The August 2026 Commercial Real Estate Investing Newsletter
Commercial Real Estate Mastery Podcast: Episode 39 - More Successful Cold Calling Methods
One of the best ways to find a property to buy is utilizing “cold calling”, which translates to simply picking up the phone and reaching out to potential sellers. In this Commercial Real Estate Mastery podcast we’re going to explore some modifications and refinements to this approach that can increase your odds and reduce your stress.
Listen To Episode 39How The Lowly Trailer Park Beat Out The Glamorous Office Building As An Investment
In this short video, Frank Rolfe explores the reasons behind the office building’s fall from grace (with alarge share currently upside down on their mortgages) compared to mobile home parks, which have lessthan 1% of total loans in distress.
Watch The VideoGetting It McDunn: From 4 Tenants To 16
When Dan McDunn bought Trinity Alps RV Park in Weaverville, California, the place had four full-time tenants and did about $130,000 a year. Eighteen months later he is sitting at sixteen monthly tenants, three units rented on Airbnb, and by his own numbers a park on track to do $180,000 to $190,000 this year. He shot this update himself, walking the property site by site, and it is one of the most useful eight minutes you can spend if you have ever wondered what the turnaround actually looks like from the inside.
Watch The VideoDoes Your Mobile Home Park Really Need an Office?
A mobile home park needs good management, but that does not automatically mean it needs a traditional office. With online rent payments, electronic records, phone and text communication, and centralized bookkeeping, many of the functions that once required a dedicated building can now be handled elsewhere. The right office arrangement should be based on what the property actually needs.
Read MoreChoosing the Right Trash System for Your RV Park
Trash collection is not one of the glamorous parts of owning an RV park, but it can become a surprisingly large operating issue when handled poorly. Overflowing dumpsters, scattered garbage, unnecessary hauling costs, and damaged roads all come from making the wrong choice. The goal is simple: provide enough capacity for the customer while keeping the system economical and easy to manage.
Read MoreWhat Makes a Self-Storage Facility a Strong Acquisition?
A self-storage property can look great from the road and still be a bad investment. Fresh paint, a new office and attractive landscaping are nice, but they are not what ultimately determines performance. The real question is whether the property has the basic ingredients—the “bones”—that give an operator something worthwhile to work with.
Read MoreHow to Choose the Right Lighting Plan for a Billboard
Billboard lighting has changed considerably over the years. Today, LED fixtures can produce more usable light with much less electricity than the old high-wattage systems. But the basic rule has not changed: there is no single lighting package that works for every billboard. You have to design the illumination around the individual location.
Read MoreCommercial Real Estate Mastery Podcast: Episode 38 - The Art Of Winning With Contractors
Regardless of what sector of real estate you are engaged in, working with contractors is a necessary part of the job and one that comes with huge financial and risk ramifications. In this Commercial Real Estate Mastery podcast we’re going to review the necessary steps and strategies required to make your contractor interactions highly successful.
Listen To Episode 38Mobile Home Park Mastery Podcast: Episode 454 - The Other Side Of Higher Lot Rents
All you hear in the news is the socialist perspective on capitalism and higher lot rents – that’s all the media will allow you to hear. But there are two sides to every story, and it’s about time that the true story of higher lot rents be told. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the positive and necessary reasons for higher lot rents and why park owners are actually the good guys in this story, not the bad.
Listen To Episode 454Money To Be Made In The Easiest Manner
So you’re driving down the road and you see an abandoned billboard – either some barren poles or some weathered plywood with no ad on it. Believe it or not, that rotting sign might pay your utilities for the rest of your life. What am I talking about?
Read MoreThey Call Them Heavy Lifts: The Profits Weigh A Lot
Major Hillard went to Boot Camp three times – he does everything in a big way. And when it comes to buying mobile home parks, he likes big turnarounds because he’s learned those offer the greatest profitability. In this fact-based and fast-paced discussion, Major tells us how he finds his deals, finances them, what he looks for, and where he likes to buy. He’ll also offer his thoughts on a range of related topics including lot rent increases, the value equation for residents, and even the future of the industry.
