Mobile Home Park Investing Newsletter

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is here again. And no holiday in America is more commercialized that this holiday season, which accounts for as much as 30% of many retailers’ annual sales. The fact that we are in a season that is a hallmark for spending seems at odds with our business model of providing affordable housing for those who don’t have a lot of money to spend. So how can we help those residents who want to have a nice holiday but are lacking the spending power to buy gifts and even plan that major holiday meal? While no park owner is tasked with providing financial help to their residents, this is a good time of year to think about how we can help our residents during the other 51 weeks of the year. One focus we have for 2018 is how we can help promote the sense of “community” in our properties. That will include methods to bring residents together and initiate activities and support. A big part of that will be how to more efficiently use our common areas for maximum impact in fostering resident interaction. While we can’t provide a gift to every resident for the holidays, we will try to provide the gift of a higher quality of life year-round.

We would also like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season! We hope you can join us for our annual Frank & Dave Christmas Special, where we will discuss the year of 2017, as well as predictions for 2018. But most of all, we want you to know that we are truly thankful for having you as our extended mobile home park family, and to share the fellowship of buying and operating mobile home parks together.

We also hope you’ll have a Happy New Year! We believe that 2018 has all the makings of the best year ever for the mobile home park industry.

So you’re driving down the road and you see this mobile home park. Is it a potential acquisition target or not? What are the clues that would make you think this is a good property to pursue? Let’s review.

Lousy signage

Note that the entry sign is a sheet of plywood with the words “Trailers & RVs” – nobody has used the “trailer” term on a sign since the 1970s. That’s about right, as the paint is falling off of it. And you can also see three poles to the left of the sign, inside the property, that are all missing the signs that used to be attached to them (probably a speed limit, “children at play” and “towing enforced”). Why would you either not put the signs back up on them, or remove the poles? That’s a dead giveaway that the owner is no longer that interested in the property, and suggests there may be other operational issues that could be easily resolved.

Chain link fence in poor condition

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, there was widespread use of chain link fence in mobile home parks – and that includes at the entry to the park. It was O.K. then, but is very unsightly today, as the top rail typically gets bent or missing, and then the rust sets in. This is another clue that the park owner is not actively engaged in park operations, as a modern owner would have replaced this unsightly fencing with white vinyl PVC products.

Poor mowing

The first thing you see in this photo is the grass growing out in the street. That’s a clear sign that the mowing in the property is sub-par. A good owner would have the grass mowed and edged, and anything growing into the street would be removed. Typically, mowing is a good indicator of the strength of management in the property. We have never seen a park with tight management and poor mowing, or vice-versa.

Bad landscaping

Note that the bushes and trees and shaggy and unkempt. This is another sign of management problems and owner lack of interest. This property does not have much to work with aesthetically, and a good owner would make sure that the entry landscaping – if nothing else – was the best in the park. Not here.

Clubhouse

Now for some good things that would make you more interested in this unkempt property. Number one is the fact that this property features an office/clubhouse at the front. Why that’s significant is two-fold 1) it suggests that this property is large enough to warrant this type of amenity and 2) it gives the idea that this park might have been built during one of the HUD park development programs in the 1960s, which created well-planned and over-built communities. There is no occasion when having a clubhouse at the front is a bad sign.

Concrete streets, curbs and gutters

One of the best indicators of the macro infrastructure in a mobile home park is the roads. Dirt roads typically accompany a well and septic, and are highly unattractive to lenders. Asphalt roads are the industry standard. But a notch above that are concrete roads, such as this property offers. Any park with concrete streets typically also has above-average infrastructure – and concrete streets are a huge turn-on for lenders and future buyers.

Frontage on a major road

Over the last two decades we have found that mobile home parks that are located on busy thoroughfares are some of the most successful. Of course, this makes common sense, as a park on a busy street gets lots of walk-in traffic and is easy for customers to locate. Additionally, many mobile home park residents like to be able to walk to basic services, such as the grocery store.

