OREGON—Consumers embraced factory built homes at the Spring Home and Garden Show in Portland. The Ideabox (www.ideabox.us), the innovative home coined “pre-fabulous” by regional media and featured live on two TV stations was featured. Over 10,000 people toured the home and loved it. The public appreciated the technology, green building and efficiencies associated with factory-built homes.
WASHINGTON— Two bills in the Washington state legislature would require park owners to notify residents when the property is for sale and to give residents three years to find new housing once the property is sold, three times longer than now required. What other business has to give notice to go out of business? queries John Woodring attorney. NORTH CAROLINA - The North Carolina Court of Appeals reversed a previous decision by a lower court banning the installation of an older mobile home in Pasquotank County. In 2008, a lower court upheld the county’s ordinance limiting the age of mobiles homes to no more than ten years and prohibited a company from setting up a mobile unit, arguing that it was too old. The N.C. Court of Appeals recently limited its restrictions of mobile homes to appearance and measurements only.
WISCONSIN— The Wisconsin Legislature is considering a bill to make it a felony for a landlord or employer to discriminate based on an arrest or conviction record. The author of the bill is a privacy advocate who opposes the use of a state computer database that tracks civil and criminal court proceedings. The Wisconsin Housing Alliance and a broad coalition of others are vigorously opposing the bill.
TEXAS— Coachmen Industries has signed a letter of intent for military housing at Fort Bliss, Texas. With a potential value of $21.3 million, the agreement calls for two new barracks buildings at the U.S. Army base. Coachmen stands to earn another $15.2 million for additional work as Congress approves more funds.
CANADA - Pacific Building Systems, headquartered in Canada’s Cowichan Valley, who already produces prefab structures for users in the U.S., Korea, Iceland and Israel, will build four dozen townhomes in the Asian nation of Mongolia’s capital Ulan Bator. It will build all the major components at its main production plant and transport them to Mongolia for assembly.
Entrepreneurs are generally an optimistic group. But given enough bad news, even they can turn negative. And lately, so much of the news on the front page has been bad, really bad. So how have successful business owners responded to the credit crisis, housing mess, Wall Street turmoil and other lousy news? They keep showing up. They open their doors every day. They call on prospective clients. They tighten their belts. They try new marketing. They do whatever it takes to keep their business going. And if that doesn’t work, they try something else. We can’t control the economy, but we can control how we, as an industry, respond to these difficult times.
At the Housing Alliance, we’re not immune to the bad economic news. But we are taking our own advice and we keep showing up. Everyone in this business wants it to prosper and grow. We produce top quality energy-efficient homes and provide safe, friendly, economical community lifestyles.
There is a demand for our products and services, and there are many manufacturers, retailers, developers, suppliers and community owners who would provide manufactured housing if the opportunities existed. This is the message we need to get through to the public, media and our lawmakers. You can’t preserve or grow an industry by choking it with regulatory interference and restrictions. I’m optimistic that we will make headway this year on regulatory and legislative issues that are critically important to the factory-built industry.
I am confident that even though the financial lending is slow, our members will find ways to keep their businesses profitable and successful. A soft economy is the perfect time to sharpen your skills and try new resources and techniques. Let’s focus on what we can control. We just have to keep showing up.
With all the challenging issues we have on the table this year, I encourage every member to help your state association. By now you should have received your annual membership renewal forms. Maintain your annual dues, contribute to the Housing Alliance Political Action Committee (PAC), attend annual convention and continuing education classes. We are only as strong as our membership, so please become involved and make this a positive year where we implement goals that will help us stay a strong association and help you grow as a vital component of the nation’s housing stock. Keep showing up!
Linda Lindholm
Government Relations
UTAH GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
Dale Zabriskie of Zabriskie & Associates
The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising of the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 Representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 State Senators. The Legislature convened at the Utah State Capitol in the state capital of Salt Lake City on Monday, January 26th for an annual 45 day session.
The state Legislature is working to adopt a budget that is about $1 billion less than the one it passed last year. Gov. Jon Huntsman is recommending budget cuts of up to 7 percent for all state agencies, but legislative leaders want cuts that are more than double that.
Both Huntsman and the Legislature seek a balanced budget, but the governor is counting on a federal stimulus package, wants to bond for road construction and is calling for an increase in the vehicle registration fee to make ends meet. Legislative leaders say they don't want to consider those options until they've made as many cuts as possible and get updated revenue forecasts when they're in session in February.
More than half the layoffs — 1,521 — would come from higher education, resulting in fewer course offerings, larger classes and students taking longer to graduate. from the state's public colleges and universities. Public school students in kindergarten through 12th grade would also be affected. Utah already has the nation's largest class sizes and spends less per student than any other state. That gulf would continue to grow under the budget proposals lawmakers asked legislative staff to prepare. Legislative analysts said that about 371 teaching positions would be eliminated throughout the state as a result of across-the-board cuts to certain programs.
The State Board of Education does not want school districts to shorten their class weeks to four days unless circumstances warrant it. The board said it will only consider waiver requests in “extreme circumstances of distance, isolation and small school size.”
