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Answer: There seems to be some confusion on what facts determine giving the 30-day notices and which are appropriate for three strikes. Here is a brief primer:

Three Strikes: Pursuant to ORS 90.630(8), a landlord may terminate a space rental agreement for a manufactured dwelling or floating home if:

• The tenant has not paid the monthly rent prior to the eighth day of the month assuming rent is due on the first day of each month, and,
• A 72-hour notice is issued[1] in at least three of the preceding 12 months; and
• The landlord warns the tenant of the risk of a 30-day notice for termination with no right to correct the cause, upon the occurrence of a third nonpayment of rent termination notice within a 12-month period. This warning must be contained in at least two 72-hour notices that precede the third notice within the 12-month period (or in separate written notices that are given concurrently with, or a reasonable time after, each of the two preceding 72-hour notices); and
• The 30-day notice of termination must state facts sufficient to notify the tenant of the cause for termination of the tenancy which is given to the tenant concurrent with, or after the third or a subsequent nonpayment of rent termination notice.[2]

Take-Aways.

• The MHCO 72-hour Notice (Form No. 42) already contains the warning about a non-curable 30-day notice for three strikes, i.e. issuance of three 72-hour notices within the preceding twelve months. No separate warning needs to be given. All management needs to do is complete the form and identify whether it is the first, second, or third such notice.
• Note: The purpose of the 3-strikes statute is to discourage serial late-paying. The violation is not "cured" by paying the rent late after issuance of a 72-hour notice - in other words, it still counts toward issuance of a three strikes notice.
• The 30-day Notice for a 3-Strikes Violation (Form No. 43A) should be given together with the third 72-hour notice; if it is mailed it can be in the same envelope or another one simultaneously sent. Always get a Certificate of Mailing when mailing the letter. Do not wait in sending out the 30-day notice!
• The 30-day 3-strikes notices is not "cured" by payment of the late rent.
• Since there could potentially be a waiver argument if the landlord attempted to terminate for issuance of more than three 72-hour notices, it is recommended that if the tenant was issued more than three such notices within twelve months, the landlord select just three.
• Caveat: Each 72-hour notice must have been properly prepared. If one of them has been defectively prepared (e.g. wrong date, time, etc.) or incorrectly served (e.g. improper posting and mailing, etc.) it will not count towards the three strikes. For this reason, it is suggested that legal counsel closely review each 72-hour notice that is intended to become the basis of a 3-strikes eviction.

Thirty-Day Notices: Pursuant to ORS 90.630(1) - (7), a landlord may terminate a space rental agreement for a manufactured dwelling or floating home if a tenant:

• Violates a law or ordinance related to the tenant's conduct as a tenant, including but not limited to a material noncompliance with ORS 90.740 (Tenant Obligations);
• Violates a rule or rental agreement provision related to the tenant's conduct as a tenant and imposed as a condition of occupancy, including but not limited to a material noncompliance with a rental agreement regarding a program of recovery in drug and alcohol free housing;
• Is classified as a level three sex offender under ORS 163A.100 (3); Note that this violation is not curable, and the 30-day notice must so state; or
• Fails to pay a (i) Late charge pursuant to ORS 90.260; (ii) Fee pursuant to ORS 90.302; or (iii) Utility or service charge pursuant to ORS 90.534 or 90.536.
• Note that for violation regarding the physical condition of the home, a 30-day notice does not arise under ORS 90.630; rather ORS 90.632 applies. Do not get the two types of events confused. Use MHCO Form No. 55 is to be used for repair and deterioration issues under ORS 90.632, and Form No. 43 is to be used for all other curable 30 day notices arising under ORS 90.630.
• The 30-day notice must state facts sufficient to notify the tenant of the reasons for termination of the tenancy and state that the tenant may avoid termination by correcting the violation within the 30-day period.
• If substantially the same act or omission that constituted the prior violation recurs within six months after the date of the notice, the landlord may terminate the tenancy upon at least 20 days' written notice specifying the violation and the date of termination of the tenancy.
• Note that notwithstanding issuance of a 30-day notice, management may issue a notice for nonpayment of rent under ORS 90.394. Caution: If the last day of a 30-day notice of termination is on, say the 15th of the month, the landlord's 72-hour notice issued on the 8th day of that month should only demand rent up through the 15th. If the 72-hour notice demands rent covering the period after the 15th, it could invalidate the 30-day notice since it demands that the tenant pay rent for a period of time beyond the official end of the tenancy. There is also a risk of incorrectly calculating the number of days in the 72-hoour notice. For these reasons, I do not recommend issuance of a 72-hour notice while a 30-day notice is pending. And if the tenant voluntarily pays the rent while the notice is pending, I recommend immediately returning it, saying that the resident must first timely cure the default identified in the 30-day notice (assuming the default is curable).