Location

You can’t tell from the photo, but you would if you had been there. This park is in a good location near retail and an airport. It’s not a fancy location – it is probably not a great school district – but it definitely has the market dynamics of a 100,000+ metro population, greater than $100,000 median home price, and greater than $1,000 per month average apartment rent. It’s also near a Walmart, just down the street.

What all this means

The best type of opportunity in buying mobile home parks – the #1 positioning – is when you have a property that has good “bones” about it, but is horribly mismanaged and unappreciated by the current owner and/or management. This allows you to buy a high-quality asset for a lower price, and then rapidly enhance the value by improving the appearance, raising rents, filing vacant homes and lots, and cutting unnecessary operating costs.

Conclusion

This park could well be a great acquisition opportunity. It has all the correct pieces. The next step would be to find the property owner through the tax assessor records and make contact. Where does it go from there? That’s up to you.

This is a photo from our recent MHU Investor’s Club Live Event in Indianapolis, inside our clubhouse at the property in Greenwood. A year ago, this was just a vacant room. Today, it’s a library for the residents of the mobile home park – both young and old. And it’s very popular, having use by students and adults seven days a week. So why turn a room in your park clubhouse into a library? Is it worth the effort?

The most valuable amenity

A recent Time magazine article proclaimed that the “sense of community” is the most important amenity that any mobile home park offers. It described mobile home parks as the “gated communities of the less affluent” – even though that was an unfair description of our residents. But the fact of the matter is that this sense of “community” is, indeed, probably the greatest asset that any mobile home park has to attract and retain residents. “Community” would be defined as the socialization and support network that every park has amongst its residents.

Something money can’t buy

Unlike any other amenity – from clubhouse to pool – the “community” amenity is something that you can’t buy as a park owner. You have to develop it. Your goal is to create areas for socializing and congregating that promotes positive interaction between residents of all ages. Much of these activities are virtually free, such as picnic tables or green spaces.

But a little thought and expenditure helps

However, the most effective amenities to promote “community” are a little more thought out – and expensive – than just throwing a picnic bench in a vacant lot. Some of the best include:

• Indoor rooms for meetings, card games, quilting and other activities. This can be nothing more than the old laundry building with basic paint and flooring, and a window air-conditioner and a source of heat. You can buy folding tables and chairs from Walmart to complete the setup.
• Outdoor meeting areas such as pavilions or a grouping of picnic tables, which are perfect for birthday parties and outdoor socializing. Covered pavilions are even better.
• Sports and game fields. Have a vacant, mowed field in your property? Add two goals and you have a soccer field. That’s one of the least expensive – yet most used – amenities you can create to foster resident interaction.
• Amenities that come from RV parks, such as outdoor grills and volleyball nets. Ask your insurance agent first.
• Playgrounds. But use sensible choices on playground equipment, based on suggestions from your insurance provider, and don’t forget the required fall zones.
• Splash pads. This is becoming a strong alternative to the traditional swimming pool, as it provides water and fun without a huge capital cost and water quality monitoring. We’re not even sure that kids don’t prefer the splash pad to the pool – look at what most water parks have more of.

But choose the plan wisely

Every park owner has limited space for amenities to foster community building. Think about what the options are and make smart decisions. If you really think about it, you can probably find a constructive use for every inch of your common areas that will foster a sense of community at a reasonable price. Also remember the old Ben Franklin adage “it’s not the cost of the fireplace but the cost of the wood” – namely you need to remember the annual operating cost, as well as the upfront charge.

Conclusion

If a sense of “community” is truly the most valuable amenity in any mobile home park, then you should immediately start planning to build this feeling in your mobile home park. Great amenities are what can create this sense of unity, and they are not that expensive if you use common sense.

We’ve been using Westland to buy mobile home parts for over a decade. We’ve bought entire 18-wheeler loads of skirting from them. And it always shocks us that more people don’t know they exist or what they have to offer. So here are the reasons that you should talk to Westland about all-things mobile home:

• They have thousands of items in stock – virtually the Home Depot of mobile homes.
• They have award winning customer service. That’s super-important when you don’t know exactly what part you need for certain homes (and don’t know the exact name of it, if you did).
• They are truly a “one-stop shop” for all your parts needs. It saves you from having to make endless calls to different vendors (and staying on hold) looking for just one certain item.
• They have great pricing. That’s why we buy 18-wheelers of skirting from them (trust us, everyone wants that order).
• They have built the business on long-term relationships and live by the Golden Rule. They will go out of the way to make sure you are happy with their pricing and service.

