Doublewide Dudes: Recent Episodes
Braustin Mobile Homes
The manufactured home industry has come a long way over the last few decades and now offers a viable solution to the affordable housing crisis this nation faces. Mobile homes are still plagued by the stigmas of the past and this stands in the way of potential home buyers finding an alternative to renting within their budget. Doublewide Dudes focuses on tackling some of these "Mobile Home Myths" as well as the most recent trends in the Mobile Home industry.
In today's episode of the Double Wide Dudes Podcast, we're speaking to Dr. Van Williams, founder and CEO of The Proactive Realty Income Fund.
Tune in to learn how he's working to address the affordable housing crisis by creating and restoring communities made possible by investor and individual fund programs through his organization.
Peter Calthorpe joins us to discuss Transit Oriented Development and its importance in creating affordable housing. It was a fascinating discussion on how we can create more housing and reduce transportation costs at the same time.
If you enjoyed this podcast you may want to explore more at the following links:
You can learn more about Peter at https://www.hdrinc.com/person/peter-calthorpe
Peter Calthorpe's TED talk on building better cities can be seen at https://www.ted.com/talks/peter_calthorpe_7_principles_for_building_better_cities
Information from the Congress for the New Urbanism is at https://www.cnu.org
This episode we are joined by Bart Cochran, founder and CEO of LEAP Housing. LEAP Housing is a nonprofit dedicated to developing and the preservation of affordable housing up there in Idaho. And they provide all sorts of services that lead to greater housing stability in their community.
For more information about LEAP Housing, please visit https://www.leaphousing.org
This week we explore affordable housing issues unique to aging adults and folks with disabilities. We talked with Jane Paccione, Director of Collective Impact at the San Antonio Area Foundation.
Her primary assignment at the foundation is managing the SALSA initiative (Successfully Aging and Living in San Antonio) which helps over 40 community nonprofits work together to improve the quality of life for older adults in the San Antonio Area.
Jane received her undergraduate degree in sociology as well as her graduate degree in public administration through the University of Texas at San Antonio.
The following are links where you can learn more about this topic:
Collective Impact: https://saafdn.org/collective-impact/
San Antonio Area Foundation: https://saafdn.org
SALSA Initiative: https://saafdn.org/nonprofits/key-investment-areas/salsa-initiative/
ViaTrans: https://bexar.tx.networkofcare.org/aging/services/agency.aspx?pid=VIAMetropolitanTransitVIATransAccessibleServices_687_1_0
disABILITYsa: https://www.disabilitysa.org/
Merced Housing: https://www.mercedhousingtexas.org
This week, we chat with Leilah Powell with LISC San Antonio about what LISC does locally and nationally to support communities through affordable housing and other programs. LISC’s Mission is to “Together with residents and partners, we forge resilient and inclusive communities of opportunity across America–great places to live, work, visit, do business and raise families.”
You can get a transcript of this podcast on our website: https://findmymobilehome.com/how-lisc-works-to-impact-affordable-housing/
To learn more about LISC - San Antonio, visit https://www.lisc.org/san-antonio/
To learn more about Leilah Powell, visit https://www.lisc.org/san-antonio/who-we-are/our-team/
To learn more about the national organization, visit https://www.lisc.org/
To connect with Leilah Powell, you can email her at lpowell@lisc.org
We sat down with folks from the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) to talk about opportunities homebuyers have to make their home buying more affordable. We were shocked to learn about one program that could literally save a home buyer thousands of dollars over the term of their home loan that we had no idea existed.
To learn more about TSAHC and the opportunities available to you visit https://www.tsahc.org
We sat down with Veronica Soto, the San Antonio Neighborhood and Housing Services Department Director, to get her perspective on the Affordable Housing crisis locally. She shared with us the challenges, as well as the great opportunities, to address affordable housing in our hometown.
You can learn more about what San Antonio is doing about affordable housing at https://www.sanantonio.gov/NHSD
San Antonio is about to get its first "housing first" solution. What is "housing first," how is it different, and most importantly, does it work? Join us as we talk about Towne Twin Village with Dr. Chris Plauche.
