for a site-built house, it can last every bit as long. We personally own, and have listed and sold, manufactured homes that were forty years old or more, and they are still providing safe, healthy, and sturdy shelter for families.

Now let’s discuss some easy steps for you to take so you understand and feel comfortable with this segment of the market.

The first step is easy. Become an explorer. Go out and find subdivisions or manufactured home communities that you feel comfortable with, like the one on the left. You can find them in the yellow pages, in the Classifieds under Manufactured Homes For Sale, or on the Internet on websites that contain manufactured homes for sale, like Manufactured Housing Global Network (Mfdhousing.com), or Realtor.com. There are over 50,000 mobile home communities in the U.S., so that’s an average of 1,000 in every state, and there is more than enough to go around. Take a ride through these communities and look at them with a fresh eye. You may be surprised at how lovely, clean and homey some of the manufactured homes are.

You can assume there will be homes for sale (in fact you will probably see some as you drive through) because in most communities, ten percent of the homes are for sale at any one time. That means in a small community of, say, 200 homes, there should be at least 20 residents that will need the services of a Realtor. In a larger community, even more.

Obtaining listings, marketing homes, and handling buyers is exactly the same for manufactured homes as single family site-built homes, and there is great training available to you on how to do this from your Board of Realtors, so I won’t repeat it in this article. It would also help to read books and articles that pertain to manufactured homes to obtain product knowledge, but the stroll up the learning curve is not steep, or long.

The good news is you can continue marketing listings on site built homes, only you will be even more efficient. You will now be entering two huge markets for affordable housing: the first time homebuyer and the last time homebuyer, retirees. In our area of Southwest Florida, a median priced home is now $100,000 and a median priced manufactured home on its own lot is $50,000, about half.

Because prices are lower on manufactured homes, you can keep first time homebuyer prospects who don’t qualify for site built homes by guiding them over to lower priced manufactured homes. Later on, you can up-sell when it’s time for your clients to move to a bigger and more expensive site-built home.

The reverse is true for last time home buyer, the retiree. When it’s time for them to downsize, you can market their more expensive site built home and simultaneously earn a commission on their new purchase of a manufactured home. There are many wonderful manufactured home communities built exclusively for retirees, with clubhouses, tennis courts, golf courses, and activities that it make it a peaceful, yet fun, lifestyle.

Throughout this article we have been using the term manufactured home, because it does not create an emotional reaction in some people like two other similar terms – mobile homes and trailers. When we use the words mobile home or trailer, what springs to mind in some people is an image of Tobacco Road, and this is another mistaken belief. Many mobile home or trailer parks, i.e. manufactured home communities, look like the picture on the left, and contain respectable peace-loving retirees as well as hard-working first time home buyers, many of whom demonstrate pride of ownership.

We have created a humorous slogan to this end that’s easy to remember:

It’s not trailer trash, it’s trailer cash!

If you want to learn more about manufactured homes, get the forms you need for BB’s, along with a more in depth look at investing, read “Mobile Home Wealth,” by Zalman Velvel (the pen name of Stu Silver). It’s available on www.MobileHome.com/zalman along with his other books and training materials.

Stu Silver is a real estate investor, writer, speaker and trainer who deals with the lucrative, but often overlooked, subject of Mobil Home and Mobile Home Park investment. Mr. Silver and his family have real estate holdings that include 500 rental units, comprised of 11 mobile home parks, warehouses, mini-warehouses, offices, single family homes, duplexes, and motels. Under the pen-name of Zalman Velvel, he has written two well-received books: Mobile Home Wealth and Mobile Home Wealth Part 2: Mobile Home Parks.

Mr. Silver has been a full time investor for more than 28 years. He holds the coveted CCIM designation, and is licensed as a real estate broker, mortgage broker, auctioneer, mobile home dealer, and former real estate appraiser. As a licensed real estate trainer, Mr. Silver has trained more than 5,000 people in real estate investing, in 3-day bootcamps and live on the internet.
SIX HUNDRED Pages covering every step of the MOBILE HOME PARK INVESTMENT process. Including 12 places to find the BEST DEALS

Do mobile home purchases qualify for the Obama tax credit?

