On 8/28/2018 at 1:46 AM, Kirk Wood said:

The co-op parks do not contribute to the Escapee income in any way as once the lots were all sold the only affiliation they have with the club is by association and support but no financial or management ties of any kind. Each of those parks is managed by a board of directors elected by the member/owners and are not under any authority of the Escapee management. 

I read that 4 times and I am trying to find a way to make it relevant to my dismay that the waiting lists are longer than it has been that the Browns won the Super Bowl. (They have never won the Super Bowl.) I would love to own a spot to call home base but I don't have 50 years to wait for my name to drift to the top of a waiting list, particularly when I paid money to get on that list. There are a few spots for sale (which I suspect is from people tiring of RV life or dying off, since those are pretty much the only reasons that spaces would become available) but the ones I would consider from the price point aspect are not at the co-op would like to be in.

C'est la vie.

You talk about bandwidth. Escapee parks do not supply wifi as part of the site cost. You need to subscribe with a local supplier or have your own mifi(we do). Most commercial parks have enough wifi at least for email and some internet, no streaming.

The SKP co-op lists ebb and flow. We signed up for one (Alamo Area SKP west of San Antonio) and made our way to the top of the list in less than half of the projected time. We ultimately decided not to buy-in as we'd made other arrangements, but they had several months where lots were available and no one snatched them up. There have been other co-ops that went from multi-year waiting lists to having several open spots in a relatively short time.

My point is that if you are truly interested in getting into one, put up the modest (refundable) deposit and see what happens. You might be surprised. If it doesn't work out you'll get your deposit back. Doing nothing guarantees that you'll never get in...

If you are only interested in a co-op you need to put your name on the list and wait. If you want something faster maybe an ERPU lot would work for you. Are you limiting yourself to Escapee Parks? There are plenty of others......................

  On 8/28/2018 at 3:37 AM, SWharton said:

If you are only interested in a co-op you need to put your name on the list and wait. If you want something faster maybe an ERPU lot would work for you. Are you limiting yourself to Escapee Parks? There are plenty of others......................

Would you please PM me some other options? I am so new to this world that SKPs is the only co=op type system I know of. 

One park's list shows the people currently at #1 on the runway for takeoff signed onto the waiting list in 1997. You have to REALLY want to be in that place to wait 21 years to get there. I just wonder if they update to allow for deaths. I know people who decide to withdraw don't always inform the place. One park wants $1000 to be on their list. Seriously? $1000? Does that come with hookers and blow? That $1000 is about 1/3 of my solar equipment that would have to wait because I tied up $1000 to be on a list I will not likely live long enough to see come to fruition.

So, yeah, if there are other similar situations, please share them with me. I don;t even know where to look on the internet, how to parse the search terms, etc....

Just because someone has been on the list since 1997 does not mean that they have been waiting for 21 years to be eligible to purchase a lot. They have likely passed on lots multiple times and simply rotated back to the top over and over. Different co-ops have different procedures. Some will let you stay at the top for a long period of time, passing on lot after lot as long as you are responsive to the "lots available" messages.  I believe that others will drop you to the bottom of the list if you pass a certain number of times. For whatever reason the 1997 folks have not pulled the trigger on a lot, but have also not chosen to remove themselves from the list. 

Beyond that, the Co-ops are supply and demand. The ones in more popular areas ask for a larger deposit and their lot prices may be higher as well. Less popular locations are cheaper, and easier to get in to. 

As far as options, there are rv parks all over the south that offer long-term, multi-year leases, purchase of a deeded lot, or some other combination that allows long-term occupancy. These will also be supply and demand, with better locations and more amenities demanding more $$$.  If amenities are not important to you, you should be able to find something fairly inexpensive. 

In Texas alone there are literally hundreds of parks in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Texas Coast, and in the Texas Hill Country that cater to folks who desire a permanent lot. 

But there is no clearing house that I am aware of. Google "Long-term RV parks", "extended stay" or "deeded RV lots" in the state(s) that interest you, and take it from there...

Example:

http://www.rvproperty.com/texas-rv-lots-for-sale/

Circle T in the RGV offers a special for new customers...$725 for 6 months!

I like the 5 year lease program Escapee parks offer. Great deal.

Most campgrounds wouldn't survive without various amenities that attract a diverse customer base.

Thanks for the leads! I will start researching those areas!! Sounds like a good place to spend the winter months. Might be a little hot for me in summer, but that's what the idea of living in an RV is about, right? Move whenever you choose and follow the weather?

I don't mind paying for pools and rec center etc. But the things we use are dog parks, cable, wifi, laundry, bike trails, walking paths. When we start snowbirding, I will look for "low key" parks where it is ok for us to do our own thing. Not into the social aspect of RV parks. If it becomes too much, we'll move out to the desert for the winter.

This will be by 3rd winter in AZ.  The park I'm at has lots of social 'things' where certain groups get together to sew, paint, play bingo, coffee/pastry one morning per week....I don't attend any of them.  I do go out to lunch at least once per week with people I enjoy here at the park, usually just two or three folks at a time - we don't have a schedule - somebody decides they want to go somewhere and asks if you want to go.  The only 'plan in advance' things are Thanksgiving & Christmas.  A smaller park works for me, don't mind driving into town to shop, bank, Dr., watch a parade, see a car show.

I was lucky to find this first time out and have made great friends.  I like doing seasonal, then if I decide I want to go somewhere else I'm not caught up in having bought into property.  The joys of an RV'er, go where you want when you want.