For find more information on Towne Twin Village at https://hfcommunitas.org/
You can get a full transcript on our website at https://findmymobilehome.com/towne-twin-village-a-housing-first-solution/
We connected with Becky Gray of Chaffee County, Colorado, to talk about the impacts a lack of sustainable housing has on a community. Gray is the Director of Housing in Chaffee County and a graduate of both Rogers State University and Pittsburg State University.
Some helpful links related to our conversation include:
http://chaffeecounty.org
www.wearechaffee.org
https://www.facebook.com/HPACChaffeeCounty
https://www.housingcolorado.org/default.aspx
It sounds too good to be true, but it is legit. There are several grants available to potential homeowners to help them buy a home.
For this podcast, we are joined by Kelly Fleck, who is the Homeownership Manager for Next Step, where she leads her team in implementing comprehensive factory-built housing homebuyer education and counseling training program. Kelly graduated from Morehead State University and has over 20 years of experience in affordable housing.
If you are interested in down payment assistance programs visit Next Step’s down payment assistance finder.
https://nextstepus.org/downpayment/
Matt Fast from LEAP Charities joins us this week to talk about Renter Owned Communities, how they are different than most mobile home parks, and why they make a difference in the lives of mobile home owners.
Are they a good idea? Are they sustainable? And what do they have to do with Sustainable Affordable Housing? Oh, and what in the world is "athirdability" anyway? We answer these questions and more on this Doublewide Dudes podcast.
You can learn more about Matt Fast and Leap Charities at:
https://www.leaproc.org/
or
https://www.leaphousing.org/
We sat down with Ben Navarro this week to discuss Fannie Mae's "Duty to Serve"
initiative which is how Fannie Mae is fulfilling Congress's mandate for Fannie Mae to
participate in helping three underserved markets.
Supporting these three markets should help create the availability of more
affordable housing without government subsidies. As you listen to the podcast, you
can learn how sustainable affordable housing availability can be affected by many
things, things as simple as standards written for lenders for particular loan types.
Ben Navarro manages Fannie Mae's activities related to their single-family
manufactured housing "Duty to Serve" plan.
Ben received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a Master
of Public Policy from Georgetown. He has been in the financial services industry since
2006, working for various organizations including Capital One and the FDIC.
Ben has been in his current role at Fannie Mae since 2018, working on things like
the launch of the MH Advantage loan product, and the modification of several of
Fannie Mae's manufactured home (MH) policies along with the necessary research and
outreach about Fannie Mae’s programs for manufactured homes.
Helpful Links:
Find out more information about Fannie Mae's "Duty to Serve": https://www.fanniemae.com/about-us/what-we-do/homeownership/duty-serve
Find out more information about Fannie Mae's appraisal guidelines for MH Advantage qualified homes here: https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/originating-underwriting/appraisers/appraising-manufactured-homes
Find more information about titling manufactured homes as "real property" here: https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/originating-underwriting/titling-manufactured-homes-real-property
While the affordable housing crisis is thought to be a big city problem, it is actually a problem just
about everywhere. Today’s guest, Stacey Epperson, has been working to provide affordable housing
to rural America for decades, and we were lucky enough to have her as a guest on our podcast.
Stacey Epperson has 30 years of experience in affordable housing development. She is the
founder of Next Step Network, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing affordable housing to those who
need it. Next Step’s mission is to help people achieve home ownership through factory-built housing.
Over these last three decades, she has built national networks and mission-driven nonprofits
working with leaders in the manufactured housing industry, lending institutions, working to provide
energy efficient homes and better loans to support home buyers.
You can learn about Next Step at:
https://nextstepus.org/
This week we met with Rick Jacobus about Inclusionary Housing. Inclusionary housing is a way
to work with developers to create affordable housing alongside of market rate housing in a way
where ideally the neighbors, the community, and the developer all “win.”
Mr. Jacobus has a broad background perfect for helping us explore inclusionary housing. He is
the principal of Street Level Advisors, a consulting firm specializing in inclusionary housing strategies. Mr. Jacobus has a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a Master of City Planning degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He also has decades of experience working with cities on affordable housing and other community issues.
Mr. Jacobus is founder of Cornerstone Partnership, a national initiative focused on building more inclusive communities, served as a fellow at CoMetrics and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and is a partner in Burlington Associates in Community Development. He is a lecturer at UC Berkeley and is Senior Program Officer for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.
