Virtually all investors in the self-storage arena buy their properties using debt. That’s always been the attraction to real estate: the availability of getting leverage. And leverage is the tool that allows cash-on-cash returns to be stronger than traditional investments that have no leverage. One of the metrics banks use to underwrite loans is the “coverage ratio”.

You cannot buy a self-storage facility without engaging in the old-fashioned art of negotiation. Nobody knows when the first negotiation in the world transpired, but it probably dates back to cavemen trying to get that extra piece of firewood. You simply cannot be an effective buyer without understanding its principals and engaging in the gamesmanship that has become negotiation today. So what are the basics you need to know?

I have a collection of books on self-storage from a number of authors – and they’re all worthless. In this episode of the Self-Storage University podcast we’re going to review why most of these written works are not worth the paper they’re printed on and some of the facts that they’re missing. There has to be more than untruthful, content-lacking upsells into coaching for a book to be of value, yet that’s what most storage guides represent and in this podcast we’re going to discuss why.

Hurricane season is always a good reminder of the importance of keeping mindful attention on the existence of flood plain when buying a self-storage property. Even in non-coastal areas, a severe weather event can lead to high levels of rain, and this can result in danger if you are in the flood plain. Sowhat do you need to know about self-storage facilities and flooding?

Many people think that there is only one type of storage vacancy: an empty unit. But why is that unit empty? In this episode of the Self-Storage University podcast, we’re going to analyze the different types of storage vacancy and what they really mean, as well as how to fix them.