[Nords]

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Anyone know anything about investing in a Car Wash? My son-in-law lives in a rapidly growing area near DC.* Anyone have any ideas or thoughts ?

Oddly enough, my FIL owned a coin-operated self-serve car-wash franchise in the DC area in the 1960s. One of my spouse's early memories is wrapping quarters ad nauseum.

He had persistent problems with theft & vandalism. He also needed an on-call handiman to repair water leaks, fix power outages (you'd be surprised what those pressure jets can get into), and deal with the occasional irate customer. One of the district wise guys also objected to the upstart business and FIL felt obligated to carry a firearm. Hopefully things have improved in your SIL's neighborhood!

Presumably he's already checked into the environmental control & recycling rules for water use, road salt, mud, oil, etc. That's an unfunded mandate that many franchise owners don't adequately represent. There'll be extra costs in winter to heat the water (and the building) and the reduced business. And then there's the issue of liability vs incorporating the business. If the business is a full-service car wash, then you're adding in the extra skills required to deal with the type of "worker" that it attracts. But maybe ex-cons working at carwashes is just a Hollywood stereotype?

Is he planning on doing this full-time? Wouldn't buying a nice rental condo or a duplex be less of a headache?