City Water &Sewer vs Septic and Well

[Bill F.]

Hoping to tap into the vast experience of BP to get some real world knowledge. In my very limited research into MHP, specifically screening parks to make offers on, I keep hearing a number of successful park owners (Jefferson Lily BP Podcast #111, Kevin and Charles in their Podcast “MHP Investing” come to the top of my head) say they won’t look at any park with a septic or well. On the Marco level I understand the reasons for this; increased exposure to enormous repair costs make it a no brainer all other things being equal.

My question is, with more and more people entering the MHP space, will this continue to be a sustainable filter? With that I all being said I pose the following questions:

1. If you had to have one, would you rather have a well or septic and why? Which has the least risk?
2. If you were buying a park with a well and septic what special type of due diligence would you conduct?
3. What are the specific concerns with well and septic, above and beyond increased maintenance, that lead people to not even look at a park with one or both?

Thanks in advance for your help and input!

[JD Martin]

I live in the same area as @Account Closed and that probably colors my view, but I won't buy anything with a well for sure, and would have to be stretched to do septic. Out here, wells fail all the time and the ground doesn't percolate well, giving you limited options for replacing septic. Now multiply that by X mobile homes, all of them flushing things they shouldn't be flushing, and that's that. As soon as waste starts washing into your field lines, your days are numbered. Septic tanks, even though they're full of crap (no pun intended), are sensitive things - the bacteria are highly susceptible to overload, bacteria soaps, bleach, chemicals, and other stuff that simply won't break down or will kill off the bacterial load. Kill off the bacteria load and you better be prepared to pump the tank often. 

If I had no other investment options I might consider it. But since I have plenty of alternatives, there's no reason for me to consider it. 

If the park had a well, I would want a 24-hour draw down test done on the well. I would want proof of the last septic pump and some idea on when the system was installed.