Anyone subscribe to Costar for market analysis?

Just curious if anyone here is a Costar subscriber. I was quoted around $23K I believe for one year of nationwide access about six months ago. I did not pull the trigger yet but after seeing how time consuming (and thus money consuming) it is for my analyst/assistant to gather market data manually (and yet, how valuable that data has been so far in my MHP acquisition hunt) I am rethinking my position and considering a subscription.

Costar is mainly for multifamily but the banked-in analytics tools during the demo were very impressive - one could use it, for example, to quickly isolate towns and metros across the USA with the most rapidly rising apartment rents and decreasing vacancy rates, for example - and then focus one’s MHP research efforts on those areas and then devote more human hours to personally contacting park owners in those cities to see if anyone will sell.

Frank? Jefferson Lilly? Any other portfolio owners? What are your thoughts?

Its been a year or two since I had a call with them but based on what information they were able to provide at that time, it was deemed that it may not be a good value for mobile home parks. Wish I could telly you more on the specifics but just remember making that decision after going over a few samples with someone there.

I have a relationship with a broker I use for new listing notifications from time to time. I take him to lunch every quarter and we talk business, opportunities, and I protect him on anything I get under contract out there. I give him first right of refusal on land and commercial assignments in that market. He gives me pocket listings and other leads that otherwise would go elsewhere. We have a very much mutually beneficial relationship.

This service is overpriced unless you have a commercial brokerage in my opinion.