Mailing to Mobile Home Park residents?

Question

Let me preface this by stating that I have absolutely zero experience with Direct Marketing.  But, I was wondering if anyone here may know how to go about targeting mailings to Mobile Home residents located within Mobile Home Parks (MHP).

The Parks I'm targeting are located within city limits and fall under the same Zip Codes as all the "Stick Built" homes in the surrounding areas. These are fairly large MHP, 200-400+ Units. Some of the parks also use regular street addresses, as opposed to just lot numbers, for the homes inside the communities.

Aside from riding thru the parks and writing down the addresses of all the homes in the park, or, possibly getting them from the park manager, is there a way I could target these MH directly through the PO. Or, possibly a list broker? I Haven't checked list brokers yet but probably should have first before I asked here. I was thinking this list may be too targeted for the brokers though.

Appreciate any info you may have to offer.

Thanks,

Bill

Curt Smith · Answer

Hi Bill, read the mobile homes and parks forum, threads re lonnie deals, renting / selling mobile homes.  There's many many down sides to this business model.  Don't just read the "lonnie deals on wheels" books which are now dates re the legal issues that are in play today.

Besides because MH owners in parks are now trapped because the investor has been removed due to recent banking regs, they are more desperate than ever when they need to sell.  One does NOT need to market to MH owners.  They announce themselves with their own craigslist ads, forsale signs in parks, in MH windows.

Cull craigslist searching for "mobile home".  Sadly just wait a month or two and they'll sell for a fraction of their asking.  Make the initial contact immediately leave your phone number saying call if you "really REALLY need to sell".  They know your game.  They may call or not.  You hope they don't call actually.  Older than 1995 or so single wide 3/2 I'd offer $5k or so.  Yes they will be asking $20k maybe more.  That's the crazy situation.  I'd offer less on a 1980's 2/2 or 2/1, $2k to $3k.  They know this, but they ask a lot more.  It's a waiting game, like any real estate purchase.  On in MHs there are few to no buyers.  Unless the park is in CA or FL...

The hard part of the MH business only starts once you've bought a home, got good title, ran to the county and registered your title.  BTW before ever offering on a home, you MUST talk to the park manager to verify they allow investors renting / selling homes in their park.  I'm only mentioning incase you ignore my tip to go ready the BP threads on lonnie deals in the MH forum.

Curt Smith · Answer

I mentioned in a PM to Bill, my best marketing idea for this scenario is:

bandit signs up and down the street and high on poles.  And pink / yellow fliers taped up at the mail boxes.  MUCH cheaper than direct mail.

In direct mail the secret sauce is culling down an "every address" list for higher probability scenarios:  vacant, absentee owner, late taxes etc.  In MH addresses I know of no way to buy a list of vacant MHs, late taxes (personal property is private info)...  Soooo bandit signs and taped up fliers.

Paul Stout · Answer

@William C. Hopefully the information I provided helps.  If the utilities are direct billed to the tenants, you can call the city or utility company and they will give you a list of lot numbers.  I know this from performing due diligence on parks.  I simply told the clerk that I needed to confirm that the bills were paid (since many time the park owner is responsible if the tenants don't pay) and that I wanted to confirm that they were billed separately and they printed me a list of each lot number with the tenants name.  That being said, from what I hear, the best success has been working with the manager.  It makes their job easier most times since they are responsible for marketing vacant lots and homes.  Don't be afraid to schmooze them.  I haven't met a park manager yet that didn't love cupcakes and brownies.

Paul Stout · Answer

BTW @William C. I agree 100% with @Curt Smith  Investing in mobile homes is not for me.  It is the necessary evil that rides along with investing in parks at times but as a business, there are many easier ways to make money and few easier ways to lose it.  If you do decide to disregard that advice, be certain to get to know John Fedro here on BP.  He has beaten the odds and has figured out a way to make a good living at it.  He is the exception so follow his lead if you must do it.

Kambon Kali · Answer

@YANY RIVERA How are things working out for you?

Yany Rivera · Answer

Hi William,

I wanted to offer a way you can look up the addresses for the mobile homes within a park. I ran into this while I was conducting some research on a specific mobile home that I was buying. I went to the county assessor's web site and looked for the park's address. All the properties that were part of the park where listed, along with addresses and names of the owners. This may take a while to cut and paste into a workable spreadsheet, but it satisfies your question.

I would agree that getting with the park managers would be the ideal situation. I met with one who was in a 55+ community who didn't want to deal with investors, regardless I was nice to them and left my phone number. They ended up calling me when a resident passed away and they needed someone to take over that home. I wasn't able to make a deal with that property but I was able to make a deal on a different property that I'm currently remodeling to flip. They have also given me new leads for future deals with them. Its working out so far. We'll see what happens in the next couple of months. Good Luck to you!

William C. · Answer

@Curt Smith

Thanks again Curt, appreciate the info as well.

William C. · Answer

@Paul Stout,

Thank you Paul, that info was very helpful. I agree wholeheartedly with the schmoozing, I've been schmoozing my park managers for years ... but usually with Greenies instead of Brownies :-) Helps them stay on their diets!

Thanks again for the info.

William C. · Answer

@Paul Stout

Hi Paul,

Thanks and I appreciate the reply . I am aware of Dodd Frank / Safe Act regs., dealing with park managers, etc.. I am doing Cash Sales exclusively, and am really only trying to find out how to go about direct mailing to MH owners within parks, as my market is vastly different than that which @Curt Smith describes.

Hence, my reason for posting this in the Marketing forum vs. the Mobile Home forum.

Thanks,

Bill

Paul Stout · Answer

I am a mobile home park investor.   I do not invest in mobile homes through marketing.  John Fedro is the BP expert on that.  From what I understand, most people who market to mobile home owners do so through the manager for the best success. They have more success working with the manager rather than around them.  Some managers do not want Lonnie Dealers in their parks so they will not help.  Many do and contacting them will be your best bet.

Mailing to Mobile Home Park residents?

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