Episode 244: The Loneliness Epidemic: Why Connection is the Ultimate Housing Amenity with Dave Snider and Cory Whitesell
Summary
In this episode of My Life As a Landlord, we sit down with seasoned real estate investor and community-building experts Dave Snider and Cory Whitesell to tackle one of the most pressing issues in housing today: the loneliness epidemic. With nearly three decades of experience managing properties and navigating every crisis imaginable, both Cory and Dave share their profound insights on why connection is the ultimate amenity. We discuss the challenges of building new developments—like overcoming the "trailer trash" stigma when opening an RV park near established neighborhoods—and explore actionable strategies to foster genuine community among residents. From supper clubs to homework help, this duo reveals how intentional community design not only improves residents' lives but also creates stronger, more resilient investments. Tune in to discover why creating a sense of belonging is just as important as putting a roof over someone's head.
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This Week’s Blog Post:
Welcome to My Life as a Landlord, where we educate curious US and Canadian landlords, answer rental questions and clear up confusions about all things housing. In this episode, I welcome Dave and Cory to talk about the deeper purpose of what we’re doing at Pine Tree Community RV Park and building community. If you’ve been following our journey, you know that Mike and I are currently building Pine Tree Community RV Park in Powell River, British Columbia, north of Vancouver, and our neighbors aren’t exactly excited about the new development. We talk about what a neighborhood should look like, the importance of connection, affordability, and creating a place to thrive, not just to be.
Connection Is Critical
A normal neighborhood today sometimes has less connection than what would be ideal. We talk about building connection, building community, building faith in each other and in what we can do together. Can I go to my neighbor? Do I have a neighbor I can rely on that I can call to help me? If you don’t have that, you’re missing an essential part of what a neighborhood is and should be. We are the most technically or digitally connected generation in the world, but we are the most disconnected socially. Most people live just feet away from neighbors they’ve never met. Creating community isn’t expensive; it just takes a little intentionality through shared meals, icebreaker events, resident appreciation events, community newsletters, homework clubs, tutors, and simply asking people how they’re doing and really listening.
The Loneliness Epidemic and Being a Good Neighbor
We talk about what the Surgeon General called the loneliness epidemic and the importance of helping people feel valued, known, connected, and like they have a sense of belonging. There’s also a business reason for doing this. When people get connected, love the neighborhood, love their neighbors, and feel like they belong, they want their friends to move into the neighborhood and they typically don’t move out so much. Turnover goes down and marketing to fill empty spots goes down. Cory also shares that the fastest way to accelerate connection comes down to a very simple principle: service. What can I do for you? How can I help you? That mindset can make so much headway because being a great neighbor and creating great neighborhoods can be good business.
Creating Community at Pine Tree Community RV Park
At Pine Tree Community RV Park, we have about 40 houses right next door, and our subdivision neighbors are scared and mad because they don’t know what we’re creating. They think we’re creating trailer park trash, and they have no idea what we’re doing. So we’re going to invite them personally to come and see what we’ve built. We’re having a big party with a band, Rotary, Search and Rescue, games, food, a scavenger hunt, a bubble station for kids, and a pet-friendly environment. Michael and I are personally going to walk the entire subdivision, talk to our neighbors, and invite them. We also talk about affordability and why RV parks create an opportunity for people who want the space they need, don’t want to take care of a whole lot of stuff, have somewhat limited capital, enjoy traveling, or simply want something different. For us, there’s also the challenge of the 180-day hard stop and creating community while maintaining a licence to occupy rather than establishing tenancy.
People First, Profits Matter, and a Positive Impact
I close our conversation by talking about legacy, being a great human, putting people first, and having a positive impact while still running good businesses. Dave talks about positively impacting the world and making sure every day and every minute has a positive impact on the people around us. Cory wants his children to know that he loves them unconditionally and wants people to think of him as someone who put people first, people before problems, and wanted to help them move forward in their lives. And if you are a landlord listening, profits also matter. How we manage our properties, how we market, how we pivot, and how we find markets are important. We need to run good businesses, acquire properties affordably, repair them and maintain them affordably, and earn enough to be a blessing to others. You can have a good business and have a positive impact while you earn well. Operating well and being a good neighbor serve each other. They’re complementary, not against each other at all.