Watch The VideoTen Sheets Of Paper That Can Change Your Life
In this short video Frank exposes ten financial facts that will change your investing outlook and point you in the correct direction (which is the exact opposite of what the financial planning community tells you). If you want to actually improve your financial security, then these ten facts will need to become your mantra. Otherwise, as you’ll see, you’re screwed.
Watch The VideoMobile Home Park Mastery Podcast: Episode 453 - The Optimal Park Size
The mobile home park industry has long faced the question of optimal park size. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the issue of whether to buy one really big property or several smaller ones, as well as the permutations of size on everything from financing to management cost.
Listen To Episode 453RV Park Mastery Podcast: Episode 155 - Changing Product Lines To Make More Money
An RV Park is simply a parking lot for recreational vehicles. And how you utilize that land and permit can have a huge impact on your net income and asset value. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore potential avenues for many RV Parks that can be more valuable than what they’re doing now.
Listen To Episode 155Self Storage University Podcast: Episode 153 - Don’t Be A Victim Of Broker Gaslighting
Many self-storage buyers look for direction from real estate brokers. But in today’s market, that can often lead to bad investment choices. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to review some of the untruths that the brokerage community is telling buyers as well as what you really need to know.
Listen To Episode 153Billboard Mastery Podcast: Episode 149 - All About Roof Mounts
One of the oldest styles of billboard structures in America are what are called “roof mounts” – signs that are physically built into roofs of buildings as their structural support. Dating from around the 1920s to 1960s, most cities will no longer allow you to build these, but they sometimes come on the market to buy. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the history of this type of sign and what you need to know if you are looking at buying or operating one.
Listen To Episode 149Commercial Real Estate Mastery Podcast: Episode 37 - The Beauty Of Pessimism
The definition of a “pessimist” is “a person who expects the worst outcome”. There is much to worry about in American real estate investing today, but even in the great sectors like mobile home parks, being a “pessimist” is a great way to approach deals. In this Commercial Real Estate Mastery podcast we’re going to explore why a negative approach can actually protect you from bad decisions and help you forge outstanding transactions.
Listen To Episode 37Making 20% Already? Don’t Watch This
When you take out income taxes and inflation devaluation, a 10% rate of return really doesn’t get you anywhere (and that’s what stocks produce). Even worse, CDs and bonds don’t even cover taxes and inflation. To build wealth you have to hit 20%, just as Warren Buffett did. And the only way to hit that today is with mobile home parks.
Watch The VideoWho Has The Biggest Moat In America?
In Medieval England, a successful “moat” was considered to be 50’ wide. At that width it was impossible for a knight-in-armor to cross and attack the castle walls. But the American mobile home park has a much bigger “moat”. It’s 50 years wide. That’s how many years it’s been since virtually every city and town in America banned new mobile home parks from being built. And that “moat” makes trailer parks the most protected asset class in real estate.
Watch The VideoNothing Lasts Forever – Except Mobile Home Park Cash Flow
Most investments have a shelf life. A CD typically expires in one to five years, and a T-Bill normally lasts up to ten. Half of all small businesses fail within five years, and those that don’t rarely make it to ten. A residential mortgage – the longest form of investment with a standard dividend – burns out after thirty years. And the average life of a public company on the S&P 500 is only eighteen years – 1/3 of what it was in the 1960s.
Read MoreCommercial Real Estate Mastery Podcast: Episode 36 - Don’t Worry About The Road To Housing Act
Congress recently passed the “Road to Housing Act” which was supposed to make significant changes in housing and create new complexities in investing in that sector. However, the final version is not the landmark initiative that America was promised. In this Commercial Real Estate Mastery podcast we’re going to review this legislation in detail.
Listen To Episode 36Mobile Home Park Mastery Podcast: Episode 452 - Talking About My Generation ... Of Electricity
Certain critical items in your park run on power and if it goes out, you’re in big trouble. The back-up plan is often a gas-powered generator, but which one do you get and what should you pay? In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the facts about power generation.
Listen To Episode 452What Resident Vehicles Can—and Cannot—Tell You About a Mobile Home Park
A drive through a mobile home park can reveal a great deal about daily operations, but resident vehicles must be evaluated carefully. Cars are not a reliable measure of a person’s credit, occupation, or character. They are more useful as indicators of property upkeep, rule enforcement, parking demand, and management standards.
