Buying a Campground

“Wow, that sounds like a killer deal!! No way that's lasted! And sounded like great financing too.”

“Yep, I'm heading out there in November but I'll be around Zion & Bryce. I don't know if we'll be on that side of Utah at all. If so I'll deffinatly scope the place out.

I wish you the best of luck! If Tangowood becomes a reality I'll deffinatly come out and donate any handy service I can.”

“Thanks Dude! Enjoy your trip. How long will you be there? You must be really excited.”

“Probably 5 days. We plan to hike a lot but I don't know if we'll do much actual BPing yet. Mainly just wanna go out there and see different stuff.”

“Is it just me?

What is cryptobiotic soil?”

“I'll see if I can get ahold of Omahiker... she and her hubby bought and started running a campground in Nebraska, either near a state park area or in it. They just did it the beginning of this summer. She could give some "early-on" invaluable info, I bet!”

“I'm not gonna try to explain it- I did a google search on cryptobiotic soil, and it's apparently kind cool, fairly rare, and seemingly kinda delicate.

But seems to be sorta important at the same time.

strange stuff.”

“Yeah, I searched too.....never heard of it before.”

“Thanks Dude that's cool!

Lizs that would be very informative and well appreciated.”

“E-mail sent to Omahiker... hope she has her same address.

I don't remember that campground between the town, the river and Arches...

I do know there are free state (I think) campgrounds along the Colorado River going northeast on that road by the river. When I was there, we headed off that way and then climbed into the mts. to camp on Forest Service land around Castle Valley. Again, free. So yeah, there's definitely a lot of free options.

I WAS impressed with the prices for the cabins at "your" campground. I'd surely consider one for $30 a night! (course a new owner probably means increased prices, right?? lol)”

“LOL my campground! Sounds good. The prices are in line with the area, KOA and Canyonlands Campground, so who knows. I don't remember it either but I know I drove right past it.”

“I've never been out west before, so it would be cool for my first trip to be at Tangowood. :o) I love that name!”

“You've never been out west?? Pens wow, I didn't think you were an east coast snob! j/k”

“Tango, I was up around Nantahala this weekend. The campground we used is for sale. It's called Rocky Water Campground and is directly on the river. It was pretty full. Just an FYI.”

“now thats in my neck of the woods!”

“Hey, wait a minute!

Is "Buying The Campground" anything like "Buying The Farm"???

Say it ain't so, Tango!”

“I saw lots of stuff for sale in that area. The gas station at the intersection of 74? and 129 was for sale. We went in there to buy beer and wound up having to drive to Andrews since it's a dry county there.”

“No MarkO, it's more like a pipe dream that has a snowball's chance in heck, but I'm trying!

dayhiker-It doesn't sound good if everyone is trying to sell and get out!”

“That's what I thought, but I figured I'd pass it along anyway.

Seems like it was 14 acres all along the river, it also had the a couple of buildings for the business and a 3BR home.”

“I heard from the owner's and they are half way through a deal with a guy from Tallahassee.

Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!

I will not be giving up my dream of moving out west, but it will be delayed a bit longer.


THANK YOU ALL for your support and ideas and suggestions!

YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!!”

“A TT road trip to Tallahassee is in order to make someone an offer they can't refuse!”

“Yeah, well he/she may be tired of it in a few years! So...”

“Found a B&B in Monticello, Utah; 50 miles south of Moab....Stay tuned!”

“Never give up on a dream. Just refine it as you go along.

I haven't a clue why that couple didn't hire a desk clerk. They're probably workaholics.”

“I will be out your way someday. I owe you a hike!”

“Let's take the TT Crew and go bust up the joint!

Aaaarrrrrrr!!!!!!”

“So go for a lodge! ;-)”

“Bobo, I am going keep an eye on this campground, he might be sick of it in a few years and then....


Path, that just seems so much more labor intensive...desk clerks, maids, yikes! Campground sign 'em in and that's it. But I did work for a company that owned hotels when I first moved to FL. Then again maybe you're right, I'll think about it.”

“I'll volunteer to be the Lodge manager. I don't have any experience, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express.”

“smart a$$!”

“Tango, any way they'd connect you to the person in Florida... go in as partners, perhaps?

Or how about you buy an acre, a yurt or two, and get zoned to rent them out? LOL! Tangoyurt! ;-)”

“LOL@Lizs That sounds like some kinda on the go drink! It's funny, I feel the loss (not that it will stop me) but I am a little depressed, even though it was such a teeny tiny chance of it all working out. I'll keep an eye on it and that area of course, he may not like it or get sick of it in a few years and then it will be Tango to the rescue!”

