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contents

2026 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

Small and Mid-Sized Community Operators Edition

industry news

6 Industry Happenings

builder retailer

11 MHVillage Launches

Video Series MHInFocus

14 Barry Cole Holds 3rd Annual Luncheon

hat’s Next for the W Independent Retailer?

for Women of Distinction

16 What Is Being Said About ROAD to Housing

events

20 Upcoming Events 22 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show Runs Jan. 20-22

24 SECO26: Practical Education for Today’s MH Community Owners

community

Transform Vacant Land into

Homeownership Opportunities

52 Freddie Mac Expands Financing

Options To Increase Accessibility Of Manufactured Homes

28 The Development of the

finance

33 Arkansas Community Provides

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‘brightSTAR Way’ Retiree Haven

34 HandyTrac Expands Key

56 In Search of… The Rational Cap Rate 62 Life Lessons Learned

Management Technology

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Letter from the Publisher Manufactured Housing Top of Mind

he phrase “biggest piece of housing legislation in decades” keeps ringing in my ears. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing bill, which became law in the second week of July, is stuffed with provisions that address factory-built and attainable housing needs, cutting red tape and creating mechanisms to advance the delivery and performance of manufactured homes. One of the primary benefits of the new law is a change that allows a manufactured home to be built with or without a permanent chassis, enabling a more creative array of design options, including more vertical offerings. The change also allows for greater flexibility in home placement, further addressing the needs of urban infill, for instance. The new law also clearly establishes the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as the central regulator for manufactured housing. Other departments and agencies must go to HUD for consideration of changes to manufactured housing. It also directs HUD to review Federal Housing Administration finance programs for modular housing, increases limits for FHA-insured manufactured home loans, reauthorizes PRICE grants for manufactured home communities, and creates incentives for “small-dollar loan” originators. Each of these provisions provides an enhanced framework for manufactured housing professionals to be more efficient and proactive in getting much-needed, high-quality, attainable homes to the many waiting buyers. On the heels of ROAD to Housing, the Federal Housing Finance Agency published a call to the industry asking for input on the definition of a manufactured home and the potential for advancements on how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the “Enterprises,” are graded on the Duty to Serve mandate, in particular on how effectively programs are getting home-only loans to the marketplace. All this to say, great things are happening for manufactured housing. Kudos to all the professionals who have spent time working with the Manufactured Housing Institute and state associations, addressing the state capitals and Capitol Hill, and pushing policy that provides a clearer lens on all the benefits that factory-built housing can bring to the U.S. residential market.

Patrick Revere is vice president of communications at MHVillage and publisher for the MHInsider magazine and blogs. His background is in print news, language, and communication.

VOLUME 9, EDITION 5 2026 SEPTEMBER OCTOBER MHInsider.com PUBLISHER Patrick Revere | patrick@mhvillage.com SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Merit Kathan | merit@mhvillage.com EDITORS Dawn Highhouse | dawn@mhvillage.com, Sean Vichinsky | sean@mhvillage.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR George Allen | gfa7156@aol.com CONTRIBUTORS Nena Dial | Maria Horton Patrick Shea | Mark Simpson John Ace Underwood COVER IMAGE Courtesy of Patrick Shea ADVERTISING SALES (877) 406-0232 advertise@mhvillage.com

Have Industry News, Events, or Editorial Content You'd Like to Share? Contact our Publisher, Patrick Revere at (616) 888-6994 or patrick@mhvillage.com

MHInsider™ is published by:

2600 Five Mile Road NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525 (800) 397-2158 • www.MHVillage.com Although we make every effort to ensure that the information in this issue was correct before publication, MHVillage,Inc., the publisher, does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Opinions expressed are those of the author or persons quoted and not necessarily those of MHInsider or the publisher MHVillage, Inc. Copyright ©2026 MHVillage, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of MHInsider content, MHI or other contributor content, in part or in whole, is prohibited without written authorization from MHVillage, Inc.

manufactured housing

Industry Happenings HUD Looks to Partner on Robotics The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, through its Office of Policy Development and Research, has announced a new funding opportunity offering up to $10 million for demonstrations that deploy advanced robotics and AI technologies to accelerate the manufacturing of factory-built housing and/or offsite components. HUD is interested in advanced robotics and AI technology innovations that can expand housing supply by allowing homes to be built more quickly and at a lower cost than conventional construction methods. The program intends to support efforts across a range of construction types, from panelized systems to fully volumetric 3D modular buildings. Each funded project must demonstrate whether an advanced robotics and/or AI solution can efficiently manufacture specific housing components at a scale sufficient to support the delivery of an expected number of homes specified by the applicant. More details can be found at the HUD User site and Grants.gov. Michigan City Eases ADU Rules Grand Rapids, Michigan amended its zoning code to make it easier to build or place an accessory dwelling unit, changing the square footage qualification as well as specifications on the maximum number of bedrooms in a dwelling. The city created an ADU task force in 2025 to help with strategic approaches to ADU construction and usage. The maximum size for ADUs was increased to 1,000 square feet, and the limit of two bedrooms per dwelling was eliminated. Boston Tech Firm Introduces ADU Wizard for Massachusetts Property Owners FutureLot AI, a Boston-based tech platform, has introduced ADU Wizard, a property analysis tool that helps Massachusetts homeowners understand what type of expansion is possible on a specific lot, supporting the Commonwealth’s push to increase the availability of housing. The work is in partnership with Massachusetts ADU Resource Center, a statewide initiative led

6 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The technology not only supports a property owner’s understanding of what type of dwelling can be applied, but gives area builders a head start on the specifications needed for construction. “Massachusetts homeowners shouldn’t need to hire a consultant just to find out what’s possible on their own land,” FutureLot CEO Nitzan Achsaf said. “Our job is to take the complexity of zoning, parcel data, and state ADU law and turn it into something a homeowner can understand in under a minute. Partnering with MassCEC and this team lets us put that capability in front of every property owner.”

TRANSACTIONS Patrick Industries, Lippert Merge Patrick Industries and Lippert, both large suppliers to the manufactured housing industry, announced an agreement to combine operations in an all-stock merger. The companies, in a tandem release, stated that the merger forms a “premier component solutions provider” for its markets, including housing and transportation. Each company’s board unanimously approved the merger. Lippert shareholders were set to receive 1.244 shares of Patrick common stock for each share of Lippert common stock they own. Patrick shareholders will own approximately 52 percent of the combined company and Lippert shareholders will own approximately 48 percent. Upon closing, which is expected in the first half of 2027, Patrick Industries CEO Andy Nemeth will serve as chief executive of the combined company. Toronto-based Firm Invests in Manufactured Housing Firm Capital Property Trust, a diversified property portfolio of multi-residential, flex industrial, and net lease convenience retail, has acquired 50 percent interest in a 103-homesite manufactured housing community in Didsbury, Alberta, Canada for a reported $8.5 million. SunPark Communities owns the remaining interest. The acquisition strengthens the trust's growing manufactured housing platform. The Alberta community represents the initiation of a multi-property partnership that the trust has planned �

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with SunPark, in a 10-community, 1,649-homesite portfolio in Alberta and Saskatchewan under contract and review for a reported $218 million. FG Communities Grows N.C. Portfolio FG Communities has acquired a manufactured housing community in Waynesville, N.C., which is part of a growing portfolio in the area. “Western North Carolina is a market we know well and believe in,” FG Communities CEO Michael Anise said. “The combination of strong population growth, a thriving local economy, and a chronic shortage of affordable housing makes it an ideal fit for our mission. We are proud to expand our presence here.” In recent months, FG has acquired communities in Asheville, Durham, Fuquay-Varina, Gastonia, Hendersonville, Morganton, and Scotland Neck, as well as in Greenville and Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Yale Realty and Capital Advisors Closes $653 Million Yale Realty and Capital Advisors, a national manufactured housing advisory firm, closed $653 million in combined transaction volume through the first half of 2026, comprising $357 million in investment sales and $296 million in debt financing. The firm's second quarter accounted for $453 million of that total, with $324 million in investment sales and $129 million in financing arranged.

