Oaks of Rockford Develops ‘a real community feel’ for West Michigan Retirees

Quality Site Development and Home Selection Sets Oaks of Rockford On Road to Success

Developers of a premier Michigan active adult living community have made a statement in West Michigan. Oaks of Rockford is a new community built in a rural setting and with the amenities and perks many 55+ homebuyers seek in today’s market.

Near Rockford, Mich., in the Grand Rapids area, Oaks of Rockford has experienced swift sales. It sold out during the initial phases of development. Therefore, it recently opened 49 new home sites for potential residents, and plans continued expansion.

“There is a real community feel here, and that starts with the residents,” said Becka Kruer, general manager for Oaks of Rockford. “We feel very fortunate with the growth we’ve experienced, and the strong interest from potential residents who really understand what we’re doing and the value of this unique setting.”

Oaks of Rockford Quick Facts
11640 Townsquare Boulevard
Rockford, MI

55+ Community
131 Home Sites
Built in 2014
Home Prices: $124,000-153,000
Monthly Lot Rent: $425

What You Find at Oaks of Rockford

Established in 2014, Oaks of Rockford features Skyline and Adventure multi-section homes from 1,404 to 1,508 square feet. The homes each have a covered porch. And, each home has a variety of design and upgraded options. The ranch-style homes feature a three-bedroom, two bathroom floor plan with an attached garage and covered porch.

This pet-friendly community includes a 5,500 square foot clubhouse with full kitchen, party room, lounge and fitness facility. Additionally, Oaks of Rockford also boasts on-site management and yard maintenance as well as planned activities and events.

A barn and silo from the original property sits on the street-facing the southwest corner of the property. The old farm structures create a community landmark, and add a bit of charm.

“By offering a variety of home models and customization options, our homes are as unique as the individual buyer’s personality. Meanwhile, our diverse array of on-site amenities and activities ensure a fit and active adult lifestyle,” said Brian Fannon, developing partner for the Oaks of Rockford.

The community features fully decorated tour models for each of its available home styles. These include the Pine, Spruce, Aspen, Birch and Willow. Prospective homebuyers and residents can use a professional design center to create the home of their dreams. The design center will help customize tile, carpet, flooring and countertops, among other features.

In addition to these customization options, each new home has a free flowing open floor plan, nine-foot and decorative trey ceilings, as well as crown molding, and modern stainless steel Whirlpool appliances.

SmartMH Prepares Prospective Manufactured Home Buyers

Growing Nonprofit Next Step Network Provides Comprehensive Assistance with SmartMH Program

In a mobile home tucked in the mountains of Appalachia, Phyllis raised five children. By the time Stacey Epperson met her in the mid-2000s, Phyllis’ home had fallen into disrepair. The roof leaked, the toilet was falling through the floor and the septic system no longer worked.

Worst of all, $500 of her $650 monthly income went to utilities.

At the time, Epperson was working with a nonprofit that built homes for residents of Eastern Kentucky. Closing on Phyllis’ new home loan was what initially showed her the real cost of old homes. In 1976, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development established safety standards all manufacturing plants must follow. But more than 40 years later, two million homes built prior to this “HUD code” remain in use.

These older homes not only age poorly, but energy expenses often cost residents, like Phyllis, in excess of 50 percent of their income. The cost forces them into persistent poverty. To address the problem, Epperson began Next Step in 2010. It is a nonprofit with the goal of putting all families on a firm foundation.

What SmartMH Does for Homeowners

A few years ago, Next Step introduced SmartMH, a program that seeks to level the playing field for prospective manufactured homebuyers. The program enables people from diverse economic backgrounds to buy their own homes, giving them independence. It also shows clients that manufactured homeownership can be simultaneously affordable and something to take pride in.

After switching to an energy-efficient home, in Phyllis’ case, the utility bill decreased by 75 percent. Later that month, worried at how little energy she’d been using, the utility company sent someone to check on her.

