Exploring a Seller-Financed Motel/RV Park Investment Opportunity – Advice Needed!

[Sean Barnebey]

Hi BiggerPockets Community,

I’ve recently come across a unique investment opportunity that I’m excited about and would love to hear your insights. It’s a motel/RV park located in a rural market with seller financing on the table. While the property is in a smaller town, it’s relatively close to a larger city, which I think adds a lot of potential for attracting both short-term guests and long-term tenants.

The motel has fewer than 16 rooms, and the nightly rates are extremely competitive for the area. From my analysis—even with very conservative numbers—it looks like a cash cow. The combination of multiple income streams (motel rooms and RV spaces) and its location near outdoor recreation and a nearby urban center makes it an intriguing deal.

I have experience as a broker working on RV park and mobile home park (MHP) transactions, and I’m currently working on deals in this space. However, I don’t have experience with motels, and I know they come with unique operational and financial considerations. Since I have a long-term interest in getting into hotel investing, this feels like a natural stepping stone, but I want to approach it the right way.

I feel like this is such a great opportunity, especially with it being off market. I would hate to pass on it and settle for just earning a commission by selling it. I want to explore every avenue to make this work, and I’d even be open to partnering with an experienced motel operator to help bridge my knowledge gap. I don’t want my lack of experience with motels to stand in the way of making this opportunity a success.

I’m primarily looking to connect with investors or operators who have experience with motels to learn more about this asset type. While I’m happy to discuss general strategies and best practices, I won’t be sharing additional details about the property’s exact location, nearby city, or financials at this time. My main focus is understanding motels and their operational dynamics.

If you’ve invested in or operated a property like this, I’d love to hear from you. Specifically, I’d like to understand:

• How to evaluate motel operations and what metrics are most critical.
• Best practices for managing or outsourcing day-to-day operations.

Thanks in advance for your insights—I’m looking forward to learning from the amazing investors here and gaining a better understanding of this space!

Cheers,

Sean Barnebey