[1] Or the fifth day of the rental period is a 144-day notice is used.

[2] I do not recommend waiting to issue the 30-day notice. It should be sent or delivered concurrently with the 3rd strike, i.e. the 3rd 72-hour notice.

Answer: Currently, ORS 90.600(2)(b) limits rent increases to 7% plus CPI (“Cap”) for any 12-month period. For 2023 that resulted in a Cap of 14.6%.[1] This amount surprised some, and we can fully expect the Oregon Legislature to pass a new law that could effectively reduce the Cap.

Note, that I do not read the law to limit rent increase after the first year of a month-to-month tenancy to only once per year – so long as the annual Cap is not exceeded in total. However, I believe that rent increase are generally limit to one-a-year by most Oregon MHP landlords.

Note also, that since ORS 90.600 only applies to periodic tenancies, i.e., month-to-month, the Cap does not apply to rent formulas in leases, i.e., fixed term tenancies. However, it has been my understanding that this was a legislative oversight in 2019; if so, the 2023 Legislature may change that, as well.

Currently, the text of ORS 90.600 provides that the landlord may not increase the rent (a) without giving each affected tenant notice in writing at least 90 days prior to the effective dateof the rent increase; and (b) during any 12-month period, in an amount greater than seven percent plus the consumer price index above the existing rent.

My reading of this is that so long as the rent does not exceed the Cap during a particular year – there is no limit on when the notice of 90-day increase may be issued. To put it another way, “increasing the rent” is not the same as “giving notice” of an increase in rent. There is no restriction against the frequency of the notices, just increases that exceed the applicable Cap.

For example, say word was out that the 2023 Legislature was going to dramatically reduce the Cap going forward. In my opinion, a landlord having already issued a 90-day rent increase notice in September 2022, effective January 1, 2023 (or later) would have two choices:

1. Rescind the 2022 notice before it becomes effective, and re-issue a new 90-day notice for a different rent effective in 2023, so long as it was done before the effective date of the new legislation and did not exceed the 2023 Cap establish in 2022.

2. Don’t rescind the earlier 2022 notice but issue a second rent increase notice that does not, in total, exceed the 14.6% Cap - so long as it is issued before the new 2023 legislation becomes effective.[2] Caveat: The 2-notice approach needs to make sure that the rental agreement or other park docs don’t limit increases to one per year.

Note that for both Nos. 1 and 2 above, the rent increase notice cannot be sent to any tenants who still have rent payments due on their first year of tenancy (including occupancy that may have preceded the signed rental agreement).

SB 608, the 2019 law amending ORS 90.600 and creating the Cap, applied to “rent increase notices delivered on or after the effective date of this 2019 Act.” In other words, the Legislature did not attempt to retroactively (and likely illegally) interfere with a rent increase that had already been issued before SB 608 went into effect.

Following that logic, should a landlord wish to rescind a 2022 90-day rent increase for 2023 and reissue a different one, it should be entirely legal so long as it is issued before the effective date of the legislation creating a new Cap.

Caveat: Landlords should check with their own legal counsel before rescinding any 2022 90-day notices or reissuing a second 90-day notice for 2023 rents under the 14.6% Cap.

[1] https://www.multifamilynw.org/news/2023-oregon-maximum-rent-increase-is-146

[2] For example, a 5.00% increase notice issued in September 2022 and a second notice for something less than 9.6% issued before the 2023 legislation becomes effective.