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:13:00 +0000

Mobile Homes eligible for the Obama First Time Home Buyer Credit are those purchased on or after Jan. 1, 2009, and before Dec. 1, 2009. Buyers are elegable if they have not owned a principal residence for the past three years. Any home that will be used as a primary residence is eligible for this tax credit. That includes brand new manufactured homes, pre-owned manufactured homes, surplus, repossessed or auction homes, manufactured homes for land you own, manufactured home and land packages, Homes in mobile home parks.

First-time homebuyers who purchase a home before December 1, 2009, may be eligible to receive a new refundable tax credit equal to 10 percent of the home's purchase price up to $8,000. The average price of a most manufactured homes will allow homebuyers to take full advantage of the 10 percent tax credit. The tax credit is a part of President Barack Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus package, and can even be used as part of your down payment under some loan programs.

Manufactured homes range in size from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet, and come with a limitless number of options including oak cabinets, plush carpeting, stone fireplaces, skylights and "smart home" electronic packages. These luxuries, typically associated with site-built homes, can be found in manufactured homes for less money. Your new manufactured homes contain standard features which include modern kitchen appliances, and custom options such as wood-burning fireplaces, whirlpool baths and cathedral ceilings.

For more information about manufactured housing visit www.mobilehome.com

Mobile Home Wealth

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:10:00 +0000

Once you understand there is a tremendous demand for affordable housing you can start to discover how make a great investment for yourself that will earn returns of 18 – 72% , with little risk.

There are nine million manufactured homes in this country, one residence out of every ten, yet this investment is virtually hidden from most investors. It is not even on their radar screen. About three million of them are located in communities where the residents own their home, but lease the land under it. Those are the ones we are interested in now because they have the lowest prices and the highest returns. ...

Because of this mistaken belief, many banks refuse to lend on “older” manufactured homes, homes built before, say, 1990. And this is where the opportunities lie. This is where you will Be the Bank, and you will lend on older, but still in fine shape, manufactured homes. You can select the homes you want to lend on, in the communities you want to lend in, to the type of borrowers you want to lend to. There are over 50,000 manufactured home communities in the U.S., an average of 1,000 in every state, so there are many comfortable places for you to invest.

Stu Silver is a real estate investor, writer, speaker and trainer who deals with the lucrative, but often overlooked, subject of Mobile Home and Mobile Home Park investment. Mr. Silver and his family pictured on the left have real estate holdings that include 500 rental units, comprised of 11 mobile home parks, warehouses, mini-warehouses, offices, single family homes, duplexes, and motels. Under the pen-name of Zalman Velvel, he has written two well-received books: Mobile Home Wealth and Mobile Home Wealth Part 2: Mobile Home Parks.

Mr. Silver has been a full time investor for more than 28 years. He holds the coveted CCIM designation, and is licensed as a real estate broker, mortgage broker, auctioneer, mobile home dealer, and former real estate appraiser. As a licensed real estate trainer, Mr. Silver has trained more than 5,000 people in real estate investing, in 3-day bootcamps and live on the internet.

Try a no cost example of his teaching - See "Trailer Cash" at http://www.mobilehome.com/portal/stories.php3?nid=8077

Interest in mobile home park investing has skyrocketed

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:57:00 +0000

The housing market is being driven from below at this time, by the huge inventory of foreclosures. Manufactured housing is no exception. There are more repos for sale than the market can absorb. As a consequence production of new homes is suffering. It is difficult for the new home dealer to compete with the bankers when they get into the liquidation mode. You can find the house of your dreams, with the same amenities found in a new home but at a the price that is significantly less. You can search the inventory in your area at http://mobilehome.com/redirect/redir.php?uid=20

Interest in mobile home park investing has skyrocketed over the past few years. As most property types have become more unpredictable and unrewarding, investors have discovered one of the best kept real-estate secrets... mobile home parks, when managed correctly can return consistent double digit returns and increase in value at the same time.

