In this powerhouse episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with Jack Martin — co-founder and CIO of 52TEN, one of the top mobile home park operators in the United States. Jack brings decades of experience across development, acquisitions, capital formation, and operations, having overseen over $1B in real estate projects and more than 2,000 lots nationwide.
Jack breaks down why mobile home parks sit at the lowest end of the real-estate risk spectrum, how they deliver unusually stable cash flow, and why investors from high-net-worth individuals to family offices chase the asset class for its superior tax advantages. He explains the core difference between mobile home parks and RV parks, why land improvements are the real engine of bonus depreciation, and how lot-rent economics create both affordability for residents and reliable income for operators.
Throughout the conversation, Jack unpacks key levers for value creation — sub-metering, operational discipline, expense reduction, proper sizing for scale, and what separates truly institutional-quality parks from everything else. He also reveals how his team evaluates 150 deals a year and buys only three, why scarcity drives long-term upside, and how EOS, belief, and people have shaped 52TEN’s rise into a market leader.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to understand the real math behind mobile home park investing, see how large operators think, and learn why this niche remains one of the most tax-efficient, recession-resistant strategies in the country. Tune in now to discover why Jack calls mobile home parks “the most stable real estate in America.”
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE:
08:02 Jack talks about why MHPs are lowest on the risk spectrum
25:56 Jack talks about applying cost segregation
KEEPING IT REAL:
06:00 – Mobile home park model
08:06 – Why investors choose MHPs
10:36 – Bonus depreciation power
12:57 – Tax buckets clarified
14:49 – Investor profiles shift
21:17 – Land improvements explained
24:53 – Cost-seg advantage
28:10 – Evaluating properties
33:03 – Renting land, not homes
37:56 – Tenant stability factor
45:28 – Why new parks aren’t built
49:04 – Expense leaks & fixes
53:05 – Affordability for residents
57:22 – Yield expectations
1:04:12 – Belief, EOS, people
Episode Hashtags: #MobileHomeParks #RealEstateInvesting #AffordableHousing #WealthStrategy #PassiveIncome #TaxStrategy #LandImprovements #MHPInvesting #FinancialFreedom #ScaleWithStability
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST
Website: https://52ten.com/