INDUSTRY HONORS Kentucky Association Awards Community of the Year Sawyier Pointe, a 504-homesite manufactured home community in Georgetown, Kentucky, owned by Flagship Communities, has been honored by the Kentucky Manufactured Housing Institute as the state’s community of the year. The award marks the fifth consecutive year Flagship has won KMHI’s Community of the Year award. “Sawyier Pointe has undergone a major transformation since its acquisition in 2022, and we are proud KMHI

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industrynews recognizes the hard work and dedication of our team,” Flagship Communities President and CEO Kurt Keeney said. Sawyier Pointe has a new clubhouse, solar street lighting, two institutional-grade playgrounds, four basketball courts, and a newly installed dog park. Cavco Executive Wins Award in Oklahoma Jeff Williams, regional vice president of manufacturing for Cavco in the Texas Region, received the 2026 GoodmanRoss Award from the Manufactured Housing Association of Oklahoma. The award is one of MHAO’s highest honors, recognizing individuals whose leadership, service and commitment have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma's manufactured housing industry. Williams has built a career dedicated to supporting the manufactured housing industry through leadership and advocacy. In addition to his role with Cavco, he serves on the MHAO Board of Directors, helping guide opportunities for Oklahomans. “I am truly honored to receive this award,” Williams said. “Everyone in the industry works hard, and to receive recognition makes all the effort worthwhile.”

INDUSTRY GIVING Yes Communities Continues to Support Young Scholars Yes Communities, the Denver-based operator of manufactured housing communities, has named Natalia Verdin, a 2026 graduate of Arrupe Jesuit High School, as one of this year’s recipients of its Building Futures Scholarship. As a recipient, Verdin will receive a $5,000 scholarship to help support her college education. She will attend CU Denver and study architecture and interior design. “We are proud to support Natalia as she takes the next step in her academic journey,” Yes Communities Chief Operating Officer Julie Bowlen said. “Her passion for architecture and commitment to creating safe, affordable spaces for others reflect the values we believe in. We are excited to invest in her future and the impact she will make in her community.” Through its partnership with Arrupe Jesuit High School, Yes Communities has created 68 Corporate Work Study opportunities and awarded seven Building Futures Scholarships to young scholars since 2010. MHV

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industrynews

MHVillage Launches Video Series MHInFocus

“It's all about quality without compromise, but bigger than that, it's about helping people achieve the American Dream of homeownership.” –Lesli Gooch, CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute

HVillage, the top marketplace for manufactured housing, and MHInsider, the leader in manufactured housing news, are launching a new brand, MHInFocus, a short-form video series based on conversations with top performers in the industry who will provide leadership insight and inspiration for manufactured housing professionals nationwide. “About eight years ago, MHVillage saw a gap in the marketplace and created MHInsider, a print magazine and blog for manufactured housing professionals. It provides industry insight through reporting the trends, statistics, and breaking news that impact professionals in all corners of the industry,” MHInsider Publisher Patrick Revere said. “In the interim, our team has taken steps to expand the effort, including initiating an awards program and creating the MHBuyer’s Guide, a resource directory of products and services. In 2026, we will take a big step forward with the new MHInFocus video series that launched July 14.” The first season of MHInsider is sponsored by Cavco Industries, one of the largest manufacturers in the factory-built home

business, with supporting sponsorships from Gama Sonic, a solar lighting specialist, and Yardi property management software. MHInFocus includes interviews with industry leaders: Yes Communities President Cody Pearce; Lesli Gooch, the CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute; UMH President and CEO Sam Landy; Occupi co-founder and CEO Taylor Peake; and Cesar Mascorro, Jr., founder and president of Manufactured Home Sales Mastery. Interviewees throughout the series will share with the MHInsider audience lessons learned during their time in the industry, stories about their formative years, inspiration that carries each through their daily efforts, and thoughts about where the industry is headed and why. MHInsider has a national audience of more than 44,000 industry professionals who will receive the new MHInFocus video interviews with industry leaders. MHInFocus content will land in the inbox of the publication’s controlled circulation once per month, in a fashion similar to the current MHInsider email newsletter. MHVillage.com is where industry professionals list their homes for sale or rent, promote communities, and advertise products and services that help maintain and grow a business. The site garners about 25 million annual unique visitors and generates about $3 billion in annual home sales. “MHInFocus continues the tradition of creating meaningful formats for manufactured housing professionals to refine their businesses and better understand why we do what we do for the housing market and for the consumers who are looking to buy our homes,” MHVillage Co-President and Chief Business Development Officer Darren Krolewski said. Each season will consist of: • Five episodes • A series of easily consumable 3- to 4-minute videos • A landing spot to revisit the content outside of the email inbox Information on sponsors and sponsorship opportunities The next phase of MHInFocus will include a premium offering that will provide industry professionals with an opportunity to view expanded interview content from each of the sit-down conversations. For more information on the MHInFocus video series, visit MHInFocus.com. MHV

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industrynews

Barry Cole Holds 3rd Annual Luncheon for Women of Distinction By Maria Horton

n June 26, the third annual Cole Accolades Luncheon Honoring Women of Distinction in the manufactured housing industry was held at the private Park Club in Costa Mesa, California. This event is sponsored solely by Barry Cole of MHIS, a California-based insurance provider for the industry. What started as a way of identifying those women who have worked hard during their careers, assisting in the successes of their companies — some now retired and others still working — has become an annual tradition. “This yearly program was established for women, in all areas of the manufactured housing industry, who might not have had the recognition they absolutely, surely deserve,” Cole said to the attendees. “Some of you have made your own success, and some have made your bosses successful. “Hopefully, having all MH associations and non-profits join and publicize the efforts of this event will bring awareness of great manufactured housing women achievers,” he said.

14 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

In 2026, 12 women who have given their time to help develop the successes that their companies have enjoyed were honored. They are: Tisha Anderson | Star Management Patty Gritton | Homes Direct Sharon Mann | Skyline Donna Meckel | Les Frame Management Lynn Plumlee (Received by her mother) | Nu Trend Homes Debbie Rebolo | HomeQuest Rebecca Rebelo | Saddleback Mobilodge Angel Rogers | Star Training and Consulting Veronica Tachias | Newport Pacific Erica Taylor | Augusta Communities Josie Wheeler | Cousin Gary Homes Robin Youngdahl | Clayton Homes One woman among the 12 honorees, Lynn Plumlee, passed away before the event. Her mother attended the luncheon on her behalf. It was an emotional moment for everyone in attendance.

Many who have been honored in the past two events attended and supported those newly chosen honorees. Each honoree looks forward to the beautiful event each year, and enjoys the company of so many from throughout the industry. MHV Maria Horton is the director of business development and a regional manager for J&H Asset Property Management, an owner of manufactured home communities and a provider of third-party and fee-based management services for communities. She lives in Garden Grove and works in Yorba Linda, but at any moment can be found anywhere in Southern California.

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industrynews

What Is Being Said About ROAD to Housing

he market has responded en masse to the landmark housing legislation that passed in mid-July. Housing professionals across the spectrum have hailed the legislation and what it may mean for filling out the missing middle in domestic housing. Yes, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law. In June, the U.S. Senate voted 85-5 to approve the bill, and the House of Representatives quickly followed with a 358-32 vote;

16 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

By Patrick Revere

more bipartisan and bicameral than any piece of legislation in recent memory. “This achievement reflects years of work by housing advocates, industry leaders, community organizations, and policymakers from both parties who recognized the urgent need for action,” National Housing Conference President and CEO David Dworkin said. The Manufactured Housing Institute commended Congress for reaching an agreement on housing.