“I'm late to this thread, probably wouldn't have noticed it if not for the email from lizs. Actually we didn't buy a campground, our business is a concession adjacent to a state park. Unfortunately we don't get any revenues from the campground itself, but we aren't responsible for any of its maintenance either, which is a good thing.

It was a weird convergence of things that allowed us to take over ownership of this business for only $10,000. First, my brother-in-law was unable to continue running it for a number of reasons & also could not get financing for the $10,000 balloon payment he owed. Second, we had already been working out there and providing financial support to the business for the last three years so we were quite familiar with it. Third, the previous owner to whom the money was owed did not want to take it over again himself because of his age and disability, and also did not want to go to the trouble of finding another buyer for a higher price. Fourth, I got laid off from my job of 20 years and have been receiving severance payments from my ex-employer that enabled us to absorb the many expenses involved in getting the business up and running again. Were any of these elements missing, we would not have been able to purchase the business and run it at a loss this year.

I am still enjoying it but our traffic is very unpredictable. The weekends are usually busy and leave us pretty wiped out. Weekdays we can go for hours without anyone coming in at all. Our so-called days off are usually filled with long lists of things to buy, bills to pay, and miscellaneous errands to be run. We are still struggling with the idea of selling our house and living out at the lake, which I think we would enjoy, but my 18-year-old handicapped son is still in school, and I wonder how the isolation of living in such a small town would affect him. One option would be to place him in a group home but then we would worry about how he was being cared for, since we would not be able to keep close tabs on his well-being. Kind of a dilemma but we'll work it out eventually.

I would recommend to anyone that they should do what we did if given the same kind of opportunity but I know that our circumstances were kind of unusual. The sale of our home would leave us with zero debt owed on our business/residence, making it possible to be "successful" with very little actual income.”

“Good deals come up every day.

And...

Sometimes, the best deals are those that got away.

Keep looking. If it is truly what you want to do, it will happen, maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday.”

“Yes, sorry to hear it Tango but Chief is right. You have the dream and this opportunity helped you to start thinking it through. Just take it from there...”

“I understand your disappointment but it may be a blessing in disguise. This gives you more time to learn about how to run a business (esp. resort/retail), and interview as MANY campground/lodge/resort owners as possible, to put yourself in a better position to evaluate such a purchase and make it all work.

Maybe you've already done all of that homework, in which case...just ignore me and I will go away. :-)”

“The initial dissappointment has faded a bit.

Omahiker, as you told your story I remember the thread. Thank you again for sharing with me.

I see your points guys. I was thinking last night at work, that in a few years I may be more financially able, more informed, and WAAAAAAAY more ready to go.”

“Go heavy on the "informed" part. I know two people who bought businesses, and while that's not exactly a representative sample, in both cases, the business was not going as well as the seller said it was. In one case, the guy who bought the business was able to make out alright, in the other, the business was misrepresented nearly to the point of criminality.

It's like buying a used car. There's almost always something wrong, but hidden. The people are selling for a reason, find out what it really is. Have them checked out too, including their tax records if you can get them. If they haven't been reporting cash transactions, don't even consider buying the place. They can say stuff like the business doesn't do well on the books, but the cash business makes up for it. Don't buy it.”

“You hang in there Tango.

My Grandpappy said, "Good things always come to those who come in a close second at cookoff contests".

Grandpappy sure wuz smart!
:~/

Look at it from this angle, this will give Pennsy time to get his finances in order and sell off the three tons of gear he really doesn't need, time to get over his fear of flying and fear of water, and read all the previous issues of "Handyman's Journal"!”

“Will you be going to clown school Bobo?

I found out the owner is a councilman, a SAR commander, and a water district something or other. I should say he'd want to slow down, his wife owns an upscale retail clothing business.

You are right Bit.”

“Well I am going out to the Southwest Jan 29 through Feb 20th. I am going to kick about in NM, AZ, and Moab area, trying to scout out possible locations for my future move and future campground owning (about 5 years away).”

“Good luck. My fingers, toes and eyes are crossed.”

“Mine too, because we're bringing Mapleleaf out with a vat of booze!”

“Watch out for that 'Haney' guy.... <G>”

“"That's not the old Heaney place... That's the NEW Douglas place!”