First, there are several key legislative issues in Washington State the Manufactured Housing Communities of Washington (MHCW) can use your help and support with. They include a move to eliminate the property tax debt on abandoned homes. Currently community owners are often required to pay several years back property taxes on an abandoned home in their community when the resident has failed to pay them. This adds unfair costs to the community owner who is trying to remove the abandoned home. MHCW will also promote bills to address excessive impact fees and restrictive zoning practices that have a serious negative impact on the availability and cost of providing affordable housing. "Defensive" legislative issues include MHCW's opposition to a mandatory manager certification bill. This would add unnecessary bureaucracy and increase the cost of operation. MHCW and many other industry participants offer excellent manager training programs and this is clearly an area that we need to keep government out of. These are just a couple of the many challenging and complicated issues we face in Washington this legislative session. If you would like more information on MHCW's key legislative issues for the 2003 session you can contact Ken Spencer at MHCW----360-753-8730. I know Ken would appreciate your help and support during this session.

Conversely, Manufactured Housing Communities of Oregon (MHCO) is now proposing an amendment to the proposed dealer licensing law in Oregon (LC 860). The amendments would create several new barriers between retailers, finance companies, manufacturers and community owners in Oregon and make an already difficult business climate even more expensive and restrictive. Included in this amendment would be the requirement of all manufactured home sales to close in "escrow" and there is an additional provision requiring the "hold back" of money from the seller. This method of thinking is ill-advised and was proposed without any conversation or input from those who would be saddled the most by the burden of these restrictions....the struggling manufactured home retailers, finance companies and manufacturers. MHCO says they're just trying to look out for consumers, but the simple fact is we won't have any consumers left to look out for if we keep making it more and more difficult to purchase a home in a manufactured home rental space or land lease community. Escrow offers little in the way of consumer protection and mandatory hold-backs will put restrictions on the manufactured housing industry in Oregon that are more restrictive, rigid, risky and expensive than those imposed on residential builders, commercial developers, licensed real estate agencies, insurance companies, auto and RV dealers, and just about every other type of business in Oregon. If you would like MHCO to know how you feel about this proposed amendment to LC 860 you can call Chuck Carpenter at MHCO----503-391-4496.

Commonwealth's Vice President, Sally Harrington has scheduled our first series of manager training for 2003. Those sessions will be held March 18, 2003 at the Doubletree Hotel in Eugene/Springfield, Oregon and Wednesday, April 23, 2003 at the La Quinta Hotel in Tacoma, Washington. These sessions promise to be new and exciting, with expanded coverage of several important topics and as well as helpful new information and tips that specifically apply to today's economic environment. You can't find better training at a more affordable price! To register, contact Sally Harrington or Jude Merchant at 503-244-2300, or visit our website at www.cwres.com for detailed information.

Commonwealth's Industry Summit 2003 in Tacoma on January 23rd was a terrific success. We had in excess of 175 people in attendance and our variety of speakers and presenters was very well received by everyone. The Summit format will be expanded with these meetings program becoming an annual event in Washington and Oregon. Look for our next Summit announcement later this year, or visit our website at www.cwres.com for the latest information on Commonwealth seminars, training, and industry gatherings.

The largest manufactured home show west of the Mississippi River is coming up February 25th through March 2nd at the State Fairgrounds in Salem, Oregon. There will be a huge selection of new and innovative manufactured homes on display representing every manufacturer in Washington and Oregon, as well as displays and exhibits from a variety of suppliers and others associated with our industry. It is a great place to view the latest products that our future residents are considering to purchase and it's a great way to network and meet other people within our industry. I encourage you to attend! For more information on the show you can contact Marilyn Grannell at OMHA----503-364-2470. Also, don't forget the National Congress & Expo for Manufactured and Modular Housing, April 22-24 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. For a registration form contact MHI, Lauren Lewis at 703-558-0670 or go on the web to www.manufacturedhousing.org for complete information.

We as an industry must work together towards the ultimate goal of attracting new qualified home buyers and resident to our communities. The emphasis of everyone in this industry, at least in the Pacific Northwest, should be the resurrection and re-vitalization of the manufactured housing industry as a viable and affordable housing alternative. We clearly must keep our eyes open and prevent un-necessary additional governmental intervention, but our focus must remain on building our business, enhancing the publics perception of our products, embracing our valued business partners, stopping the flow of repossessed homes from our communities, and ensuring that purchasing a manufactured home in a rental space community is easy, fun, safe, affordable, and a good investment.

Greg Harmon - President
Commonwealth Real Estate Services
E-mail: greg@cwres.com
Telephone 503.244.2300 Ext. 101