Personally, I would only buy into a park that is owned and operated by the HOA. If it is corporately operated, there is the possibility decisions will be made based on profit and not on the actual needs of the park. This can apply to repairs and maintenance, staffing, changes in park policy, etc.
People on these forums often complain about HOAs, but they actually do tend to reflect the common interests of the members (though not necessarily the interests of any specific member) Yes, there will be some infighting, some chest puffing and usually two factions on each issue, but they still function better for the needs of the park than a corporate office 1000s of miles away.