Read MoreWhere Will the Next Great RV Park Markets Appear?
Destination RV parks are still very much a part of the industry. In fact, the concept has expanded. Some parks benefit from being near a major attraction, while newer RV resorts attempt to become the destination themselves through pools, events, recreation, cabins, and other amenities.
Read MoreSecurity Is a System, Not a Camera
Customers rent self-storage space because they expect their belongings to remain protected. That makes security more than an amenity. It is part of the product you are selling. A gate or a row of cameras may look impressive, but real security comes from several layers working together.
Read MoreWhat Antique Signs Still Teach Us About Great Billboard Design
Old commercial signs are now displayed in museums, restaurants, and private collections, but they were never created as decorations. They had a job to do: attract attention, identify a business, and communicate an idea quickly. The technology has changed, but the basic rules behind an effective sign have not.
Read MoreIs Real Estate Investing Inherently Evil?
Without real estate investing, we would all be living in caves. While some may like this option because they like camping, this is not a way for the majority of humans to live. We want a nice home, schools for kids, hospitals for healthcare – all kinds of stuff. But none of this is possible without real estate investment. In its absence, all you have is a hunter-gatherer society living in caves and huts made of tree limbs. So you can't knock real estate or your knocking the collective civilization of the world.
Read MoreAn Interview With A 4-Decade Industry Veteran Who Has Built An Impressive Portfolio Of Parks In One Of The Most Competitive States: Ali From California
Ali is a resident of Northern California and has been in the park business his entire life, as a member of a seven-generation family real estate office. And he is as bullish on the industry today as when he toured his first park. In this interview, Frank Rolfe talks with Ali about his portfolio, lessons learned, and visions for the future. As usual, the information is fact-based and fast moving.
Watch The VideoThoughts On Efficient Portfolio Construction For Self-Storage Properties
Lay’s potato chips has the slogan “bet you can’t eat just one” – and the same can be said for many self-storage investors. They buy a property and then they buy another one. And since that’s the likely scenario, there are some things to ponder regarding building a highly efficient portfolio. So what are the issues to consider?
Read MoreMobile Home Parks Have Up To Four Times Greater Tax Advantages
Mobile home parks already have superior returns (20% attainable), protection from competition (the “moat”), and the strongest level of demand in all of real estate (affordable housing). But now add to that list up to 4 times the tax advantages of any other property sector. In this discussion, Chris Dantin from CSSI – Cost Segregation Services explores how accelerated and bonus depreciation work and why mobile home parks are the #1 real estate asset to benefit from these programs.
Listen To The AudioCommercial Real Estate Mastery Podcast: Episode 35 - The Insider Guide To Attorneys
Nobody likes attorneys, but they can be a necessity in certain situations. But, that being said, there are some things you should know regarding how to work around lawyers. In this Commercial Real Estate Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to handle the selection and management of attorneys.
Listen To Episode 35Mobile Home Park Mastery Podcast: Episode 451 - The Wrong Type Of Mailbox Money
How the U.S. Postal Service delivers mail to your tenants is not of your concern – until they make it that way. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review the rules on mail delivery and how the postmaster can often try to manipulate you into exceeding your obligations.
Listen To Episode 451RV Park Mastery Podcast: Episode 154 - What I’ve Learned From Master Salesmen
Salespeople are excellent communicators, and reading their biographies can be very enlightening. I’ve been reading books about great salesmen for decades, and there is much that can be applied to your RV Park. In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore some of the best lessons learned from America’s best salespeople.
Listen To Episode 154Self Storage University Podcast: Episode 152 - The Science Behind Seller Note Minimum Standards
Given the current lending upheaval with storage facilities, obtaining seller debt is a welcome change from traditional banks. But there are some minimum thresholds regarding seller note construction that you need to be aware of. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to explore the science behind these minimum standards.
Listen To Episode 152Billboard Mastery Podcast: Episode 148 - Lessons Learned From Digging Holes
Whether it’s monopole, I-beam, or telephone pole, every billboard begins with digging giant holes in the ground. And there are many things that can happen when you dig a hole, and many things you can hit below the earth’s surface. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the lessons learned from digging hundreds of such holes.
Listen To Episode 148