When Epperson began seeking a high-quality, energy-efficient solution for low-income families in Eastern Kentucky, she realized just how urgent the matter was and continues to be.

Consequently, her desire remains to deliver homes to clients faster, but for less money.

So, Epperson sees manufactured homes – the predominant source of unsubsidized affordable housing in the U.S. – as the simplest way to provide for people in need.

And its the lack of subsidy is largely what draws her to these manufactured housing options.

“They’re inherently affordable,” Epperson said of manufactured homes. However, she acknowledges the home also must be energy efficient if the organization is going to help keep money in their clients’ pockets.

Grant Beck, marketing and communications manager for Next Step Partners, describes manufactured housing options as a solution to the affordability crisis. But, he adds, it’s been an “uphill battle to break stigma”.

Expansion of SmartMH

So, SmartMH has run as a pilot in Kentucky, but Epperson hopes to expand it to as many as four other states within a year.

With their national partners — eHome America and Freddie Mac — SmartMH provides education for those who seek affordable housing but don’t know how to choose the best home for them. The program relies on retail partners to recommend clients who can’t purchase a home for reasons ranging from lack of credit history, down payment cash or collateral.

“Our goal is to take those folks and pair them with a certified housing counseling organization,” Beck explained. Counselors walk clients through an eHome America homebuyer education program, helping them find resources and build a credit score.

Beck explained, this isn’t “quick-fix credit repair or an overnight process,” but one that requires a committed investment that could take up to six months.

Although prospective homebuyers aren’t required to purchase ENERGY STAR® homes, SmartMH advocates for their long-term, money-saving potential.

SmartMH recently graduated its first student. Nearly 60 remain enrolled in the program. By the end of next year, Epperson hopes to have prepared 275 prospective homebuyers to purchase a manufactured home.

“We give these homebuyers a chance to participate in the American Dream,” Beck said.

The Industry Gets Involved

Next Step and SmartMH rely on a collaborative relationship with the manufactured housing industry, from retailers to manufacturers to national nonprofits.

To fund its programs, they rely on private and public grant funding, as well as corporate donations, individual giving, membership dues and consulting fees.

Now, Next Step shares its model and knowledge with nonprofits across the country. They connect many nonprofits with retail partners and train them to order and create affordable housing options.

For now, SmartMH is a model program. It serves as an intermediary between the nonprofit affordable housing sector and the manufactured housing industry. As SmartMH takes off, Epperson works to get involvement from more retailers, loan partners and counselors.

Also, she’s thinking about financing. What type of loan products the current market needs? What tools prospective homebuyers need to build credit?

Further on, Epperson hopes the program will become a national effort.

“We want to expand the MH marketplace, provide more capital, greater availability of loans and get more lenders interested,” Epperson said. “We sit in the middle and work with both,” Epperson said.

How To Have A Successful Open House

It’s Open House Season!

When getting ready to sell your mobile home you want to be sure to schedule at least one or two open houses. This article will walk you through with a few simple tips on how you can have a successful open house!

Whether this is your first time, or maybe you just need some fresh ideas, there always are tricks available on how to be certain your home is ready for potential buyers or renters.

Schedule in Advance & Set Goals

The very first thing you want to do is be sure you schedule your open houses way ahead of time. This gives you enough time to have the home ready. Start by adding the open house to your calendar and also set mini-goals before the event. By spacing out any home additions or improvements with plenty time in advance you avoid feeling overwhelmed and set yourself up for a stress-free event.

Lists Lists Lists

Now that you have the date on the calendar and you have added any home improvements needed, start a list of the smaller to-do stuff too. Everything from exterior to interior decor, to repairing a squeaky cupboard or adding some additional flower beds. Don’t forget about the cleaning list too!

