Finding a mobile home park to buy is harder than finding a single-family rental or apartment building. Fewer parks exist. Fewer trade publicly. Many owners don't know their property is valuable.
This guide covers every channel for finding MHP deals—from online listings to direct outreach—and how to screen opportunities quickly.
Online Marketplaces
Most new investors start here. On-market deals are easier to find but typically more competitive and higher-priced.
Primary Listing Sites
- LoopNet: The largest commercial real estate marketplace. Most MHP listings appear here, but so does every other buyer. Expect competition.
- MobileHomeParkStore.com: MHP-specific listing site. Smaller inventory than LoopNet but more focused. Good for finding parks not listed elsewhere.
- Crexi: Growing alternative to LoopNet with a cleaner interface. Increasingly popular with brokers.
- LandWatch: Sometimes has MHPs listed as land sales. Worth checking for rural markets.
Setting Up Alerts
Create saved searches with email alerts on each platform. When a park matching your criteria lists, you'll know immediately. Speed matters—good deals move fast.
On-market deals tend to trade at lower cap rates (5-7%) because competition bids up prices. But they're still worth pursuing, especially in secondary markets where fewer buyers compete.
Working with Brokers
Commercial brokers are how most mobile home parks trade. Building relationships with the right brokers can provide early access to deals.
MHP-Specialized Brokers
Several brokers focus exclusively on manufactured housing:
- The MHP Broker (Maxwell Baker): MHP-specific, active podcast presence
- Capstone Manufactured Housing: Specializes in larger parks
- Marcus & Millichap: National firm with MHP specialists
- SVN: Regional offices often have MHP expertise
How to Work with Brokers
1. Get on distribution lists. Contact brokers and ask to receive their listings. Provide your buy box criteria. 2. Respond quickly. When a broker sends you a deal, respond within 24-48 hours—even if it's a pass. Brokers remember responsive buyers. 3. Be ready to perform. Have your financing lined up. Brokers prioritize buyers who can close. 4. Build relationships. Meet brokers at industry events. The best pocket listings go to buyers brokers know and trust.
Commission note: Sellers typically pay broker commissions (5-6%). As a buyer, you generally don't pay the broker—but you're competing with other buyers for their attention.
Off-Market Deal Sourcing
Many attractive deals never hit the open market. Off-market deals often trade at better cap rates because you're not competing with other buyers. However, they require more effort to find.
Direct Mail Campaigns
Many mobile home parks are owned by aging "mom-and-pop" operators who:
- Bought 20-40 years ago
- Don't know what their park is worth
- Are tired of management
- Haven't considered selling because no one asked
Direct mail reaches these owners.
How to execute:1. Build your list. County assessor records show property owners. Services like PropStream, Reonomy, or DataTree can filter for manufactured housing. 2. Write compelling letters. Keep it personal. Explain you're an investor interested in their property. Avoid generic "We Buy Houses" language. 3. Send consistently. Response rates are typically 0.5-3%. Send multiple touches over months—the fifth letter often gets the response the first one didn't. 4. Track responses. Use a CRM or spreadsheet to follow up.
Sample letter angle:"I'm an investor focused on manufactured housing communities in [area]. I noticed you've owned [Park Name] for many years. If you've ever considered selling or would like to discuss the property's value, I'd welcome a conversation. No pressure—just exploring."
Response rates improve with personalization and repeated contact.
Cold Calling
Faster than mail, but requires more skill:
1. Get owner phone numbers from skip tracing services (BatchLeads, PropStream, REI Skip, BeenVerified) 2. Call during business hours 3. Be direct: "I'm calling about [Park Name]. I'm an investor interested in purchasing mobile home parks. Is this something you'd ever consider?" 4. Handle objections: "Not interested" → "I understand. Would you mind if I checked back in 6 months?"
TCPA compliance: The Telephone Consumer Protection Act restricts cold calling. Use manually dialed calls only—no autodialers without consent. Maintain a do-not-call list and honor removal requests. Violations can result in $500-$1,500 per call penalties.
Cold calling works best when combined with mail. Owners who've received your letter are warmer.
