RV trader... Buy and Sell...
Under Construction
When a real estate developer creates a new RV park and begins offering individual lots
for sale, he knows that to get sales, he must expose the project, become a
trader. If no one visits the park nothing will be sold. A location
along a popular main road may provide the necessary parade of RV buyers. A major city close by may make promotion
a local affair. When a park is restricted to a limited group of RVers, motor homes for example, national or regional
advertising may be necessary to contact enough qualified buyers. What ever the situation, the park developer is
financially motivated to make his project well known to RVers and get the project sold.
Owners Take Control
When the developer finishes, and a park is controlled by the owners, a very different
condition emerges. With no interest in public exposure, all forms of promotion stop. Sometimes private parks, wishing
to avoid the public, ban all in park “for sale” signs, and take steps to severely restrict access. Just as the developer
wanted exposure... private parks often want just the opposite.
Time To Sell
All of this would make little difference to anyone, except for one big thing.
An owner, at any time, may
need to sell his RV property. A health problem, a change in circumstance, or any number of events can trigger the
need. Fact: All owners will at some time need to sell! If this happens years after the developer sold out, the park may
well have slipped from public consciousness. Unlike a rental park where management strives for directory listings and
publicity, the private park exists quietly for the pleasure of the owners. All well and good, but what of the need to
sell??
[ED: It is difficult to understand the way some Boards treat the owners
that wish to sell their RV lots, prohibiting even small "for sale"
signs, offering badly out-of-date sales lists, and very difficult access. The
effect of these actions is to hurt member owners not only from a time-on-market
point of view, but price as well.]
The Real Estate Agent
To the rescue ? Maybe... maybe not ! Real estate sales as practiced in the USA is a
very local business. Remember, location, location, location or “lister is king” saying that those with listings do well?
This suggests that if you have a “good property” and an active agent things should go well. The concept of,
(1) get the
listing, (2) plant the sign, and (3) wait for the calls, really does work
! More than 50% of homes are sold from yard sign calls.
But, can our RV buyer drive by? Is our buyer a local fellow? Probably not!
What if he can’t even get in? Are signs
allowed? Does our buyer know of the park? What will your real estate agent do that will make the buyer aware that
your property is for sale?
Most real estate advertising focuses on single family homes; the main stay of the business. In most locations RV real
estate does not fit in the property mix and if it does, it is found near the bottom. Who can blame the ad manager who
features a big house selling for 10 times what is asked for the RV property and spends his budget with little real estate
magazines that reach those local folks that are poking around for houses? Most MLS (multiple listing service) systems
have no category for RV parks or campsites so a foray into the MLS computer may not yield anything at all!
Assuming normal home sales practice, the agent does provide another basic, valued service; the handling of offers and
closing. Most sellers are not skilled in this and it is of special value when a seller lives far way, a common situation in
recreational property.
Advertise
How about a “For Sale By Owner” ad? Good idea, but where are you going to place it; a local
newspaper, an RV magazine, the Internet? National magazine advertising is very expensive, too expensive unless you
are selling several properties. If your area is known for RV activity, a local ad or a specialty placement might do the
trick because people know to look, and you will get exposure. Sometimes a 3x5 card on the club house bulletin board
works since other owners tell their friends. Perhaps your association offers a list of
re sales for those that know to call?
An inexpensive Internet ad is a good idea with potential National exposure. What site will you choose? A quick look
around reveals that RV advertising is horribly fractionalized. If you wanted to sell an RV no problem as there are
several sites with major inventory, but you want to sell RV real estate! You quickly find a few lots offered here, a sale
that’s really a rental there, and everywhere you look, only a hand full (or less) of RV properties at each site. Worse,
they are lost in a sea of rental park promotion, used motor homes and flashing banners offering free.. well you know.
Talk about hit or miss.....
You could set up your own web site. At any given time there are five or six offering an individual RV property for sale.
Generally these efforts come out of luxury resorts with prices approaching $100,000, maybe more. The fact that these
sites exist at all points to the lack of a focused Internet location for RV real estate.
Please remember these folks can afford to
advertise anywhere.
The Facts Please
While an ad, where ever published, may offer an attractive purchase from the seller
perspective, will the reader of the ad have an understanding of the value found in your campground? Odds are no
complete description of your park is available! The campground computer club web site ( if there is one) is more
concerned with pot luck and pottery, and provides little real information. Try to discover monthly fees, boat storage, age
restrictions, lot sizes, about trees, etc. and you soon have a lot more questions than answers. These are things a buyer
needs to know.
Most of these questions are not addressed in normal advertising. Space is at a premium. Most advertising assumes
familiarity from the buyer.( Who hasn’t seen, “located in desirable Section III” ?
Really! ) Considering the horizon
available to a buyer on wheels this is a very poor assumption. The active bicycle group in your resort may be the
activity of choice for your potential buyer. Will he know of it? A 35' long storage spot may tip the balance in your favor.
Is this mentioned anywhere? If he calls your park for more information will anyone answer the phone? Is there a phone
he can find to call? Is there a phone at all?
The RV Real Estate Answer
Involved only with RV real estate and focused; if you are a seller, a real estate
agent, or have interest in RV property, our web sites will soon have answers for you. And, we can help park developers
too. Look for a unique listing of private ownership parks and properties complete with detail information. Explore all the
parks located in your area of interest, right on your computer. Get the facts before you travel and waste
valuable time. Look for
our site listing RV properties for sale. A place where your buyer can find your property with out clicking thru used cars
and old phonograph records. We are delivering a family of sites created with unique understanding and knowledge of
RV Real Estate.
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