Answer: Currently, ORS 90.600(2)(b) limits rent increases to 7% plus CPI (“Cap”) for any 12-month period. For 2023 that resulted in a Cap of 14.6%.[1] This amount surprised some, and we can fully expect the Oregon Legislature to pass a new law that could effectively reduce the Cap.

Note, that I do not read the law to limit rent increase after the first year of a month-to-month tenancy to only once per year – so long as the annual Cap is not exceeded in total. However, I believe that rent increase are generally limit to one-a-year by most Oregon MHP landlords.

Note also, that since ORS 90.600 only applies to periodic tenancies, i.e., month-to-month, the Cap does not apply to rent formulas in leases, i.e., fixed term tenancies. However, it has been my understanding that this was a legislative oversight in 2019; if so, the 2023 Legislature may change that, as well.

Currently, the text of ORS 90.600 provides that the landlord may not increase the rent (a) without giving each affected tenant notice in writing at least 90 days prior to the effective dateof the rent increase; and (b) during any 12-month period, in an amount greater than seven percent plus the consumer price index above the existing rent.

My reading of this is that so long as the rent does not exceed the Cap during a particular year – there is no limit on when the notice of 90-day increase may be issued. To put it another way, “increasing the rent” is not the same as “giving notice” of an increase in rent. There is no restriction against the frequency of the notices, just increases that exceed the applicable Cap.

For example, say word was out that the 2023 Legislature was going to dramatically reduce the Cap going forward. In my opinion, a landlord having already issued a 90-day rent increase notice in September 2022, effective January 1, 2023 (or later) would have two choices:

1. Rescind the 2022 notice before it becomes effective, and re-issue a new 90-day notice for a different rent effective in 2023, so long as it was done before the effective date of the new legislation and did not exceed the 2023 Cap establish in 2022.

2. Don’t rescind the earlier 2022 notice but issue a second rent increase notice that does not, in total, exceed the 14.6% Cap - so long as it is issued before the new 2023 legislation becomes effective.[2] Caveat: The 2-notice approach needs to make sure that the rental agreement or other park docs don’t limit increases to one per year.

Note that for both Nos. 1 and 2 above, the rent increase notice cannot be sent to any tenants who still have rent payments due on their first year of tenancy (including occupancy that may have preceded the signed rental agreement).

SB 608, the 2019 law amending ORS 90.600 and creating the Cap, applied to “rent increase notices delivered on or after the effective date of this 2019 Act.” In other words, the Legislature did not attempt to retroactively (and likely illegally) interfere with a rent increase that had already been issued before SB 608 went into effect.

Following that logic, should a landlord wish to rescind a 2022 90-day rent increase for 2023 and reissue a different one, it should be entirely legal so long as it is issued before the effective date of the legislation creating a new Cap.

Caveat: Landlords should check with their own legal counsel before rescinding any 2022 90-day notices or reissuing a second 90-day notice for 2023 rents under the 14.6% Cap.

[1] https://www.multifamilynw.org/news/2023-oregon-maximum-rent-increase-is-146

[2] For example, a 5.00% increase notice issued in September 2022 and a second notice for something less than 9.6% issued before the 2023 legislation becomes effective.

Answer. As far as I know, there are no laws that "require" the posting of certain things. I will try to summarize - off the top of my head - two types of information: (1) Things that can be posted without risk of liability; and (2) Things that should not be posted due to potential liability. Remember, these are just my opinions; your own attorney may or may not agree.

(1) Things that can be posted without risk of liability.

• General information about the community, such as maps of the community and space numbers, location of common facilities, etc.
• Safety information, such as permitted speeds, water hazards, emergency phone numbers such as police and fire, etc.
• Publically available information such as location of services, schools, places of worship, libraries, etc.
• If you are a 55+ community, you definitely want that promoted, since one of the requirements to qualify is holding yourself out as a 55+ community, with signs and rules, e.g. a generic definition of what it means and entails. This explanation should be reviewed and approved by your legal counsel.
• If you are a family community, you should say so, including a generic definition of what it means and entails. This explanation should be reviewed and approved by your legal counsel.
• General fair housing-type posters, including, perhaps, pamphlets. It is best if you can secure these through so recognized fair housing organization, such as the Fair Housing Council of Oregon or HUD.

