Passive Mobile Home Park Investing Top Risks: Why Infill & Low Occupancy Mobile Home Park Projects Add Risk For Passive Investors
Always Overraise For Infill Budgets
- Budget generously for infill because exact costs rarely match pro formas.
- Raise a miscellaneous slush fund to cover material spikes and unknowns.
Early Deal Ran Out Of Money
- Andrew Keel ran out of capital on an early deal and had to slow infill work.
- That shortfall forced schedule delays and reduced projected income.
Use Licensed Installers Only
- Hire licensed contractors and verify permits before committing.
- Avoid unlicensed installers to prevent permit denial and occupancy delays.
Welcome back to The Passive Mobile Home Park Investing Podcast with your host, Andrew Keel!
In this episode, Andrew Keel continues this insightful mini-series on some of the top risks involved with mobile home park investments. This time, the focus is on value-add mobile home park projects—particularly those with substantial infill and occupancy needs—and the heightened risks they present for passive investors and limited partners.
Andrew breaks down the key challenges infill-heavy projects pose, offering practical advice on budgeting, avoiding common pitfalls, and understanding critical infrastructure costs.
If you’re looking to invest into value-add infill mobile home parks, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to help you navigate these risks and make smarter decisions.
Key topics covered include:
- The increased risk tied to value-add mobile home park projects with extensive infill
- Budgeting tips and strategies to manage infill-related expenses
- Weighing the pros and cons of using new versus used mobile homes in infill projects
- How to match home sizes with lot sizes for maximum efficiency
- Understanding the true cost of foundation concrete work and utility infrastructure upgrades
Whether you're a seasoned mobile home park investor or just starting your journey, Andrew Keel offers valuable insights to help you potentially minimize risk and boost returns.
Tune in now to gain the knowledge you need to enhance your mobile home park investment strategy!
***Andrew Keel and Keel Team Real Estate Investments (Keel Team, LLC) do not endorse any interviewee. This interview is for informational purposes only and should not be depended upon for investment purposes. ***
Andrew Keel is the owner of Keel Team, LLC, a Top 50 Owner of Manufactured Housing Communities with over 3,000 lots under management. His team currently manages over 40 manufactured housing communities across more than 10 states. His expertise is in turning around under-managed manufactured housing communities by utilizing proven systems to maximize the occupancy while reducing operating costs. He specializes in bringing in homes to fill vacant lots, implementing utility bill back programs, and improving overall management and operating efficiencies, all of which significantly boost the asset value and net operating income of the communities. Check out KeelTeam.com to learn more.
Andrew has been featured on some of the Top Podcasts in the manufactured housing space, click here to listen to his most recent interviews: https://www.keelteam.com/podcast-links. In order to successfully implement his management strategy, Andrew’s team usually moves on location during the first several months of ownership. Find out more about Andrew’s story at AndrewKeel.com.
Book a 1 on 1 consultation with Andrew Keel to discuss:
- A mobile home park deal review (get live feedback on your own MHP deal!)
- Mobile home park due diligence questions
- How to raise capital from investors for mobile home parks
- Mistakes to avoid in mobile home park investing, and more!
Click Here to book the 1 on 1 consultation: https://intro.co/AndrewKeel
Are you getting value out of this show? If so, please head over to iTunes and leave the show a quick review. I have a goal of hitting over 500 total 5-star reviews, and it would mean the absolute world to me if you could help contribute to that. Thanks ahead of time for making my day with your review of the show.
Would you like to see value-add mobile home park projects in progress? If so, follow us on Instagram: @passivemhpinvesting for photos and awesome videos from our recent mobile home park acquisitions.
Talking Points:
00:21 – Welcome to The Passive Mobile Home Park Investing Podcast with Andrew Keel
01:16 – Budgeting Tips and Common Mistakes for New Mobile Home Park Investors
05:21 – Managing Concrete Costs and Raising Misc Funds for Unforeseen Expenses
08:36 – Navigating Utility Hookups, Infrastructure Challenges, and Ground Shifting Issues
13:25 – Why Skirting is Crucial for Mobile Homes: Protecting Your Investment
15:29 – New vs. Used Mobile Homes: Pros, Cons, and What’s Best for Infill Projects
19:50 – How to Match Mobile Home Size to Lot Size for Optimal Results in Mobile Home Parks
21:53 – Understanding Execution Risks and Infill Strategy in Value-Add Mobile Home Parks
25:00 – Andrew’s First Mobile Home Park Deal: Insights on Funding, Liquidity, and Loans
27:19 – Partnering with Experienced Mobile Home Park Operators for Success
SUBSCRIBE TO PASSIVE MOBILE HOME PARK INVESTING PODCAST YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy9uI3KGQmFgABsr9lUtRTQ
Links & Mentions from This Episode:
Keel Team’s official website: https://www.keelteam.com/
Andrew Keel’s official website: https://www.andrewkeel.com/
Andrew Keel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkeel
Andrew Keel Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PassiveMHPinvestingPodcast
Andrew Keel Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/passivemhpinvesting/
Twitter: @MHPinvestors
Quotes:
“It's really, really, really tough to know exactly what it will cost until you're in the (Mobile Home Park) trenches doing it.” - Andrew Keel
“(Mobile Home Park) Utility hookups add more complexity. That's a risk; every municipality, the utility company may have different requirements.” - Andrew Keel
“There is more regulation and more requirements for infilling new manufactured homes than there is typically is with used (Mobile) homes.” - Andrew Keel
“Be careful on these projects as the numbers typically look good on infill value add mobile home park deals on the spreadsheet.” - Andrew Keel