Removal of the requirement for all manufactured homes to be built on a permanent chassis, clarification on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as the primary and final regulator for the manufactured housing industry, and provisions on zoning for manufactured housing have been part of the dialogue between manufactured housing professionals and lawmakers for years. “This legislation affirms that manufactured housing is central to meeting

the nation’s affordability challenges, including through its dedicated focus on ‘Manufactured Housing for America.’ By reinforcing a proven federal framework that enables high-quality homes to be built efficiently and placed in more localities, this bill clears the way for meaningful progress in delivering attainable homeownership,” MHI CEO Lesli Gooch said. “We appreciate the leadership that brought this effort across the finish line in Congress and look forward to working with the administration on enactment and implementation.” The American Land Title Association (ALTA) issued a statement lauding the bill that “represents a significant step forward in expanding America’s housing supply, modernizing federal housing policy and improving access to the American dream of homeownership.” At a time when housing affordability remains a top concern for families across the country, it said, this new law demonstrates that leaders in Washington can come together around practical solutions that help homebuyers, homeowners and communities. “ALTA congratulates Chairman Tim Scott, Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren, Chairman French Hill, Ranking Member Maxine Waters and congressional leaders for advancing this historic legislation,” ALTA CEO Chris Morton said. “This is a big win for the American people. Homeownership is one of the most important ways families build stability, security, and generational wealth, and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is an important step toward helping more Americans achieve that dream.”

Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, applauded Congress for its work. “By reducing regulatory barriers, helping builders increase supply, and expanding opportunities for homeownership and rental housing, this landmark law is an important step toward easing the nation’s housing affordability crisis,” Owens said. “We look forward to working with the administration and Congress to implement it.” Congressman Wesley Bell from Missouri characterized ROAD to Housing as a transformative piece of housing legislation.

At a time when housing affordability remains a top concern for families across the country, it said, this new law demonstrates that leaders in Washington can come together around practical solutions that help homebuyers, homeowners and communities.

“The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will do so much for the people of the St. Louis region, the state of Missouri, and millions of Americans across the country,” he said. “I hear all the time from folks in the district about the housing crisis in America. This bill will help people build generational wealth �

MHINSIDER.COM 17

industrynews through homeownership and give them a shot at a foundational piece of the American Dream.” Todd Gloria, the mayor of San Diego and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, thanked lawmakers for following through on the effort to provide more attainable housing. “Congress answered the call with bold, bipartisan action to help communities build more homes and expand access to housing people can afford,” Gloria said. “America’s mayors applaud this landmark legislation because we know the solution is clear: we need more homes, and we need them now. “This bill represents the most significant step Congress has taken in decades to confront our housing affordability

18 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

crisis — but it cannot be the last,” he said. “Mayors are on the front lines of this challenge, and we stand ready to partner with leaders at every level of government to turn this legislation into real results: more homes built, costs lowered, and families given a fair shot at the future.” Congressman French Hill from Arkansas, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, said the new law confirms a long-held belief in what Washington lawmakers can do. “When I first ran for Congress, I set out to author and pass legislation that improves the lives of central Arkansans and prove that Washington could still work for the American people,” he said. “Having this historic housing bill become

law today is the realization of those goals, that by working together, debating in good faith, and putting the interests of Americans ahead of politics, good policy can become law. “This legislation strengthens community banks, modernizes building codes, and cuts red tape. More houses will be built, more families will enter the market, and homes across the country will be more affordable,” Hill said. MHV

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EVENTS

GMHA ANNUAL CONVENTION Sunday, September 13 — Tuesday, September 15, 2026 Jekyll Island, Georgia | Westin Beach Resort Georgia’s annual convention includes industry education, a Hall of Fame Ceremony, a keynote on credit and home mortgages, as well as live music, a banquet, and a golf tournament. INNOVATIVE HOUSING SHOWCASE/ MHI ON THE HILL/MHI ANNUAL MEETING Tuesday, September 22 — Thursday, September 24, 2026 Washington, D.C. | National Mall The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development each year hosts the Innovative Housing Showcase to provide a large public display of innovative designs, structures, and advances in housing, particularly with a mind toward durability and availability. Homes on display at the National Mall will include manufactured homes from some of the industry’s top builders. September events in Washington also include the MHI Annual Meeting, its largest member meeting of the year. SECO NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF COMMUNITY OWNERS Tuesday, October 6 — Thursday, October 8, 2026 Alpharetta, Ga. | Avalon Hotel From industry panels and presentations to roundtable discussions and professional exhibits, the SECO National Conference of Community Owners again seeks to improve on that fresh, compelling interaction. The event provides manufactured housing professionals with three days of high-level interaction, including educational seminars, panels, roundtables, fireside chats, and mini TED talks.

20 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

TEXAS MANUFACTURED HOUSING ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONVENTION Sunday, October 18 — Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Horseshoe Bay (Austin), Texas Horseshoe Bay Resort The annual meeting in Texas kicks off with a Sunday golf tournament followed by a welcome reception that evening. Monday's agenda includes breakfast, educational sessions, lunch, and time with exhibitors. The evening features a cocktail reception and the Chairman’s Dinner as well as the PAC Casino Night event. The convention concludes Tuesday morning with a professional breakfast and the TMHA Fourth Quarter Board Meeting. Book now! Exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities remain. ARIZONA MANUFACTURED HOUSING CONFERENCE Sunday, October 18 — Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Litchfield Park (Phoenix), Ariz. | Wigwam Resort The event, hosted by Manufactured Housing Industries of Arizona, will open on a Sunday afternoon with a welcome mixer, followed by a full day of business with industry exhibitors, professional seminars, and presentations. The association will hold a golf fundraiser on the final day of the meeting. MHI'S NCC FALL LEADERSHIP FORUM Wednesday, November 4 — Friday, November 6, 2026 Chicago | Westin Michigan Avenue The NCC Fall Leadership Forum, held each year in November, draws more than 400 attendees and is the only strategic executive-level event of the year for national community owners. The meeting is geared toward professionals involved with manufactured home communities as an owner/manager, manufacturer, service provider, broker, lender, or consultant. Organizers and presenters explore new ideas, examine trends, and offer a unique industry perspective.

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events

Louisville Manufactured Housing Show Runs Jan. 20-22

eld annually at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show in 2027 will be held January 20–22. Once again, the show will be held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville and will bring together manufactured housing professionals from all over the country. As the precursor to the spring selling season, the show offers the support and resources needed for industry professionals to make 2027 a strong sales year for their business. This year’s show is set to add 130,000 square feet of exhibit space, filling the entire south wing of the facility. With more room to explore, attendees will have even more opportunities to view dozens of the newest model manufactured homes on display and preview the latest industry trends and innovations. “The Louisville Show has seen significant growth in recent years, and we’re proud to continue that by offering more opportunities for exhibiting and education,” MMHF Chairman Eric Oaks said. “Now more than ever, the show is the place to view new trends in manufactured housing design.”

22 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

In addition to the largest collection of factory-built homes, the show also brings out the latest in technological advancements, the best in suppliers’ offerings, and a look at all the newest amenities and system-built options in the industry. Attendees can also benefit from an extensive lineup of educational seminars from industry thought leaders, experts, and innovators. “We’re always looking for new ways to bring more to the Louisville Show, and 2027 is no exception,” Louisville Show Chairman Byron Stroud said. “From an expanded educational program, to new food offerings, to the massive increase in exhibit space, the show is the must-attend event for any manufactured housing professional.” Attendee registration for the 2027 Louisville Show will go live in the coming weeks. To receive more information, including sponsorship opportunities and hotel block announcements, visit TheLouisvilleShow.com Those interested in exhibiting or becoming a sponsor are urged to visit TheLouisvilleShow.com/exhibitors or call (616) 8888030 today, as exhibitor booths and sponsorships are quickly selling out. The Louisville Show is an industry trade event not open to the general public. For more information, visit TheLouisvilleShow.com. The Midwest Manufactured Housing Federation is a trade association dedicated to promoting and advancing the manufactured housing industry throughout Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio. MHV

events

SECO26: Practical Education for Today's MH Community Owners

anufactured housing community owners have never had more information available to them — or more decisions to make. From advances in artificial intelligence and technology to changing operational demands, acquisitions, risk management, and evolving resident expectations, today's owners are constantly balancing long-term strategy with day-to-day operations. As a result, opportunities for education are valuable. Hosted by the nonprofit Southeast Community Owners organization, SECO26 takes place Oct. 6–8, 2026, at The Hotel at

From left, Ed Barber, Jane Yang, Bryce McMurry, and moderator Chris Nicely. Photo courtesy of SECO.

