Although people have been vacationing here over 60 years, ten-year-old private REIT (real estate investment trust) Carefree bought Sherkston two years ago and has invested $5 million, $2 million of which went for the waterslides in the 17,500 square-foot Family Funplex. With a waterpark, climbing wall and arcade, it is the hub of the community. The goal is to shift the focus away from the day visitors and to provide amenities for the MH owners, as MHProNews understands.
Dave Napp, CEO of Arizona-based Carefree, says most people’s image of an MHC is “the picture you see on the front page of USA Today after a tornado. I think if people saw today’s contemporary, factory-built homes, they’d get over all that pretty quickly.”
With over 100 MH and RV communities in Ontario and across the U. S., Napp sees anticipated growth among future retirees. “We think there is a deep market out there and a good 15 or 20 year window in which baby boomers will be our primary customers. This isn’t about affordable housing, it’s about an affordable lifestyle,” he said. He also sees the opportunity to cross market their MHCs in Florida for Canadian residents in the winter.##
(Photo credit: thespec/Hannah Yoon–Sherkston Shores manufactured home community)