But there's one new fact that even old customers may not know - they are under new ownership. The new management is an energetic, entrepreneurial group that is open to new ideas and growing together with your business.

So if you want to be able to talk to people who know more than you do about how mobile homes are constructed and what part you need, and want to get great pricing and customer support, and want your parts shipped fast and tracked accurately, then you need to try Westland. You can reach them at 800-525-8847 or on their website. Tell them Frank & Dave sent you.

This is an antique store window in Charleston, South Carolina, down the street from where we hold the Boot Camp. It immediately brings to mind the fact that some assets grow more valuable with age, while others are at their most valuable the day they are built – which are exhibited at the modern furniture stores nearby. So how does age impact mobile home park valuations?

1960’s infrastructure vs. modern

While a brand new mobile home park will probably sport new PVC water and sewer lines, the best period of mobile home park construction probably dates back to the 1960s and a special program from HUD that promoted developers to build a new concept called the “mobile home park”. These “HUD” parks have some unique features. First of all, the owner was required to follow government specs on the construction, and that yielded overbuilt concrete pads, curbs, gutters and sidewalks, and extra-strong roads. The designers for HUD also mandated curving roads and the general feel of a residential subdivision. And then there were the amenities, which included a large clubhouse and swimming pool. We’ve been in hundreds of mobile home parks of all ages, and the best of the group very likely are the HUD properties from the 1960s. Modern parks aren’t as nice, as the developer would rarely spend the extra money to push the envelope like HUD required.

Old locations vs. new

Here is one area where older parks always have the definitive edge, and that’s in geographic location. It’s a general rule that the best mobile home park locations in America all date to the 1950s to 1970s. The simple reason is that most cities in the U.S. have effectively banned new park construction for decades. Virtually all of the newer mobile home parks we have seen built are in inferior locations to those of the days when cities had no hostility against our sector and allowed parks to be developed in stunning, quality locations that are right in the heart of town, or in the most desirable suburbs – even on the oceanfront.

Old homes vs. new ones

There’s no question that newer mobile homes are far superior to older ones. The colors are better, the room sizes are better, the floorplans are better – it’s just better in every category. There’s no way you can compare a home from the 80s or 90s to the new models. That being said, one attribute that new homes have that is less appealing is debt. Homes from all eras prior to 2000, at this point, probably have either a paid-off mortgage or a small remaining balance. This eliminates the potential for foreclosure and repossession, something that all park owners dread.

Conclusion

One of the most interesting aspects of the mobile home park sector is the reverse correlation of age and value, compared to virtually every other real estate niche. The “good old days” is more than just an expression when investing in mobile home parks.v

Obtaining a loan for a mobile home park can be difficult and time consuming if you do not know how to build an effective loan package, or which lenders to hit. And then there’s the unpleasant task of meeting with lenders and dealing with rejection, as well as knowing what terms are negotiable and how much you can push them. What’s the solution? For smart buyers, it’s MJ Vukovich at Bellwether Enterprise. MJ is one of the top loan brokers in the U.S. He goes out and gets the loan and all you have to do is pick which bank you want to go with from those that want the loan. It’s fast and painless, and the fee is around 1%, which is a real bargain. Best yet, you only pay on performance, with the fee due at closing. We’ve been using MJ with great success, and his real strength is in the “agency debt” arena with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, where his firm is a leading underwriter. Best of all, MJ is a third generation park owner, who understands the business and looks at the entire process from your perspective.

To get ahold of MJ Vukovich for questions or to get the loan process going, email him at [email protected] or call him at 612-335-7740. Let him know Frank & Dave referred you for VIP treatment. And let us know if your loan closes and we will send you a $500 gift card to the home improvement store of your choice to get you started on your park renovations.

