The Trailstead Journal · Investment Insights

Investment Insights — from the Trailstead Journal.

Underwriting, valuation, and LP-facing analysis for accredited investors.

LatestInvestment InsightsJuly 8, 2026

The Complete Guide to Buying an RV Park (2026)

Operator's playbook for buying an RV park in 2026 — sourcing, underwriting, financing, due diligence, and closing. Written for first-time and institutional buyers.

Read the essay
Investment InsightsJuly 8, 2026

How Much Is an RV Park Worth? A 2026 Valuation Framework

An operator's step-by-step framework for valuing an RV park in 2026 — cap rates, stabilized NOI, price-per-site benchmarks, and the adjustments that matter.

Read
Investment InsightsJune 25, 2026

Income-Driven Returns in a Higher-for-Longer Market

Why 2026 underwriting leads with cash yield over cap-rate compression, where private real estate dry powder is actually flowing (value-add and debt), and what credible income-first deal packages look like for LPs.

Read
Investment InsightsJune 19, 2026

How Value-Add Operators Find MHC Returns When Institutional Capital Can't

Why the fragmented manufactured housing market rewards operators who can execute where institutional capital falls short — and the specific value-add levers that drive returns.

Read
Investment InsightsJune 10, 2026

Why Manufactured Housing Is an Investor Favorite in 2026: An Operator's Take

Our operator's read on Multi-Housing News' 2026 MHC outlook — institutional capital re-engaging, HUD code reform, and the rent-control and insurance headwinds investors must underwrite.

Read
Investment InsightsJune 2, 2026

Are Mobile Home Parks a Good Investment? An Operator's Honest Answer

After 33 years operating manufactured housing communities, here's the unvarnished case for and against MHC as an investment — what the asset class actually delivers, where it disappoints, and who it's right for.

Read
Investment InsightsMay 25, 2026

Off-Market Deal Flow: How Sellers Reach Trailstead Directly

Why most of the best manufactured housing community and RV park acquisitions happen off-market, and the channels Trailstead uses to source them directly from owners.

Read
Investment InsightsMay 23, 2026

Selling Your Mobile Home Park: Process, Timeline & Cash Offers

How to sell an MHC in 2026 — what documents you need, what a real institutional LOI looks like, the typical 60-90 day timeline, and the deal-killers to avoid.

Read
Investment InsightsMay 22, 2026

What Is My Mobile Home Park Worth? A Valuation Framework

A practical framework for valuing a manufactured housing community — NOI, cap rates, lot rent vs market, infrastructure adjustments, and what institutional buyers actually pay for.

Read
Investment InsightsJanuary 25, 2026

Why Institutional Investors Are Buying RV Parks

The outdoor hospitality sector has attracted significant institutional capital. Here's why sophisticated investors are entering the space.

Read
Investment InsightsJanuary 20, 2026

The Luxury STR Market Evolution: 2025 in Review

How the premium short-term rental segment has matured and what operators need to know for 2026.

Read
Investment InsightsJanuary 15, 2026

MHC vs Traditional Multifamily: A 2025 Performance Comparison

How manufactured housing communities outperformed traditional apartments in cap rate compression and NOI growth.

Read