Anyone Bought an RV Park?

[Hal Cranmer]

Hey,

I am working with someone who has been in the mobile home business for about 20 years and has owned several parks. He has found an abandoned mobile home park that he thinks he could convert into a 62 space RV park in South Texas. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with RV parks and what they think about them? Thanks. I would just be an investor in it.

[Belinda Lopez]

I classify parks into two categories; resort and residential.  This sounds like a residential or man camp type park.   In Texas, these parks cater to long-term residents either contract type workers during building booms and then lower income residents during other times.  John is right, you need to find out why it's empty.  What is the local population?  What are the largest employers in the area?  Is there a plant or other industry that has shut down?  If the area is growing, then it could be a good time to convert but if there's already been a bust then you'll have a hard time filling the park.

You might want to look at those things and also place some test ads in craigslists to see what the interest in the spaces would be.