If you live in the space daily, then basic cleaning is an obvious. However, there are some deep-cleaning tasks that can take some planning. Maybe renting a carpet cleaner to freshen up the space a few days before the open house, or if it’s been while since the exterior of the home has had a good power-washing, add extra time for tasks that require rental equipment or more physical exertion. These tasks need planning and should be added to the list and set throughout as mini-goals. I say “mini-goals” because, of course, selling the home is the primary goal.

Advertise The Open House

As Spring approaches it’s important to be sure and get the word out on your open house as early and often as possible. This is an area of advertisement that professionals are all over. So, to be sure your home can compete you might want to use a few professional tactics.

Local print and social media are great options for reaching a specific audience. However, just like everything these days, online advertisements are consistently the most effective.

There always is the free option on Craigslist or other local options, but if your home is on MHVillage we have a pretty simple and effective way of advertising an open house.

The MHVillage Open House product gives your home a big bold banner across the top and it will place your home at the very top of the search result page in your area for up to a week before the open house. You get all of this for a one-time fee.

To apply this option, all you have to do is log into your account, select the “View/Change Listing” option and then to the right of the home you will see an “Add Open House” option. That page will have all of the details you need.

Prepare the Space

Not only do you want to be sure that repairs and cleanliness are taken care of, the space itself might need a little love. Staging a home is a specific industry term. The idea is to arrange furniture and decor in a way that best sells the home. Here is a great article we have about how to approach staging your home to sell.

The Little Things

Once you reach the day of the Open House it can sometimes be the little things that make a difference. We all know the age old trick of realtors baking cookies, right? Well, this trick not only offers a great aroma it also provides snacks.

On that note, it is not a bad idea to spend a little bit of money on a few professionally done meat and cheese or vegetable platters too, since typically when home shoppers are attending open houses they are going to multiple houses a day, so a little nibble can be a thoughtful addition. Also, bottled water can go a LONG way.

Controlling as many of the elements in the home as you can is key. You want your guests to have a pleasant memory associated with the home. Here is a quick cheat sheet of ideas:

Look:

Clean surfaces, organized items, and inviting lighting (not too bright!) Also check out the above mentioned article on staging the home!

Smell:

The cookies trick is a solid one. You can also try a few mild candles as a nice alternative too. Avoid air-freshners or strongly scented candles though, since they can be abrasive and sometimes give off the opposite impression.

Feel:

Be sure the temperature of the home is cozy but not too warm. Depending on where you are located your guests might have coats or jackets. So either set the temperature to keep them comfortable in coats or be prepared with a designated coat rack.

Listen:

Music is a nice way to eliminate too much awkward silence between questions. By creating a simple playlist online you can set a nice tone for the experience. When making your selections, be sure your selection is not too specific, since everyone has their own taste. So choose songs that are upbeat, but also accessible by all. Swing/standards are pretty harmless and tend to have an easy optimistic feel to them. Or you can avoid songs with lyrics all together and do a bit of research on instrumental pieces.

Whatever your playlist includes just be sure it isn’t too loud, it’s really there as a soft buffer and shouldn’t require any change in speaking volume.

Hopefully this article gave you a guidebook on how to successfully plan your next open house! If you have any questions about how MHVillage can help with advertising your open house please contact us!

Tiny House Jamboree Finds New Home in Austin

Tiny House Jamboree Launches First Trade Event, Expands Consumer Experience

Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading event organizer, will hold the Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree in Austin, Texas, Aug. 23-26.

Another exciting change is the first-of-its-kind, two-day trade event for tiny house industry professionals. The new Tiny House Jamboree format will be complete with robust education opportunities and the largest-ever collection of commercially built living structures.

The 2018 Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree will be held at the Travis County Exposition Center with the weekend dates to conclude the show being open to the public.

The event, acquired by Reed Exhibitions in June 2017, was held as a consumer-only event at the Arlington County Convention Center in Arlington, Texas last October.