You can now delve into the exciting and lucrative world of mobile home park investing. Previously hidden from the average investor. The reason... successful people dont want to make their business easy for competitors to copy. Zalman Velvel is not concerned with that. "There are thousands of mobile home parks and hundreds or thousands of individual mobile homes for sale at any time... plenty to go around for everyone." Jump in and join the fun at http://mfdhousing.com/zalman/

The newest listing for a potential mobile home park is a waterfront property that is currently entitled for a port style RV Estate Community. The price reflected is for 40 acres. A total of 123 acres is available for $12.9 million, reduced from $24 million! It is also zoned for a marina with wet slips, dry boat storage and boat launch! This lush and beautiful property is only 7 miles east of I-75 off US 17 and has over 3000 feet of direct waterfront on the Peace River. Find pictures, aerials and full details at http://mobilehomeparkexchange.com/index.php?action=listingview&listingID=54

Mobile Home Park Investing

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 08:16:00 +0000

Mobile Home Park Investing: How Creativity Can Produce Huge Tax-Free Profits
from the Ernest Tew Archive ... After forty years in this business, I still enjoy solving problems. What I enjoy most is helping others succeed when faced with the challenge of acquiring a problem property and making it profitable. One of the best examples we have seen was a mobile home park in Jacksonville, Florida MORE HERE

Why Now Is A Great Time To Invest In Commercial Real Estate
For every action there is a reaction. If things are bad for one, they have to be good for another, right? The same principal applies in the world of investment real estate. We have all read about the developers and owners of commercial real estate that are undergoing tremendous financial pressures with some being forced into bankruptcy. So what happens to their real estate? MORE

Featured Mobile Home Park For Sale - Maltese Punta Gorda Harbor Club Park
MOBILE HOME PARK EXCHANGE ... waterfront property that is currently entitled for a port style RV Estate Community. The price reflected is for 40 acres. A total of 123 acres is available for $12.9 million, reduced from $24 million! WE WILL JV..It is also zoned for a marina with wetslips, dry boat storage and boat launch! This lush and beautiful property is only 7 miles east of I-75 off US 17 and has over 3000 feet of direct water... MORE

Making A Case For Singlewides
by Grayson Schwepfinger ... The latest statistics show that most sales are again down.... over last year's sales! Multi section homes were down 14.7%. The surprising statistic was that single section homes were up 3.5%. If necessary, read that again, I said they were up not down. Let's discuss what that statistic of the sale of single section homes could mean to your business. First let's look at the advantages... MORE

Mobile Home Park Investing
for First-time investors, Seasoned investors and any other Business Professionals in the Mobile Home Park Industry

How I Started in the Mobile Home Park Business

Why you should invest in Mobile Home Parks

Over 15 strategies to find Mobile Home Parks to Purchase

Valuation of Mobile Home Parks

A list of over 50 Due Diligence items

Powerful ways to Increase the Value of your Mobile Home Park

Financing, Insurance, Management, and much more!

Huge Profits in Mobile Homes & Mobile Home Parks

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:28:00 +0000

Huge Profits in Mobile Homes & Mobile Home Parks
An "anyone can do it" Home Study Course by Ernest Tew and Steve Case
INCREASE YOUR INCOME EVERY MONTH

SAFE...EASY...NO HUGE INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Huge Profits in Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks is perfect for

First-time investors
Seasoned real estate entrepreneurs
Business Professionals
Stay-at-home parents
...and everyone who has ever dreamed of becoming FINANCIALLY FREE through real estate!

A Look Between the Covers

This course is like nothing you've ever seen before. When you open your spiral binder, you'll find 19 information-filled chapters packed to overflowing with easy-to-use, easy-to-follow, sure-to-make-a-pile-of money ideas, insights, and practical strategies.