(2) Things that should not be posted due to potential liability.

• Do not post the names of tenants or any other personal non-public information.

• Copies of bad checks - Murphy's Law says the drafter could have some reasonable explanation or bank error, etc.
• Unless it is vetted by your attorney, I don't encourage posting a long list of "Don's" such as unleashed pets, etc. I say this because it can give the wrong picture of management. If you have them covered in the rules, that's enough - no need to shout.
• You'll notice above that I said "General fair housing-type posters," etc. There are several reasons: (a) There are many protected classes, and some municipalities have certain ordinances that add others. You don't want to inadvertently miss one or more. (b) Too much information detracts from the message, which is that you follow the fair housing laws. (c) Since there is always a risk of testers coming to the office, you don't want to open up a discussion about specific protected classes, etc.

On screening criteria I would give a cautious "yellow" light. Remember there always exceptions and if made, it exposes you to complaints from others seeking the same exception. If there are some simple, basic, criteria, e.g. 55+ rules, OK, so long as there is a proviso stating that they are general in nature, and other restrictions or limitations may apply - and direct the reader to the community rules. So not post any limits regarding occupancy, since the number of permitted occupants in a home can be dependent on the size and number of bedrooms, and federal law is different that Oregon law. Do not include income formulas, etc., since source of income, e.g. is protected, and you don't want to post incorrect information.

If you have a community-wide "no marijuana" policy, I'm generally OK with posting it, but make it's vetted by your attorney.

Answer.  Let’s start at the commencement of the tenancy. Rent may not be increased during first year of the tenancy. After the first year, rent increases are limited to an amount no greater than 7% plus the change in CPI (“Rent Cap”) over the prior rent.[1]  

Let me answer your questions in my hypothetical, assuming that you have month-to-month tenancies in place. Neither ORS 90.600 nor SB 608 place a limit on the number of rent increase notices you can issue during a 12-month period; the limitation under SB 608 relates solely to the amount of the increases.[2]

The law does not specifically address how one calculates the 12-month period when there are multiple increases, but logically, it seems you would start from the date of commencement of the tenancy,[3] and measure 12 months hence. So if the tenancy officially began on February 1, 2018, then February 1, 2019 would be the first anniversary date, and the time at which you could have a rent increase. 

So, if you wanted to increase rent on February 1, 2019, you would need to have issued a written  rent increase notice no later than October 30, 2018, giving you a full 93 days prior to February 1, 2019 (assuming the notice was mailed). 

The amount of the rent increase levied on February 1, 2019 would control how much more you can increase rent during the February 1, 2019 – February 1, 2020 period. If you levied three increases during this period, with proper written notices, they could not, in totality, be more than the Rent Cap. 

So assuming the annual change in CPI was 2.00%, the maximum sum of the increases cannot be more than 9.00% (7.00% + 2.00%) over the first year’s rent. If monthly space rent during the first year was $500, rent during the second year of the tenancy could not exceed 1.09% X $500, or $545.00 – regardless of how many notices you issued in getting there.

The amount of the first increase would dictate the amount of increase in notices #2 and #3. The totality of the increases during the February 1, 2019 – February 1, 2020 period may not exceed $45.00.[4]

Answer: After sending or delivering the 45-day abandonment letter, a landlord is required to store the home on the rented space and shall exercise reasonable care for it; and is entitled to reasonable or actual storage charges and costs incidental to storage or disposal. The storage charge may be no greater than the monthly space rent last payable by the tenant.

If a lienholder makes a timely response to a notice of abandoned personal property and so requests, the landlord is required to enter into a written storage agreement with the lienholder providing that the home may not be sold or disposed of by the landlord for up to 12 months. The storage agreement entitles the lienholder to store the home on the previously rented space during the term of the storage agreement, but does not entitle anyone to occupy it.

Note that the lienholder's right to a storage agreement arises upon the failure of the tenant or, in the case of a deceased tenant, the personal representative, designated person, heir or devisee to remove or sell the dwelling or home within the allotted time.

