I talk about buying, improving, & operating campgrounds & outdoor hospitality. 12 years of commercial real estate experience. 7 campgrounds & counting.
If you're thinking about buying/building an RV or glamping resort, campground, or other type of Outdoor Hospitality asset,
here are 4 steps to understanding your local market:
1/6
This thread is intended to show you how to get a 10,000-foot view of your local market,
NOT a deep-dive comparable analysis, which will come soon!
2/6
Jan 8, 2023 โข 9 tweets โข 3 min read
๐งต (1/8)
Operating expenses on seasonal campgrounds/RV parks
I've been working on a proforma (forecasted profit & loss) for a portfolio of campgrounds for discussion purposes with investors who are interested in getting involved in such a venture.
What does this look like? ๐
(2/8)
First, let's describe this hypothetical portfolio. We're talking about 1,000 sites across ideally 7-10 seasonal parks located in ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY or PA. The parks will average 80-90% full-season campsite rentals (vs. transient) on private water and septic.
I've learned many lessons after my 1st season at my RV park/campground.
Some of these may be obvious to you #SMBTwit guys and gals but I am just a simple RE guy trying to run a seasonal campground.
Here goes:
(2/12)
1. If you're buying your 1st park and have never managed 1, manage it yourself for a season.
You should know the park & ops like the back of your hand b4 u expect anyone else to do it effectively.
Unless u r a seasoned pro with an ops team, u should do it yourself 1st.
Mar 5, 2022 โข 14 tweets โข 3 min read
๐งต RV Park 101
Due Diligence - Infrastructure
(1/14) A large learning curve for me when I opted to buy an RV park was familiarizing myself with the unique facilities and infrastructure at an RV park.
This thread will cover enviro, water/sewer/septic, electrical, and facilities
(2/14) Enviro
This goes for virtually any piece of commercial property. GET A PHASE I! This is a high level report you can have an environmental firm run for a few thou. If they find any problems and you want to to pursue the deal, you will have to for further on-site testing.
Mar 3, 2022 โข 15 tweets โข 3 min read
๐งต RV Park 101
Due Diligence - Financials
(1/15) Much like other real estate asset types with heavy mom and pop concentration, RV park books are often a mess.
First, let's dive into auditing income using an RV park deal I recently acquired.
These books were definitely a mess!
(2/15) I was sent 3 yrs of tax returns, a pile of receipts, reservation slips, and a spreadsheet put together by the seller to try and make sense of it all.
Tax returns provided nothing more than context, because the income was drastically underreported and expenses overreported
Feb 23, 2022 โข 8 tweets โข 2 min read
๐งต RV Park 101:
(1/8) Letโs talk about financing RV parks. This is one of the great inefficiencies in the industry that stops a ton of investors in their tracks, but also creates a lot of opportunity.
There are a few obscure national banks out there who will lend on RV parksโฆ
(2/8) that will lend at up to ~65% LTV, 20 yr amort, and interest rates in the 5โs. However, theyโre likely not going to lend to anyone that doesnโt have a track record in the industry.
Next stop, local banks located near your target RV park: certainly worth reaching out toโฆ
Feb 22, 2022 โข 4 tweets โข 1 min read
๐งต RV Park 101:
(1/4) On the hospitality side of the industry, we generally have 2 broad categories of parks/campsites:
Transient - short-term stays. Near tourist destinations or conveniently located off the highway with easy in/out sites, โpull-throughsโ. E.g. KOA Journeyโฆ
(2/4) Seasonal/long-term stay - more of a destination park. Also more common in colder climates as parks are closed for the winter season. More highly amenitized. Sometimes โresort-styleโ. Think of the RV as becoming a vacation home for the consumer. E.g. KOA Holiday or Resortโฆ
Feb 21, 2022 โข 4 tweets โข 2 min read
Hey SMB people:
๐งต Looking at a biz that sells sheds and auxiliary buildings. Not much inventory, mostly custom orders taken from customers and sent to the builders. Biz receives unit from builder and delivers to customer.
What kind of multiple on EBITDA I should be targeting?
And keep in mind Iโm a real estate guy so please explain it like Iโm a full-on idiot. #SMBTwit#SMB