America is in the middle of what is now known as the “Retail Apocalypse” – a retraction that is so severe that it has displaced more workers than any other employment sector collapse in history. Stores are closing everywhere, and giant sales are common. In fact, the advent of the internet has resulted in pricing reductions across many industries, from cars to boats. Yet you never see or hear about mobile home park discounts in lot rent (or home rent, for that matter). How is it that mobile home parks have been able to escape any downward pressure on rents?

Demand for affordable housing is gigantic – and still growing

There is probably no commodity in America that is more in-demand right now than affordable housing and – specifically – mobile homes. This is why the typical mobile home park phone rings constantly, with our average park receiving about 20 calls or more a week (some as high as 100). Given the simple rules of supply and demand, that kind of pressure on affordable housing equates to zero likelihood of rent decreases.

Supply is limited – and actually shrinking

Of course, the other side of supply is demand, and the great thing about mobile home park demand is that most city government has not allowed new mobile home park construction in the past 30 to 50 years (and zero chance going forward). If you really drill down on the numbers, actually, you’ll find that the number of mobile home parks in the U.S. is actually declining annually, thanks to re-development of some parks into other uses.

Very little competition among parks because the product is not “standardized” unlike a car

One of the key steps to declining prices is the “commoditization” of assets into standard units you can price-shop aggressively using technology or simply the telephone. But mobile homes are hard to put in a “box” – every unit is completely different. As a result, there is little competition among park owners. On top of that, many parks have no vacant homes to begin with, and there’s a $5,000 barrier to moving a mobile home from one park to another, so there’s no competition there, either. Without competitive forces, prices rarely decline.

The rents are ridiculously low to begin with

Of course, this is the biggest reason that you never see mobile home or mobile home park lot rents decline: they are way too low to begin with. In a country where the average apartment rent is around $1,200 per month, the national average of $280 lot rent seems stupid and $700 home rent equally crazy. For mobile home park pricing to be in-line with basic economics, the average lot rent would have to be around $500 per month and the average mobile home rent in-line with apartment rents.

Conclusion

While prices may be dropping on many products and services across America, you never see downward pressure on mobile homes and lot rents. And you are unlikely to see it going forward. There is probably no product that has greater price appreciation potential in the U.S.

Whether you are simply in need of an insurance quote or you have the unfortunate, yet common task, of filing a claim, Mobile Insurance is ready and waiting to take your call. We’ve used Mobile Insurance for over a decade, and their superior service is known throughout the industry. Kurt, the owner of Mobile Insurance, is a top resource for any park insurance question, and they provide free quotes on parks that you are acquiring. That’s why around 2,000 park owners in the U.S. are Mobile Insurance customers.

Mobile Insurance can help you engineer the policy you need to cover all your concerns, and their prices are unbelievably low. Being able to contact them when you need them is just as important. We recommend that every park buyer call them first, as we know of no other group that has the same expertise, quality of service, and low prices. Call them at 800-458-4320 or email [email protected].

This is an item that recently appeared on the popular show “American Pickers”. It’s a metal toy of the “Vagabond” mobile home (or “trailer” in that era). Based in New Hudson, Michigan, the Vagabond Coach Manufacturing Company produced high-quality travel trailers and mobile homes from 1931 until the late 1960’s. The company earned a reputation for manufacturing elegant, high-quality trailers. Starting in 1936, Vagabond began producing trailers with aluminum exterior siding. As part of the base housing shortage in World War II, Vagabond received an order from the U.S. Government to produce thousands of standardized Vagabond trailers to house military and civilian workers. For years, the Vagabond trailer’s familiar “bread box” shape remained un-changed, but in 1957 Vagabond introduced their new “10 Wide” models, while still retaining their standard “8 Wide” models. Lengths available were 35’, 41’ and 46’ lengths until 1960 when a 50’ and 54’ model were introduced. Vagabond coach interiors exuded quality, creating the “feel” of an elegant home with beautifully finished birch cabinetry and 1/8” birch paneling on the walls and ceiling. Vagabond trailers were ahead of their time, offering unique sliding pocket screen doors, and a full underside sheet metal belly pan. Later models included a unique forced-air heating system which heated passages under the entire floor as well as routing heat out of the ornate floor-mounted heat register grilles. Here are some interesting photos of the Vagabond-- a true American icon in the mobile home park industry.

