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News
Briefs
KMHI News
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2008 KMHI Conference & forms more ...
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Fannie Mae MH Select Retailer Audio
Conference on May 21
more ...
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Dispute Resolution Language, Reversal of
HUD Position
more ...
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Modular and Community courses offered
more ...
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Small business day at the capitol, Jan
2008 more ...
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2008
Louisville Show more ...
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Noffsinger Appointed to KHC, Dec.
more ...
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Overstreet presented the USDA Rural
Development Kentucky Certificate of Recognition, Dec.
more ...
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Hargis Epperson Appointed to C&L Board,
Dec. more ...
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Modular educational seminars online
more ... , Modular
events
more ...
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AARP Event Features Factory-Built
Message more ...
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Grand opening of KMHI's new office, Nov.
more ...
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The KMHI education wing named in
honor of Bill Poynter more ...
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2007 KMHI Conference more ...
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KMHI Web Site - Increasing the
“Bottom Line” more ...
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Small Business Caucus and Follow-up
more ...
Legislative/Regulatory News
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Nathan Smith is nominated for vice
chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party, Nov.
more ...
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FHA Final Rule on Down Payment Gifts, Oct. more ...
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Transportation of “Over Height” Loads, Oct. more ...
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Kentucky Building Code Changes Scheduled for
July 1, 2007 more ...
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New Developments in the Energy Star
Program more ...
Other
Fannie Mae MH
Select Retailer Audio Conference on May21
Apr 2008:
MHI will be holding an audio conference for retailers on the program
on May 21 from 2:00 to 3:15 pm Eastern. This will be a
professionally moderated call and attendees will receive a pdf handout
in advance and be able to ask questions as time allows. MHI is not
charging a registration fee but we must limit attendance to the first
120 registrants. As such we are limiting the the call to only
retailer and builder/developer members of MHI and state associations.
They will also need a valid email address to participate.
If you have lender members who are
interested in the program, we will be doing a webinar in conjunction
with the Mortgage Bankers Association on June 19. Further details will
be forthcoming on that program. We didn't want the retailer program to
get sidetracked by lender/Fannie relationship issues.
Find the conference flyer at:
www.manufacturedhousing.org/events/Fannie_Mae.asp .
All registrations will be handled online.
For those of you with members attending the
National Congress and Expo in a couple weeks, we will also have an
education session on the program open to all attendees.
Dispute Resolution Language & Reversal of HUD
Position
Jan 2008:
Please read the 01/21/08 materials first.
Retailers and manufacturers must use this language effective
February 8, 2008. You must use the language verbatim.
Modular and
Community Courses Offered
Jan 2008:
Modular Housing Webinar Series:
By virtue of your KMHI membership, you are eligible to participate
in the online 2008 NMHC Winter Webinar Series. Courses are scheduled for
January 31, February 21 and 28. This is a great opportunity to “sharpen
your knowledge” right at your own business or home. For more information
and registration contact NMHC at (703) 588-0678 or email tlong@modularcouncil.org.
Course fees are $69.00 per person or $250.00 for the entire series.
Accredited Community Manager Course 101:
The Ohio Manufactured Home Association is sponsoring an Accredited
Community Manager (ACM) Course on April 16-17, 2008. The ACM program is
a comprehensive study of manufactured home community management topics.
ACM 101 provides an overview of property management issues that include
resident relations, financial management, maintenance, leasing and
personnel policies, Federal laws, such as Fair Housing, as well as
specific state laws and regulations. Class will be held in Dublin, OH.
For more information go to OMHA’s web site:
www.welcomehomeohio.com , email: hdorr@omha-usa.org or call (614)
799-2340.
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Noffsinger
Appointed to KHC
Dec 2007:
KHC Board Chair Don Ball recently appointed KMHI member Barry
Noffsinger of CU Factory Built Lending to the Kentucky Housing
Corporation’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. Noffsinger joins
Darrell Overstreet as industry members of the committee, which often
acts upon KMHI recommendations. Nathan Smith previously held this post
until his term expired.