Avalon in Alpharetta, Georgia. This year's conference marks a move from its longtime home at The Waverly Hotel near The Battery in Atlanta to a new venue in the heart of Avalon, a walkable mixed-use district offering convenient access to restaurants, shops, and entertainment.

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What began 15 years ago as a gathering of regional community owners has grown into a nationally recognized conference, welcoming attendees from coast to coast. Community owners from more than 35 states are regularly in attendance at SECO conferences. With Yardi Breeze returning as the presenting sponsor, SECO26 will bring together manufactured housing community owners, operators, investors, suppliers, and other industry professionals for two and a half days of education designed specifically for the community ownership sector. The educational program reflects many of the challenges owners navigate today. Artificial intelligence will be a major focus, with multiple sessions designed for varying levels of experience — from attendees exploring AI for the first time to those looking for practical ways to incorporate it into their businesses. Additional sessions will examine operations, acquisitions, liability reduction, technology, management strategies, asset protection, and other topics intended to provide practical, real-world takeaways. The exhibit hall gives attendees direct access to companies providing products and services tailored to manufactured housing communities, making it easy to compare solutions, discover new technologies, and build relationships with industry vendors. Attendees will also have the opportunity to tour five model homes from leading manufactured home builders, providing a firsthand look at current home designs, features, and innovations. As the manufactured housing industry continues to evolve, SECO26 provides an opportunity for community owners and operators to step away from their day-to-day responsibilities, explore new solutions,and return home with practical strategies for their businesses. For additional information, including the conference agenda, speakers, exhibitors, and registration details, visit SECOConference.com. MHV

Manufactured Home Community Financing We are a Fannie Mae DUS® Lender (2025 #1 MHC Lender), Freddie Mac Multifamily Optigo® Lender (2025 #1 Bank Lender), and also offer balance sheet, CMBS, and life company lending programs. Our customer profile ranges from private MHC owners to institutional investors. Since 2000, the Wells Fargo Manufactured Housing team has closed more than $18 billion in financing within the MHC sector. Learn more at wellsfargo.com/mhc

Wells Fargo Commercial Real Estate - Manufactured Home Communities

Nick Bertino 858-336-0782 nick.bertino@wellsfargo.com

Tony Petosa 760-505-9001 tpetosa@wellsfargo.com

Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) and Wells Fargo Securities (WFS) are the trade names used for the corporate banking, capital markets, and investment banking services of Wells Fargo & Company and its subsidiaries, including but not limited to Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, member of NYSE, FINRA, NFA, and SIPC, Wells Fargo Prime Services, LLC, member of FINRA, NFA and SIPC, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., member NFA and swap dealer registered with the CFTC and security-based swap dealer registered with the SEC, member FDIC. Wells Fargo Securities, LLC and Wells Fargo Prime Services, LLC, are distinct entities from affiliated banks and thrifts. © 2026 Wells Fargo & Company.

UMH PROPERTIES, INC. Bring your next manufactured home community project to UMH for strategic equity investment. As a publicly traded REIT (NYSE:UMH), we have been providing quality affordable housing since 1968. Our portfolio provides high profit margins, recession resistant qualities, reliable income streams and the potential for long-term value appreciation. • • • •

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community

The Development of the ‘brightSTAR Way’ Growing Community Owner Seeks Authenticity in Excellence By Patrick Revere

28 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

t a manufactured home community in Fostoria, Ohio, industry veteran Brandon Schilling beholds something he thinks of as “the school bus test”. The company he leads as president and CEO, BrightStar Communities, had acquired the community in Northeast Ohio, and the group had largely completed its initial plan to revitalize the asset. “When the kids who live in the community are getting off, we look to see how many of the kids who are staying on the bus are pointing out the window, saying ‘I want to play there!’” Schilling said. With that endorsement from an excited child, Schilling and his team have a strong notion that they’ve landed once again on what they call “The brightSTAR Way”. New entry signs, upgraded utilities, new playgrounds, repaved roads, new homes with high-quality skirting, and restored clubhouses are all part of the plan for every community they own or buy. “This is a set of non-negotiables. We just won’t compromise,” Schilling said of the company standard. In managing its properties and in the acquisition of new communities for the BrightStar portfolio, the BrightStar team holds that every resident deserves a safe and pleasing environment in which to live, where they hold a sense of pride. �

MHINSIDER.COM 29

community BrightStar has operated for more than 50 years and owns more than 20 communities across Ohio and Indiana, and, increasingly, in the Southeast. For much of the company’s history, its practice in the manufactured housing industry had been in thirdparty management. In recent years, BrightStar began acquiring communities. Foxhole Equity bought an interest in the company in 2019. “That’s been a huge success for us going forward,” BrightStar Director of Acquisitions Carter Moses said of the strategy. In Fostoria, the acquisition was typical of what BrightStar buys: a community that needs attention and residents who are committed to each other and the neighborhood.

“A lot of it is the curb appeal, adding where needed,” Moses said. Schilling said the former clubhouse in Fostoria had become a maintenance building. “We fully re-did the clubhouse,” Schilling said. “It was a value-add buy, as most of the acquisitions are. There had been no upgrades, no changes in years. There was a need for repair and new homes to replace the older ones.” The ‘Paradigm Shift’ Repaved roads and upgraded clubhouses increase curb appeal, but what makes a community — a neighborhood — is the people who live there and their interaction with each other. “We know all of the residents by name, and their kids’ names, too,” Moses said.

“We get out and connect with them and encourage that type of interaction.” The community manager and staff, for instance, organized a cookies and letter-writing night during Christmas. Schilling said when the staff wanted to show of the improvements in Fostoria, it was decided they should have an event. “We called the mayor,” Schilling said. “We held a community event. We toured homes with the residents. “It was a paradigm shift,” he said. Soon, the residents took up the mantle and took to social media to show their pride in Fostoria. “They face off against other area communities, challenging them in a way,” Moses said. “It’s a community faceoff, of sorts, in a friendly way.” Moses said Fostoria represents one of many success stories within the BrightStar portfolio. Currently the group has seven more communities under contract and is keeping an eye out for further opportunities and expansion. “This is a long-term, legacy business,” Moses said. MHV Patrick Revere is vice president of communications at MHVillage and publisher for the MHInsider magazine and blogs. His background is in print news, language, and communication.

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community

ARKANSAS COMMUNITY PROVIDES RETIREE HAVEN

olling Meadows, a 55+ manufactured home community in Mountain Home, Arkansas, offers its residents the natural beauty of an area known for its “twin lakes,” wooded hills, and scenic views, as well as an array of community amenities. Many residents come to Rolling Meadows for something quieter, trading in apartment living in the city for a place worth settling down. Located near the Missouri state line, Rolling Meadows sits on 30 acres of land and has more than 160 homesites. The community's location is one of its selling points. Rolling Meadows sits next to multiple shopping and dining options and provides easy freeway access to U.S. Highway 62, making errands and outings simple for residents who no longer want to spend much of their day behind the wheel. Amenities at the property include: • Waterfront amenity • Pet friendly • Large green spaces • On-street mailboxes • Off-street parking • Mix of single- and multi-section homesites • On-site management “The combination of affordability and convenience is central to the community's value for residents,” the owner said. “It’s a place to own or rent a home without the overhead of traditional homeownership or the constraints of apartment life.” Retirement Destination With Deep Roots Rolling Meadows' appeal is closely tied to the surrounding town. Mountain Home, a city of roughly 13,000 people in the Ozark foothills of north-central Arkansas, has built a reputation over decades as a magnet for retirees and vacationers, largely thanks to its position between two major lakes. Norfork Lake alone offers 550 miles of undeveloped shoreline, and it

sits alongside Bull Shoals Lake and the White River, giving residents easy access to boating, swimming, and some of the best trout fishing in the country. The city has picked up national recognition for its retirement appeal over the years. Rand McNally has rated Mountain Home among the best places in the country to retire, and AARP's Sun Belt Retirement guide has ranked the area among the nation's top retirement destinations. Field & Stream magazine has also named Mountain Home the second-best fishing town in America. Beyond the water, locals point to a lower cost of living and a slower pace of life as major draws. The area is popular with retirees seeking what's often described as a recreation oasis, with a relatively mild climate and a friendly, small-town atmosphere. Despite its size, the city functions as a hub for more than 250,000 people living within a 55-mile radius who depend on it for shopping, medical care and entertainment — including care at the local regional medical center that serves the area's substantial retiree population. Visitors and residents can explore the Baker District's local shops and restaurants, play a round at Big Creek Golf and