Here's a sample of what you'll find inside:

How to Find Good Buys in Mobile Homes
How to Pay for a Mobile Home
Where to Find Money to Buy Mobile Homes
Contacting Sellers
Mobile Home Fix-Up Work
Introduction to Mobile Home Parks
How to Find Mobile Home Parks
The Initial Evaluation
Putting A Mobile Home Park Under Contract
An Automatic Pre-Due Diligence Program
Conducting Thorough Due Diligence
Taking Possession of the Property
Maximizing the Four Profit Centers
Preparations for Selling
Making It Happen
Become a Master Negotiator

Great real estate investors aren't born, they're made. Huge Profits in Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks turns the "art" of the deal into a science...and it turns YOU into a master scientist with a Ph.D. in...

- Negotiating the Old Fashioned Way- Principled Negotiation- Opening the Negotiations- Working with Mutual Benefits- Defensive Strategies- Letting the Other Person Make the First Offer- Making Wise Decisions- Closing Negotiations

Huge Profits in Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks gives you winning negotiating strategies for different personality types, understanding your opponent's thinking, dealing with "people problems", and how to avoid becoming emotional.

It's filled with incisive analysis, real-life examples and helpful hints that make mobile home and mobile home park real estate investment a "slam dunk".

Four Ways to Profit Are Better Than One

There are four ways to profit and EARN BIG with mobile home park investments. If you think selling is the only way to turn a profit, wait until you read what Ernest and Steve have to say about the big bucks that can be made with

Lot Rental Income
Wholesale to Retail Mobile Home Sales
Mobile Home Financing
Massive Equity Buildup

They will show you how to put a SYSTEM into place that has worked time and time again to tap into all four profit centers and create a money-making machine.

"I've always said if you want to be successful, learn from someone who is successful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and years of experience with us."Lonnie Scruggs, author of "Deals on Wheels"

Selling is as Easy as Buying

Worried that you'll get "stuck" with your investment and not be able to turn it over for a profit?
Stop worrying! Ernest and Steve have covered selling in as much depth as buying with critical information on:

Getting the Phone to Ring
Pre-Qualifying Buyers
Mobile Home Buyer Information Form
Renters vs. Owners
Choosing the Right Buyer
Working with Buyer's Who Can't Raise the Full Down Payment
Technical Aspects of the Sale
Leasing with an Option to Buy
Selling "As-is"

Sample Text From the Course...

"Pre-Qualifying Buyers...We can serve the needs of more people, i.e. increase sales volume and improve our batting average by developing a few good sales techniques. How do we develop good techniques? First, each of us needs to decide what we want to say and do and what we want to avoid saying or doing.

If you have never sold a mobile home, you may find it easier than you expect. If you used the right approach when buying the home, you have already given some thought to how much cash down and how much per month you can get, based on what a typical buyer can afford to pay."
"Shake Hands" with the Authors

You may be wondering to yourself, "Who are Ernest Tew and Steve Case...and what makes them such authorities on all of this?" After all, there are lots of real estate gurus out there, many of them "self-proclaimed", and many of them with nothing of value to offer.

Ernest and Steve are different...

Ernest Tew majored in real estate at the University of Florida and has been involved full-time in real estate investments since 1960. For more than forty-five years he has kept abreast of the latest ideas and information in the profession. During that time, he has been actively involved in the acquisition, development, management or marketing of more than $200 million worth of real estate. And although Ernest is experienced in handling large transactions, in recent years he has specialized in mobile home parks and self-storage facilities.

Ernest is the creator of "The Investor's Toolkit", a computer software program and complete system for doing business in real estate investing that describes how to make more money with less risk, cut taxes, and protect your assets. With generous contributions from some of the country's most creative and successful real estate investors, the program contains a collection of valuable ideas, advice, and numerous tax and financial strategies. Moreover, the program makes it easy to find answers and solutions to your investment problems in a matter of seconds.

