http://www.onthelevelcontractors.com/christmas-2009/ To all our friends at Active Rain. We wish you a Happy & Healthy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. Hit the link below the painting and enjoy our little Holiday Greeting. The song "Christmas At The Trailer Park Again" was written and recorded by Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours www.unhitched.com.  Antsy was born and raised in a little trailer park in Tennessee and grew up dirt poor. He and his group have written and recorded dozens of very funny if not hilarious songs about life in a trailer park. Janis, our kids, grand kids and I have attended several of their concerts when they come to California and enjoy them very much. Aside from writing brilliant satire and humor about their life in a trailer park they are als... 12/24/2009

Check out this YouTube video for a first hand look inside a Manufactured Home production line and see for yourself how far the industry has advanced and to see how easy it is to get financed today   Added to Quicklist 8:59 Manufactured Homes - Behind the Scenes (Pt.2) 7,503 views manufacturedhomes And thank you Cindy for giving me fresh fodder for my next Active Rain post in your recent post: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1301097/how-to-add-six-figures-to-your-bottom-line-in-less-than-an-hour-a-day Cindy Jones-Northern Virginia Real Estate & Military Relocation Services Woodbridge, VA   Inasmuch as our niche is a Nationwide Manufactured Home specialist specializing in engineered certifications, affidavits of affixture, 433A documentation for California residents for foundation instal... 10/25/2009

  It's Time to Step Up or Step Aside - Life Before Activerain and Now Well, thank you Kate for feeding me the fodder and the inspiration for my daily AR post rant . I love waking up in the morning and the first thing I do, or should I say second after preparing my daily coffee and Bailey's, is log on to all my new friends at AR. I have yet to fail at getting a spark of inspiration from at least one post that I read and I do read a lot of AR posts. Funny but I never read a single blog until I became a member of AR.  Kate Wheeler CCIM Murphy NC Real Estate for Sale Murphy, NC More about me… I'm a newbie and a definite green pea when it comes to blogging, social networking and especially the whole computor thing. But I have to say that in a few very short and fast months (whew! Where has ... 10/15/2009

Take two minutes to check out the link below if you want to see just how quick and simple your building solutions can be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E76jxaCddRc&feature=related   Albeit  the time line is exceedingly hyperbolic to say the least this will give a builder, developer, planning departments, permitting officials and especially the homeowner a basic understanding of just how easy, safe and clean manufactured, modular and pre-fab home building has become. Sure there is still the basic permitting, site work, infrastructure, soft scape, hard scape and appurtenances to go. But overall this keeps the whole home-building process and experience extremely simplistic and eliminates weeks if not months of strangers invading your property and having to deal with material, tools and e... 10/14/2009

So if I'm interpreting you post correctly the poor banks are the victims here. They didn't seduce any naive Americans into borrowing money they could never repay? They didn't create a Nationwide feeding frenzy of unqualified borrowers rushing to partake in that great American Dream? it's only natural and instinctive to want to be a homeowner in America. Of course anyone in their right minds would want to own a home if they only had someone who would loan them the money. The banks and lenders that participated in this gold rush mentality didn't have any second thoughts about lending the money to borrowers they knew would never be able to repay the loan. Now that they've lent, lent, lent America into oblivion they don't want to accept any of the negative fallout. Investors (and I'm one of... 10/09/2009

How Much Easier and Faster Can It Be? As your resident Active Rain Manufactured & Modular Home go to company On The Level will be contributing occasional posts we feel worthy of your perusal. Please take a moment to check out the following link as seen on HGTV and see for yourself just how quick, painless and versatile designing and building with Manufactured/Modular components can really be. It's hard to believe what you are about to see but it's all true.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqP_giVcF9Y Please feel free to contact us anytime with any questions or concerns about the Manufactured and Modular Home Industry. We offer our services nationwide and are here to help and support any and all Active Rain members who wish to offer this to their clients as an alternative to conventiona... 10/07/2009

