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 t…

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 in…

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…

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 thin…

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 typ…

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 se…

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.Frank Rolfe

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 …

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 t…

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 …

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.Frank Rolfe

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.Frank Rolfe

Once you’ve owned your RV park for a while, invariably you will receive a call or letter from someone wanting to buy it from you for more than you paid. Should you take the money? Is there another option? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the reasons to sell versus hold on as well as the difference between selling and refinanci…

Equity Lifestyle (ELS) is a public REIT and the largest owner of RV Parks in the U.S. They recently announced their 2023 earnings and there are some interesting conclusions that can be drawn from them. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore what the ELS financial performance suggests about the future of the industry.…

RV Park owners have the benefit of getting paid twice: once with monthly cash flow and then a second time with appreciation in value. So how does this occur and how can you estimate your rate of return with this knowledge? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore why RV Park owners get paid twice and what this means for your investmen…

You can pay managers a flat rate or include a bonus. But never pay managers with equity in your RV Park. In this RV Park Mastery Podcast we’re going to focus on why giving managers part ownership in your property is never a winning strategy.Frank Rolfe

Some sellers and brokers will try to convince you that you’re crazy when making an offer – that the property is worth twice that amount. But you’re not the crazy one. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review how RV Parks are valued and why the crazy one is the one that does not follow the math.…

There are two givens in life they say: death and taxes. And those tax returns can often be the death of many RV Park deals. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the ins and outs of seller tax returns including what they can tell you about the property as well as what to do when they don’t match what the seller tells you.…

Part of bringing an older RV Park back to life – so it can be the best it can be – encompasses making structural repairs and upgrades to the infrastructure and amenities. But ever since Covid the availability of qualified workers is greatly diminished. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review some creative ideas to find workers with th…

Most of the time you are buying from the original mom and pop builder of the RV park. But sometimes you end up with the next generation – which could not be more different in goals and personalities. So how do you bridge the age gap? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to give you real-life tips on cutting deals with the heirs.…

Of all the important formulas that revolve around RV Park investing, there is one simple fact that explains how the business functions and what makes RV Park investing successful. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review what that fact is and the many ways it applies to the business.Frank Rolfe

If you have even one vacant space in your RV park then you’re losing potential income and value. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the top five ways to boost any RV park’s occupancy – and all of these are things you can do right now and at very low cost. If you harness these five strategies you can boost your occupancy quickly.…

With loan interest rates high and the economy troubled, many RV Park deals are requiring an element of creativity to get finalized. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we're going to review the types of creative thought and strategy that can make deals possible and how to get the seller to be as enthusiastic as you are to embrace their outside-the-box …

If you watch the news right now you will come to the conclusion that the world is coming to an end – which is pretty accurate. Recession is certainly on its way to the U.S. and investments should all be currently graded by their resilience in tough economic times. And one of the best of that group are RV parks, which are well positioned to survive …

The standard construction of an RV park purchase contract is for the buyer to put up refundable earnest money, subject to the findings of due diligence and financing. However, some sellers and brokers will float the idea to you of that earnest money being non-refundable on day one. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to drill down on this c…

Many RV parks are seller financed and the topic of interest rates is always a part of that discussion. So how do you properly set the interest rate on a seller note? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the necessary steps and strategies to selecting the right rate.Frank Rolfe

A good manager can really push your business forward – and a bad one can wreck it. And since even good managers can go bad over time, it’s important that you don’t provide your manager with the ability to cause you harm even after you’ve replaced them. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review smart tactics to make sure that you can foc…

Frank Rolfe

One of the methods to find an RV park is to look at “online” listings –typically on RVparkstore.com or Loopnet.com. But there’s a lot you need to know about how to properly navigate this deal-finding platform. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the basics and give you some tips to be more successful in the online arena.…

Seasonal RV parks have a continual challenge: surviving the off-season when revenue can sometimes equal zero. However, there’s a way to balance the off-season out with the addition of park models, allowing people to live full time in the RV park. Additionally, some RV paks that are open year-round can still benefit their revenue stability by adding…

