The stereotype commonly held of mobile home parks and the types of residents who live there has created a strange phenomenon in the world of real estate assets: the inventory of mobile home parks is diminishing, which makes the opportunity all the more inviting to Kevin Bupp.
Kevin has experienced it all in the real estate investing space - single family homes, multifamily syndications, and now mobile home parks, which has captured his attention more than any other asset class. In this conversation, Kevin reveals why he is attracted to mobile home parks, how his team finds parks for sale, and what he looks for in a good deal or notices as a sign of a bad deal. If you're curious about the disrespected but lucrative asset class of mobile home parks, you'll want to hear this episode.
The comparison of mobile home parks to apartment complexes
From an operational standpoint, there are many things owning a mobile home park has in common with owning an apartment complex. Naturally, you're dealing with multiple "units" in both scenarios and there is a "rental" component involved (lot rent, in the case of mobile home parks).
But with mobile home parks the operating costs are much lower, simply because as the owner of a park you're typically only responsible for the upkeep of the common areas, utilities leading up to the homes, and the enforcement of rules for the park. You're not responsible for repairs to individual units at all. Join Jonathan as he discussed the advantages of mobile home park ownership with Kevin Bupp, on this episode of The Real Estate Launchpad.
The magic of marketing directly to the owner of a mobile home park
The traditional way to find opportunities to purchase any multifamily property, including mobile home parks, is through a broker. But brokers farm opportunities out to many potential buyers - that's what they do. That means if you're looking for a great opportunity in mobile home parks, you'll have greater competition and less opportunity to work out a deal especially suited to you.
That's the main reason Kevin and his team have developed their own proprietary way of reaching out to mobile home park owners personally, through direct mail, phone calls, and even in-person visits at times. In this episode, Kevin highlights why marketing direct to the owners of mobile home parks often provides the opportunity to be in front of the owner the moment they are considering selling and tells how his team has learned to capitalize on the opportunity once it comes.
FOMO is driving investors to buy properties that are too risky
For many years, the real estate market has been touted as the best investment opportunity around. More and more people are hearing about the very real benefits and are getting on board. But Jonathan and Kevin both see too many people tossing their money into investment opportunities because they are afraid of missing out, not because they are wisely considering opportunities and taking prudent steps.
Kevin and Jonathan discuss why it's important to consider individual opportunities on their own merits and how to build out worst-case scenarios for the next few years before you invest money in any real estate deal. The market will correct in time and you don't want to have your money in an investment that can't survive the downturn when it comes.
WHY do you want to invest NOW? Perhaps the most important question
There are really only two reasons people get into real estate deals. First is the issue of capital preservation. The sale of a previous investment could be on a timeline and you have to meet it in order to avoid taxes. In that case, it's wise to reinvest to avoid losses, but it needs to be done wisely in opportunities that are only moderately risky. The second reason is as a growth opportunity, an investment. There's nothing wrong with investing in real estate, it's what this podcast is about. But when markets are as hot as what we're experiencing now, you have to be very careful that the high prices and inflated numbers are not giving you a sense of security about a deal that is unrealistic.
As this episode of The Real Estate Launchpad wraps up, Kevin and Jonathan share their perspectives on the current market situation, explain why every investor needs to do their due diligence in underwriting deals carefully, and demonstrate how building out worst-case scenarios can reveal that a deal isn't all it's made out to be.
In This Episode Kevin Bupp says...
- [1:03] Kevin Bupp's experience in real estate and his current situation
- [2:22] Kevin's interest in the mobile home park industry and how he got started
- [8:20] The things that tell Kevin if a mobile home park is a winner or loser
- [17:07] Dealing with properties where mobile homes are included with the land
- [22:49] How operating a mobile home park differs from an apartment complex
- [26:20] Why are CAP rates better on mobile home parks?
- [30:56] How to Source opportunities to buy mobile home parks
- [37:35] Current conditions in the real estate market (9/2018)
- [41:16] If you are buying at premium prices you have to stress test opportunities
- [45:08] Unrealistic fees could warn you that a syndication deal is likely to fail
- [50:50] Jonathan's suggestions of what to do in this amazingly hot market
- [55:49] Kevin's advice: get educated, meet other operators, build your resources
Resources Mentioned In The Episode
- Marcus & Millichap
- Colliers
- [email protected] - Learn to be an Asset Manager and Investor
- Bellwether Enterprise (sponsor) - contact Will Oldham [email protected]
Connect with Kevin Bupp
- Kevin's Personal Website
- Sunrise Capital Investors
- Real Estate Investing For Cashflow Podcast
- Mobile Home Park Investing Podcast
Connect With Jonathan and Real Estate Launchpad
- To invest with me go to www.TwoBridgesMgmt.com/investors
- To learn from me go to www.MultifamilyLaunchpad.com
- Join my free Facebook community
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