Every mobile home park has a reputation whether the park owner knows it or not. The residents, employees, investors and local community all have their opinions on your park too. When the residents and the local community think about your community do images of peace and safety come to mind, or trouble and crime?
Recently I became partners in a mobile home park investment and have the proud duty of cleaning this park's appearance, homes, and negative stigma. I say proud duty because it is an honor and cool challenge to add value and pride to this diamond in the rough. Through these efforts we will be changing this area and peoples' lives for many years to come.
Below is a short list of some of the coming activities we're going to implement to help achieve our goals. Mission objectives are to build trust, honesty, and friendship with the local community.
1. Community Meetings
The first major effort to get to know the residents and make this park feel like source of pride is to get the community on board with new park improvements, rule changes, and events. While the designated park manager will be the main point of contact for residents I look forward to meeting each resident and seeing them around the community.
We will start by opening the doors of communication between the park and residents at a local community meeting. The first meeting may only have a few residents attend, however more will come each quarter. New rules, promotions, questions, and suggestions are always welcome.
2. Ice Cream Socials
During the heat of the Spring and Summer months let's have an ice cream social event for park residents. Multiple kinds of ice cream and a toppings bar will be perfect to get the kids to drag mom and dad outside to attend this event. Plus, this is just another great way to meet the residents, hang out, and enjoy some ice cream on a hot day.
3. Start a Neighborhood Watch Program
While this mobile home park is quite safe, a Neighborhood Watch Program is typically always a great idea to build resident pride and responsibility. Bringing the community together and helping to keep criminals out of the park is a total Win-Win. Check with your local police department to learn more.
4. Back 2 School “Inflatable Party”
When the time comes for the kids to go back to school a moral building event can be to rent an inflatable water slide for kids and adults in the mobile home community. While there is some liability to this it is important to always be aware of your risk versus reward in every situation possible. This is an event where you could invite the local community, city officials, and the local neighborhood neighbors.
5. Independence Day BBQ, Thanksgiving and Christmas Potluck
These all sound like great opportunities to invite the park residents for a Summer lunch barbecue or a warm Winter meal. While we are genuinely aiming to increase every current resident's love for the community, a side benefit is that a happy resident is a great sales promotional tool that will help sell the park image to others.
Tip: Word of mouth advertising is one of the best advertising you can grow. Genuine heartfelt praise and testimonials are the best endorsements for your park. This trust and goodwill requires time and honesty.
6. Yard of the Month Club
Curb appeal is huge for almost all types of real estate. Offering a prize of $50 lot rent discount for a Yard of the Month or Most Improved Yard can be a great way to incentivize residents to start adding flowers and cleaning up their lots. Once a few residents start to improve their lots, more naturally follow.
Throughout the time span that it will take to hold all the events above there must be consistent progress made to improve current homes throughout the park, adding new homes for sale, adding a new playground for kids, and general landscaping improvements.
Starting from this point forward we must first set the example of how we wish our residents to behave and live. If we hold ourselves and our parks to a higher standards, the community will almost always rise to the same level.
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