More than 70 tiny living structures and 50 product and service exhibitors were on hand. There also was a stellar lineup of the industry luminaries to educate and entertain. The highlight of the 2017 Jamboree was the partnership with Operation Tiny Home, which included the building of a tiny house that was donated to a Dallas area veterans outreach organization.

What to Expect at the Tiny House Jamboree in Austin

At the 2018 edition, The Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree will introduce the first industry-specific trade event. With increasing acceptance at the state and local government levels, and steady growth in tiny community developments, there is a need for increased education and a central networking event. The Jamboree also will touch on key issues facing today’s housing market, such as affordability and attainability.

The Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree will feature an indoor/outdoor show floor with a variety of small living structures all less than 800 square feet. Builders will showcase tiny houses on wheels, park models, yurts, modular and manufactured homes. The indoor show floor will highlight all related products and services including construction materials, furniture and appliances.

“The timing is right for the expansion of the Jamboree to not only educate our consumers but also to provide more education, insights and relationship building for the professionals in the industry,” said Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree Event Director Jon Fontane. “As tiny living continues to grow, it is critical for the different components of the industry to come together – builders, product suppliers, real estate developers and regulators.

“In addition, Austin, Texas is one of the most progressive markets for tiny living and a city that has needs for more attainable and affordable housing,” he said. “Two new large-scale residential developments are under way and it’s clear there are more to come as the city grows.”

Tickets for the consumer weekend of the Tiny House & Simple Living Jamboree will go on sale in March. Interested professionals interested in attending can contact Jon Fontane at jfontane@reedexpo.com.

About Reed Exhibitions:

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organizer, with over 500 events in 43 countries. In 2016 Reed brought together over seven million active event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars. Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa. We serve 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events and are part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of professional information solutions.

Mobile Home Floor Plans – How to Read and Understand Them

Learning the Mobile Home Floor Plan

If you are looking to buy a new manufactured home, it’s important that you know how to read and make sense of manufactured and mobile home floor plans. While some mobile home dealers will likely have homes onsite that you can walk through, they also are likely to have a number of home models that you can purchase or customize. Being familiar with the floorplan will make it easier for you to understand the home’s layout when walk-throughs aren’t an option.

Floor plans tell you about a home. Of course, it will show the size of the home. But a good floor plan also will tell you the size of the rooms, the way the doors open for those rooms, even where the appliances are in the kitchen and bathroom. Get to know these features, they will ensure that you choose the best make and model for your manufactured home.

Example of a Double-Wide Mobile Home Floor Plan:

To start, a floor plan is drawn from a bird’s eye view. Meaning it’s drawn from above – as if the roof was removed and you were looking down on it. Here you can identify the main rooms pretty easily. Take a look at the photo below showcasing a multi-section manufactured home.

To start with, all the walls are solid lines. (On some floor plans, they are filled in with a pattern.) The breaks in these lines indicate doors, windows and openings between rooms.

Can you find the front door? It’s in the living room. Imagine walking into this home. You can see which areas of the floor are carpeted (in brown), and the areas that are tiled (the grid pattern). This home has what’s considered to be an “open floor plan” – notice that there is not a wall between the living area and the kitchen.

In addition, notice that this mobile home has a second door to the outside through the Utility room. Notice the ways the doors are drawn. On the front door, the door swings into the living area. On the back door, it swings outside. Of course, that is fairly common. The reason it matters is that now you can see which way all the doors swing – and that can make a difference in where you plan on putting your furniture.

Windows

As you can see, the windows on this floor plan are white with double lines. Additionally, notice the notes around the edges of the floor plan – this home has optional windows. So, in this model home, you can add an extra window in bedroom #3, one in the master bedroom, and you can choose to have a large three-panel window in the living area.

Occasionally windows will have slightly different symbols. These could indicate bay windows or casement style windows.

Sinks and Tubs

One of the other things you can see in a floor plan is the location of the toilet, sinks, bathtubs. In this little floor plan example from Adventure Homes you can see the location of a large garden tub, a shower, double sinks and a toilet.

