Most landlease community aficionados know and tout Manufactured Housing Institute’s (MHI) National Communities Council (NCC) division, founded in 1993, as the national representative of, and advocate for, the estimated 50,000 properties comprising this unique real estate asset class. Not as many folk, however, are as familiar with Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Manufactured Housing Communities Council (MHCC), founded during 2004, & widely viewed as the income – producing property type’s de facto Think Tank, comprised of many of the brightest and best landlease community (LLCommunity) owners/operators in North America.
On November 3rd, approximately 40 members and guests of the MHCC, most of whom were MHI members, and over half of whom were MHI-NCC members, convened at the Westin Market Street Hotel in San Francisco, CA, for a daylong meeting. Key presentation & discussion topics highlighted the morning agenda:
- Selling the Benefits of Landlease Communities in a Challenging Economic & Legislative Environment, facilitated by Joe Adams, PHC®, and president of The Housing Marketplace in Ashville, NC.
- Stop the Attrition: Resident Retention from Landlease Community & Apartment Perspectives, jointly presented by Bill Cramer, CPM® & MHM, from Pittsburgh, PA., & Gene Powell, CPM® of Bend, OR.
- Are You Reaching Your Customer? Using Social Media & Search Engine Optimization to Maximize Your Company’s Marketing Effectiveness, led by Tim Ware, owner of HyperArts, from Oakland, CA.
The most stimulating group discussion of the day, however, occurred during the lunch hour when Randy Rowe, founder and chairman of Green Courte Partners, LLC, headquartered in Lake Forest, IL, challenged landlease community owners/operators to imagine and defend what they think our unique income – producing property type business model will look like in ten years, by year 2020!
As was soon determined; one way to approach this challenge, is to ‘look back’ as we ‘looked forward’- from today, identifying changes – or not, relative to specific foci; which in turn, might serve as precursors to what could materialize during the next ten years, to nearly 2020. Here’s the Baker’s Dozen focus areas we identified and discussed:
Yes, all these beg that seminal question: Where will these 21, and additional, foci be by year 2020?
This has been an inside look at what goes on in at ULI MHCC manned by individuals whose livelihoods, careers, fortunes, and business success or failure, depends on well – knowing: ‘Where we’ve been’, ‘What we’re about today’, and Where we surely hope to be tomorrow!’ If you’d like to become involved in these timely and strategic discussions, consider joining MHI’s NCC, as a direct dues –paying member, by phoning Thayer Long @ (703) 558-0678.
And for membership information relative to ULI’s MHCC, contact Joanne Stevens, CCIM® & ACM® via (319) 378-6786.
How’s this for a BONUS? During mid – April 2010, both groups will officially combine their Spring meetings at MHI’s 20th Congress and Expo for Manufactured Housing in Las Vegas! If you’re truly active in the LLCommunity asset class, you can hardly afford NOT to be present, doing your part to influence the present and future of the MHIndustry and our real estate asset class. For information on this historic event, again, contact Thayer Long at the aforementioned phone number or via www.congressandexpo.org
This too, is a working document for the HUD Code manufactured housing industry and landlease community real estate asset class! If you’d like to input your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, critique, etc., prior to the above – announced joint meeting of the NCC & MHCC, contact Thayer Long, Kenny Lipschutz (chairman of the MHCC) of Brookside Communities in MI. @ (248) 645-1077, or the author of this feature.
George Allen, Realtor®, CPM®, MHM is a consultant to the factory – built housing industry & landlease community real estate asset class.
Box # 47024
Indianapolis, IN. 46247
(317) 346-7156
Visit his website: www.community-investor.com and Blog
Email: gfa7156@aol.com