Street Level Advisors: http://streetleveladvisors.com/
Cornerstone Partnership: https://groundedsolutions.org/
This week we talk to John Weldy about energy efficiency and home affordability. We learn
how smaller homes tend to be more energy efficient, but they are penalized by current
energy efficiency measuring systems, which make it hard to compare energy use from home
to home.
The good news is, there are a couple of easy ways to know whether or not a new home will
be more energy efficient than similar models, and we talk about how consumers can protect
themselves as well as how local governments can adjust their building codes to put smaller
homes on equal footing as larger homes when energy efficiency requirements
Mr. Weldy is a Purdue graduate and has been in the factory-built housing industry for 26
years now. He's been the Director of Engineering with Clayton Homes since 2005. {For
transparency, please note we are an independent manufactured home dealer that sells
Clayton Homes products.}
https://www.claytonhomes.com/
He's a registered professional engineer on the civil and structural side in 39 States. He holds
International Code Council Certifications for residential inspections for all disciplines. Just
finished serving on the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Manufactured
Housing Consensus Committee, where he was the chairman of the Technical System
subcommittee as well as the chair of several taskforce groups. He's an active member of the
Manufactured Housing Institute and on the board of Systems Building Research Alliance.
Relevant links to today’s conversation include:
Information about ISO 14001 registration: https://www.claytonhomes.com/studio/what-is-iso-14001/
Information on the Home Energy Score [HES] developed by the Department of Energy: https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/downloads/home-energy-score
Information on the Home Energy Rating System [HERS] developed by the Residential Energy
Service Network: https://www.hersindex.com/hers-index/what-is-the-hers-index/
Information on the Energy Star program as well as information on Clayton’s Energy Smart
Home Package: https://www.energystar.gov/
https://www.claytonhomes.com/studio/saving-big-with-green-energy-smart-home-packages/
Finally, information from CPS Energy about energy efficiency in your home: https://www.cpsenergy.com/en/my-home/savenow/energy-saving--tips.html
This week we talk to Randy Shaw about the YIMBY (Yes! In My Back Yard) movement and its necessity when it comes to sustainable affordable housing. Randy points out it is not just the poor who are negatively affected by a lack of affordable housing, but people under 30 and seniors are both having a hard time finding
affordable housing right for them.
Randy is the director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic in San Francisco, one of the leading providers of housing for homeless single adults.
He is the author of "Generation Priced Out: Who Gets to Live in the New Urban America". He also edits for beyondchron.org and is a vocal advocate for the YIMBY movement.
Carla Potts, Deputy Director of Housing Development of Northeast Community Action Corporation (NECAC), joins us today to discuss their ASPIRE program, a joint initiative to reduce prison recidivism while increasing the available affordable housing.
We cover how ASPIRE trains people in Missouri’s correctional facilities in skilled and semi-skilled trades by building new homes inside of prison walls. These homes are later transported to a property and purchased for the cost of building and installing the home.
Hear how ASPIRE is aimed at helping people with affordable housing while at the same time helping people in prison learn skills they want to learn to enter the job force at a decent wage after release from prison.
NECAC is following the model set forth in South Dakota’s Governor’s House project.
http://necac.org/
This week we talked with Dr. Christine Drennon, housing expert and professor at
Trinity University. We discovered a lot of challenges in making housing affordable,
how the current models of affordable housing have not yet proved themselves as
successful, and some opportunities we all have to work toward sustainable affordable
housing for all.
You can learn more about Dr. Christine Drennon, today’s guest, here: https://inside.trinity.edu/directory/cdrennon
Organizations mentioned in this interview include:
Trinity University- https://new.trinity.edu/
San Antonio Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force- https://www.sanantonio.gov/HousingTaskForce
San Antonio Heron- https://saheron.com/
Alamo Community Group- https://www.alamocommunitygroup.org/
Habitat for Humanity – San Antonio- https://www.habitatsa.org/
This week, we chat with Anthony Flint of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy.
We discuss how government land policies can artificially restrict land usage limiting
density and therefore leading to artificial inflation of land values. Not only does it lead
to skyrocketing housing costs, but a smaller tax base, underutilization of space, and
greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.
We also talk a bit about the YIMBY (Yes, In My Back Yard) movement, and how it
takes concerned citizens to help shape government policy. Is there too much
government interference? Mr. Flint has an interesting insight into that as well.