The lienholder must enter into the proposed storage agreement within 60 days after the landlord gives it a copy of the storage agreement. It is recommended that landlords include the storage agreement with the lienholder's copy of the 45-day letter, since the right to storage fees does not vest until the letter has been sent. The sooner the better.

The lienholder enters into a storage agreement by signing a copy of it and personally delivering or mailing the signed copy to the landlord within the 60-day period. The storage agreement may require, in addition to other provisions agreed to by the landlord and the lienholder, that:

• The lienholder make timely periodic payment of all storage charges accruing from the commencement of the 45-day period.
• A storage charge may include a utility or service charge, if limited to charges for electricity, water, sewer service and natural gas and if incidental to the storage of personal property.
• The storage charge may not be due more frequently than monthly;
• The lienholder pay a late charge or fee for failure to pay a storage charge by the date required in the agreement, if the amount of the late charge is no greater than for late charges imposed on other tenants in the community;
• The lienholder must thereafter maintain the home and space in a manner consistent with the rights and obligations described in the former tenant's rental agreement;
• The lienholder must repair any defects in the physical condition of the home that existed prior to into the storage agreement, if the defects and necessary repairs are reasonably described in the storage agreement and, for homes that were first placed on the space within the previous 24 months, the repairs are reasonably consistent with community standards in effect at the time of placement.
• The lienholder shall have 90 days after entering into the storage agreement to make the repairs. Failure to make the repairs within the allotted time constitutes a violation of the storage agreement and the landlord may terminate it by giving at least 14 days' written notice to the lienholder stating facts sufficient to notify it of the reason for termination. Unless the lienholder corrects the violation within the notice period, the storage agreement terminates and the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder.
• A landlord may increase the storage charge if the increase is part of a community-wide rent increase for all tenants, the notice is given in accordance with ORS 90.600 (1) (the rent increase statute).

Note that during the term of the storage agreement the lienholder has the right to remove or sell the home. Selling the home includes a sale to a purchaser who wishes to leave it on the space and becomes a tenant, so long as the prospective tenant is approved by the landlord pursuant to ORS 90.680 (the tenant sale and approval process). The landlord may condition approval for occupancy of any purchaser upon payment of all unpaid storage charges and maintenance costs.

If the lienholder violates the storage agreement (whether by failure to maintain the space or pay the storage fees), the landlord may terminate it by giving at least 90 days' written notice to the lienholder stating facts sufficient to notify the lienholder of the reasons for the termination. Unless the lienholder corrects the violation within the notice period, the storage agreement terminates as provided and the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder.

After a landlord gives a termination notice for failure of the lienholder to pay a storage charge and the lienholder corrects the violation, if the lienholder again violates the storage agreement by failing to pay a subsequent storage charge, the landlord may terminate the agreement by giving at least 30 days' written notice to the lienholder stating facts sufficient to notify the lienholder of the reason for termination. Unless the lienholder corrects the violation within the notice period, the agreement terminates and the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder.

A lienholder may terminate a storage agreement at any time upon at least 14 days' written notice to the landlord and may remove the property from the facility if the lienholder has paid all storage charges and other charges as provided in the agreement.

Upon the failure of a lienholder to enter into a storage agreement or upon termination of the agreement, unless the parties otherwise agree or the lienholder has sold or removed the property, the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder.

The abandonment statute, ORS 90.675, does not directly address you question about what happens if a landlord has followed the above protocols and the lienholders rights have been legally terminated. It is my opinion that the language saying that the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder should not be construed as if the remaining rules (regarding public or private sale, etc.) no longer apply to the lienholder. The landlord does not have to re-issue another 45-day letter, but should continue to follow the remaining sale/dispose protocols described in the statute, and should still recognize the rights of the lienholder to notification of the sale under ORS 90.725(10), and to any available proceeds pursuant to the distribution rules found at ORS 90.675(13).

Answer: After sending or delivering the 45-day abandonment letter, a landlord is required to store the home on the rented space and shall exercise reasonable care for it; and is entitled to reasonable or actual storage charges and costs incidental to storage or disposal. The storage charge may be no greater than the monthly space rent last payable by the tenant.