Steve Case received a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix and has put the knowledge to work. Acquiring fours mobile home parks in less than five years, he has helped refine a system that produces "full time" profits with "part time" efforts.

Steve is author of "Tax Free Real Estate Investing", an instant downloadable ebook that reveals the secrets to making tax-free profits in real estate. The strategies revealed in this book have been used by many to catapult earnings inside their Individual Retirement Accounts.

Real World Advice You Can Trust

Ernest and Steve aren't stodgy academics with "dusty" theories.

They don't simply write about the profits of mobile home investing. They're out "in the trenches" every day buying, selling, and profiting...BIG TIME.

And in the Huge Profts in Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks course, they share their real world experiences along with professional advice and opinions like...

Be Conservative When Dealing with Investors
Make Your Payments Early
Offer a Personal Guarantee
Resolve Complaints
Show That You Care
With Money Comes Wisdom--Or Does It
Joint Venture your First Park with an Experienced Person
Buy Low, Sell High

Sample Text From the Course...

"Often, getting control of the property by "placing it under contract" is where people have difficulty, especially if it is their first transaction. This is the stage where desires, dreams, and wishes meet action. We understand that in most cases, purchasing a mobile home park is going to place you outside your current comfort zone. It's only natural. If you get stuck here, give us a call. If it's a good deal, we can help."

Ernest and Steve Know What You Want...and What You Need

Time is money and Ernest and Steve don't want you to waste either one. That's why you won't find a lot of extraneous material or "filler" in this course.

"We have had the pleasure of meeting some of the top, and most experienced people in the field of Mobile Homes and Parks. Your ideas, knowledge, character and integrity is worth millions. We read everything you write and listen to what you say. Thanks for all the sharing, Ernest and Steve."Ricky Rowland, GA

What's GOOD, just keeps getting BETTER...

FREE BONUSES IF YOU ORDER NOW

Ernest and Steve realize that there are lots of real estate investment "information products" out there, so they want to make their offer irresistable.

As well as an iron-clad guarantee of satisfaction and a no-hassle 100% one year guaranteed offer, they've decided that everyone who orders the Huge Profits in Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks course will also receive...

Bonus #1: "Secrets of Mobile Home Investing" Workshop DVD A limited audience paid a handsome price to attend Steve's super-intensive commercial real estate investment seminar to hear first hand from the "master" how to use mobile homes and mobile home parks to generate long term wealth. You literally had to "see it to believe it" and if you missed it, it won't be repeated again.

But if you purchase Huge Profits in Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks, you can be "in the room" with your all-access pass to the secrets, the strategies, and the killer techniques that seminar guests paid handsomely for!

Bonus #2: "Secrets of Mobile Home Investing" Audio CD If you're a busy person who's on the go from dawn to dusk, you can maximize your morning drive time, learn during the afternoon commute, and "soak up" the information from the commercial real estate investment seminar wherever and whenever you like thanks to this take-along audio CD version.

BONUS #3: The "A-Z Forms CD" This extra BONUS CD contains all of the BUSINESS FORMS and LEGAL FORMS Ernest and Steve use to BUY and SELL mobile homes and mobile home parks. You'll even receive the OPERATING FORMS we use during the OWNERSHIP of a mobile home park.

Comparable real estate investment courses sell for $795, and some for as much as $1200...or more! Unfortunately, dozens of phony real estate "experts" ready to over-charge and under-deliver to every one of them. If your destination is Financial Freedom through Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks, Huge Profits in Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks is your road map!

PURCHASE NOW!

only$397.00
S&H:$12

Huge Profits in Mobile Homes & Mobile Home Parks PLUS
FREE BONUS #1 - ($149 value) The "Secrets of Mobile Home Investing" Workshop DVD
FREE BONUS #2 - ($59 value) The "Secrets of Mobile Home Investing" Workshop Audio CD
FREE BONUS #3 - ($199 value) The "A-Z Forms CD"

Be an informed consumer.