Hargis Epperson
Appointed to C&L Board
Dec 2007:
Hargis Epperson of Clayton Freedom Homes in Mt. Sterling has
recently been appointed by the Governor to fill an unexpired term on the
Manufactured Housing Certification and License Board vacated by former
member Michelle Riggs who left the industry in late October. Hargis will
serve until September 1, 2009 and can be re-appointed. He was in the
industry for several years, then became an inspector for the SFM for
several years and since January 2007 has been the general manager of
Clayton Freedom Homes, a KMHI member retail center.
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Overstreet
presented the USDA Rural Development Kentucky Certificate of Recognition
Dec 2007:
Darrell Overstreet of Key Mortgage Company was presented the USDA
Rural Development Kentucky Certificate of Recognition as the Number one
Guaranteed Single Family Housing Loan Originator for Kentucky 2007. Gary
Crocket of Guarantee Housing Specialist with RHS presented Darrell with
the certificate. Great Job, Darrell!
AARP Event
Features Factory-Built Message
Dec 2007:
MHI and the National Modular Housing Council (NMHC) carried the
messages of the factory-built housing industry to the approximately
30,000 attendees of AARP's Life @ 50+ National Event and Expo held in
Boston in September. Manorwood Homes, the modular division of The
Commodore Corp., displayed a beautiful modular home in the expo hall
which drew large numbers of visitors. For more information, contact MHI
Public Relations Director Bruce Savage at 703-558-0662 or bruce@mfghome.org.
(MHI Just the Facts)
KMHI Office
grand opening
Nov 2007:
The
Grand Opening of the new KMHI modular office building was held on November 8,
2007.
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 The KMHI education
wing to be named in honor of Bill Poynter.
Nov 2007
The Classroom in the new KMHI modular office
building will be named "Bill Poynter Education Wing" to include an
appropriate display listing Mr. Poynter's major contributions to the
industry and to KMHI.
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2008 KMHI
ANNUAL
CONFERENCE &
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
May 2008:
The KMHI 2008 Annual Conference and General Membership Business Meetings
is scheduled for July 16-19, 2008 at the Radisson Hotel in Covington.
The 2008 Conference promises to be outstanding with educational,
informational, social, and golf events and kids activities. The welcome
reception will be held on Wednesday, July 16 followed by the golf
scramble on Thursday, July 17 at 8:30 am. Lot’s of fun’n games for all
and you can be a part of conducting the business of KMHI. Please be a
conference sponsor and send in that check.
Conference registration form (fill-out &
print) download*
Conference golf registration form (fill out & print)
download*
Fees & payment form (fill-out & print)
download*
Sponsorship form (fill-out & print)
download*
Schedule of events download*
Announcement letter download*
2007 KMHI
ANNUAL
CONFERENCE &
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
August 2007:
Pictures from the Conference click here
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2008 LOUISVILLE SHOW - 50th Anniversary
 Jan.
2008: Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Midwest Manufactured
Housing Federation’s Louisville Show, January 15-17, 2008 at the
Kentucky Exposition Center.
New for the 50th Anniversary Show are three
30 minutes each education/information sessions to be conducted on the
exhibit floor on the first (Tuesday) and second (Wednesday) days of the
show. The sessions were designed to help community owners and managers,
but everyone benefited by attending.
A wrap-up is coming soon.
Photo Gallery*
Education topics and schedule flyer*
Flyer
download*
KMHI Member Appreciation Reception:
The KMHI Membership Appreciation Reception held during the Louisville
Show was well attended. A special thank you is extended to the member
sponsors that made the event possible for your enjoyment. Please show
appreciation to: American Modern Insurance Group, Clayton Homes, CU
Factory Built Lending, Key Mortgage Company, Inc., Mobil Financial
Associates Corporation, Style Crest and Triad Financial Services, Inc.
