The RV Park Mastery Podcast

Most RV Park buyers consider any property owned by a large company to be “off - limits”, but the truth is that good buys can be derived from big players in certain circumstances. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the methods and situations that making buying from larger owners attainable.

One of the worst members of the legal profession is the attorney known as a “deal killer”. They walk the earth bringing nothing but misfortune and lost opportunities to the real estate industry – and sometimes they show up in RV Park deals. In this RV Park Mastery podcast , we’re going to review the standard methods of disarming this type of human roadblock.

Many RV Parks are owned by partnerships – two or more individuals who get together to buy and operate a property. But is that the right fit for you? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the positive and negative attributes of partnerships.

With the advent of warmer temperatures comes the responsibility of mowing your RV Park. But who should you hire to do it and what should it cost? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the correct methods and strategies to get ready for mowing season.

Dependable income is always desirable, yet many RV Park owners are missing out on some proven methods to make cash - flow something you can count on each month. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore some methods of fine - tuning your occupancy to make sure that fixed costs and mortgages can be covered with ease.

While many new RV Park investors are self - conscious until they have that first property under their belts, the truth is that the “newbie” investor has certain advantages over the seasoned players. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to unlock the strengths of being new to RV Park investing and why fresh investors often beat out their more professional adversaries.

America is filled with a plethora of massive shifts in consumer sentiment, demographics and economic cycles, all of which were labelled “Megatrends” back in the 1980s. However, RV Parks have the advantage of escaping the wrath of the most damaging of these shifts, while benefitting from virtually all of the good ones. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how this occurs.

RV Park buyers all have different financial conditions and down-payment restrictions, but the good news is that there are methods to buy RV Parks with very low – or no – capital required. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the methods of buying RV Parks with lower amounts of money at your disposal.

The late Sam Zell – the largest owner of RV Parks in the U.S. – often said “when a deal has low-risk and high-reward you should always buy it, when a deal has high-risk and low-reward you should never buy it, and the only deals you need to think about are high-risk/high-reward ones”. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to properly analyze high-risk/high-reward deals.

There’s a fear factor to doing something you’ve never done before, and that’s only natural. But if your cold feet are holding you back, that can ruin our life financially. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review constructive methods to fight your fear when buying an RV Park.

One of the best ways to find an RV Park to buy is by sending out direct mail campaigns to current owners. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review time-tested methods to make these more productive and some of the main lessons learned on how to build an effective mailer.

Seller financing is a great way to handle the banking on an RV Park – or it can also be a trap. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the fine points that separate a successful seller carry transaction from an unhappy buyer’s mouse trap.

While RV Parks are often all about temporary housing, a growing trend is for Americans to live in their recreational vehicles full-time. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the “permanent housing” side of the industry and how it can be an important addition to many RV Parks.

The late Sam Zell was the largest owner of RV Parks in American history – and he was a huge fan of unstable economic times. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review what Sam Zell might be saying about this current chapter in America.

Once you have set your goals in buying an RV Park it’s essential that you never relax those standards. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the correct way to derive your target metrics and then the essential reasons you must never change those, regardless of events.

The RV Park business model is based on the goal of attaining the highest occupancy and revenue possible given the existing location and structure. But not all RV Parks share the same path to achieve this noble purpose. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to expand your net income through the careful use of park models.

The most fundamental rule of economics is “supply and demand”. Yet too many RV Park buyers fail to grasp how the single most important factors in your success is simply how easy it is to build another RV Park down the street. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review how to determine future supply and why it’s so vital to your long-term profitability.

When you own an RV Park there are seven words that can save you a ton of money: “is that the best you can do?”. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how you can shave significant money off any vendor interaction – and teach good business skills to your manager – with this one simple question.

Taking chances with the hope of making money is known as “calculated risk”, while doing so with zero hope of making money is simply “reckless”. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to unlock what these “reckless behaviors” are for RV Park owners and how to eliminate them.

There’s an old saying in business that “first you get on, then you get honest” – and that’s definitely true in the RV Park industry. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore why most RV Park buyers have to take a leap of faith at the beginning and then solidify their position later. We’re also going to review some methods to mitigate your risk when doing so.

Non-Disclosure Agreements are a common part of buying RV Parks, but they have to be properly analyzed to protect your interests. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the concept of NDA’s, what the risks are, and how to mitigate them.

Every good RV Park contract should allow the buyer to cancel during the due diligence or financing contingencies. But how can you cancel a contract without burning your bridges with the seller or broker? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore some smart methods to give you the power to cancel deals without offending the other parties involved.

In 1982 John Naisbitt published "Megatrends" which referred to forces so strong in the economy that you could not prosper unless you were aligned with them. There are a huge number of "megatrends" at work in the U.S. economy today and in this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review each one and how it relates to this sector.

It can often be a huge shock when you get the seller’s financial numbers during due diligence. And how those align with what they promised you can have some important consequences in your view of the property. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how numbers alignment can tell you a lot about a property.

If you’re trying to find an RV Park to buy, then one of the most important forces to harness is “volume”. Even average negotiators can come away with great acquisitions if they simply employ the power of numbers. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review how you can put together an aggressive campaign to build greater volume of deal flow, as well as why banking on numbers is a well-proven method of being a better buyer.