Claudette, You're The Inspiratin Behind This Post with your post on Loan Modifications which have been a major source of concern for me for sometime now. http://activerain.com/blogsview/1272590/new-housing-bill-will-force-loan-modification Sorry to make you the fall guy but you hit a nerve and I just have to get it off my chest. AR members please bear with me. This post is the comment I made to Claudette's post on Loan Modifications yesterday. Albeit rather wordy and I know I'm jumping all over the place but every so often someone shares something that just hits the right hot buttons. What's our little community for if not to share our thoughts and concerns with one another. I've been waiting for this to happen for the past year now. Not that I'm in favor nor happy about it. In fact I a... 10/07/2009

Making green modular homes with LA architect Marmol Radziner Tomorrow's Housing Today. We wanted to share this link {http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYXWxAtZwrI} with the Active Rain community to better illustrate just what's available in today's modern Manufactured and Modular Home Community. Please grab a Cup O Joe, a Cool One or a Glass of Your finest Wine and Relax while you enjoy this little snippet. Your responses are encouraged and welcomed. On The Level {www.onthelevelcontractors.com} specializes in coordinating the design, purchase, transportation, site preparation, installation and onsite structures, infrastructure, soft and hard landscaping, We also assist in the permit and inspection process from conception to Certificate of Occupancy. On The Level also specializes in the FHA... 10/06/2009

A Realistic RE Deal and a great time to establish a new niche in the Real Estate and Lending Industry With Manufactured Homes.   The Oldest and Biggest Manufacturing Business in the World is Home Building. And it’s done in the open air, in the mud, wind, rain, snow, dust, dirt and ultra violet while almost every other manufacturing business is done in an indoor protected and controlled environment. My advice to fellow Active Rain members? Spend a little bit of your blogging and social networking time hooking-up with and getting to know your local Manufactured Home Dealers and Contractor. You could be leaving $$$$$$ on the table and not even know it. Manufactured Housing is here to stay. All signs show that the Manufactured Housing Industry is well on the road to becoming a leading playe... 09/30/2009

Change Your Thinking It will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking.   Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation..Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be br... 09/28/2009

Check This out folks. You have to pass this on to all your children. It's very inspiring to say the least and will definitely get your blood flowing. Have an Active day Active Rain. http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=21337502001 09/03/2009

LOAN MODIFICATION COMPANIES - New Business Model or Risky Scam?  Chapter 1.    NEW INDUSTRY MODELS? In today’s deplorable economic climate with literally thousands if not tens of thousands of folks losing their homes and hope of ever owning another home diminish by the day, is it any wonder why American home owners succumb to the antics of unscrupulous loan modification companies and attorneys?  The question for real estate licensees is, do we join the growing number of companies offering "loan modification" services?   NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY?  I came very close to jumping into this hot bed in ’08. But thank God I had the presence of mind to do some very arduous research before I became personally involved. No, I was not in trouble with the loan on my home. But I was extremely concer... 08/25/2009

It's hard to find many car repair shops that don't try to sell you on the little extras that you really wonder if you need or not.  I go to these oil change places that are notorious for making me wait, then calling my name and taking me to the side to show me just how dirty my air filter is and I really should consider having it changed even though I just was suckered into changing it 6 months ago when I was there last.  I always have this creepy feeling knowing I am going to have to give the oil change guy some silly reason why I don't want to be taken advantage of this time and try to get my reasoning ready before my name is called...."hmmm, I'll ask my husband if it's okay and let you know next time" or "really? i didn't think you need windshield wipers in San Diego but I will keep ... 08/02/2009

  Mobilehome destroyed in the January 17, 1994 Northridge Earthquake. In the photo above the entire structure and all contiguous appurtenances and accessory items of the home were totally destroyed.  The destroyed skirting, shifting, tweaking  and the separating walls and ceilings, out of rack and broken door and window  frames and openings throughout the interior and exterior along with the severed and broken utility lines and misc. connections pretty much leaves you with a major repair if not a total loss. Additionally,  the steel mainframe chassis that the home is built on and several integrated components i.e. cross beams, I-beams, outriggers, etc. were bent, twisted and broken which transfers right up into the floor system through the walls,  into the ceiling and up through the roo... 07/29/2009