Country Club, or hike trails like David's Trail and the Big Bluff and Lakeside trails. Mountain Home also supports a symphony, a community playhouse, weekly music on the square, and an annual Red, White and Blue Festival, giving residents cultural options not always found in small, rural towns. For residents at Rolling Meadows, that mix of small-town affordability and big-lake recreation is part of the draw of putting down roots in Mountain Home — a town that has spent years building a name for itself as a place to enjoy retirement. MHV

MHINSIDER.COM 33

HandyTrac Expands Key Management Technology to Address Manufactured Housing Security Needs

andyTrac Systems, a provider of biometric key control technology, is positioning its key management platform as a security tool for manufactured housing communities, where operators often oversee large properties with numerous access points and limited on-site oversight. The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company makes electronic key cabinets designed to track and document who accesses keys to show homes, offices, maintenance facilities, common areas, and vendor entry points across a community. “Manufactured housing communities face security challenges that differ from other property types, including sprawling geographic footprints, a mix of resident-owned, community-owned and vacant homes, and frequent vendor and contractor traffic,” HandyTrac Director of Business Development Chad Habegger said. When security-related issues are handled informally through phone calls, text messages or paper notes, important details can be lost, creating risk for owners, managers and residents. HandyTrac's system is built around an 18-gauge steel key cabinet with a built-in door alarm that triggers email notifications when the cabinet is opened outside of approved activity, giving managers visibility even when they are off site. Access to the cabinet is limited to approved users, and every interaction is logged automatically. “The system also uses biometric authentication, such as fingerprint identification, to ensure only authorized

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individuals can retrieve keys, removing risks tied to shared codes or borrowed credentials,” Habegger said. “An automated randomized key placement feature prevents predictable storage patterns inside the cabinet, adding another layer of protection against unauthorized removal.” Beyond access control, the company said the platform is designed to help operators track maintenance and safety issues that affect overall community security. A recent addition to the offering is alert notifications within the app. HandyTrac utilizes custom notes and activity codes that allow users to track the detail of who pulled a key and why and turns that information into detailed audit trails. Each reported issue is assigned and documented until resolved. Each home, lot, or common area also builds its own history of reported issues and completed actions, creating a comprehensive record managers can reference later. The system also documents work assigned to vendors, contractors, and internal staff to help ensure security-related tasks are completed properly and on time. HandyTrac markets the technology to manufactured housing owners, multi-site operators, and property managers responsible for safety and regulatory compliance. It is part of a broader lineup of HandyTrac systems marketed for use in multifamily housing, senior living communities, student housing and other property types, with the company offering multiple cabinet models to fit properties of varying size and complexity. MHV

community

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community

Solar Lighting Company Provides Cost Savings, Security

rent Goss is a managing partner for Central Equities of Florida, which owns 25 Tampa-area manufactured home communities in its portfolio of 70 commercial real estate assets. He wanted to improve the lighting in some of his properties and came across a photo of a property owned by a respected industry colleague. “‘Dang, those are great-looking solar lights,’ I remember saying. I called them up,” he said. “I asked ‘Who made those lights?’” “We did 400 of them in one community, and it gives us that uniform look that functions well,” Goss said. “When we buy a property, we hold it. We never sell it. When we have something to fix, we fix it for the long-term. We want to make a lasting impression and lasting improvement.”

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Goss said since that initial purchase, Central Equities has expanded its relationship with Gama Sonic, the Georgia-based company that provided the lights. He said the variety of designs and the flexibility of solar lighting has served the second-generation community ownership group very well. “Sometimes it’s really hard to get something fixed or replaced in a situation where it’s hardwired,” Goss said. “You need to get into someone else’s space, or it’s just a difficult place to work. These solar lights have really come into their own and make it very simple to get what you want.” Central Equities started in the 1960s and has grown slowly but steadily over the decades. And, it manages a great majority of its own properties.

“We primarily manage this out of our corporate office. We have a handful of properties where we’ve hired third-party property management, but for the most part we are doing all of the day-to-day management,” Goss said. “We get to see, feel, touch, and deal with every property issue known to mankind. So, you are always learning something new.”

Goss said some of the recent more difficult challenges at his properties have included aquifers filling to capacity and leaching out of the ground destroying parking lots and causing trees to come down. By comparison, community lighting has been simple. “When we started putting in the lights, we didn’t just load them up and �

More options. More buyers you can serve. Manufactured housing buyers don’t all fit inside a single loan box. That’s why we offer financing solutions designed to help retailers and manufactured housing professionals reach more customers and keep more deals moving. Let’s talk about what that looks like for your lot.

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community send out a crew,” he said. “We put one in and let residents look at it and asked if they would want one, and about 60 percent will say yes. By the time you’re done putting them in, the other 40 percent have come around saying they’ve changed their minds and would like to have a light installed.” Matt Cohen from Gama Sonic said swapping conventional streetlights for solar fixtures in a community's common areas and walkways can create a safer environment for residents while lowering the ongoing electricity costs that come with running grid-powered lighting across a large property. “I’ve always believed my job is to help customers solve problems, not just sell products,” Cohen said. “Every community is different, so the first step is

understanding what the customer is trying to accomplish and then finding the right solution for their property. “When we can improve safety, enhance curb appeal, and eliminate the expense and disruption of trenching and wiring, we’ve created real value,” he said. “The most rewarding part is when customers like Trent continue to come back year after year because they know we’ll take care of them.” The Centennial is a sleek-styled fixture. The Modern adds a motion sensor and timer. The Denali is built with what Gama Sonic calls its "Morph" technology, referencing a manufacturing process where monocrystalline solar cells are molded and integrated directly onto the curved and uneven surfaces of

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the light fixture itself, maximizing the surface area available. Each light is suited for the kind of high-traffic outdoor areas common in manufactured housing communities. Gama Sonic’s commercial lights have panels built in so they resemble standard post and wall lights but require no wiring, trenching, or digging to install. That's a selling point aimed squarely at manufactured housing communities, where lighting often needs to cover sprawling networks of streets, common spaces, and pedestrian paths — areas that can be costly to wire into a grid. Gama Sonic commercial outdoor solar lights have: • Free energy from the sun in place of utility bills • Weather- and rust-resistant construction rated IP65 • Installation in minutes without wiring • A five-year warranty Goss said he has used the lights at Central Equities’ retail spaces, warehouse and mini-storage facilities, and single-family properties. “Aesthetically, they are beautiful-looking solar lights,” Goss said. “And it’s really nice to see Gama Sonic show up at these industry events. When you need something, have a question, or want to look at some new options, they are there to talk with you about what you’re encountering.” MHV

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The proof is in our partnerships: “We've had renters in our community for years who never thought they could buy. autoMHatic gives them an answer in under a minute — and suddenly half of them are picking out a home instead of writing another rent check.” “Other lenders take three days to tell my customer no. autoMHatic gives me an answer while they're still on my lot — and they say yes to buyers other lenders won't even look at.” "autoMHatic approves my Prime and Non-Prime buyers in under a minute — with no recourse back to me. I get a fast yes, my customer gets their home, and I'm not on the hook if something goes sideways down the road." Want to see what we can do? Reach out to partnership@automhatic.com.

Now available in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Iowa. autoMHatic Financial is a dba of Tammac Holdings Corporation, a licensed lender, NMLS ID #2663. Licensed in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. Please visit www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org for more information. For a list of all licenses please visit www.automhatic.com or www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. This communication does not constitute a commitment to lend. Loans are secured by a lien against your property. Application required and subject to underwriting approval. Not all applicants will be approved. Programs are subject to credit and property approval. Program terms and conditions are subject to change without notice and may not be available in all states. Additional conditions, qualifications, and restrictions may apply. Contact autoMHatic Financial for more information.

