You want to know the real tragedy of life in the mobile home park industry? It’s this: we’re swimming in a sea of well-dressed hypocrisy. The world is full of people smiling to your face while quietly waiting for you to stumble. They shake your hand, talk of collaboration, and secretly hope your NOI tanks. And in an industry as challenging as affordable housing, where resources are thin and stakes are high, you’ve got to learn to see through the smile and recognize the silent agenda beneath.
If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing—except maybe I’d open my eyes a little sooner. They say kindness is a virtue, but I’ll tell you, kindness and naivety are often neighbors on the same street. Too kind, too trusting, and before you know it, your time, your energy, even your sanity is siphoned off by those who wouldn’t know integrity if it doubled their cap rate.
In this business, I’ve learned one critical lesson: It’s not my job to fix what I didn’t break. You’ll come across issues—leaky faucets, lagging occupancy, endless zoning obstacles—but, oh, the real leaks in this game? They’re in the relationships you let bleed your time and patience. There was a time I feared losing people’s approval. But the real loss, I’ve come to realize, is not people; it’s your time. The hours you’ll never get back, spent bending over backward to gain favor from people who won’t think twice about the next opportunity to profit at your expense.
You see, the moment you start living by other people’s standards, you’ll never become the person you were meant to be. Your journey will always be sidetracked by someone else’s expectations. Life is too short for that—and so, every day I strive to laugh as often as possible, cry only when it counts, and let no one’s opinion hold me hostage.
There’s one value I refuse to lose: dignity. Dignity is the final line, the marker that says, “I know who I am, and no amount of so-called networking or industry connections will make me compromise that.” As I grow, as the years in this business stack up, I’ve realized that the circle narrows. Fewer people are willing to stand beside you when you’re uncompromising. But here’s the thing—a mature mind doesn’t tolerate hypocrisy. It doesn’t buy into hollow praise or flattery, and it doesn’t waste energy on false friendships. It understands that integrity is worth more than anyone’s approval.
So, as I stand here today, I know that the only loss I can’t afford is losing myself. The parks come and go, profits rise and fall, and people? They may orbit in and out of your life, but if you remain true to your values, you’ll be fine with the solitude. In the end, it’s about holding onto yourself in a world eager to tell you who you should be.
And so, to all of you in the affordable housing game, remember: Life is short. Stay true, guard your time, and let no one bring you down—not the smiling cynics nor the so-called friends waiting for your next misstep. Because the real victory isn’t in their validation; it’s in keeping your dignity intact, no matter who’s watching.