We are living in a world where many of us are faced or will soon be faced with the reality of health care issues. Add to that the anxiety most folks are feeling about who, how and where they will be getting quality health care coverage let alone quality services, given our current political climate, and it adds significantly to an extremely over-burdened shortfall that will soon impact us all.In fact health care today like air travel is the antithesis of what it was when most baby-boomers were booming in their hay day. The quality of health care today to a large extent has been thrown out with the bath water much like the old American Airlines white table cloth, sterling silver and China set-up with  a full size thick juicy steak, baked potato with all the fixins, a garden fresh salad a... 07/27/2009

THERE'S BEEN A WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN GOIN ON IN THE MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOME INDUSTRY LATELY ABOUT THE INEVITABLE "BIG ONE!" BUT IT ISN'T JUST ABOUT MANUFACTURED HOMES! THIS CONCERNS EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN AN EARTHQUAKE PRONE AREA WHICH ACCORDING TO THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVYEY (USGS) COULD BE JUST ABOUT ANYONE, ANYWHERE AND AT ANYTIME NOWADAYS. In our next series of posts we will be sharing some of the experiences we've had during the past 25 years as  DISASTER RESPONSE SPECIALISTS in the aftermath of various disasters be they Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Tornados, Wind Storms, Fires or Floods. Disasters are not limited to a onezee twozee scenario where first responders are honed in on a single house fire, traffic accident or even something as tragic as an airplane or train crash where they can... 07/18/2009

I realize that most folks on AR already subscribe to Realtor Online Mag. or read USA TODAY.  But for those that don't I just wanted to pass this information along. We in RE in any capacity have the numbers to generate a powerful stance and we need to put more pressure on the gov. to allow Jumbo's into their bailout loan re-fi and modification programs without limitations or restrictions. What's good for one should be good for all. Please pass this information along. We all need to aggressively and immediately put pressure on our Congressmen and Women via phone calls, email, snail mail or whatever means it takes to make things right for all homeowners not just the ones that the government deems appropriate. FOLLOWING IS AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY USA TODAY AND PUBLISHED IN THE ONLINE REALTOR ... 07/16/2009

  ANYTHING GOES....DRIVE, STROLL OR BE STROLLED, BICYCLE, SKATE, OR JUST STAND AND STARE   Our little story began seventeen years ago when a local resident ran out of beer one 4th of July afternoon and began a solo journey down Neptune Avenue to the liquor store donning an Uncle Sam's red, white and blue top hat while waving an Ole Glory and whistling Yankee Doodle. Much to his pleasure and amazement he looked over his shoulder and noticed that several other folks began falling in behind him and walla a tradition was born. There has never been a formal organization, committee, group, leader, or individual who claims responsibility for this event. It just happens; Just like it should. A spontaneous gathering of Americans and visitors worldwide all United and having fun expressing their f... 07/03/2009

ON THE LEVEL would like anyone who works with Manufactured Homes be they a Lender, Realtor, Appraiser, Title Insurance or Escrow company and especially Homeowners to take a few moments to view the video in our most recent link: http://www.onthelevelcontractors.com/mobile-home-foundation/433a-permanent-foundation/videos We receive several calls and emails every week from businesses and homeowners alike wanting to know more about the type of foundation systems we use and the procedures involved in installing a typical engineered certified foundation system for a Manufactured Home. In this video we are installing the Abesco Foundation System manufactured in Sacramento , CA and distributed Nationwide.  As contractors we are not married or obligated to any particular product. However, during... 06/12/2009

Scott Whaley, our host of the real estate investment seminar, Real Wealth Investor Expo, shared some excellent training.  Starting with his Speed Learning tip: Take action as quickly as possible, then get intense feedback immediately.  This is SPEED Learning using the ultimate feedback model.  When you get immediate feedback, your brain learns quicker.  Kind of like touching a hot stove! We have 20,000 thoughts per day, and most of them are the same thoughts as the previous day. We have a pattern of focus, thinking, and behavior. Success is a habit and so is failure. We must use leverage to break a pattern & to install a new one. Emotional mastery is putting yourself into active in the areas in which you're challenged.  "Most of our society majors in minor things," Scott reflected. ACTI... 05/26/2009