South
Texas Parks, 2006 - 2007 Season in Review, July 2007
(Adobe .pdf file)
Woodall's
Campground Management, May 2007
(Adobe .pdf file)
South
Texas Parks LLC helps absentee owners in managing rental property
Rio Grande Valley Business Journal - Sept. 18, 2006 (Adobe .pdf file)
Baby
Boomers - by Jay Davis
(Adobe .pdf file)
South Texas Parks, LLC. Completes Sale of Chimney Park RV Resort
Valley RV parks
attracting new investors
By Eileen Mattei
- Rio Grande Valley Business - January 13, 2003
Harlingen - When
Jay Davis was immersed in Texas Professionals, Inc. his commercial real
estate business in Austin, a client asked him to locate manufactured/mobile
home parks for sale. Davis learned out-of-state-buyers expected to see
more physically attractive properties than were found in Central Texas.
However, on a visit
to the Valley in 1994 Davis discovered good-looking RV and mobile home
parks that were for sale. In a single year he sold seven park properties
to one client. And in the next six years he sold $80 million worth of
park properties.
After meeting numerous
park owners across the Valley, Davis realized how many opportunities
existed in the region. And he wasn't afraid of being known as The Trailer
Man. He recognized the need for RV park property management; someone
to be the owners' eyes and ears.
In autumn 2002 Davis
opened South Texas Parks Inc., a company which offers manufactured and
RV park management, covering staffing, reservations, accounting, resident
relations, and project supervision. South Texas Parks concentrates on
parks with a selling price between $1 and $12 million and at least 75
spaces.
"That kind
of investor doesn't want to run a property himself," Davis said.
The investors are from as far away as Ireland and California, and have
purchased the parks as stand-alone investments.
Davis said he is
getting a good response to the management idea. The company is already
managing over 2,000 units. "Our projection was to have 3,800 units
under management within the first year." He now expects to reach
that goal in the company's first six months.
South Texas Parks'
concept builds sustainable income, Davis observed. Relocated to the
Valley, Davis still owns Texas Professionals although he is not actively
involved. He continues to sell park properties…and buys a few himself.
"They're great investments. If you have $1 million in the Valley,
you can do some interesting deals, unlike Austin," Davis said.
Investors have huge misconceptions about the Valley until they get here
and see the big retail stores and other opportunities, he observed.
It's a very vital region, unlike other areas of the US."
Park management
is different from apartment or office building management. "In
RV parks, the issue is keeping people happy and comfortable, in a nice,
clean, safe place," Davis said. Unlike apartment or office complexes,
long term leases or commitments are rare. RVers can pick up and leave
the next day if they feel neglected. All the 524 parks in the Valley
are similar according to Davis. Some are bigger, some are smaller, but
the people come to them to get away from the cold, relax, and be with
friendly people. Management has to make sure those needs are met.
And those needs
are changing as Baby Boomer retirees are entering the market. Davis
said many parks are upgrading and renovating their facilities to appeal
to the next generation of RVers.
South Texas is also
of interest to mom-and-pop-owned parks, which want to hang on to their
investment and steady income, but are no longer capable of full management.
Davis placed the
South Texas Parks office in Harlingen in the medical district because
it's near Valley International Airport where investors arrive, gives
them a look at a prosperous community, and, of course, it's a good investment.