Likewise, in the kitchen, you can see the placement of the stove, sink and refrigerator. Here’s something to note: you can see in the floor plan above that the home comes with a stove, but the washer and dryer are optional. Again, this is standard, but good to know when you shopping for homes.

Also, the floor plan will include built-in cabinets. It is in the floor plan above in light gray.

Do an Imaginary Walk Through of the Floor Plan

In conclusion, if you are shopping for new mobile homes make sure to look at as many floor plans as you can. Walk through them with your mind, and go from room to room. It will help you pick the right home for you.

Need Help Finding Your Dream Home?

MHVillage provides an extensive, nationwide network of mobile home dealers and retailers to help you find new homes that meet your desired criteria. For those seeking guidance throughout their home search and buying process, dealers can be a valuable asset.

Reader Questions About Doors, Closets and Laundry Rooms

We appreciate all of our reader comments! In my last post, New Homes on Display at the 2018 Louisville Show, reader Elizabeth commented:

“When are manufacturing companies going to start building pocket doors in smaller units, building organized closets to save space as well as more storage in the washer and dryer areas?”

I thought that was a great question! In fact, I saw built-in closet organization, storage areas in the washer/dryer area, and while I don’t remember any pocket doors, I did see quite a few sliding “barn style” interior doors. (There may have been pocket doors, but honestly, there were so many homes on display, I don’t remember).

I promised Elizabeth I would post some photos of what I saw.

So, for any reader who might wonder the same thing, here you go:

Sliding barn doors were a huge hit at the Louisville Show. According to Sebring, sliding barn doors have a number of advantages. One is space, which might be why our reader was interested, for smaller homes.

According to Sebring:

Barn doors come with both functional and aesthetic benefits. Functionally, they are big space savers. The traditional swinging door typically needs 9 feet or more of space to function properly. While this may not be an issue for large houses, more space-starved homes will find it more than a little problematic. They need all the space they can get for furniture, appliances and movement. Nine feet is a lot of space to leave to the door.

In a small space where every single inch counts, barn doors come in handy. A well installed barn door offers great space economy for whatever room you use it in. Of course, you need to have enough adjacent wall space for the barn door to slide over when it is opened. But this is often preferable to similarly space-saving pocket doors that require much more work to install or remove.

So, let’s take a look at how these new home manufacturers are using these. Here is the Northwestern 3290 by Champion Home Builders. It had the sliding barn style door in the bedroom. And what a wonderful mid-room shower!

While not the kind of door our reader was looking for, I thought Sunshine Homes made a great use of space in this living room by tucking the entertainment center, and additional storage, behind a sliding door:

I love the idea of being able to close off the television area when it is unneeded.

Adventure Homes did something similar in one of their homes in the Mojave series:

Again, you get to close off the television unit, and some storage, with a simple set of doors. That would be great for entertaining!

Clayton Homes used the same sliding door idea but moved it to separate the dining area from a living area in this home in the Heritage Series.

If you are interested in learning more about any of these home plans, our reader, all of the company names are links directly to their websites.

Let’s talk closets.

Closets are really hard to photograph. Sadly, I only have examples from one, but what a one it was! Check this one out from “The White House” by Fleetwood.

The closet had his and her built-ins, plus areas for accessories. And while I don’t have any more photos of them, I did see a number of walk-in closets with organizational built-ins. They’ve come a long way from just a single closet rod.

Laundry Areas that Add More

The Summit 2868 by Redman had a really great laundry area. It’s important to maximize storage space in mobile homes – they did a fine job with a stackable washer and dryer, added built-in cabinets, a drying rack, and a laundry sink.

While I don’t have any other photo examples, I also saw homes with craft areas in the laundry areas. There were pet washing stations, built-in mudrooms and quite a few with different cabinet options. Manufactured Homes have so much to offer!

