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Manufactured Housing Industry Honors Ken Kvalheim and Jim Tidmore

Ken Kvalheim (right) is presented his Hall of Fame plaque by 2008 honoree Phil Fowler.

A large crowd was on hand at Bevill State Community College in Hamilton, Alabama on Wednesday, February 13, to witness the induction of Ken Kvalheim of Mobile and Jim Tidmore of Birmingham into the Alabama Manufactured Housing Industry Hall of Fame.

The Alabama Manufactured Housing Industry Hall of Fame is the highest honor Alabama has for people in the manufactured or modular housing industry. 38 people have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since it was established in 2001.

Nominees must have made a significant contribution to the industry, owned, managed, or been a part of a successful business that contributed to the manufactured housing industry and been active in the industry in Alabama for at least 10 years. The candidates are reviewed for new developments or improvements to the industry, contribution and participation in industry association work and community service outside the industry.

Ken Kvalheim has served on the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association's Board of Directors for 15 years as Developer Representative. He has served on numerous committees and in all the officer positions, the most recent serving 3 terms as Chairman of the Board. He was named the AMHA Person of the year in 2012.

Mr. Kvalheim has specialized in using modular housing in disaster recovery housing projects. His projects have been featured in national and regional publications. He completed a FEMA Alternative Housing Pilot Program which was selected by the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. as a Feature Program.

Ken accepted the honor and stated, "Manufactured and Modular Homes enable people to have the American dream of home ownership and also our homes allow disaster victims to eliminate the nightmare of losing their home." He thanked everyone that had supported him in this industry.

Jim Tidmore (right) is presented his Hall of Fame plaque by 2008 honoree Phil Fowler.

Jim Tidmore began his career in the manufactured housing industry in 1972 at the Adamsville location of The Home Place. The Home Place opened the second Retail Sales Center in Birmingham in 1980. He has been involved in developing and operating manufactured home subdivisions and communities. Jim's accomplishments through his career include being named the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association Person of the Year in 2007.

Upon acceptance of the honor, Mr. Tidmore stated, "I accept this honor on behalf of all my staff, because of their work, loyalty and longevity with me this has been possible."

Real Estate Agents: HUD Code (Manufactured Home) or a Modular Home?

Licensed real estate agents must know if a home is a manufactured home, or a modular home when listing or selling the home, and licensed real property appraisers who use comparables from MLS sources must ensure the comparable was listed correctly.

Both homes are built in a factory and delivered to the site and installed. However, each home is built to a different building code; manufactured homes are built to the HUD Code, a federal building code, and the home has a red HUD Label on the back of each section of the home; a modular home is built to the International Residential Building Code 2006 and has a State of Alabama Modular Insignia inside the home, usually on the electric panel box.

Definitions:

Manufactured Home:

A structure defined by and constructed in accordance with the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, Title VI-MANUFACTURED HOUSING CONSTRUCTION AND SAFETY STANDARDS as amended by the Manufactured Housing Improvement Act of 2000, Title VI 42 U.S. Code, Section 603(6). A Manufactured Home bears a RED HUD Seal affixed to the rear of each section of the home. The home was built after June 15, 1976.

Mobile Home:

This is a home that was manufactured in a factory prior to June 15, 1976. It does not bear a HUD Seal.

Modular Home:

A modular home is built to the International Residential Building Code 2006. It is a factory-built home consisting of units designed to be incorporated at a building site on a permanent foundation and to be used for residential purposes and which bears an insignia that indicates compliance with the codes and requirements established by the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission (International Building Code) Alabama Code 24-4A. The Insignia is placed on the electrical panel door of a residential modular home.

Site-Built Homes:

Homes constructed by a builder or contractor on-site that may meet standards set by the local building code. In Alabama this is the International Residential Building Code.

For additional information you may contact Sherry Norris, Executive Director AMHA at snorris@alamha.org