Christine Bachman
A community’s turnaround, driven by resident pride, determination and a shared commitment to home
At Roots Management Group, we believe the best measure of a community isn’t simply how it looks, it’s how the people who live there feel about calling it home.
That’s why we’re especially proud to celebrate Chancellors Mobile Home Park in Fountain, Colorado, which has officially been recognized as the Best of 2026 Fountain Award Winner in the Mobile Park category.
What makes this recognition particularly meaningful is that it wasn’t based on an application or a panel of judges. The award is based on verified Google Reviews and comprehensive review data analyzed and certified by BusinessRate. In other words, this recognition came directly from the authentic experiences and feedback of the people who matter most: Chancellors’ residents.
And according to Community Manager Jim Hake, the residents are the ones who truly deserve the credit.
When Hake took over as community manager in 2024, Chancellors was facing a very different future.
“The city of Fountain approached me and told me we were four months away from being shut down due to building code violations,” Hake recalled.
The possibility of closure wasn’t just a business concern. It could have had devastating consequences for the people who called Chancellors home.
“I asked if that was possible with all the residents, and I was informed the residents would have been left on their own to deal with any problems that come up,” Hake said.
It was a difficult situation, but Hake saw an opportunity to help the community move forward.
“Obviously this was a little disheartening, but I took it as a challenge.”
Over the past two years, residents rallied together as the community worked through the violations and challenges facing Chancellors. What could have divided the community instead became a reason for residents to come together.
Today, the Best of 2026 Fountain Award represents something much bigger than a title.
“This award to me is a culmination of all the hard work of all the residents of Chancellors Mobile Home Park,” Hake said. “It shows the true grit and determination of what people of the city of Fountain are willing to do for their homes.”
When Residents Take Pride in Their Community
For many manufactured homeowners, their home represents one of their most important investments—and the community surrounding that home matters.
At Chancellors, residents recognized that protecting their homes meant working together.
“Obviously nobody wanted to lose their house,” Hake said. “But in their eyes they were never treated as the homeowners they are.”
The experience became a testament to what can happen when residents have a common goal.
“This is a testament to what a community can do when they pull together against adversity and create a place that everybody wants to call home.”
That sense of ownership and pride is reflected in the community’s Google Reviews—and ultimately, in the award itself.
The Reviews Tell the Story
After taking over at Chancellors, Hake initially made an intentional effort to encourage residents to share their experiences online.
“For about two months after I started, I encouraged residents to do Google reviews to help boost the online presence for Chancellors,” he said.
Eventually, the requests became less frequent. But something important had happened: residents had started sharing their experiences because they wanted to.
“Over time, unfortunately, I lost my fervor and was not constantly asking people for reviews,” Hake said. “But it had become such a mainstay for the community, the reviews came mostly on their own.”
For Hake, that may be one of the most meaningful parts of the recognition.
“It just goes to show that when people are proud of what they've accomplished, they are willing to share that to the world.”
And now, those authentic reviews have helped Chancellors earn official recognition as a Best of 2026 Fountain Award Winner.
A Celebration Is Coming
There’s just one problem: At the time Hake shared his thoughts for this story, many of the residents didn’t even know they had won.
That’s about to change.
Hake has already started putting out monthly newsletters again, and he plans to make the award a headline in the next edition.
“I am putting together a celebration for the residents,” he said. “I figure at this point since we're already all invested into the happenings of the community, I will ask them to come together and let's plan a celebration worthy of Chancellors.”
Because this award belongs to the people who make up the community at Chancellors. They are the ones who stayed, rallied together, worked through adversity and continued investing in the place they call home.
If there’s one phrase that captures the spirit of Chancellors today, it’s the community’s new motto:
“Onward and upward.”
Hake says residents have embraced the phrase and become excited about what the future holds.
For a community that was once facing the possibility of closure, that change in outlook is powerful.
Chancellors’ story is a reminder that communities aren’t defined solely by their challenges. They are defined by how the people within them respond to those challenges.
And sometimes, the strongest communities are the ones that have had to fight the hardest to get where they are.
Congratulations to the residents of Chancellors Mobile Home Park in Fountain, Colorado, on being named a Best of 2026 Fountain Award Winner.
This recognition is yours.
Here’s to everything you’ve accomplished, and everything that’s still ahead.
Onward and upward.