New Homes on Display at the 2018 Louisville Show

Last month MHVillage was an exhibitor at the 2018 Louisville Manufactured Housing Show. The show is held at the Kentucky Expo Center. If you haven’t been to the Expo Center, it is a huge place. And the reason the show is there is that it can hold all the new homes that are brought in for the show. That’s right, this is an indoor show, with new homes from many manufacturers all under one roof!

Louisville trade show — The entrance to the Louisville Show with new home models on display.

This is an industry trade show, not open to the public, but we can give you a tiny peek behind the scene. So take a walk with me down the green carpet, won’t you?

These photos do not do justice to the size of the Expo Center. But as you can see, the manufacturers bring in a neighborhood of new homes!

Even inside, people like to relax on the porch

Not only are these gorgeous homes brought in from around the country, they are also beautifully staged. This way community owners and retailers can get a real feel for the homes. I’ve been going to this show for a few years now, and every time I am blown away by how gorgeous the new homes are.

2018 New Home Kitchens Really Shine

Just take a look at some of these kitchens! The great news is that manufacturers are paying close attention to what buyers really want. In fact, these kitchens are gorgeous with loads of cabinet space, modern floor covings, and lots of great features for families.

Don’t you just want to move in? Check out this beautiful open floor plan.

I love how the new homes of today are breaking the old concepts of what a “mobile home” looks like! These homes are gorgeous and come with a ton of amenities.

Kitchens aren’t the only things getting revamped. Take a look at this bathroom:

Living Rooms Designed for Living

Furthermore, new home manufacturers have really taken the idea of the family to heart. The living rooms I saw at the show were spacious, with special areas for entertaining and spending time together. Rooms like this:

Yep, that is in a mobile home.

Now, every time I post photos of the new manufactured home models I am seeing, I get requests for more photos. There are two ways to see more of these homes:

See More Photos of These New Homes

Different homes are available from different manufacturers across the country. The best way to see all the new home designs is to go straight to the manufacturer websites directly. Here is a list of the manufacturers that were at the Louisville Show:

Manufactured Housing Enterprises

What About Pre-Owned Homes?

Or What if I Want To See New Homes In Person?

The other question I get a lot is, “all these new homes are nice, but where can I see some already sited homes?” Or “What if I want to see these myself?” My answer is the same in both – MHVillage can help!

If you are looking for pre-owned (used) homes, try searching our database of over 26,000 mobile home listings.
If you are looking to see new homes in person, go to MHVillage.com and search for retailers and dealers near you. You should start your search here on our mobile home dealer page.

How to Approach a Mobile Home Repair

We likely have had that moment when the home you love so dearly needs a bit of TLC. Whether it’s out-of-date flooring, a wobbly porch railing, or simply some new skirting for your mobile home, repairs and supplies are a critical reality to homeownership.

Oh, and, if you haven’t had that moment yet, trust us, it’s coming.

However, there are a few different ways you can approach a mobile home repair!

Step one? Do Some Research on Mobile Home Repairs and Supplies!

With the invention of YouTube and the generosity of others you always can begin your research online. See what other home owners have done to accomplish the task at hand. By watching these videos you may get an idea on whether the repairs you have to do are something in your wheelhouse. Or, perhaps your task requires a professional. The plumbing in a mobile home is one area that might make you pause and think about hiring out the work. Electrical certainly is one.

Yes, whether to tackle the job yourself or contract it out is one of the first things you should be thinking about.

Professional Assistance Required

If you find yourself in over your head, there is no shame in bringing in a professional. We want the correct and safe completion of the job. Hire a professional who is familiar with mobile and manufactured housing. Many of the systems in a manufactured home are unique to this housing type, even if the materials are the same.

Hiring a professional will make it more likely the job is done correctly. It will get done faster as well. If you are looking to do make any repairs or adjustments to the main portion of the home, let’s say some kind of addition to the mobile home, there typically are local codes and industry regulations specific to manufactured housing that need to be met.

