Everyone likes to talk about giant storage deals because they associate size with “sexiness”. However, the truth is that many of those big deals are total failures and there’s nothing attractive about losing money. Instead, for many investors in self-storage, smaller deals offer greater safety and financial returns. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to explore why smaller deals are often a better choice.

Most every self-storage property you look at buying seemingly has three sets of books: 1) what the seller promises you 2) the Profit & Loss statements they give you and 3) the tax returns. And the problem is that often these three different viewpoints don’t align. What does that mean and what can you do about it?

Most real estate buyers have an endless attraction to what are called “hot markets”. But this pursuit has some disastrous results for most self-storage buyers. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to explore the truth about “hot markets” and how to approach them properly.

Seller carry, bank debt, conduit financing – those are the typical ways you finance a self-storage facility. But there’s another method that rarely gets discussed: “hard-money” lending. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to explore the concept of hard-money loans and drill down on the risks associated with this alternative funding source.

Whether you’re building a storage facility or just getting routine maintenance completed, you can’t really be in the storage business without working with contractors. But there is a certain etiquette to this relationship that is essential to protect your interests. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to discuss how to properly structure your relationship with contractors and avoid their typical pitfalls.

Every loan must bear interest, and when you borrow from a bank that number is typically non-negotiable. However, with seller financing the interest rate is subject to negotiation. In this Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to explore strategies for determining the correct interest rate on seller-carry debt.

When it comes to getting a loan on a self-storage facility, the better you are at attracting banks the better your loan options will be. So how can you build your lender popularity? In his Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to review some the basic steps and skills that will make you a more desirable bank customer.

One of the cardinal rules of investing in a self-storage facility is making sure you have your downside protected. To help facilitate this analysis, many buyers and lenders will “stress test” the proposed deal to see if they can survive the “worst case” scenario. In ths Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to explore the correct way to “stress test” a deal and what the key metrics need to prove in order to go forward.