The sheriff and his cowgirls greeted everyone as they entered the KMHI
Corral by kindly asking for a donation for the KMHI-PAC. A grand
total of $3,828.00 was raised. Great job!
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SMALL
BUSINESS CAUCUS AND FOLLOW-UP
The Kentucky Small Business Caucus was
formed in 2003 to provide a vehicle for coordinated action on behalf
of all types of small business owners. KMHI is a charter
participant.
Check out their web site:
www.kysmallbusiness.org
The SBC is working with other
associations has planned these events especially to fully inform you
and the elected officials about: to help its members survive in today’s
fluid economy, protect their interest of small business,
and to create an environment to “increase your
bottom line”.
Small Business Day at the Capitol
KMHI was well represented at the the Small Business Caucus Day at
the Kentucky State Capitol on January 23, 2008. KMHI staff, members
and guests in attendance were:
Thad Vann - KMHI executive director, Scott Grider - Mortgage
Broker (Guest of D. Overstreet), Darrell Overstreet - Key Mortgage
Company, Columbia, KY,Don and Yvonne Emerson - Kentucky Home
Development, Russell Springs, KY, James Lunsford - Lunsford Homes,
Berea, KY, Betty Whittaker - KMHI Assistant Executive Director, and
Bill Welty - Welty Enterprises, Carrollton, KY (missing from this
picture).
Schedule:
TBD
Some meetings have been postponed.
Please check for more current information.
*Final Locations Pending – notification will be sent upon confirmation
of site
SBC Gubernatorial Summit 2007
Overview:
Again this year, the KMHI has teamed up with about forty other state
trade and professional associations representing small businesses to
conduct regional meetings around Kentucky to help its members survive
in today’s fluid economy, protect their interest of small business and
to create an environment to “increase your bottom line”.
Make plans to attend the KMHI/SBC regional
meeting held in your area.
KMHI urges you, your employees and local
officials to stand up and be counted for fair and reasonable
standards necessary just to keep the doors of small business open.
KMHI and other business groups must be
better informed and must pull together to survive in today’s highly
regulated market and depressed state of the economy. Costs of doing
business must be reduced. We need your input and influence with
elected officials. KMHI officials and staff will be at each regional
meeting.
KMHI members attending these meetings will
come away with more knowledge about issues affecting manufactured and
modular homes and can help legislators and local officials understand.
Please bring your knowledge and expertise to the table—hope to see you
there!
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KMHI WEB SITE -
Increasing the “Bottom Line”
KMHI’s website is doing great. In December
2006, we had 6,102 visitors (61,585 for 2006); 7,134 pages viewed; and
43,573 hits (576,363 for 2006). Those are great statistics that could
mean business for our members. According to the JD Powers report, 40%
of homebuyers used the Internet when searching for a house. The report
stated: “Obviously, the factory-built housing industry cannot afford
to ignore the huge numbers of potential homebuyers who use the
Internet to launch their home search. The more the factory-built
industry can do to reach out to these potential home shoppers, with
timely and direct responses to internet inquires, the more home sales
it can expect to generate.”
This year is going to be the year that we
boost the members’ bottom lines with an Internet member and customer
focus. In addition to individual member business listings, the website
will have generic customer buying guides, picture galleries, and
movies about factory built housing and the building process. Also,
there will be a big push to help members understand the Internet and
the importance of the Internet.
KMHI’s position is to help members find leads and to help potential
homebuyers find KMHI members and to educate homebuyers about factory
built housing.
Free Internet Link
If you would like to link your website to the KMHI website at
www.kmhi.org , you may do so at no
cost. Several members have taken advantage of this free service, but
we need more participation. It is easy and painless and free. Just
contact Larry Korte, The Balance Group, at 540-886-8987 or email at
lakorte @thebalancegroup.com to get your link added. How can you not
afford to take advantage of this service with the huge number of hits
the KMHI’s website continues to have?