This often times requires pulling a permit from the local municipality; however, that’s dependent on where the home sits. If you’re on private land in the county or township, the need to pull a permit is less likely.

If you home is in a community, the best place to start is with the manager. The manager and a community maintenance professional may be able to offer assistance on the spot, or refer you to professionals they know and trust.

“DIY” Way

As we mentioned before, there are fathoms of online videos that cover mobile home repairs and supplies scenarios. The one we link to here will get you on your way. And, surely, there is one out there for you! The references we provide should help you plan the time, tools, materials and budget you will need.

If you decide to “do-it-yourself” you will need some quality mobile home supplies though!

Again, the internet saves the day! We also have a pretty extensive list of other mobile home parts stores on our website to help get you started.

One Simple Tool Used To Site Your Mobile Home

What is the Pocket Penetrometer, and How is it Used to Properly Site Your Mobile Home?

In 1989, George Porter came across the pocket penetrometer.

He had been in the manufactured housing business for about two decades already, and like many people, he spent much more time considering the actual home than the space on which it might sit.

“Might” is the operative word here.

“The executive director of Pennsylvania association at the time said ‘Why don’t you write a course on how to set up a manufactured home?’

“I thought this would take most of the afternoon,” Porter recently confessed. “About a year later I had most of it figured out.”

There is a lot that goes into siting a home, not the least of which is soil density. In other words, how consistently firm is the soil on which the home’s piers will rest? And will it hold the home over time, or “might” it not?

It’s All About the Soil

“What I knew about soil at the time was that it was ‘dirt’ and there were two kinds, wet and dry. Wet is called mud,” said Porter, who operates Manufactured Housing Resources, Inc., and trains scores of manufactured housing professionals on proper home installation.

The Manufactured Housing Institute education division offers a 12-hour training program developed and delivered by Porter. The content offered in the program is the latest and most relevant information for home installation on a state-by-state basis.

Suffice to say, George Porter has learned quite a bit about soil density and all else involved with placing a manufactured home.

But back to the item at hand, the pocket penetrometer.

What Is A Pocket Penetrometer?

When Porter came to learn everything from Andisol to Vertisol in the world of soils, he was told by industry folks and manual writers that a very important step in the home siting process is figuring out load bearing capacity; but how?

Most presentations looked beyond this practical bit of field work. And no one he knew was testing soil density, with or without a device that could help.

Asking around, he was directed toward a large, unwieldy machine that sat on a tri-pod and utilized a heavy blow-cap to would drive a spike in the ground. Counting the number of blows required to reach a certain depth offered a density reading.

Porter said he recalls the demonstration, thinking, with hand on chin, “This isn’t going well.”

Where the Manufactured Housing Industry Turned

Shortly after, Porter was turned on to the device most people in the industry use today – the pocket penetrometer.

Of all the ways to test soil – including hiring an expert or sending a sample to a lab – use of this diminutive device is by far the most time and economically efficient. And, today, most install manuals for new homes call for the use of a pocket penetrometer.

If you buy one, it should cost less than $150, and come in a small carrying case that includes instructions for use. Depending on brand, new devices can be found for $50.

To take the middle ground, AMS makes a pocket penetrometer that’s sold here and other places for about $90.

A pocket penetrometer measures soil for the number of tons it will support by square foot. Many times the references in home installation manuals hinge on pounds per square foot. So, a conversion or two may be necessary, but knowing that 2,000 pounds is equal to one ton is the essential element, and will put you on sturdy ground for finding the needed answers.

How Is the Pocket Penetrometer Used?

“You press the pocket penetrometer into undisturbed soil and you try to pick a patch that’s unaffected by the sun and most similar to the area where you’ll place footings,” Porter said. “This means you may need to remove some baked topsoil before you get to the moist soil that’s common to the area.

