Empowering Communities through Full-Service Manufactured Housing Team

Roots Management Group is committed to excellence and innovation within manufactured housing communities.  

As a forward-thinking company, we understand the challenges community managers face when burdened with numerous responsibilities, hindering their ability to focus on delivering the best possible experiences for residents.  

To address this, we have established a robust and dynamic full-service manufactured housing team that streamlines operations, fosters efficiency, and elevates the overall living experience for everyone involved.  

Max McBride, Head of JV Portfolio Management, says that by utilizing a central service system, Roots can scale across all departments and pull resources that otherwise would not be available. This allows Roots to give community managers everything it takes to operate a community.  

"Community managers should be able to concentrate on building strong, vibrant communities without being overwhelmed by administrative tasks and complex processes," says McBride. who adds that by Roots utilizing a central services team, community managers are no longer asked to wear multiple hats or juggle various responsibilities.

Instead, community managers gain access to technology, marketing, financial, and legal departments, enabling them to operate with greater focus and efficiency. This gives our community managers the time it takes to become certified and fully trained the Roots Way.  “Many mom-and-pop run communities do not have a bandwidth to cover all of the bases that a community manager is asked to do in addition to the numerous other tasks that we take on so our community managers can focus on the residents and the overall community”. says McBride. 

A New Era: Fortunately for the Manufactured Housing Industry, the government's attitude toward Manufactured Housing is changing. On June 22, 2023, supporting the long-term growth in implementing the first major changes to the manufactured home construction and safety standards in almost a decade supporting the long-term growth in implementing the first major changes to the manufactured home construction and safety standards in almost a decade the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of Housing announced that it created a new Office of Manufactured Housing Programs as an independent office reporting directly to Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. In a press release issued: “This organizational change represents a recognition of the critically important role that manufactured housing plays in our country’s housing market,” said Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon. “Thanks to the work executed by our Office of Manufactured Housing Programs over the last two years, we have made significant progress to support the availability of modern and affordable manufactured homes.” This action acknowledges the important role of manufactured housing in meeting the nation’s affordable housing needs. The announcement also highlighted the widespread changes that support the long-term growth in implementing the first major changes in almost a decade to the manufactured home construction and safety standards. This includes provisions to codes for attached garages and carports, zero-lot-line townhome-style housing and requirements for carbon monoxide alarms. Another nod showing support to the Manufactured housing industry are improved quality codes that look at specific ridge roof designs, provisions for multifamily manufactured homes of up to three units; updating requirements for open floor plans, truss designs, and specifications for attics; and accessibility improvements; and others. 

 Scaling and Growth Opportunities: Roots central service teams play a pivotal role in our company's success and scalability. By centralizing essential functions such as marketing, finance, and legal support, we can efficiently expand our operations to better serve more communities. This allows us to maintain consistent service levels and quality across all our properties, fostering growth opportunities and ensuring every resident receives the best possible experience. “This includes everything from making sure the communities are visible, on all the maps and online search engines, as well as listed in all of the appropriate places when consumers are looking for a community to call home,” says McBride, who says the central service model makes everything run smoother and more efficiently. “Having a full-time marketing staff that is making sure photos/videos and listings are placed properly makes all the difference, and we cannot expect our community managers to do all of this in addition to the daily tasks they have adds McBride. Roots Management Group oversees 241 communities across 24 states.

Enhanced Service Levels and Quality: Having a centralized service group enables us to raise the bar regarding service levels and overall quality. Our marketing department ensures that our communities receive maximum exposure and attract potential residents, while our financial team ensures transparent and efficient financial processes for seamless transactions. Additionally, our in-house legal team ensures compliance with contracts and leases, providing residents with peace of mind.  

Our residents experience many benefits, starting with timely home delivery and setup. With a full-service Homes Team dedicated to selecting the site, applying for permits, and setting up your home. Through our close relationship with manufacturers, we ensure that new homes are promptly delivered, allowing residents to settle in and begin enjoying their community as soon as possible. Our in-house marketing department also facilitates the swift and effective promotion of open homes for sale, enabling prospective homeowners to find a home effortlessly. “Communities do not want to have several vacancies it’s not good for resale, the community overall needs to have homes filled, and to let people know which homes are available, you need to make sure you have people marketing it.” Adds McBride.  

Affordable housing loans and finance options: The partnership between Roots and Fannie Mae has resulted in pioneering lending facilities that allow manufactured homes to be used as collateral for government-backed loans. This accessibility to financing options fosters homeownership and stability for residents. “We are able to help consumers with innovative finance options as well as hold companywide incentive programs for existing homeowners to help them improve the value of their home,” says McBride, who says the company just had an incentive program for residents that helped everyone raise the quality of their community. “Roots has held drives encouraging communities to clean up clutter and waste and yard debris, and in exchange, Roots resides their home for no cost to the homeowner” This not only helps residents but curb the appeal of the entire community. Updated playgrounds, paved roads, and pathways are also ways Roots improve the overall quality of the community amenities.  By combining innovative financing options, comprehensive shared services, and a commitment to community empowerment, Roots is working to reshape the affordable housing landscape in the United States. We believe in the transformative power of a full-service manufactured home operator and remain dedicated to creating communities that thrive and provide opportunities for all. Together, we continue to build brighter futures and redefine the possibilities of manufactured housing. 

Together, we foster an atmosphere of growth, reliability, and quality that truly sets Roots apart in the world of manufactured housing communities.