For more information about land policy, you can visit the Lincoln Institute for Land
Policy here: https://www.lincolninst.edu/
You can listen to the Land Matters Podcast on their website: https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/articles/land-matters-podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/land-matters/id1464810062
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Inzxzcd3r34344a2otvjfbnogxu
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7kBKQ8nvA2GkU2kfdctEln
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/lincoln-institute-of-land-policy/land-matters?refid=stpr
Or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Feel free to learn more about Anthony Flint here: https://www.lincolninst.edu/about-lincoln-institute/people/anthony-flint
This week our guest is Professor Daniel Mandelker, author of “Zoning Barriers
to Manufactured Housing” published in the journal Urban Law. Professor
Mandelker covers how, in many places in our country, restrictive zoning and
building codes have unfairly prevented access to manufactured housing, which
negatively affects the ability of communities to provide additional affordable
housing.
Professor Daniel Mandelker is one of the country's leading scholars and
teachers in land use law and co-author of a popular law school casebook,
"Planning and Control of Land Development," now in its Ninth Edition. He also
authored "Land Use Law, a comprehensive treatise in this field" and co-authored
"Property Law and the Public Interest."
Professor Mandelker has lectured throughout the world including Cambridge
University in England and is also the principal consultant to the American
Planning Association's model zoning and planning legislation project.
Links mentioned in the podcast include:
https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/series/land-lines-magazine
http://landuselaw.wustl.edu/
Chris Nicely of Next Step talks about Sustainable Affordable Housing in this country,
how affordability in housing is growing out of reach for a larger percentage of
Americans, and some possible solutions.
Next Step is a nonprofit is dedicated to helping make housing more affordable in the
United States through advocacy, education, and individual assistance. To learn more
about Next Step, you can visit https://nextstepus.org/.
We’re turning our focus in the podcast to the growing affordable housing crisis,
because it is not just a crisis for the poor anymore.
As Journalist Patrick Sisson put it last year, “Hey, middle class, the housing crisis is
coming for you next.”
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies published its annual housing report for
2020 and we are seeing scary trends that the crisis is hitting the middle class hard.
If we want the American dream to stay within reach for average Americans, we are
going to have to act now. Listen in as we begin to explore affordable housing in
America.
https://findmymobilehome.com/
The home buying experience can be extremely stressful, but the Doublewide Dudes don't think it has to be. This week they'll talk about how technology and a focus on education and customer support can make the home buying process something to be enjoyed instead of something to be dreaded.
https://findmymobilehome.com/
The Doublewide Dudes return! In their first episode in two years, the Doublewide Dudes are back to keep you up-to-date on all things affordable housing and talk about where their lives have gone during their hiatus. We hope you enjoy listening to Season 2 of the Doublewide Dudes!
https://findmymobilehome.com/
On today's episode we travel to Austin, Texas to visit with Ashley Philips, the managing director of Impact Hub Austin. This global community work space is focused on cultivating businesses that focus on social impact in their community.
January 20th was the 1 year anniversary of Braustin Mobile Homes. On this episode, the Doublewide Dudes reflect on 2017 and discuss the exciting things in store for the company and their customers heading into 2018. New dealership - new factory - new home buying app.
On today's episode we visit with Mike Callaghan, the owner of Four Leaf Properties to hear how his team is working to change the perception of mobile home parks around the country.
On today's episode - the Doublewide Dudes travel to Adkins Texas to visit with a South Texas family who turned a used mobile home and 4 generations of secret family recipes into a successful restaurant.
Two years ago, Elizabeth set out to help solve homelessness in her city of Phoenix Arizona by building a tiny home community. After pushing to change local zoning and garner support in her community, Build Us Hope is set to open their first micro housing community for the homeless and mentally ill veterans in their city by the end of October. Hear her story and how her team is developing a model to permanently end homelessness across the country.
In this special eddition of the Doublewide Dudes, we get the opportunity to speak with DJ Pendelton, the Executive Director of the TMHA. DJ explains how manufactured housing will play a role in the reconstruction after Harvey as well as what his team is doing to protect our industry and homeowners.
On this episode, Jimmy takes us through his experience of researching over 20 dealers before deciding on the right place to build his new home and what it was like buying a home entirely online and over the phone.
