In the 1982 John Naisbitt coined the term “Megatrends” to describe the major upheavals in American society that would influence the future for decades. But that was nearly 40 years ago. Since that time, many have already come and gone. So I’m going to make a new list of the megatrends that are ramping up in America and how they may impact the mobile home park as an investment vehicle. Grab your model of the Starship Enterprise because we’re going to look way into the future for direction on what 

There are many interesting tiny home designs being provided around the world. This article on MSN recently showcased some of the best we’ve seen. So will these be showing up in RV parks in the U.S. in the near future? The truth is that some already are.

Here’s a note we received recently, from someone who had taken our outdoor billboard course: “I would never be where I am today without your mentorship. Building the billboard business has given me the flexibility to have a better life. Thank you again for everything!” -Steve B. So how can an investing course on outdoor billboards actually change your life?

The Covid-19 pandemic has not been kind to urban self-storage investing. In fact, it’s a downright disaster. Here’s what the New York Times had to say: What once seemed like one of the few recession-proof parts of commercial real estate looks as vulnerable as many other businesses. And then backs that up with the facts: Monthly rent for new customers before one-time discounts for a 10-by-10 unit without air-conditioning and heat, for example, declined 4.3 percent nationwide on an annualized basis, according to the research site Yardi Matrix. For the same unit with climate control, rent fell 6.7 percent. You can read the entire article here.. So what happened and are their any bright spots?

Affluent residents sometimes take their cash and credit and use it to buy a boat. Or an RV. Or some large object they want to park in their driveway. And sometimes this can create a problem. So how do you deal with boat and RV owners who are proud of their purchase but need some place to put it that won’t offend their neighbors? In this video, we discuss how to deal with boats, RVs and similar objects. And, unlike Gilligan’s Island, it’s not a three-hour tour.

In less than 45 days the United States will hold a Presidential election, as well as many other federal and state offices. Elections are always a time of concern: how will the winner impact RV park investments? In this RV park mastery podcase, we discuss the real facts behind the issues that could impact RV parks, and what the best and worst case might hold on these various items. Whether you are a Republican or Democrat, this podcast will shine light on what you need to know regardless of who wins in November.

All billboards are built on leased land. Or land owned by the sign company. Well, not quite. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we going to talk about that third option in which the billboard company owns the right to have the sign on someone else’s land and to service it there. This concept has merit in many markets but also has a fair amount of risk both for landowners as well as billboard companies. We’re going to discuss the concept, how it works, when it wins, and how to mitigate the risks.

There are two types of self-storage investors: 1) those that got into the industry early and rest on those laurels and 2) those that are making it happen in 2020. However, the storage industry loves to only embrace the narratives of the first group, and rarely talks about those entering the industry today and the issues that are important to them. And to succeed today you pretty much have to shun the first group and rely more on those who are real-time buying and operating under the new realities the industry faces. In this episode we’re going to talk about why there are two entirely different views of the industry, why one is more important than the other, and a call to action on the megatrends and issues of those who are trying to make money investing in storage facilities today.

Abraham Anderson went to our Boot Camp in 2019 with nothing more than the vision of investing in mobile home parks. Less than two years later, he is the 100th largest owner of mobile home parks in the U.S. with 11 parks totaling 632 lots.

There are around 44,000 mobile home parks in the U.S., and not all of them are following the same business model. While the vast majority of park buyers and lenders are focused on the “renting land” model, there are some who engage in the “detached apartment” concept. But does that concept work? In this week’s Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast, we’re going to examine this business model and give its strengths and weaknesses, as well as moments in which it might work and settings in which it would fail. Warning: this knowledge may change your perception.

A common question for most investors is whether it’s more profitable to build a self-storage facility from scratch or to buy an existing one. There are many issues to consider on this topic, but here is a basic explanation of the good and bad aspects to both.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been the key news story of 2020, having thrust the U.S. economy into a tailspin with self-quarantine mandates and reduced or closed non-essential businesses. And, in many ways, it has created a new narrative on many industries, either for the good or the bad. Assuming that these type of situations may occur again even once the Covid-19 issue is solved has changed many business models permanently, and it’s important to look at the long-term impact the pandemic has had on the RV park industry in particular.

The modern mobile home park office wears many hats: it’s a place for current residents to feel at home and get their questions answered as well as a place for new residents to sign contracts and leases. In this video we will show you what the perfect office looks like in 2020.

The slang term “skin in the game” is defined by Wikipedia as “one having an incurred risk (monetary or otherwise) by being involved in achieving a goal”. It was made popular by Warren Buffett, who prefers that high level officers in a company have direct money in the venture to ensure their alignment of priorities with investors. So who really has “skin in the game” regarding mobile home park investing, and who is lacking that alignment of interests with you when you write that earnest money check? In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore this topic in detail, and define who is really on your team vs. those who could care less after the closing has occurred.

I have an old 1950s pinball machine in my house that serves two purposes 1) entertainment and 2) a constant reminder about the facts of investing. I believe that this game – titled “Super Circus” – can give more investing wisdom with one nickel than Warren Buffett can in an entire book. So what are the lessons learned? In this RV Park Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss the key lessons my old pinball machine teaches, and how those apply to successful RV park investing.

There’s no better form of financing for a self-storage facility than “seller carry” – the concept of the seller creating their own mortgage to finance the purchase. But how do you get it? And what should you watch out for?

One of the biggest self-confidence busters when you’re starting out with trying to build, buy or rent billboards is the concern that you look “small” and therefore can’t compete with “big” companies. Even though many property owners and advertisers prefer working with the “underdog” there’s no question that there are certain traits of big companies that you want to copy to give greater confidence to the customer. So how can you look “big” when you’re “small”. In this Billboard Mastery podcast we’re going to review the many tricks you can adopt to give the appearance of being much larger than you are in real life.

“Cash out” refinancing is extremely attractive to all investors, as it allows you to “recycle” your capital over and over to build a portfolio of properties. Or it also allows you to remove all risk from any certain deal and gives you cash to build a financial safety net. Whatever the goals may be, obtaining “cash out” is somewhat of an art form, and there are certain strategies required to achieve it. In this week’s Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to discuss this game plan regarding “cash out” and what the deals look like that carry that potential.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an order temporarily halting residential evictions for failure to pay rent until December 31, 2020 if the resident provides the “declaration” that they meet certain criteria. This misguided concept is re-writing eviction laws once again and causing mobile home park owners to thank heaven that they are not apartment owners. So why will mobile home park owners fare better than apartment owners in this latest restriction in making some tenants pay rent?

Some self-storage facility owners – particularly those that deal in raising capital in syndications – are trying to proclaim that the Covid-19 pandemic has created a “strong buying opportunity” in storage properties. However, this is simply not the case. Instead, Covid-19 has brought a valuable lesson learned to the storage industry as well as a prediction for the future.

Negotiating to buy an RV park can seem awkward – it’s not a skill you use every day. That being said, it’s an extremely important skill to have as it can create a ton of value if you get the RV park for less than you would have otherwise. So how can you harvest this skill and make yourself the best negotiator possible in a short amount of time? Here are some suggestions.

So you have a billboard with one side facing traffic going into town. There’s a ton of potential advertisers, and it never seems to go empty. However, the other side is heading out of town and there are no immediate advertisers for miles and miles. How do you rent that type of sign?