Website advertising opportunity
more*...
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KMHI STATE HALL OF FAME
NOMINATIONS
Once again it is time for nominations for
the KMHI Hall of Fame. If you know someone that has made extraordinary
contributions to the industry while actively participating in one or
more segments of the manufactured housing industry in Kentucky, please
complete a nomination form and send it to KMHI.
Guidelines:
Word format,
PDF format
Nomination form: Word format,
PDF format (Online
fill-in & print)
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Legislative/Regulatory News
FHA Final Rule
on Down Payment Gifts
Oct 2007: The MHI reported today that on October 1, the Federal
Housing Administration (FHA) issued a final rule that prohibits certain
types of financial gifts from being used toward down payments for
FHA-insured home loans. Specifically, the FHA rule bans financial gifts
from home sellers, charities that provide down payment assistance in
exchange for an equal donation from the seller, and any other entity
that benefits financially from the home sale transaction. According to
HUD, the default rate for these kinds of assistance programs has been
exceedingly high.
Gifts from all other sources, such as family members, governments,
employers and charitable organizations will remain eligible for use
toward down payments on FHA-insured private sellers as well as sales by
builders, developers, and others involved in new construction—such as a
MH retailers. To read the final rule in its entirety, go to
www.hudclips.org/sub_nonhud/cgi/pdf/4846a.pdf .
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Kentucky Building Code Changes Scheduled for
July 1, 2007:
The current building codes in Kentucky
are as follows:
- 2002 Kentucky Building Code (KBC) based on 2000 IBC
- 2002 Kentucky Residential Code (KRC) based on 2000 IRC
- 2003 International Energy Conservation Code
- 2005 National Electrical Code (NEC)
- 2000 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2003 Kentucky Plumbing Code (not based on any model plumbing code)
- The Kentucky Fire Prevention code is NFPA 1 & 101
but it does not come into play on new construction.
The Office of Housing, Buildings, and
Construction is in the process of updating the codes and they anticipate
an effective date of July 1, 2007 for the new codes as noted
below:
The anticipated building codes in
Kentucky are as follows:
- 2007 Kentucky Building Code (KBC) based on 2006 IBC
- 2007 Kentucky Residential Code (KRC) based on 2006 IRC
- 2006 International Energy Conservation Code
- 2005 National Electrical Code (NEC)
- 2006 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2007 Kentucky Plumbing Code (not based on any model plumbing code)
- The Kentucky Fire Prevention code is NFPA 1 & 101
but it does not come into play on new construction.
Clarification is contained in the following
document more* ...
Contact the Kentucky Office of Housing,
Buildings, and Construction for official documentation and information.
link
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NEW DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM
With consumers facing a jump of 15 to 50
percent or more in home heating bills this winter, there’s never been
a better time to put buyers into homes that are truly energy
efficient. Today’s gold standard for energy efficiency, the brand that
buyers recognize most, is ENERGY STAR. The ENERGY STAR label, issued
by the federal government, is the best assurance that a home meets the
highest standards of energy performance. Only ENERGY STAR qualified
homes are allowed to display the blue ENERGY STAR label, awarded by
the US Environmental Protection Agency. The label is a guarantee that
the home will use less energy, saving the homeowner money on monthly
energy bills.
“With over 100 manufactured home plants
already certified to build ENERGY STAR homes, most home manufacturers
offer ENERGY STAR versions of their homes,” stated Chris Stinebert,
president of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI). “Not only do
ENERGY STAR homes provide significant energy savings to owners, but
they also provide a level of comfort not found in most homes today.”
While the cost of an ENERGY STAR qualified
home is slightly higher, lower energy bills more than offset this cost
putting money back in the homeowner’s pocket each month. “There is a
competitive issue here too,” explains Stinebert. “Offering a home with
superior energy performance that also has lower monthly total costs
simplifies the buyer’s decision.”
