Raising Private Money with Jay Conner Smart Investment Moves: Mobile Home Parks and Kevin Bupp's Success Story
In the ever-changing world of real estate investing, asset classes rise and fall with shifting markets. Yet, according to real estate veteran Kevin Bupp, one asset continuously proves its value, resilience, and scalability: mobile home parks. On a recent episode of the Raising Private Money podcast with Jay Conner, The Private Money Authority, Kevin Bupp shared his extensive experience, including raising over $250 million in private capital, and revealed what makes mobile home parks a standout investment opportunity.
The Unexpected Journey to Mobile Home Parks
Kevin Bupp’s real estate journey began at age 19. Like many, he poured his energy into single-family rentals, building an impressive portfolio of 22 properties by his mid-20s. He tasted success but also felt the sting of the 2008 market crash, when he lost nearly everything.
Reflecting on that pivotal period, Kevin noted how inefficiencies in managing scattered single-family rentals, compounded by the inefficiency of technology at the time, exposed his business to excessive risk. The crash forced him to reevaluate, rebuild smarter, and ultimately, seek out asset classes offering not just cash flow and efficiency, but also resilience. This search led Kevin to mobile home parks.
Why Mobile Home Parks Offer Superior Investment Benefits
- Recession Resistance
One of the central appeals of mobile home parks is their stability during economic downturns. Historically, demand for affordable housing rises when the economy struggles. Mobile home parks cater directly to this need, providing low-cost living options that are in constant demand, regardless of market cycles.
As Kevin explained, even during periods when single-family home rents fell, mobile home parks remained relatively stable. Residents of these communities rarely leave; replacing or moving a mobile home is expensive, creating natural “stickiness” and consistent occupancy for park owners.
- Operational Efficiency & Scalability
Unlike single-family rentals spread across a wide geographic area, each with its operational quirks, a well-managed mobile home park can comprise dozens or even hundreds of income-producing units on one property. Kevin cited his company’s experience, scaling from a 34-lot park to properties holding over 700 sites, allowing rapid expansion without proportional increases in overhead.
Operationally, many residents in mobile home parks own their homes and simply rent the lots, reducing maintenance costs and management headaches for the investor. This model allows investors to focus on the land and common infrastructure, not individual unit repairs.
- Barriers to Entry and Limited Competition
Municipalities often resist the development of new mobile home parks due to lingering social stigma and zoning challenges. This makes existing parks more valuable over time, insulating owners from the risk of market oversupply. As Kevin put it, many parks were built decades ago and are still held by the original owners. Buying these properties often means acquiring from “mom and pop” operators, frequently below market value.
- Attractive Financing and Creative Purchasing Options
Kevin detailed how long-term relationships with owners and a reputation for fair, reliable purchases lead to creative financing opportunities, including owner financing with favorable terms, further improving margins and investor returns.
The Role of Private Money and Building Investor Relationships
A core theme of Kevin’s discussion was raising and leveraging private capital to fuel growth. He emphasized the importance of sharing real results transparently, whether in networking groups, social media, or his podcast, as a magnet for investor interest. Kevin’s approach is simple: prove success, speak openly about your business, an