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What’s Next for the Independent Retailer? By John Ace Underwood

Editor’s Note: John Ace Underwood is providing a series of articles to MHInsider on retail sales strategy that reaches the site-built homebuyer. This is the second in a five-part series.

Are Manufacturers Abandoning Independent Retail? Well… Not Really

ver the past four decades, the distribution of manufactured homes and modular homes has been a fairly well-developed system. Manufacturers built homes. Independent retailers sold them. Communities provided placement opportunities. Each segment depended heavily upon the others, and for years, the distribution system remained fairly stable. A Rapidly Changing Relationship Currently, across the country, manufacturers are aggressively pursuing direct relationships with developers, managing their factory-owned retail operations, partnering with conventional site builders, and in some cases even launching their own communities and subdivision-style developments. While these moves may make strategic sense from the manufacturers’ perspective, they are creating growing concern among independent retailers. The answer goes well beyond simply seeking additional revenue streams or greater operational control. While both certainly contribute, they do not fully explain the broader strategic shift now taking place across the industry.

42 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

Land-home projects often generate stronger margins and more predictable long-term growth. But perhaps most importantly, these strategies provide access to a vastly larger category of buyer: the conventional single-family home purchaser. That may be the single most important factor driving this entire industry transition. Manufacturers Have Recognized a Much Larger Market For decades, much of the manufactured housing industry operated within a relatively narrow customer pool. Most retailers traditionally marketed to consumers who already identified themselves as manufactured housing buyers — customers actively searching for affordable housing alternatives or those already familiar with the product category through prior experience, family exposure, or community living. The problem is that this market, while important, is relatively limited. Manufacturers increasingly recognize something many retailers have discussed for years: The growth potential of factory-built housing does not primarily exist within the current manufactured housing buyer market. It exists within the vastly larger conventional single-family housing market. That market includes millions of buyers who have never seriously considered factory-built housing.

These are not “manufactured home buyers” in their minds. They are simply single-family home buyers and manufacturers clearly understand that most traditional street retail models have struggled to effectively reach them. This realization may explain much of the strategic shift now taking place throughout the industry. Developers, builder-partners, subdivision projects, and manufacturer-owned retail operations all provide something many traditional dealerships historically have not: Access to mainstream housing buyers much earlier in their decision-making process. Manufacturers are no longer simply trying to sell more manufactured homes. They are attempting to position factory-built housing as a legitimate solution within the broader single-family housing market. That is a fundamentally different objective. Why Developers Matter Developers play a critical role in this strategy because they normalize the product. A buyer driving onto a traditional manufactured home sales center often immediately views the experience through the lens of “manufactured housing”. Whether fair or unfair, decades of stigma, misunderstanding, and outdated perceptions still heavily influence that experience. But a buyer touring a completed neighborhood of attractive factory-built homes on private land often sees something entirely different. They simply see housing. That distinction matters enormously. Manufacturers understand that context shapes perception. Subdivision-style developments allow buyers to experience factory-built homes as part of a broader single-family housing environment rather than as a separate housing category altogether. Conventional Site Builders Offer Similar Advantages Conventional site builders already possess relationships, credibility, marketing systems, and visibility within the mainstream housing market. Partnering with them allows manufacturers to place factory-built housing in front of buyers who otherwise may never visit a traditional manufactured housing retail center. In many ways, manufacturers appear to have concluded that the industry cannot achieve significant long-term growth simply by continuing to market primarily to existing manufactured housing buyers. �

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builderretailer The Appeal of Vertical Integration There is another factor driving this transition, as well: Control. While not always successful, manufacturer-owned retail operations allow factories to control branding, customer experience, merchandising, pricing strategy, staffing, marketing, and follow-up systems. They can standardize operations, protect brand image, and capture retail margin. From a purely business perspective, the appeal is obvious. Independent retailers vary dramatically in professionalism, operational discipline, sales process, customer approach, marketing sophistication, and leadership quality. Some operate exceptionally well. Vertical integration reduces inconsistency, but it also fundamentally changes the factory-retailer relationship. At some point, many independent retailers will be asking how long they will be viewed as valued long-term partners within the historic model. A Critical Wake-Up Call for Retailers Despite the concerns, independent retailers should view the transition as evidence that manufacturers may actually be

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signaling where the future opportunity exists. The broader single-family housing market is enormous. Millions of buyers struggle with affordability. Site-built construction costs continue rising. Labor shortages persist. Interest in attainable housing alternatives continues to grow. Manufacturers clearly see this opportunity. The retailers most likely to survive and thrive over the next decade may not be the ones who continue waiting for manufactured housing buyers to find them. They may be the ones who begin intentionally reaching conventional single-family housing buyers instead. It requires repositioning the business model, marketing strategy, and customer experience around a very different audience. Historically, many retailers focused primarily on selling manufactured homes to previous customers and referrals. Sixty percent of all factory-built home buyers either previously owned a factory-built home or knew someone who had. On the other hand, there are thousands of single-family home buyers in every market who are looking for an affordable way to own their own home on their own land, not one that is in a subdivision. These buyers would be delighted with a factory-built home, but they don’t even know it exists and therefore have never considered our industry as an option. The future may require learning how to market and sell attainable single-family housing solutions built with factory efficiency. That is an entirely different mission. The only remaining question is whether retailers will evolve quickly enough to move with the market and prosper beyond anything they’ve even experienced — or whether they will be left competing for a shrinking segment. Join me next issue for the next article in the series, where I will discuss some very easy, low-cost opportunities for transitioning from a factory-built housing retailer to a participant in supplying the single-family home market. MHV John Ace Underwood is a recognized 35-plus year veteran of the factory-built housing industry, specializing in sales leadership, organizational development, and growth strategies for retailers, communities, and manufacturers. His work focuses exclusively on helping retailers expand beyond traditional manufactured housing buyers and compete more effectively for conventional single-family home buyers. Find out more at: www.johnaceunderwood.com and email: johnaceunderwood@gmail.com.

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Transform Vacant Land into Homeownership Opportunities

By Patrick Shea

or many Americans, homeownership feels increasingly out of reach. Rising home prices, limited housing inventory, and increasing construction costs have created significant barriers for working families.

BEFORE

AFTER

48 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

For me, that challenge has become both a professional mission and a personal passion. I began my career in the manufactured housing industry more than six years ago as an installer based in Illinois. In that time, I have participated in the installation of more than 500 manufactured homes across the Midwest and West. Working directly in the field taught me everything from site preparation and transportation logistics to installation, inspections, and code compliance. More importantly, it allowed me to witness firsthand the positive impact manufactured housing can have on families seeking homeownership. Throughout those years, I developed a reputation for delivering safe, quality, and code-compliant homes while helping families achieve one of life's most important milestones — owning a home. Land on a Vision After relocating to the Las Vegas area, I quickly recognized the tremendous need for affordable housing solutions throughout Southern Nevada. Like many fast-growing markets across the country, the region continues to face increasing housing costs and a shortage of attainable homeownership opportunities. I wanted to become part of the solution. I obtained my manufactured home dealer's license and established Shea Factory Homes, a dealership that focuses on providing modern manufactured homes and attainable homeownership opportunities. At the same time, I continued building Shea Construction & Co., our installation and site-development company specializing in manufactured housing projects. Together, these companies allow us to offer a streamlined approach that covers every stage of the development

process — from land evaluation and planning to home placement and completion. What makes our model unique, however, is the partnership between development, investment, execution, and speed. A significant contributor to our success has been our work alongside valued investors, whose efforts behind the scenes have helped identify many of the redevelopment opportunities we pursue today. While completed homes often receive attention, successful redevelopment projects begin long before construction starts. Finding viable opportunities requires extensive market research, property analysis, and relationship building. Many of the properties we target are vacant lots, abandoned parcels, or underutilized sites that others overlook. Each property must be evaluated for zoning requirements, utility access, development costs, permitting considerations, market demand, and overall feasibility. And identifying the right property is only the first step. ‘Bridging the Gap’ Investors play a critical role in bridging the gap between opportunity and action. By sourcing deals, cultivating investment relationships, and helping secure project funding, a good investment partner makes it possible for a team, ours included, to transform vacant and neglected properties into productive residential housing. One of the greatest advantages of our approach is speed. Once a suitable parcel has been acquired and development planning is complete, a new manufactured home can typically be ordered and delivered within approximately three to four weeks. Following arrival, site completion, installation, utility connections, inspections, and final preparations can be completed within a month, allowing the home to be ready for occupancy on a significantly shorter schedule than would be the case for many standard site-built construction projects. In a market facing ongoing housing shortages, time matters. Every month saved in the development process represents families being housed sooner, neighborhoods being revitalized faster, and communities benefiting from additional housing inventory more quickly. While no single solution can solve the affordability crisis, manufactured housing offers one of the most practical and scalable

ways to bring quality housing to market efficiently without sacrificing safety, durability, or long-term value. The results can be seen throughout our redevelopment projects across the Las Vegas Valley.