“In a state like Michigan, because of the frost line, you can’t just place a home on top of the ground. It’s not a good idea and you won’t pass inspection either,” he reminded.

The user presses the penetrometer into the soil. When this is done, the spring-loaded pin in the ground also presses up into the handle of the device. When the pin reaches the grooved part of the handle ¼” up, a load bearing reading between one ton and four tons is made evident by the red ring on the barrel. That reading correlates to a specific type of setup system for installation of the home.

Be mindful that a penetrometer only works on soil. An attempt to measure density on top of gravel, for instance, will render a false reading.

Where to Purchase a Pocket Penetrometer

Today, a plastic pocket penetrometer is available. Porter uses the same metal device he purchased when he began studying soil.

“That was a long time ago,” he said. “The plastic one is not that much cheaper, but the paint comes off, and if you step on it, you’ll crack it. I don’t know what you could do to break the metal one without trying real hard.”

A pocket penetrometer can be purchased at the local supply store, the same place you buy anchors and skirting. They also can be picked up through the industry catalogs, like Oliver and Westland Distributing.

Selling/Renting Your Home: The Benefits of Knowing Your Audience

Just like the age old saying “know thy self”, knowing your audience is the first step in marketing and advertising. When it comes to selling or renting your home this information can set the course for your entire marketing plan. So, lets break it down!

When advertising homes or communities for sale there are a few general categories to choose from:

Home Buyer OR Home Renter

Those seem pretty obvious, however they each have their own sub-audience to play with as well:

Home Buyers

First you want to look at the individuals looking to purchase:

A Home in a community (All ages and/or 55+)
A pre-owned home and have it on private land or into a community.
A new or home to move to either private land or a community
A custom home to build and place on either private land or within a community

In addition to the above groups you also have professionals who purchase homes as well. Those you can typically breakdown to the following groups:

Professional assisting individuals on their home search
A community manager or owner looking to purchase pre-owned or new homes for their community
Professionals home sellers looking to purchase homes (both new/pre-owned) for resale.

Home Renters:

With individuals looking to rent a home there can be a number of categories. The most common tend to be:

Individuals looking to rent a home for short term due to a job re-location, to temporary location change.
Someone seeking a second home or a retirement property to rent seasonally
Individuals looking to rent due to budget restrictions or preferred flexibility with a lease agreement.

Once you have invested time in knowing your audience you can move on to the following marketing and advertising steps!

Exposure/Market

Understanding the market you are working within and navigating the available exposure is the next logical step after knowing your audience. Because, knowing your audience will dictate the types of marketing and advertising that will be most effective.

Statistically, online advertising is still at the top of the list in general, since it’s easily manageable, typically reasonable in cost and lets face it everyone starts their search online these days.

In addition to online advertising, there are still some benefits to advertising in print. Whether it be your local newspaper or printed flyers we are starting to see this trend come back.

So for this step in your process, you will want to evaluate the most effective avenue to reach your buyer/renter, then be sure you are dominating that market as best you can.

Content

Content is so important. Not only do you want to be sure any and all details of a home are included in your advertisement, but your contact options too!

Someone looking to purchase or rent a home will need all the information about the home upfront. In addition you also want to give any necessary details in reference to monthly fees if in a community, any sales commission a professional might require etc.

You also need to be sure that all of the content is accurate and updated regularly. For example, if you have photos of the home that were taken with snow on the ground and the ad is being posted in July, then you will want to have current photos taken and the advertisement updated.

Follow-through

These days there is little to no excuse for not following up with a customer. However, not only is it important to follow-up, it’s also important to provide all of the information they need within that response.

This still goes back to content in a way since you want to be sure your buyer or renter has all of the information they need to take the step in closing the deal.

So, while there are several areas to manage advertising your home, starting by establishing your audience can be a great first step to sealing the deal!

If you have your home on MHVillage and have any additional questions please contact us!