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:32:00 +0000

To be an informed consumer. Understanding the terminology used by lenders and mortgage brokers will give you an advantage when searching for a mobile home loan. At http://mfdhousing.com/portal/stories.php3?nid=5189 you will find definitions of key words you should know when applying for a manufactured home mortgage. Know what your getting into before you sign. If there is any part of the paper work you don't fully understand that your lender can not explain to your satisfaction DO NOT sign. Take copies to a trusted advisor. Your mortgage is a long term obligation. It is worth the whatever time it takes upfront to be sure you wont be sorry later.

Mortgage rates are near historic lows. Now is an excellent time to lower your monthly payment. See Tips On Getting Mobile Home Refinance Loan at http://mfdhousing.com/portal/stories.php3?nid=8014 The high quality of manufactured housing, coupled with the federal and state laws governing their construction and an owners continued maintenance and improvements have slowed the depreciation rate. Now owners are able to locate non-traditional financing plus mobile home refinance options to pay for additional improvements, or further needs as well as vacation loans taken out against the equity built into the home. see http://mobilehome.com/loanfinder.php

As home sales have crashed the rate of home repair and renovation has gone up. Manufactured homes owners are staying in place and upgrading what they have. There is an archive of articles and videos at http://mobilehome.com/repair.php The MH Repair & Renovation Tips range from Fixing a Squeaky Floor , Adding Insulation To Your Manufactured Home to detailed instructions for plumbing repair and air conditioner maintenance.

The best resource available for mobile home repair is The Manual for Manufactured Home Repair & Upgrade compiled from the long time experience of contractor, Mark Bower, the owner of Aberdeen Home Repair. For years Mark has been one of the best known hands on men in the manufactured housing industry. Even if your MH needs no repairs at the moment you should strongly consider how you will deal with them in the future. With "The Manual" next to your tool box you will be ready!

The Mobile Home Park Exchange is the newest place online to buy sell or swap mobile home parks Listings are free, In order to list a park for sale you must register. Once you have registered you may upload as many as seven photos of each park for sale. You can also remove or edit your listing(s) anytime. Potential buyers will contact you via a form within your listing.

Buyers can browse listings and contact sellers without registration. Registered Buyers can save search results for parks and maintain a list of favorites....easy to return to at a later time. Registered Buyers can receive email notification when new listings matching saved searches are added.

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:14:00 +0000

The May 09 Manufactured Home Shipment and Production Report is available now at http://mobilehomenews.com/stories.php?nid=8047 Texas led the nation with 1,427 floors produced with Tennessee in second place with 1,033 floors.

The 2009 JLT & Associates Florida Region Manufactured Home Community rent survey summary has been released and can be read online at http://mfdhousing.com/portal/stories.php3?nid=8045 The surveys cover the twenty-six largest counties in Florida and include 500 "55+" communities with 141,235 homesites. The statewide occupancy rate decreased by .2% (-298 homesites) from May 2008 to May 2009. As of May 2009, the occupancy rate was 94%. None of the counties experienced a significant increases or decreases in occupancy from 2008 to 2009.

A listing of FLORIDA mobile home parks for sale can be found at http://mobilehomeparkexchange.com/index.php?state_or%5B%5D=FL&price-min=&price-max=&searchtext=&action=searchresults&pclass%5B%5D=2

In a speech before the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Board of Directors HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan unveiled new rules that will help spur the housing market by allowing consumers to use the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit to help cover the costs of closing on an FHA-insured home. Video of that speach is now available at http://mfdhousing.com/portal/stories.php3?nid=8011

The Manufactured Housing Global Network

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:10:00 +0000

The Manufactured Housing Global Network, with its flagship sites www.MobileHome.com for consumers and www.MobileHomeNews.com for business participants is a proven powerhouse for attracting web surfers specifically searching for just about anything that has to do with manufactured homes. The Network's combined web sites currently enjoy over 4 million visitor hits a month.