If a lienholder makes a timely response to a notice of abandoned personal property and so requests, the landlord is required to enter into a written storage agreement with the lienholder providing that the home may not be sold or disposed of by the landlord for up to 12 months. The storage agreement entitles the lienholder to store the home on the previously rented space during the term of the storage agreement, but does not entitle anyone to occupy it.

Note that the lienholder's right to a storage agreement arises upon the failure of the tenant or, in the case of a deceased tenant, the personal representative, designated person, heir or devisee to remove or sell the dwelling or home within the allotted time.

The lienholder must enter into the proposed storage agreement within 60 days after the landlord gives it a copy of the storage agreement. It is recommended that landlords include the storage agreement with the lienholder's copy of the 45-day letter, since the right to storage fees does not vest until the letter has been sent. The sooner the better.

The lienholder enters into a storage agreement by signing a copy of it and personally delivering or mailing the signed copy to the landlord within the 60-day period. The storage agreement may require, in addition to other provisions agreed to by the landlord and the lienholder, that:

• The lienholder make timely periodic payment of all storage charges accruing from the commencement of the 45-day period.
• A storage charge may include a utility or service charge, if limited to charges for electricity, water, sewer service and natural gas and if incidental to the storage of personal property.
• The storage charge may not be due more frequently than monthly;
• The lienholder pay a late charge or fee for failure to pay a storage charge by the date required in the agreement, if the amount of the late charge is no greater than for late charges imposed on other tenants in the community;
• The lienholder must thereafter maintain the home and space in a manner consistent with the rights and obligations described in the former tenant's rental agreement;
• The lienholder must repair any defects in the physical condition of the home that existed prior to into the storage agreement, if the defects and necessary repairs are reasonably described in the storage agreement and, for homes that were first placed on the space within the previous 24 months, the repairs are reasonably consistent with community standards in effect at the time of placement.
• The lienholder shall have 90 days after entering into the storage agreement to make the repairs. Failure to make the repairs within the allotted time constitutes a violation of the storage agreement and the landlord may terminate it by giving at least 14 days' written notice to the lienholder stating facts sufficient to notify it of the reason for termination. Unless the lienholder corrects the violation within the notice period, the storage agreement terminates and the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder.
• A landlord may increase the storage charge if the increase is part of a community-wide rent increase for all tenants, the notice is given in accordance with ORS 90.600 (1) (the rent increase statute).

Note that during the term of the storage agreement the lienholder has the right to remove or sell the home. Selling the home includes a sale to a purchaser who wishes to leave it on the space and becomes a tenant, so long as the prospective tenant is approved by the landlord pursuant to ORS 90.680 (the tenant sale and approval process). The landlord may condition approval for occupancy of any purchaser upon payment of all unpaid storage charges and maintenance costs.

If the lienholder violates the storage agreement (whether by failure to maintain the space or pay the storage fees), the landlord may terminate it by giving at least 90 days' written notice to the lienholder stating facts sufficient to notify the lienholder of the reasons for the termination. Unless the lienholder corrects the violation within the notice period, the storage agreement terminates as provided and the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder.

After a landlord gives a termination notice for failure of the lienholder to pay a storage charge and the lienholder corrects the violation, if the lienholder again violates the storage agreement by failing to pay a subsequent storage charge, the landlord may terminate the agreement by giving at least 30 days' written notice to the lienholder stating facts sufficient to notify the lienholder of the reason for termination. Unless the lienholder corrects the violation within the notice period, the agreement terminates and the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder.

A lienholder may terminate a storage agreement at any time upon at least 14 days' written notice to the landlord and may remove the property from the facility if the lienholder has paid all storage charges and other charges as provided in the agreement.

Upon the failure of a lienholder to enter into a storage agreement or upon termination of the agreement, unless the parties otherwise agree or the lienholder has sold or removed the property, the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder.