How many deals have you seen go down the drain because there was attorney involved that stacked up a million roadblocks to even the simplest problems, and then failed to offer any path to solving them? This is called “deal killing” and some attorneys do this so that they take no risk – if the deal never happens, they can never be criticized for missing a deal point, or for not spotting a flaw in the contract. The problem with this, however, is that you can’t get anywhere in business if you can’t move forward on a single property, regardless of how good the economics and market are. At the other end of the spectrum are the “deal maker” attorneys that recognize real problems from trivial ones, and strive to solve these roadblocks using common sense and legal experience. And the best of those type of attorneys is Dave DiMarco from Woods Oviatt Gilman. We once had a deal go south in a big way – the very driveway into the property was determined to be on somebody else’s property. Any other attorney would have said “well, that’s it, the deal’s dead” but Dave DiMarco sprung into action. We located the owner, negotiated a purchase, personally handled the details, and the deal went forward. And all that over a weekend, no less. And that’s why we love Dave DiMarco and you should, too.

If you need service like that, then consider using Dave DiMarco on your next transaction. You can reach him at (585) 987-2833.

The temperatures across most of America are hitting freezing, and that means it’s time for the annual “winterization” of your mobile home park. So how does that work? Here’s a quick guide to the proper preparation of a mobile home park for freezing temperatures.

Common area structures

Laundry buildings and clubhouses – and any park structure that is utilized by residents – needs to have some form of heat. It can range from central, window or, in some cases, even a space heater (although only a liquid filled “radiator” type that can’t cause a fire) maintain heat at 50°.

Vacant lots

Turn the shut off so no water 4’ below. Cover in insulation and put a cover over it (5 gallon bucket) to keep insulation dry.

Vacant park-owned homes

1. Turn off the hot water heater.
2. Turn off the cut off valve (hopefully installed below the t-fitting) and open the drain valve.
3. Open all the water valves in the trailer to allow air into the system to replace the water that is now flowing out of the drain valve. This should be for both Hot and Cold valves.
4. While this is happening, go through ALL your cabinets and remove any and all food items, chemicals and other 'containers' that could possibly freeze.
5. After 90% of the water has drained from the system, close all the in house water valves except the highest point with both hot and cold valves. Using a portable air compressor and a few rags, connect the air hose to the valve spout and blow air into the system. Turn off the cold water valve first and continue putting air into the system through the hot water valve. This is an attempt to remove the water from the hot water heater tank. You might want to connect a hose to the heater tank drain valve and drain it independently if it's easy to get to.
6. When ALL the water has stopped coming out of the system, turn off the air compressor and then close ALL the valves in the home but leave the outside drain valve open. This one open valve will allow pressure to escape if need be. Ensuring that all the inside valves are closed will prevent someone from inadvertently (or on purpose) turning on the outside valve and filling your trailer with water.
7. Disconnect the water hoses from the washing machine. Drain any water still left in it. If you have an ice maker in your fridge, you should disconnect the line going to it and allow it to drain as well.
8. Pour RV anti-freeze into the toilet, tub/shower drains, and all sink drain traps.

Privately owned homes and occupied park-owned homes

Remind them to have good quality heat tape that runs from where it comes out of the home, around their water-meter and up to where it enters the home. Facets dripping also helps on the coldest days (below zero).

One of the biggest things going in the mobile home park industry is the CASH program from 21st Mortgage. If you own a mobile home park, the power of this program is astounding. You can fill vacant lots with zero out-of-pocket cost. You can get customers approved to buy homes with amazing speed and a “can-do” attitude. You don’t have to get in the middle of financing or the SAFE Act. And you can tap hundreds of thousands – or millions – of dollars sitting there in vacant lots. The demand for affordable housing in the U.S. is enormous, and the only thing holding most parks back from 100% occupancy are new and used homes that your customers can qualify for. With the CASH program, those obstacles can be overcome and your occupancy can soar. We are the largest users of this program in the U.S., and we know how great it is.