BEFORE

AFTER

The accompanying before-and-after photographs illustrate how abandoned, outdated, and underutilized parcels can be transformed into attractive residential properties featuring modern manufactured homes. What were once vacant lots become opportunities for families, neighborhoods, and communities alike. At Shea Factory Homes, our mission extends beyond simply selling homes. We take pride in helping families achieve homeownership and begin building real equity. Every home we place represents more than a housing unit. It represents an opportunity for a family to create stability and invest in the future. �

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BEFORE

AFTER

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Looking ahead, we believe this redevelopment model has tremendous potential beyond Las Vegas. Communities throughout Nevada, California, Arizona, Utah, and other Western markets face many of the same affordability challenges we see in Southern Nevada. By combining strategic investment partnerships, redevelopment expertise, and modern manufactured housing solutions, we believe meaningful progress can be made toward expanding housing supply and increasing access to homeownership throughout the region. MHV Patrick Shea began his journey in the manufactured home industry in the South Suburbs of Chicago. As a licensed installer, he worked with multiple communities across the Midwest, Arizona, and Nevada. After founding Shea Factory Homes and Shea Construction & Co., he shifted his focus toward developing affordable single-family manufactured homes. Now rooted in Las Vegas, he is committed to serving first-time homebuyers, hardworking blue-collar families, veterans, and individuals priced out of the traditional housing market.

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FREDDIE MAC EXPANDS FINANCING OPTIONS TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY OF MANUFACTURED HOMES By Nena Dial

n an effort to increase the availability of financing for affordable homes, we recently announced that Freddie Mac has joined Fannie Mae to issue a unified set of eligibility requirements for conventional mortgages secured by modern, factory-built homes. Millions of families are homeowners because of manufactured housing, and Freddie Mac is committed to providing innovative and flexible financing solutions to support this market. This recent move reflects an ongoing commitment to addressing the nation’s housing affordability crisis and follows Freddie Mac’s expansion of CHOICEHome® mortgages last summer to include modern single-section factory-built homes. Manufactured homes have historically been one of the most cost-effective pathways to homeownership, particularly for firsttime buyers and those in rural communities. We aim to foster greater confidence in the quality of manufactured housing through education and standardization intended to help streamline the lending process and reduce confusion for Modern factory-built homes homebuilders, developers, combine the advantages lenders, and borrowers. of factory- and site-built This education includes construction to offer a bolstering widespread recoghousing option that is nition that CHOICEHome typically more affordable mortgages are appraised using than traditional sitesimilar methods as site-built built construction. homes. CHOICEHome brings conventional loan financing to modern factory-built homes that exceed federal standards called for by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

52 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

Freddie Mac’s CHOICEHome and Fannie Mae’s MH Advantage® will now align on home specifications and features to be eligible, an important step in the evolution of manufactured housing financing within the conventional mortgage market. As lender participation and investor interest grow, a more consistent Government Sponsored Enterprise (GSE) framework helps support efficient execution and broader adoption of modern factory-built manufactured homes. The collaboration among the GSEs and our regulator seeks to open doors for more families to achieve the American Dream. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae play a critical role in the U.S. housing finance system, and by streamlining the process for lenders and investors through aligned home specification eligibility requirements, we can encourage broader acceptance of factory-built homes as a mainstream housing option. Freddie Mac’s CHOICEHome mortgage offering includes both multi-section and single-section factory-built homes that meet the aligned specifications with a 3 percent down payment option for qualified borrowers. Taken together, these updates underscore a simple message for lenders and builders: Freddie Mac’s offerings are available for manufactured homes. Freddie Mac ensures that CHOICEHome-financed manufactured homes meet specific construction standards, which include features such as permanent foundations, energy-efficient designs, pitched roofs, attached garages, and enhanced durability and comfort of the home. These features also make for easier integration with existing rural and urban neighborhoods that include site-built homes. We are pleased to expand our CHOICEHome mortgage offering to reach and educate more homebuyers on the benefits of

builderretailer

manufactured homes. Following research showing decades of decline in starter home construction, factory-built homes can help address both supply and affordability issues for not only the first-time homebuyer, but also downsizing households, retirees, workforce housing, and more. Modern factory-built homes combine the advantages of factory- and site-built construction to offer a housing option that is typically more affordable than traditional site-built construction. These homes have the potential to provide housing at less than half the price of traditional site-built construction. The additional supply will be pivotal for young families, downsizing households, and other buyers looking for affordable homeownership options. Freddie Mac research shows that roughly 20 percent of Gen Z and Millennial potential homebuyers are very likely to consider buying a manufactured home. The mean price of the newly accepted single-section home is around $200,000, including land in most markets, while the traditional single-family site-built home can, on average, exceed $500,000. For industry professionals, these pricing dynamics underscore the importance of manufactured housing as a solution for families seeking attainable homeownership. Renewed interest in manufactured housing is growing as communities seek scalable ways to expand attainable homeownership and relieve housing supply constraints across a broad range of buyers. Factory-built homes are engineered to meet rigorous standards, and advances in design, materials, weather resiliency, and energy efficiency have made them increasingly attractive to buyers seeking quality and value. As land and construction costs continue to rise, manufactured homes offer a practical alternative without sacrificing comfort or durability. As the manufactured home industry evolves, Freddie Mac will continue to collaborate with builders, developers, lenders, and local housing intermediaries to ensure that financing options keep pace with innovations in home design and construction. The goal is not only to expand access to affordable housing but also to foster thriving communities where manufactured homes are valued as a vital part of the housing landscape. MHV Nena Dial is a senior director of single-family affordable lending at Freddie Mac. She leads the strategic planning and execution necessary to achieve Freddie Mac’s housing goals and Duty to Serve plan objectives.

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finance

In Search of… The Rational Cap Rate By Mark Simpson

n some markets for manufactured home communities, sale prices and the corresponding capitalization rates seem logical and justified. But, in other markets, prices and rates test the imagination. Capitalization rates can and do become irrational, which brings about the need for a “Rational Capitalization Rate” as a type of barometer for measuring market pressure. A Rational Capitalization Rate is a rate of return that makes sense financially. Financial common sense is quantified by the relative risk of loss. At the most basic level of financial truths, the risk involved with the debt piece of a deal is less than the risk involved with the equity position.

56 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

For a debt-based asset like real estate, the market-based terms of debt should form the foundation of establishing the lower limit of returns for the equity position. In other words, the equity position is riskier than the debt position, and the equity investors should demand a correspondingly higher return. It becomes subjective when the spread between the debt return and the equity return is considered. If an investor is going to be in the first equity position with no cushion and the possibility of 100 percent loss, is it logical that he/she would require a return of only 1 basis point more than the debt return? Probably not. For our purposes, we will assume that the minimum rational spread between the debt and equity returns is 100 basis points. For this first calculation, the transaction market is assumed to be hot with relatively low-cost debt abundantly available, similar to the period after COVID and before the Federal Reserve rate hikes of 450 basis points during 2022 and 2023. The following figures are intended to reflect the debt terms available for a good-quality “Mom & Pop” manufactured home community during that period.