As the U.S. heads toward a potential recession in the next few months, the logical question is how that economic reality will impact the RV park industry. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to drill down on this topic and identify the potential issues to consider. As you’ll see, there’s a lot to consider.…

When a seller signs a contract, the general expectation is that they will go through with it. But what do you do when the seller has second thoughts and later wants you to render the agreement null and void? That the focus of this RV Park Mastery podcast, in which we review the options when this circumstance may arise.…

Every RV Park in America gets an annual tax bill – but how you approach it makes all the difference. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the normal strategies that are employed to try and address your property tax obligations.Frank Rolfe

When you’re doing due diligence on an RV Park the worst thing you can do is to make early decisions about whether or not you’re going to go forward with buying it. A good buyer must remain like Switzerland and remain neutral until all of the facts have been explored. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review methods to remain impartial …

Frank Rolfe

When looking at buying an RV park, there are three units of mathematical comparison that are the most important: 1) cap rate 2) cash-on-cash, and 3) cash flow. In this RV Park Mastery podcast, we will drill down on what these are, how to calculate them, and what they mean when acquiring an RV park property.…

When the seller won’t agree to the amount you think the RV park is worth, is there anything you can do but simply walk away? In this RV Park Mastery podcast, we’re going to examine six different methods you can use to make deals happen even when the seller is originally reluctant to give you the price you need.…

There are countless stories of individuals who bought RV parks that were underperforming and made them into huge success stories. But was that triumph because they were lucky or smart? In this episode of the RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to investigate the concepts of “luck” and “skill” to properly identify which is the key ingredient to succ…

Sometimes you get an RV Park deal ready to be signed up, but the seller keeps procrastinating. You feel helpless to push them over the top, and it drives you nuts because you’re afraid that another buyer will come along and steal your opportunity. So how can you create seller urgency to propel them forward and get your deal signed? That’s the focus…

There is nothing more dangerous to stay on budget with your RV park than the relationship between the manager and contractors. Even the best-planned renovations and property updates can go bad when a manager gets involved in the process. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review how a manager can ruin your budgets – and even create liab…

Some RV Park sellers have perfect, computerized financials that you can seamlessly give to lenders. But others have numbers written in crayon and still others are missing the financials altogether. Can you still buy those properties? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the various scenarios of incomplete financials and the message…

We have employed hundreds of managers over the past few decades, and some properties have suffered through two or three manager changes in one year. After you have owned and operated RV parks for a while you start to lose hope that you can make a single hire and that manager will last until you sell the property decades into the future. Yet it happ…

Sam Zell is the largest owner of RV parks in the United States with over 160,000 lots. And he has attained that stature through a heavy focus on risk. Zell sees risk as a tool and the healthy byproduct of taking chances in the pursuit of making money. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore Zell’s views on risk and how to use that co…

Every storm cloud has a silver lining, and higher U.S. interest rates can be used as an important lever to obtain desirable seller financing on RV Parks. How does that work? In this RV Park Mastery Podcast we’re going to break down the action steps to convince the seller to carry paper, as well as tips on how to get the job done.…

Getting a loan to buy your RV park is an essential part of the business model, unless you are obtaining seller financing. So what really goes on in those bank loan committee meetings and how can you impact that discussion from outside the room? In this episode we’re going to discuss how banking works and what you can do to improve your odds of succ…

Buying an RV park typically includes a due diligence period and financing contingency. But what do you do when you can’t meet the timetable spelled out in the contract? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review constructive steps to successfully obtaining an extension from the seller if that is necessary. In a perfect world everything w…

Between Hurricane Ian and the Federal Reserve it’s easy to get paralyzed by fear when looking at any RV Park deal – or even simply going to the grocery store. But life must go on. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review decision-making techniques to help reduce your stress and to make better decisions possible on when deals should – o…

We live in an era of virtual assistants and delegation in the search of the “4-hour work week”. While there are some things you can assign to others, much of what’s needed to make good decisions in RV park investing can only come from your own experiences and information derivation. So what can you outsource and what do you need to actively be invo…