It’s OK to be proud of being the owner of an RV Park, but you still want to build a firewall to protect your private time. In this RV Park Mastery podcast, we’re going to show you some real-world tricks to maintain your privacy and give you the freedom to be both an owner but also someone who has a happy home life.

Being a deal maker is much more than just looking at RV Parks for sale and making offers. The best purchases often require forging a winning construction through the use of creativity and inclusion. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review how to build better deals using your brain and people skills.

When you go to get a loan for an RV Park you can either do it yourself or use the services of a “loan broker”. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the positive attributes to having a real professional obtain your loans and discuss why we use them on all of our deals.

Cold calling RV Park owners is a great way to find deals. But it’s very uncomfortable for those who have not done it before. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review some great ideas to reduce your fear of “smiling and dialing” and help you make this an important part of your sourcing of potential deals.

Most forms of commercial real estate are set in stone. You can’t easily convert a factory building into a hotel or an apartment complex into a retail strip center. However, RV parks hold the enviable ability to morph into a number of product lines based on market demand. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the chameleon - like nature of real estate’s most adaptable business model.

In the RV Park universe there are basically three successful types of partners. But what are they and how do they work? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review these three type of partnerships, discuss how you could benefit from them, and explore how to manage them successfully.

Most RV Park deals revolve around a down - payment and a first - lien mortgage. But some deals have one additional financing tool: a seller second. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how seller seconds work, the legitimate purposes they can play, one pitfall they can create.

Some RV Park sellers simply put a price on their listings. And others attach words to that price – or offer no price at all. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the hidden meanings of these unusual seller price disclaimers.

When you are buying or operating an RV Park you get no shortage of people giving you their input. But which ones should you listen to? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the methodology required to sort such “experts” into those who are worthy of listening to versus those that should be disregarded.

Warren Buffett is the most successful stock investor in American history. And, as an RV Park owner you can easily match and beat his performance metrics. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the legacy of the “Oracle of Omaha” and why it’s not that hard to beat his rate-of-return with this unique real estate sector.

One of the most important skills you can possess as an RV Park buyer is the art of negotiation. While most buyers understand the concept of starting low and triangulating the final price from the back-and-forth of price haggling but one element that often goes overlooked is the “Flinch”. In this RV Park Mastery podcast, we’re going to review what the “Flinch” is and why it’s imperative that you adopt it immediately when negotiating on RV Parks.

Millennials have become a bigger demographic than Baby Boomers – and that’s fine because they seem to have the same love for RVs as their older predecessors. But the problem is that many RV Park owners are doing a poor job of welcoming in this younger segment of customers. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review some basic steps to increase your share of the “younger generation”.

Much has changed in America since the pandemic, and one of those net effects has been the inability to hit time targets. Thirty days of diligence has been the standard in the RV Park industry for decades, but is that really realistic today? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the diligence process and determine what the important deal points are regarding the selected time period.

There’s little to like in the national news today. Between a pending recession, the war in Ukraine, the war in Israel, inflation and the highest interest rates in 40 years, there’s plenty to be depressed about. But all that negative news is great news for RV Park buyers. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore why all of the bad things going on in America right now is an “opportunity creator” for buyers.

The typical mom and pop seller has owned the RV Park for decades. But sometimes a seller has been running the property for a much shorter period, even a matter of months. What are the implications when a seller has been only a short-term owner? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the risks involved in buying from one of these type of sellers, and how to mitigate them.

Every good RV Park buyer uses a contract that has a “due diligence contingency” and the purpose is to allow you to cancel the agreement if the deal does not meet your expectations. But the art form is to terminate the deal without burning any bridges. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review constructive steps to cancelling with the seller without causing hard feelings or being excluded by the broker to look at other deals.

We all know that a non-recourse loan is better than a recourse loan – but is recourse as bad as it sounds? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the real risks of recourse debt as well as concepts to mitigate it and actually embrace it.

How much research do you do on the property before you sign the agreement and put it in the title company? While you don’t want to waste your time, the truth is that too many RV Park buyers wait way too long before getting their deal locked up, and that’s a mistake. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the strategy behind why you need to tie the RV Park up first, and do the diligence later.

It would appear that interest rates are about to begin their descent after the fastest rise in 40 years. Beginning in 2022, Jerome Powell from the Fed decided to take the rates from 0.25% to 5.5%. However, that all appears about to turn and this will usher in some great advantages for RV Park investing. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review what these benefits will be.

Brokers have been the source of more than half the deals we’ve purchased over the past 30 years. But one big mistake some buyers make is to look at the broker as more than just the source of the RV Parks they buy. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the reasons why you should keep all brokers as great resources for deal flow but not turn them into deal evaluators or sounding boards for your turn-around concepts.

There are many strategies to better serve your goal of forging a deal with the seller, but few are as effective as “inclusiveness”. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to make “inclusive” deals and what the net effect can be.

Many RV Parks are sold utilizing seller financing. But on those deals your negotiation does not just revolve around the purchase price – the way you negotiate the seller’s note is just as important. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the key points of negotiation for seller notes.