Many people dream of owning an RV Park but few actually dare to do. Meet Joe and Melody Costa. The new faces of RV Park ownership. These 35-year old millennials left behind successful careers, wanting something different. Today they’re owners of Monte Verde RV Park and Campground in Angel Fire, New Mexico, a boutique-size campground situated in a lakeside valley of green rolling hills and craggy mountains on the famous scenic byway, the Enchanted Circle.
I met Joe and Melody in 2016 when Al and I camped outside of Denver, CO., at the Westminster Elks RV Facility. They were living there in a fifth wheel trailer, volunteering at the Elks to gain experience managing a campground. We kept in touch, and two years later Al and I passed through Angel Fire specifically to see them and their campground.
Their RV Park and Campground has 30 RV sites offering full hook-ups with 50 and 30 amp service, 6 tent camp sites, plus 2 RV rentals. Open year round, Monte Verde RV Park has a laundry, bathroom and shower facilities. A generous lawn down the middle of the campground serves as a common area. Outdoor games are available, and in the summer they offer free weekend yoga and BBQs. One very impressive improvement they have made is the addition of Wi-Fi with such a strong signal strength campers can stream Netflix from their coaches. What else would we expect! After all, the millennial generation is most characterized by their adoption of communications, media and digital technologies.
Before acquiring the RV Park, Melody was a children’s librarian for 15 years in the Denver area. Joe was in a high stress job for 13 years working for an environmental company managing hazardous materials. According to Joe, the job was 365/24. He recalls that during a vacation to Europe he was constantly on the phone fielding work calls. Melody added, “It was very stressful because with Hazmat, it can be a life or death situation.” Joe worried about his health and the consequences of all the stress he was under.
Both agreed it was time for a change. The Costa’s sold their Denver-area home and bought their fifth wheel. They had trouble finding a place in the Denver area to park and live in their trailer and ended up at an Elks Lodge RV Facility in Westminster, CO.
They had joked about retiring and buying an RV Park. Now here they were standing at an intersection in their lives, and they toyed with the idea of making their retirement dream a reality, but now. Joe started researching RV Parks for sale online. They found three they were interested in. Theirs was the first they went to see and never looked further. Melody says it felt like home. Joe says there is so much potential in this valley.
The purchase of their campground didn’t go as smoothly as finding it. The purchase dragged on for nearly a year and by the time they took ownership in September 2016, they had missed the prime summer season. In fact the previous owners had closed the park during winters for the past seven years.
Joe had a business plan, which was necessary in order to obtain their business loan. So they immediately worked their plan and sought to increase revenue and make the RV Park their own. In just 2 years, they increased revenue by 100% and regularly have a wait list 20 sites deep during summers.
The Costas now have their sights on long-term goals for the park, including adding solar to reduce the cost of electricity and be more green. They plan to add amenities like a hot-tub, and the addition of more RV sites and possibly yurts.
When asked what advice they would share with others considering such a move, Joe says you have to be a DIYer (Do It Yourselfer). The margins are low in an RV Park so you can’t be calling an electrician every time you have an electrical issue, or bring in an IT specialist when the Wi-Fi goes down. You have to be able to jump in and figure it out.
Melody’s advice: have the skills necessary for the business and enjoy doing it. “I run the front office and I like providing good hospitality and customer service. Joe oversees the accounting, park maintenance and running the business. He enjoys it and he’s good at it,” says Melody.
What do they love about owning an RV Park? They get a kick out of the surprise they get from people when they learn that Joe and Melody own the RV Park. Both love living in such a beautiful place. And they say it’s the people that make having an RV Park so great. “We’ve made life-long friends of people we’ve met through the park,” Joe says. “And RVers are not just retirees anymore. They’re people of all ages, and we’ve met tons of really cool people.”
On your next trip through New Mexico, plan a stop at Monte Verde RV Park and Campground and say hello to the Costas. At their doorstep you’ll find year-round adventure – at Eagle Nest Lake, Cimarron Canyon and Moreno Valley. There’s summer concerts, ziplining, fly-fishing, hiking, biking, winter skiing, and tons to do. Or just take in the stunning beauty of New Mexico’s scenic Enchanted Circle. Book your stay early. Visit: http://www.monteverderv.com or call 575-377.3404.
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