Our targeted web promotions continue to exhibit a constant expanding level of traffic with demographic characteristics extremely attractive to the retail, finance, community, insurance and developer segments of our industry.

When we feature writers on the home page and weekly newsletters there is a significant jump in orders and inquiries for their products and services.The newsletter is e-mailed weekly to just over FORTY TWO THOUSAND current subscribers. Many of them pass the newsletter along to their friends and business associates. Our best estimates put the weekly number of readers at over SIXTY THOUSAND individuals. This makes Manufactured Housing UPDATE and MHWeekly the world's most read publications, of any type, that is specifically about manufactured housing.

Here are links to some of the content that industry authors have contributed:

John Grissimhttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=John%20Grissim

Ed Hickshttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=Ed%20Hicks

George Porterhttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=George%20Porter

Jerry Rouleauhttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=Rouleau

Len Bonifieldhttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=Bonified

Chrissy Jacksonhttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=Chrissy%20Jackson

Lonnie Scruggshttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=Scruggs

Steve Pappashttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=Pappas

John Turzerhttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=Turzer

Mark Bowerhttp://mfdhousing.com/portal/search05/mfdsearch.php?mode=search&term=Bower

Read and enjoyed our articles. If you would like to add your writings to the other contributors on our web site we can offer web promotions for your business efforts, that will take advantage of our incredible web traffic and the popularity of our electronic newsletters (seehttp://mobilehome.com/update/backissues.php and http://MobileHomeNews.com)

Phone David Oxhandler, toll free at 888 304 2333 or by e-mail to webmaster@mobilehome.com. Let us help you to ignite the promotional flame for your company

Manufactrured Housing & The Recovery Act

noreply@blogger.com (MFDHOUSING) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:27:00 +0000

Buyers are urged to understand and remember that this is a tax credit. As defined under the new law this means you must repay the government either over the next 15 years, at no interest, or when you sell the home, if there were sufficient profit from the sale. For most taxpayers the payback will be about $500 per year when you file your federal tax.

While this is not really a credit, but in reality a loan, it is interest free. In some instances the loan may be fully or partially forgiven or offset by other circumstances. This has a lot of potential home buyers discouraged as the tax credit looks a lot like one more instance of government doublespeak.

The tax credit is a great idea and will be a huge help for both buyers and sellers.
We are still in a "buyers market". Home buyers can negotiating great prices and all types of extra incentives from sellers who have been struggling to make a sale. For sellers this plan could make some big changes in the market bringing buyers off the fence and clearing the overstock of homes for sale and starting the move back toward a healthy market.

Any community that fails to include manufactured housing in its growth plans is going to be making a huge mistake. The housing market seems to have hit bottom yet the buyers market is still strong. As the surplus of homes is put into service and demand starts to recover we will see manufactured housing become a significant alternative for a big segment of the working population.

We are at a strange juncture in any economic cycle. The most sought after job candidate across the country is perhaps registered nurses... yet nurses that have been on the job for a few years cant afford a mortgage today.

The same is true of our police and fire responders, teachers and many other traditional jobs that at this time wont permit participation in the American dream.

Manufactured housing will be the answer. I'm betting along with Warren Buffett and investing in manufactured housing as the solution of the near and extended future. Manufactured housing has matured greatly over the past several years into a very reliable and economical alternative to conventional building. Factory built housing makes a lot of sense. If you were going to buy a new car would you purchase all the parts and get some guys to build it in your driveway? The same scale of economy and benefit of assembly line production can be found in today's modern factory build homes.

There is a great video on line with Architect Sarah Susanka describing manufactured or prefab housing and why manufactured housing is built in a controlled environment by craftspeople may be of higher quality than a home built on site. at http://mfdhousing.com/portal/stories.php3?nid=6587