Buying a campground can be an exciting experience that will allow you to have full access to a hobby that you love all the while bringing in an income. There are some things that you should be concerned with when making the decision to buy a campground. These are some of the most common problems that buyers find out about AFTER the sale.
Gasoline tanks that are buried underground can cause significant soil damage, not to mention it is illegal. This is a common problem that either the real estate agent doesn't know about or the seller may not tell you about. If this happens, you will be responsible for removing the tank and having the damaged soil corrected.
When campsites are inspected by the state health department, if there is any problems with the park, sewage, or otherwise that could cause health concerns, they will usually give the owner two to three years to correct the problem. If the problem is very costly, some will try and sell the property hoping that the buyer will not know about the problems or the time frame to fix the problems.
There are some instances when the owner will become aware of the fact that government agencies like the US Forest Service is planning to build a lower priced facility in the near future or that there is a new privately owned site that will be added to the adjoining property. This will prompt them to sell without giving out the information.
When a new road is planning to be built that will cut off access to the campsite, often these campground will come up for sale.
Sewage is always an issue when buying a campground. Sometimes older sewage treatment systems will be worn out and the newer laws require that an entirely new system be installed on the campground within a certain amount of time.
All these are things that you can prevented by doing some research. You should be prepared to ask questions and to visit the health department and the courthouse to find out all the information that you can about the campground that you are considering before you put any money into it.