For more information on this program, call Candice Doolan at 800-955-0021 ext 1735 or email her at [email protected].

This is a photo of the first Brooks Brothers store in 1818. Just a small storefront in a forgettable block in the Northeast. From that small store grew one of the dominant brands in American fashion, which now boasts ___ stores across the U.S. So why do so many successful large portfolios begin with one small location and then organically grow from there?

Things that start small and grow are stronger – they have a better foundation

Do you remember the China Coast restaurant chain, started by General Mills back in the 1980s? Instead of opening just one store and learning what customers wanted – and then expanding slowly over time – they instead elected to open a hundred units at one time. The results were terrible – poor menu selection, poor quality control, and bad management. In only a few years the chain had completely gone out of business. The moral is that really strong expansion is based on slow and steady growth.

Things that grow over time tend to be of better quality

In most cases, the longer the amount of time it takes to build a portfolio, the better quality it is. You cannot build a museum overnight and have every painting a masterpiece. The Meadows Museum in Dallas was created by an oilman who wanted to build a giant museum very rapidly. He bought many paintings sight unseen – and with zero due diligence – and the end result was that many of the paintings were later proven to be forgeries.

The analogy of the “mighty oak”

Maybe the best example of the benefits of starting small is the “mighty oak” tree. The oak is well-known for being a superior hardwood specimen with an extremely long lifespan. It starts from a simple acorn, and grows slowly and steadily into a work of arborist art. By comparison, the hackberry tree grows astoundingly fast, and the wood is poor quality and the trees have a short lifespan.

Conclusion

Most every successful mobile home park portfolio begins with a single property. It’s the strongest strategy, and the correct one for most portfolio builders. Dave and I each began with just one park each, and we believe that starting small and being selective is the secret to really learning the business and creating a solid group of properties.

If you enjoy this monthly newsletter, then you will certainly also like the Manufactured Housing Review – the industry’s only monthly magazine that covers many different industry topics. Edited by our friend Kurt Kelley of MobileInsurance, MHR offers many insights and opinions that reflect current events in the affordable housing industry, with no topic taboo.

To view this month’s issue, click here!

This is one of the oldest Dairy Queens in the U.S., located on Route 66 in St. Louis. It unfortunately closed recently. Unlike mobile home parks, restaurants have not aged well. You can see from the photos that this structure lacks a drive-thru window, or indoor seating. It also has virtually no parking. Apparently, back in the days of Route 66, people would walk up, get their ice cream, and drive off – not exactly what modern customers are looking for. All park owners should be very thankful that our industry has aged extremely well, because not all real estate sectors have been so fortunate. Mobile home parks from this same era are doing just fine, with the only complication being smaller lots that won’t accommodate larger, more modern mobile homes. But, except in a few instances, mobile home parks are immune from age obsolescence.

When it comes to Phase I Environmental Assessments, nobody in the industry is more knowledgeable than Mike Renz. He’s our go-to guy for all things pollution-oriented, from Phase I reports to simply asking questions on what we see going on next door to the property (or even inside that concerns us). We were once walking through a property and saw a brown colored solution oozing from the property. Within minutes, Mike had pulled up the data and figured out what it was (rusty water from an iron-ore- rich artesian spring). That’ the kind of information that we find invaluable in today’s litigious world of environmental condition. On top of that, we’ve had Phase I reports that failed for existing pollution, and Mike Renz has been able to solve them by using common sense and technology, like the time he proved the EPA wrong by doing a simple core-drilling to prove that a supposed landfill on a mobile home park did not actually exist (it had been phoned into the EPA by a former manager who had a grudge against the owner). If you want that level of expertise on your side, then you need Mike Renz to be your Phase I Environmental provider. That’s who we use, and he’s amazingly good.

You can contact Mike Renz at (614) 538-0451.

To advertise here, you must be a member of the MHU Investor’s Club which is a program available to our Mobile Home Park Boot Camp and Mobile Home Park Home Study Course customers. Contact us for more information.