An ENERGY STAR manufactured home may not
look difent from other homes, but the homeowner will feel the
difference in overall comfort and in energy savings. An ENERGY STAR
home uses substantially less energy for heating, cooling and water
heating. Homeowners can expect to save about $300-$900 each year on
their utility bills, plus have a higher resale value when they decide
to sell their ENERGY STAR home. And, ENERGY STAR homes financed with
an FHA loan qualify for a special energy efficient mortgage making the
buyer eligible for a more expensive home.
These and other benefits for homeowners as
well as tips and resources for retailers are described in the MHRA
publication ENERGY STAR Qualified Manufactured Homes: Guide for
Retailers With Instructions for Installers and HVAC Contractors
available for free on the
MHRA website (www.mhrahome.org)
Keep on top of new energy star
developments with the MHRA's new newsletter and materials on their web
site.
Subscribe to MHRA ENERGY STAR Update
Today!
This is the first issue of a newsletter designed to keep you apprised
of important developments in the ENERGY STAR program for manufactured
homes. MHRA ENERGY STAR Update includes essential information
about the program with web-links to case studies and new documents. To subscribe, go to:
www.mhrahome.org
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ENERGY STAR Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to a number of commonly asked questions about participating in
the ENERGY STAR program for manufactured homes will be posted on the
MHRA web site. Subjects include plant certification, labeling homes,
inactive plant status and much more. This is a good first place to
look when you have a question. More questions and answers will be
added so check back periodically. Visit FAQ at:
http://www.mhrahome.org/media/energystar/es_faqs.pdf .
Order ENERGY STAR marketing materials
today!
MHRA is working to support your efforts to market ENERGY STAR
qualified manufactured homes by developing tools and resources for
retailers. The following ENERGY STAR marketing materials may be
ordered now.
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Posters for sales centers
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Static cling ENERGY STAR logo window decal
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ENERGY STAR logo brass plaque
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Lucite engraved plaque (for ENERGY STAR
Partners only)
Visit the MHRA website
www.mhrahome.org/pages/es_promotional_tools.htm for pictures of
these items. Click on the following link to download an order form: (www.mhrahome.org/media/forms/ES_promo_order_form.pdf).
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Transportation
of “Over Height” Loads
Oct 2007: Recently KMHI has received inquiries about the current
Kentucky laws and regulations that address “over height” homes
transported on the roads in Kentucky. There have been no changes in the
laws or regulations since the late 1990’s. The questions have been
related to the use of a pole truck or car and what the maximum height
that is allowed.
KMHI Executive Director, Thad Vann, met with
Rick Taylor, director of the KY Transportation Cabinet division that
oversees the permit department. According to Mr. Taylor, KRS 189.270
(2), the law and regulation 601 KAR 1:018, the maximum height for loads
transported under an annual blanket permit is 13.6 feet. No pole, pole
truck or car is required for such movement.
If the load is in excess of 13.6’ tall, the
toter must apply for a single trip permit specifying the over
dimensional height and route. Generally, the KY DOT will approve the
single trip permit using its state or district data.
Often, the KY DOT would allow over
dimensional height of up to 15.6’ at the permit issuers own discretion.
However, with the re-surfacing and repair of roads and bridges
(overpasses) the actual height clearance in many locations is less than
what is posted.
In the interest of personal and property safety, KY DOT is now allowing
only a maximum of 15 feet in height for loads transported on a single
trip permit for over dimensional height. A particular DOT district may
require that a “pole for measuring bridge and overpass height must be
used on the route.” The pole may be carried in the front escort vehicle.
No extra vehicle is required to carry the pole. Here’s the bottom line:
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Height of 13.6 feet or less – use annual
blanket permit – no pole truck required
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Over 13.6 feet and up to 15 feet in height
– must apply for a single trip permit – pole may be required at the
DOT district’s discretion. No additional vehicle is required to carry
the pole.
Any questions, please contact KMHI.
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