In our second episode of the Family Experiences series, we sit down with Ernest and Liza Gomez to hear what their home buying experience was like and what advice they have for folks looking to make their jump into home ownership.
In this series, the Doublewide Dudes interview families who have completed their journey to become home owners to hear from them some of their fears, frustrations and advice for folks thinking about purchasing a new home. In this episode, we visit again with Leroy Chavez to see how he's been doing since moving into his new home.
Now that you've closed on your new home, its time to begin the construction process. On the final episode of the Home Buying Process series, the Doublewide Dudes walk you through the process from closing to finally moving into your new home.
Once you have picked your location and floor plan, its time to begin to application process for your new home. In this episode, the Doublewide Dudes walk you through the home buying process from application to closing.
The construction of factory built housing has come along way over the years. In this episode, the Doublewide Dudes dive into the federal construction standards that govern the industry and what specific features potential home buyers need to look for when choosing a home.
There are a lot of factors that go into selecting the right floor plan for your new home. On this episode of the Doublewide Dudes, Mousetrap and AP cover a number of items to consider when determining what layout best suits your family.
Community living offers a low maintenance and affordable option for many home buyers looking for a new manufactured home. Not all communities are the same and it is important that a potential home buyer asks the right questions when making this portion of their home buying decision. In this episode of the Doublewide Dudes walk you through the top 4 questions to ask when deciding on a manufactured home community.
So you've made the decision to get a new mobile or manufactured home - now what?
In this series, Mousetrap and AP will walk you through the home buying process from start to finish.
This first episode the Home Buying Process mini series tackles the process of finding land and what you as a potential home buyer need to look for when deciding on a piece of Texas to call home.
Shopping for the best deal on your home financing is just as important on getting a good deal on your home. Home financing can be confusing and there are plenty of "experts" online and at local companies that muddy the waters even further. On this episode, the Doublewide Dudes dive into the basics of home financing and uncover what banks really look for when deciding who to give home loans to.
Although home ownership may be the ultimately goal, renting does provide some benefits to making sure you are ready to make the leap towards becoming a homeowner. On this episode, the Doublewide Dudes dive into the benefits of renting til you're ready.
Chances are, your first home will not be your forever home. Statistically, families move every 5 to 7 years as they grow in size or change jobs. It is important to go into your first home with the long term in mind. On this episode, the Doublewide Dudes explore three starter home hacks for first time home buyers.
Buying your first home is a big decision and one that should be thought out with the future in mind. The home of your dreams is usually not in your best interest the first go around. High mortgages can turn your dream home into a prison preventing your from enjoying life on the outside. Tune in to hear the Doublewide Dudes discuss the benefits of starter homes both on your bank account and overall quality of life.
The Doublewide Dudes share about Fiesta Tech Trek May 25, 2017 and how technology is changing the way potential home buyers shop for factory built homes. San Antonio is a booming city and old stereotypes are preventing manufactured homes from playing a part in meeting the increasing need for affordable housing. Tune in to hear Mousetrap and AP continue to tackle the "mobile home myth" of trailer trash.
On this episode, a San Antonio resident, LeRoy Chavez joins the Doulbewide Dudes to discuss his experience raising his family in a manufactured home and why he and his wife decided to purchase a new factory built home on land when it came time to make a housing change.
The factory built housing industry has come a LONG way over the years. Unfortunately the stereotypes that surround mobile home living have not.
In this series the Doulbewide Dudes tackle the harshest myth of them all - Trailer Trash
Do mobile homes really depreciate like everyone says? In this short 5 part series, we'll tackle this mobile home myth and see what the facts have to say.
In this episode the Doublewide Dudes explore how the overall market conditions affect the resale value of manufactured homes. From baby boomers to oil fields, the demand for housing in a given area plays a major role in determining the value of a mobile home.
In episode 3 of 5 on depreciation, the Doublewide Dudes explain how the choice of home location can impact a manufactured homes resale value down the road.
In the first episode of this 5 part series, the Doublewide Dudes busted the myth that all mobile homes depreciate. Initial buying price was a key factor in resale value down the road. Get insider information on how to get the absolute best price on your new manufactured home.
Do mobile homes really depreciate like everyone says? In this short 5 part series, we'll tackle this mobile home myth and see what the facts have to say.