Driving for Deals
Sometimes the best opportunities are visible from the road:
- Deferred maintenance = motivated seller
- "For Sale By Owner" signs
- Parks in transitional areas
- Smaller parks without professional management
When you spot a potential target: 1. Note the address 2. Look up ownership in county records 3. Send a letter or make a call
Networking
Word of mouth surfaces off-market deals:
Mobile Home University forum and events — Frank Rolfe's community is active. Conferences attract buyers and sellers. MHP-focused Facebook groups — Several active groups where deals get shared before broader marketing. BiggerPockets forums — MHP section has become less active, but still worth monitoring. Local real estate investor meetups — Even if focused on residential, other investors may know MHP owners. Other MHP investors — Build relationships. Investors often share deals that don't fit their criteria. Property managers — They know which owners are frustrated or considering exit.Defining Your Buy Box
Before you start searching, know what you're looking for.
Size (Number of Lots)
| Park Size | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| 10-30 lots | Often mom-and-pop, harder to finance, may need more hands-on management |
| 30-75 lots | Sweet spot for first-time buyers, financeable, can support part-time management |
| 75-150 lots | More institutional interest, better economies of scale |
| 150+ lots | Institutional buyers dominate, harder for individuals to compete |
First-time buyers typically target 30-75 lot parks. Large enough to matter, small enough to finance and manage.
Geography
What makes a good market:- Population growth (or at least stability)
- Employment diversity (not single-employer towns)
- Median household income $40,000+ (tenants can afford rent increases)
- Median home values $120,000+ (higher values mean MHP is the affordable option—drives demand)
- Limited new MHP supply (most markets)
- Declining populations
- Single-industry towns
- Hurricane/flood zones (higher insurance, higher risk)
- Markets with heavy rent control
- Local: easier due diligence, you can visit, you know the market
- Out-of-state: more deals, but requires boots on ground and trusted management
Utilities
| Utility Type | Risk Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| City water + city sewer | Lowest | Preferred by lenders and investors |
| City water + septic | Medium | Septic requires inspection and budgeting |
| Well + septic | Higher | Both systems need careful due diligence |
| Well + lagoon | Highest | Lagoons are expensive and regulated |
City utilities reduce infrastructure risk and improve financing options.
Price and Returns
Know your numbers before you search:
- Maximum price: Based on your capital and financing
- Minimum cap rate: Individual investors often target 8%+ to ensure adequate cash flow after debt service. Institutional buyers pay 5-6% for stabilized assets—know which game you're playing.
- Maximum price per pad: Varies by market—$15,000-$50,000 in secondary markets, $50,000-$100,000+ in primary markets with strong fundamentals
- Minimum occupancy: Below 70% means higher risk and harder financing
Quick Screening: 10 Questions Before Deep Analysis
When a deal crosses your desk, run through these questions first:
1. What's the lot rent vs. market? Below market = upside. Above market = limited growth.
2. What's the occupancy? Below 70% = more risk and harder to finance.
3. What utilities? City is better than private. Lagoons are red flags.
4. What's the infrastructure age? Built pre-1980 = higher capex risk.
5. Why is the seller selling? Retirement is good. "Partnership dispute" or "moving on" warrants investigation.
6. What's included in the price? Land only or with park-owned homes?
7. How many park-owned homes? More than 20% = more headaches.
8. What does the rent roll show? Verify tenant count and payment history.
9. What's the local economy? One major employer = risk.
10. Does it fit your buy box? If not, don't force it.
Most deals fail one of these screens. That's fine—move on quickly to preserve your time for winners.
Red Flags That Mean Instant Pass
Some issues aren't worth investigating further:
- Lagoon or wastewater treatment plant — Expensive, regulated, can fail catastrophically
- Declining population in the area — Your tenant base is shrinking
- Seller won't provide financials — What are they hiding?
- Zoning non-conformance with no grandfather rights — Legal risk
- Environmental contamination — Phase I issues can be deal-killers
- 100% park-owned homes — You're buying a trailer rental business, not land
- Major infrastructure recently failed — If the septic just collapsed, you're buying the problem
When in doubt, there are other deals. Don't fall in love.
From Lead to Analysis
When you find a promising opportunity:
1. Request financials. Rent roll, P&L, tax returns if available. 2. Verify basics. Owner confirmation, lot count, utility setup. 3. Drive by (or hire someone to). Photos don't show everything. 4. Run preliminary numbers. Use our MHP Calculator to model the deal. 5. Make initial contact. For off-market, build relationship before offering.
If numbers work and nothing screams "run away," proceed to full due diligence.
Continue Your Research
Ready to evaluate deals you've found?
- How to Analyze a Mobile Home Park Deal — Run the numbers properly
- Mobile Home Park Due Diligence — What to inspect before closing
- Mobile Home Park Financing — How to pay for it
Back to the main Mobile Home Park Investing Guide