Interest Rate: 4 percent Amortization Period: 25 years Max. Loan-to-Value (LTV): 80 percent The Mortgage Capitalization Rate is calculated by dividing the debt service by the initial principal balance. This figure of 6.33

percent reflects the maximum return for the debt and therefore helps to establish a minimum for the Rational Equity Investor. The Equity Capitalization Rate is calculated by dividing the cash flow after debt service by the initial equity investment. If the Rational Equity Investor decides that he/she needs at least 100 basis points more than the debt investor to make the investment acceptable, then the rate of 7.33 percent could be used as the minimum acceptable. Next, the data is inserted into a weighted average capitalization rate using the Band of Investment technique, which is a widely accepted appraisal formula. The calculation indicates that if the investor is rational, then the minimum cap rate to consider in this particular market is 6.5 percent.

During the period after COVID and before the Fed rate hikes, there was so much activity that some brokers stopped the practice of estimating appropriate cap rates and asking prices. Instead, the asking price was “to be determined by the market.” Stealing a term from a great bubble creator, the manufactured home market exhibited “irrational exuberance.” So, during this furious period, high sale prices coincided with irrationally exuberant capitalization rates. For this example, which was assumed to take place during a hot market period with low interest rates, many listings were

receiving multiple bidders, and the comparable sales transactions supported an average cap rate of 5 percent. This cap rate reflects the actions of market participants. Previously, the rational cap rate based on the relationship between debt and equity was estimated to be 6.5 percent. Immediately above, the exuberant cap rate of 5 percent was found from sales data in a market. A manufactured home community generating $100,000 in stable net operating income would be valued as follows: Scenario NOI OAR Value Exuberant Market Value $100,000÷ 5 percent =$2 million Rational Market Value $100,000 ÷ 6.5 percent =$1,538,462 Irrational Value =$461,538 The difference between the values is $461,538, or 23 percent, which represents the component of Irrational Value. This Irrational component of value would be most at risk when the buying fever normalizes.

Conversely, the period following the Financial Collapse of 2008 was a buyer’s market with extensive inventories of bankowned and distressed manufactured home communities. Further, the current market reflects severely reduced sales activity and relatively high interest rates in a frozen market. The following figures are intended to reflect the debt terms available for a �

MHINSIDER.COM 57

finance good-quality “Mom & Pop” manufactured home community during a cold market. Interest Rate: 6.5 percent Amortization Period: 25 years Max. Loan-to-Value (LTV): 70 percent The same calculations were applied again, including the Band of Investment technique, to estimate that the minimum cap rate that a rational investor in this cold market would consider is 8.4 percent.

The point is that the manufactured home community sector is subject to human emotions and actions. Companies eager to grow will make aggressive buying decisions. And when the market turns chilly, prices will reset.

Investors may learn a great deal about a particular market by comparing the market-based, Conventional Cap Rate with the debt-based Rational Cap Rate. An optimistic market with the Conventional Cap Rate substantially below the Rational Cap Rate should serve as a warning signal that prices may be in bubble territory. Finally, investors also may learn a great deal about a particular property by comparing an Asking Cap Rate with the debt-based Rational Cap Rate. If the Asking Cap Rate is substantially lower than the Rational Cap Rate, the seller may be reminiscing of days past when market conditions were different. MHV Mark D. Simpson holds the MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute and earned an MBA in Finance from the State University of New York at Albany. He has practiced commercial real estate appraisal throughout the U.S. since 1989 and has owned and managed a variety of investment properties, including manufactured housing, for well over 20 years. He can be reached at marksimpson@brighthouse.com.

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allenlegacy

Life Lessons Learned

re you keeping track of lessons learned during your career as a manufactured housing business person, landlease community entrepreneur, writer or author, even parent and grandparent? Well, many of us do so, as handy reminders to ourselves, and admonitions to partners, employees, colleagues, even family members. Identifying and recording one’s life lessons learned is a longtime discipline. I started doing so more than half a century ago when I was a young U.S. Marine officer. That’s when I learned the KISS principle (‘Keep It Simple Stupid! – or sweetheart!’), and more importantly, the 7-P Rule of Planning: “Proper Prior Planning Prevents (Pitifully or ?) Poor Performance!” Also there were typical military truisms, e.g., “Pain is just weakness leaving the body!” and “The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war!” My first civilian job, as a management trainee, upended much of my college liberal arts education. That’s when I learned to “Break problems into parts and consider problems to be challenges and opportunities!” Still very good advice, as is “Praise in public, criticize in private!” where interpersonal relations are concerned. And here’s one I came up with entirely on my own. “Ask, don’t tell, and keep your ask out of trouble!” Think about it; it makes perfect sense. Another classic is “Methods are many, principles are few. Principles rarely change, methods always do!” My introduction to professional property management, a few years later, was equally disruptive, but provided a good base to what became my career. As a residential property owner, “Maximize income streams and minimize expenses!” This was also when I learned what I call the “Six Right Ps of Marketing.” Right Product, Right Place, Right Price, Right Promotion, Right People, and Right Process.”

62 2026 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

By George Allen, CPM Emeritus, MHM-Master All these key life lessons learned eventually came together to ensure my success as an entrepreneur. Ever heard of the businessman’s bible verse? Here it is: “Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts.” That is a take on Proverbs 24:3 and 24:4 and is good to know. “The higher the barrier to entry, the greater the potential for profitable outcome!” should be remembered when acquiring land-lease communities that are few in number and rarely developed anew. Did you know, “No one really cares whether you succeed or fail in business except you and your spouse – or significant other!” And finally, the definition of profit? “It’s the reward for taking risks!” Plus, everyone knows that “Happiness is a positive cash flow!” Sales and Marketing Surely you know from B.R. Canfield that “Successful salesmanship is 90 percent preparation and 10 percent presentation!” And “To please people is a great step toward persuading them!” from Lord Chesterfield. Then, there’s this well-known ABC Rule of Sales: “Always Be Closing!” And, in an attempt to close this out with a marketing classic: “The man who whispers down a well About the goods he has to sell Will never reap a crop of dollars As he who climbs a tree and hollers!” When I became a writer, and eventually a book author, I found I had a whole new body of lessons to learn, and quickly. Writers are also readers to expand vocabulary and study alternative writing styles.

Did you know that speech and training outlines easily become magazine articles and eventually books when grouped by topic? The self-publishing rule of thumb relative to income is to reward oneself with 100 percent of net income; whereas, trade publishing promises no more than 25 percent of net income. My personal writing formula for articles and columns is to outline, write, wait 24 hours, edit with a vengeance, then publish, and later repackage to publish again. Plus, there’s an ABC Rule for writers: Be Accurate, Brief, Clear – Concise – Complete! Here’s another tidbit: In a text, recto is the facing page (on the right side) while verso is on the left side, and the reverse side of the recto. Here’re some general business life lessons or rules of thumb: • W hen buying and negotiating, “The f irst to mention money loses!” • Balance need and desire for quick business decisions and actions with patience, reflection, planning, and deliberate implementation.

• Someday, the thrill of the chase will be replaced by the winning of the race. • The Five Fs of Life: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fix, or befriend! Finally, here’s the icing on the cake of life. Value and honor personal and business contacts at every opportunity! Be appreciative of what other people do on your behalf and express it to them! And pen Thank You and general notes whenever the opportunity presents itself. MHV George Allen is a nonfiction author, internet blogger, and magazine columnist with expertise in manufactured housing and land-lease communities. He also is a retired lieutenant colonel of U.S. Marines, with a combat tour in the Republic of Vietnam and service during Desert Storm. Read his autobiography, “FromSmittyAlpha6 to MHMaven” available via www.educatemhc.com, and also his “Chapbook of Prayer” and “Chapbook of Business Management & Wisdom” as well as other interesting titles. Allen can be reached at gfa7156@aol.com, (317) 881-3815 & GFA c/o Box # 47024, Indianapolis, IN 46247.

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