Why owners leave money on the table
Most small parks don't get underpriced because of the location. They get underpriced in the first hour of a buyer's underwriting. The P&L doesn't match the tax return. The owner's free labor isn't counted. The septic, the roads and the pedestals all need work, and every one of those gets subtracted from your price, with a cushion on top.
A buyer will find all of it. The only question is whether you find it first, while there's time to fix it, or whether it shows up as price cuts after you're under contract.
Who it's for
- Owners of private and family-owned parks, roughly 20-100 sites, in NC, SC, GA, TN or FL
- Owners thinking about a sale, retirement or handing off the park in the next 1-3 years
- Parks with books that are "close enough" for taxes but won't survive a lender's review
- Owners with deferred maintenance who'd rather fix it on their terms than give it away as a price cut
Who it's NOT for
- You need to sell in the next 60 days. There's no time to fix anything that matters. Talk to a broker or a direct buyer now.
- Your books are already clean and the park is in great shape. You may just need a good broker. We'll tell you if that's the case.
- You want someone to list your park. We're not brokers and don't take listings.
- You're not sure you want to sell at all. Start with an NOI Audit. It tells you what the park is worth today without committing you to anything.
What we work on
1. Lender-ready financials
Most buyers of small parks are using a loan, which means their lender is reading your books too. We rebuild your trailing numbers so the P&L, the tax returns and the reservation reports tell the same story. Owner add-backs get documented, personal expenses come out, and your adjusted NOI holds up when someone else checks it.
2. A deferred maintenance plan
We walk the park the way a buyer's inspector will: roads, pads, pedestals, bathhouses, water and septic, signage. Then we sort the list. Some fixes pay for themselves several times over at sale. Some cost more than the price cut a buyer would ask for, and you're better off disclosing them and leaving them alone. You decide what to fix with real numbers in front of you, not a guess.
3. Buyer and broker strategy
Who is the likely buyer for your park: an operator, a first-time buyer with an SBA loan, a local family, a larger group? That answer changes how you package it, what you emphasize and whether a broker is worth the commission. We help you pick the path, and if you hire a broker, we help you hire the right one and give them a park that's ready to show.
See where your park stands today with the RV park valuation calculator, and how cap rates move with condition and clean books on our RV park cap rates page. The gap between the two numbers is what exit preparation is about.
Timeline
We like 12 to 18 months before you go to market. That's enough time to get the books cleaned up, finish the fixes that matter, and put a full stretch of improved operating months on the P&L before a buyer looks at it.
What it costs
The scope depends on the park. A park with clean books and a short repair list needs much less than one with three years of loose records and a failing septic field. So we quote it after the first call and a look at your numbers, in writing, before any work starts. If the honest answer is that you don't need us, you'll hear that instead of a quote.
About our buyer relationship
We'll be upfront about this. If your park fits the buy box of our sister company Waterfall Parks Holdings, a direct cash buyer, it may make you an offer. You're never obligated to take it, preparing your park with us never depends on it, and we'll tell you clearly whenever we're talking as a potential buyer rather than as your advisor.
How it works
- Confidential callYour timeline, your number and what you want after the sale. If you're not ready or don't need us, we'll say so.
- Numbers reviewSend last year's P&L, tax return and rate sheet. We come back with an honest value range and the biggest gaps.
- The prep planFinancial cleanup, a ranked maintenance list and a buyer and broker strategy, with what each piece is worth to your price.
- ExecutionWe work through the plan with you over the months before you go to market, and keep you pointed at what the park is worth.
Who's doing the work
Brian Zmich leads every owner relationship personally. He has bought, built and sold three Southeast RV parks (McIntosh Manor, Land of Waterfalls RV Park and Pisgah Forest RV Park), all cash, every closing under 45 days. He's been on both sides of the table, which is the point. More about the team.
Questions owners ask
How far ahead of a sale should I start preparing my RV park?
12 to 18 months is the window we like. A buyer and their lender want to see a full year or two of clean numbers, and fixes take time to show up on a P&L. Less time still helps; it just limits what we can fix.
Are you a broker? Will you list my park?
No. We're operators, not brokers, and we don't take listings. Part of the work is helping you decide whether to hire a broker, which one, or whether to go to a direct buyer.
Will you make an offer on my park?
Maybe. If it fits our sister company's buy box, it may make an offer. You're never obligated to take it, and we'll tell you plainly when we're wearing the buyer hat instead of the advisor hat.
What does exit preparation cost?
It depends on how much the park needs, so we quote it after the first call and numbers review, in writing, before any work starts. No surprises after the fact.
What if my park isn't worth what I hoped?
Better to hear it from us 18 months out than from a buyer's lender at the closing table. Sometimes the right answer is to fix things and wait. Sometimes it's to hold. We'll tell you which.