The abandonment statute, ORS 90.675, does not directly address you question about what happens if a landlord has followed the above protocols and the lienholders rights have been legally terminated. It is my opinion that the language saying that the landlord may sell or dispose of the property without further notice to the lienholder should not be construed as if the remaining rules (regarding public or private sale, etc.) no longer apply to the lienholder. The landlord does not have to re-issue another 45-day letter, but should continue to follow the remaining sale/dispose protocols described in the statute, and should still recognize the rights of the lienholder to notification of the sale under ORS 90.725(10), and to any available proceeds pursuant to the distribution rules found at ORS 90.675(13).

Financing Your Community  

By:  J. DiMarco and Gerard D. DiMarco

Almost every community owner at some point in time will experience the need for financing of some kind. There have been many ups, downs, and complexities of the financial markets over the past 25 years, and the impact these fluctuations have had on available loans has been huge. In this article we will address some of the important issues that community owners may face during the lending process.

Lenders are back after the credit crunch of a few years ago

Since the financial crisis that began around 2007, the capital markets began to slowly re-emerge in late 2010 and early 201 for manufactured home community lending on a wide scale. Today's lending market, combined with historically low interest rates, is the strongest it has been in years. Lenders are eager to provide long term fixed rate, non-recourse loans with 30 year amortizations on manufactured home communities. We are currently helping a customer refinance a five year commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) loan that closed in March 2010 (our records indicate it was one of the nation's first CMBS loan post financial crisis) with a ten year fixed rate loan at less than 4.25%. The existing loan the borrower is paying off had a rate of 6.5%.

A few other real world examples include recently helping a client lock a ten year fixed rate loan at 3.51%! Additionally, another client just secured a 4.2% long term fixed rate, replacing a rate of 6.5% from the previous note. The market has improved dramatically!

There are currently numerous lending platforms and options available for community owners including conduit lenders (CMBS), life insurance companies, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, credit unions, and traditional bank loans. There are also a wide range of product options and features available in today's financial market including bridge lending, short term floating rate debt, interest only, mezzanine debt, and flexible prepayment options. With so many options available, finding loan that suits your specific needs as a manufactured community owner is possible.

How to obtain a mortgage

There are two major components that lenders review when analyzing a loan request; the guarantor, and the property itself. On the guarantor side, most lenders look for an individual to have a credit score of at least 600 and a sufficient net worth. Even though most of the loans we offer are non-recourse, our lenders still look for those minimum requirements. On the property side, as a general rule, our lenders require a minimum loan amount of $500,000, a minimum debt service coverage ratio of 1.25x, and paved roads. There are also numerous aspects to manufactured home communities that make them unique compared to other asset classes.

Every community can qualify for a loan!

We have financed deals with low occupancies, private utilities, and low populations. However, having a better understanding of what lenders prefer can be helpful in assessing your property, or a potential acquisition, in preparation for a new loan. The type of loan and benefits of the mortgage depend on the checklist" of items a lender reviews. Some of the key components that determine the rate and terms of a loan include:

• Community quality
• Borrower experience and equity
• Loan-to-value (LTV)
• Financial and occupancy trends of the property
• Infrastructure quality - roads

Financing Your Community

Feature Article: Anthony J. DiMarco and Gerard D. DiMarco

Almost every community owner at some point in time will experience the need for financing of some kind. There have been many ups, downs, and complexities of the financial markets over the past 25 years, and the impact these fluctuations have had on available loans has been huge. In this article we will address some of the important issues that community owners may face during the lending process.

Lenders are back after the credit crunch of a few years ago

Since the financial crisis that began around 2007, the capital markets began to slowly re-emerge in late 2010 and early 201 for manufactured home community lending on a wide scale. Today's lending market, combined with historically low interest rates, is the strongest it has been in years. Lenders are eager to provide long term fixed rate, non-recourse loans with 30 year amortizations on manufactured home communities. We are currently helping a customer refinance a five year commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) loan that closed in March 2010 (our records indicate it was one of the nation's first CMBS loan post financial crisis) with a ten year fixed rate loan at less than 4.25%. The existing loan the borrower is paying off had a rate of 6.5%.