Dale Zabriskie
Call To Action Websites
Call To Action Websites Sell Homes
Call to action websites are clear about what you are trying to achieve and knowing the response you want from the client. If you want them to contact you in order to generate a lead that will sell them a home, then your entire approach has to be centered around that purpose. People don’t have time to read “ABOUT US”, “OUR MISSION” and silly, useless links. Focus on why they came to your website and use common sense to guide them to their objectives. OK, how?
• Capture their attention with a bold headline, “New Homes Delivered and Setup Starting at $49,999.00”
• Use text that talks to them one on one. Don’t sounded “canned” and remember what they came for, a home.
• Never offer more than three options to click on from the front page. KISS, Keep It Simple, Straightforward.
• Bulleted lists show benefits clearly and quickly. Simple declarative statements have more impact and are easier to remember.
• Pictures of people and with testimonials will build confidence in working with YOU. It’s like virtual body language.
• Get their email in return for a “Free Report”, an “Online Special Discount” or “Time Limited Bonus Offer”. It’s simple, you give, you get.
• Use a strategically designed website to guide clients through to their conversion. Conversion is when they call or email you. Traditional websites will kill your business. Have a design that serves a strategic purpose!
Ask for their business and tell them what it is you want them to do, like call for a free gift, email now for the discount or bonus offer. If you convince them you are the ONE offering the right home for them, they will give you their business. So, cut through the fluff, show them you have what they want and ask for their business.
A Call To Action website lets you engage a buyer to get involved and not just be a passive viewer. It demands you present your business in a lean, effective manner that makes the viewer want to get in touch with YOU. Everyday, more and more people use the internet to start the buying process of their new home. If you don’t take advantage of a Call to Action website, your competition certainly will. Scrap that old website and get strategic!
Max Marble -
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News From Other States
News From Other States
OREGON—Oregon is home to the largest population of HUD Code manufactured home production facilities in the Pacific Northwest with nine active factories, while Idaho has three HUD Code factories and Washington has just one. The Oregon Manufactured Housing Association (OMHA) released its final report detailing how many HUD Code homes were produced in Oregon in 2008. The total was 3,224 homes, down 24.1% from 4,246 in 2007. The Oregon Manufactured Home Show is being combined with the Salem RV Show at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem February 18-22. Link: www.omha.com.
WASHINGTON— Karsten Homes has the first ever factory-built home allowed on a city lot in Ellensberg, Washington. A town of about 15,000, Ellensburg was, until recently, like many other Washington communities that excluded manufactured homes from the city limits except for designated parks or developed communities. A new state regulation changed all that and Travy Epenesa purchased a home from Home Sweet Home Sales of Union Gap, Washington and placed it on her private lot on 13th Avenue. NORTH DAKOTA - North Dakota’s housing agency in HB 1165 is asking the state legislature for permission to guarantee loans that are given out for the purchase of mobile homes. Housing Finance Agency director Mike Anderson states that while mobile homes are an affordable alternative in certain rural regions that lack housing, during times of tight credit, not many lenders are providing loans to buy them. He adds that the Housing Finance Agency may promote additional private funding of homes by pledging that at least 50 percent of the loan will be paid back. NEW HAMPSHIRE— A New Hampshire manufacturer has gone global. Epoch Homes employs internet to build house for the Ukraine. Epoch confirms that it has sold several custom single-family units for shipment to the Ukraine. Epoch has sold homes to Japan and Poland in the past using the firm’s online database of residential plans as a beginning point. CALIFORNIA— One of the more than 600 new laws passed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2008 set parameters for the placement of gasburning water heaters in manufactured home, requiring that they be braced and strapped down. Also, he approved a law mandating the installation of a smoke alarm in every room where people sleep.
Entrepreneurs are generally an optimistic group. But given enough bad news, even they can turn negative. And lately, so much of the news on the front page has been bad, really bad. So how have successful business owners responded to the credit crisis, housing mess, Wall Street turmoil and other lousy news? They keep showing up. They open their doors every day. They call on prospective clients. They tighten their belts. They try new marketing. They do whatever it takes to keep their business going. And if that doesn’t work, they try something else. We can’t control the economy, but we can control how we, as an industry, respond to these difficult times.
Dale Zabriskie of Zabriskie & Associates
Call to action websites are clear about what you are trying to achieve and knowing the response you want from the client. If you want them to contact you in order to generate a lead that will sell them a home, then your entire approach has to be centered around that purpose. People don’t have time to read “ABOUT US”, “OUR MISSION” and silly, useless links. Focus on why they came to your website and use common sense to guide them to their objectives. OK, how?
OREGON—Oregon is home to the largest population of HUD Code manufactured home production facilities in the Pacific Northwest with nine active factories, while Idaho has three HUD Code factories and Washington has just one. The Oregon Manufactured Housing Association (OMHA) released its final report detailing how many HUD Code homes were produced in Oregon in 2008. The total was 3,224 homes, down 24.1% from 4,246 in 2007. The Oregon Manufactured Home Show is being combined with the Salem RV Show at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem February 18-22. Link: www.omha.com.
