High-End RV Resorts Grow Popular Amid Housing Crunch

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Overlooking the New River in Fort Lauderdale not far from million-dollar homes situated across the waterway lies a well-kept secret: a luxury RV resort, writes Amber Bonefont in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

It offers what many think of when they visit South Florida: gorgeous waterfront views, lush greenery and million-dollar yachts floating by, but with a twist.

Instead of condos or sky-high apartment buildings, Yacht Haven Park and Marina features more than 220 lots that guests can rent to park their RVs.

“I call it affordable luxury,” said Christine Schaub, 33, who rents a lot overlooking the New River with her husband, Joel, 40.

Dubbing themselves “young snowbirds,” the Chicago couple first purchased their RV in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing the RV as an option that would let them escape the harsh Chicago winters and vacation at a time when international travel wasn’t really an option.

Almost three years later, the couple has traveled from coast to coast in their RV, visiting Arizona, New Orleans, Texas, the Florida Keys — and now Yacht Haven Park and Marina.

They started staying at the resort in November 2022, liking the waterfront views it offered and the quick proximity to Fort Lauderdale’s downtown life.

“We can work remotely now,” added Joel. “We own a home in Chicago. We bought the RV and go to resorts like this where you can get out and avoid the snow.”

They aren’t the only ones opting out of a second home and into an RV. One in five leisure travelers has worked from an RV over the past 24 months, and one in four consider doing it in the next year, according to data from the RV Industry Association.

The rise in popularity of RVs

Recreational vehicles, or RVs, saw a surge in popularity when the pandemic hit in 2020.

While the market for them was strong leading up to the pandemic, COVID lockdowns brought out droves of people looking for a means to still be able to vacation, while being socially distant.

“The pandemic supercharged it,” said Monika Geraci, spokesperson for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association.

In 2021, over 600,00 RVs were built, a 20% increase from the previous record high in 2017, when over 500,000 RVs were built.

And as the pandemic waned on, RV popularity grew as more people began to prioritize the outdoors. It also became a more affordable option for people who were looking to escape increased housing costs or even find a more affordable vacation home.

“When the housing market went absolutely crazy, some homeowners jumped on the bandwagon, sold their homes and purchased RVs full time to wait until the market came back down,” said Gigi Stetler, founder of Planet RV, an RV dealership, in Dania Beach.

See the complete Sun-Sentinel article here.

Source: https://rvbusiness.com/high-end-rv-resorts-grow-popular-amid-housing-crunch/