A few other real world examples include recently helping a client lock a ten year fixed rate loan at 3.51%! Additionally, another client just secured a 4.2% long term fixed rate, replacing a rate of 6.5% from the previous note. The market has improved dramatically!

There are currently numerous lending platforms and options available for community owners including conduit lenders (CMBS), life insurance companies, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, credit unions, and traditional bank loans. There are also a wide range of product options and features available in today's financial market including bridge lending, short term floating rate debt, interest only, mezzanine debt, and flexible prepayment options. With so many options available, finding loan that suits your specific needs as a manufactured community owner is possible.

How to obtain a mortgage

There are two major components that lenders review when analyzing a loan request; the guarantor, and the property itself. On the guarantor side, most lenders look for an individual to have a credit score of at least 600 and a sufficient net worth. Even though most of the loans we offer are non-recourse, our lenders still look for those minimum requirements. On the property side, as a general rule, our lenders require a minimum loan amount of $500,000, a minimum debt service coverage ratio of 1.25x, and paved roads. There are also numerous aspects to manufactured home communities that make them unique compared to other asset classes.

Every community can qualify for a loan!

We have financed deals with low occupancies, private utilities, and low populations. However, having a better understanding of what lenders prefer can be helpful in assessing your property, or a potential acquisition, in preparation for a new loan. The type of loan and benefits of the mortgage depend on the checklist" of items a lender reviews. Some of the key components that determine the rate and terms of a loan include:

• Community quality
• Borrower experience and equity
• Loan-to-value (LTV)
• Financial and occupancy trends of the property
• Infrastructure quality - roads

Financing Your Community

Feature Article: Anthony J. DiMarco and Gerard D. DiMarco

Almost every community owner at some point in time will experience the need for financing of some kind. There have been many ups, downs, and complexities of the financial markets over the past 25 years, and the impact these fluctuations have had on available loans has been huge. In this article we will address some of the important issues that community owners may face during the lending process.

Lenders are back after the credit crunch of a few years ago

Since the financial crisis that began around 2007, the capital markets began to slowly re-emerge in late 2010 and early 201 for manufactured home community lending on a wide scale. Today's lending market, combined with historically low interest rates, is the strongest it has been in years. Lenders are eager to provide long term fixed rate, non-recourse loans with 30 year amortizations on manufactured home communities. We are currently helping a customer refinance a five year commercial mortgage-backed security (CMBS) loan that closed in March 2010 (our records indicate it was one of the nation's first CMBS loan post financial crisis) with a ten year fixed rate loan at less than 4.25%. The existing loan the borrower is paying off had a rate of 6.5%.

A few other real world examples include recently helping a client lock a ten year fixed rate loan at 3.51%! Additionally, another client just secured a 4.2% long term fixed rate, replacing a rate of 6.5% from the previous note. The market has improved dramatically!

There are currently numerous lending platforms and options available for community owners including conduit lenders (CMBS), life insurance companies, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, credit unions, and traditional bank loans. There are also a wide range of product options and features available in today's financial market including bridge lending, short term floating rate debt, interest only, mezzanine debt, and flexible prepayment options. With so many options available, finding loan that suits your specific needs as a manufactured community owner is possible.

How to obtain a mortgage

There are two major components that lenders review when analyzing a loan request; the guarantor, and the property itself. On the guarantor side, most lenders look for an individual to have a credit score of at least 600 and a sufficient net worth. Even though most of the loans we offer are non-recourse, our lenders still look for those minimum requirements. On the property side, as a general rule, our lenders require a minimum loan amount of $500,000, a minimum debt service coverage ratio of 1.25x, and paved roads. There are also numerous aspects to manufactured home communities that make them unique compared to other asset classes.

Every community can qualify for a loan!

We have financed deals with low occupancies, private utilities, and low populations. However, having a better understanding of what lenders prefer can be helpful in assessing your property, or a potential acquisition, in preparation for a new loan. The type of loan and benefits of the mortgage depend on the checklist" of items a lender reviews. Some of the key components that determine the rate and terms of a loan include:

• Community quality
• Borrower experience and equity
• Loan-to-value (LTV)
• Financial and occupancy trends of the property
• Infrastructure quality - roads