Skip to main content

The Mobile Home Park Mastery Podcast

Welcome to the Mobile Home Park Mastery Podcast where you will learn how to identify, evaluate, negotiate, perform due diligence on, finance, turn-around and operate mobile home parks! Your host is Frank Rolfe who, with his partner Dave Reynolds, has ranked as high as the 5th largest mobile home park owner in the United States.

Talking About My Generation ... Of Electricity: Episode 452

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 452

The Wrong Type Of Mailbox Money: Episode 451

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 451

Why Berkshire Hathaway Doubled Down On Housing: Episode 450

Warren Buffett is no longer in charge of Berkshire Hathaway day-to-day operations, and the new CEO made his first investment ... into the housing industry. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore why Greg Abel bought Taylor Morrison Homes and what it means for the mobile home park industry.

Listen To Episode 450

What You Can Learn About Residents From Their Cars: Episode 449

One item that we can only guess on as mobile home park buyers is what our prospective tenants are like. There’s no vetting process in due diligence and we typically only know their names and if they’ve paid their rent. But you can actually learn a lot about your customers based on the cars they drive. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review what can be gleaned by the cars on those parking pads.

Listen To Episode 449

All About Propane: Episode 448

Propane is a liquefied gas that is highly flammable – and essential in many mobile home parks to provide heating, hot water, and the ability to cook. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore, in detail, everything you need to know about propane and why it can be an essential utility method in certain circumstances.

Listen To Episode 448

How An American REIT Got Lost In England: Episode 447

Sun Communities, a U.S. REIT, lost a rumored $500 million on the purchase and sale of its holdings in the United Kingdom. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore what happened and what the lessons learned are for U.S. park operators that dare to venture outside America’s boundaries.

Listen To Episode 447

In Search Of The Big Offset: Episode 446

There is no perfect mobile home park. But there is a perfect mobile home park deal. To get there you have to have an item so great that it offsets each deal’s inherent flaws. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the great deal points that can offset the negatives.

Listen To Episode 446

How Much Is Enough?: Episode 445

To buy a mobile home park requires effort and risk, and you’re not going to go forward unless you feel the profit potential is compelling. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review some of the standard units of measure that most buyers are seeking – and are attainable.

Listen To Episode 445

How Much Time Do You Need?: Episode 444

There’s an old saying that “time is money” but in the mobile home park business, time can be millions made or lost, with time being the key item to navigate with financing and investor commitments. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how much time to budget for the key components to any mobile home park turnaround.

Listen To Episode 444

What Sellers Don't Tell You About Rental Homes: Episode 443

When you’re looking at buying a mobile home park, the seller will always tell you glowing stories of how great and valuable their park-owned rental homes are. They’re lying to you. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to expose the top truths about rental homes that the sellers will never tell you.

Listen To Episode 443

Emotion Vs. Reason: Episode 442

Most Americans make decisions on impulse and emotion and then rush to find the logical reasons for doing what they did – and mobile home park residents are no different. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to do a better job of appealing to both emotions and reasoning.

Listen To Episode 442

What You Can And Can't Do Without A Signed Contract: Episode 441

Just like the Kentucky Derby, you can't jump the gate despite your enthusiasm to start the race. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we're going to review the typical protocol of what the buyer should, and should not, do in the absence of a fully executed agreement.

Listen To Episode 441

In Search Of More Affluent Customers: Episode 440

Walmart is remodeling stores in pursuit of households earning $100,000+. Dollar Tree is expanding their offerings to bring in higher - earning customers. And mobile home parks are in pursuit of the same category of shoppers. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to examine the reasons and steps being taken to move up a notch from simply “affordable housing”.

Listen To Episode 440

The Difference Between Suggestions, Requests And Demands: Episode 439

A mobile home park is a bit of a political animal and you have to be able to interpret the degree of danger discussions with city hall bring to the table. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we're going to learn the differences between city hall suggestions, requests and demands.

Listen To Episode 439

The Stages Of Turnaround Success: Episode 438

Just like the recent Artemis launch, bringing an old mobile home park back to life involves successfully navigating a number of stages – each with a most basic purpose. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore these phases of a park turnaround and what you have to mainly focus on to be successful.

Listen To Episode 438

Forbidden Things: Episode 437

Buying and operating mobile home parks comes with many decisions that are made based on understanding the odds and risks. But there are some things that you must never do because the results can be so damaging that they might end your career. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review these forbidden things.

Listen To Episode 437

All About Loan Assumptions: Episode 436

Sometimes the best way to get a deal financed is simply to step into the shoes of the existing park owner. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the concept of “loan assumptions” and what you need to know about this often - overlooked option.

Listen To Episode 436

The Utility Disruption Playbook: Episode 435

Every property will, at some point, have a utility disruption. How you handle this eventuality is extremely important in mitigating the irritation of your residents. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review some of the logical steps that can help you in better handling this inconvenience.

Listen To Episode 435

The Fake Occupancy Trap: Episode 434

The Fake Occupancy Trap Most investors think that there are only two classifications for any lot: vacant or occupied. But there’s also a third category that few talk about and we call “fake occupancy”. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the meaning behind this term and how you can prevent your mobile home park from falling into this trap.

Listen To Episode 434

Why The Industry Is So Fragmented: Episode 433

There are around 44,000 mobile home parks in the U.S. yet only around 4,000 of these are owned by larger players – the most fragmented of any real estate sector. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the reasons why the “trailer park” industry has still not consolidated.

Listen To Episode 433

Why Nobody Cares About Market Occupancy: Episode 432

In virtually every sector of real estate, a big focus of due diligence is market occupancy – except for mobile home parks. Why is that? In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore the unique reasons that the occupancy of other parks is not always an accurate indication of demand and, for most buyers, is mostly ignored.

Listen To Episode 432

Used Home Horror Stories And How To Avoid Them: Episode 431

Buying a used mobile home is supposed to be a positive step to fill a vacant lot. But sometimes it can rapidly spiral into a nightmare scenario. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review what can go wrong with a used home purchase as well as how to proactively guard against those issues.

Listen To Episode 431

Security Tips: Episode 430

Every park owner wants their residents to feel secure. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore options to enhance your park’s safety as well as concepts that have proven to be more of a disadvantage than a benefit.

Listen To Episode 430

When – And When Not – To Splurge: Episode 429

Maybe you came into a windfall and want to invest a little more money than you budgeted. Or perhaps you want to test an extra enhancement to help your park break through to a new level. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to review things you can do to get that extra edge – if you’re willing to pay for it – and some concepts that are always a waste of money.

Listen To Episode 429

Using Your Frontage As A Marketing Tool: Episode 428

Most mobile home parks have a powerful marketing tool that is rarely used but highly effective – and nearly free of cost. In this Mobile Home Park Mastery podcast we’re going to explore how to use your road frontage as a successful marketing opportunity on a number of fronts.

Listen To Episode 428