Inside the Investor’s Mind
What determines the value of a self-storage facility? The answer is income—current and future. It’s what drives the value of all investments, including commercial real estate. People seek investment vehicles they believe will provide a risk-weighted return superior to ...More
February 1, 2007 Dale Eisenman
Posted in Articles
Hitting the Jackpot
At some point, we probably all dream of winning a lottery jackpot. It’s hard not to imagine what we would do if we could cash in on such good fortune. Sounds like a dream. And for the overwhelming majority of us, winning the lottery is. But some self-storage owners may be ...More
February 1, 2007 Neal Gussis
Posted in Articles,
Finance
Get Ready … Sell!
Everybody contemplating selling a facility should follow a value-enhancing checklist, regardless of how well the store has been run. The two basic areas to address are a facility’s physical aspects and financial recordkeeping. If you developed your facility on raw ground, ...More
February 1, 2007 Rob Schick
Posted in Articles
REAL ESTATE ROUNDUP
Marketing experts profess the easiest way to sell is by eliminating your competitors—although this is certainly extreme and not completely practical advice. Reading this magazine’s articles on Yellow Pages ads, Internet access, flashing signs, decorative sales areas and ...More
January 2, 2007 Michael L. McCune
Posted in Articles,
Development
Time for a Checkup!
My calendar reminded me it was time to schedule my regular dental checkup. While the prospect of another lecture about flossing wasn’t appealing, I called for an appointment because I wish to avoid serious problems in the future. We know it’s important to maintain our ...More
November 7, 2006 Amy Hitchingham
Posted in Articles
The Offensive Lineup
Many operators focus only on unit occupancies. As an owner, I know it’s an ego boost when occupancies are high. Maybe you’re hovering at 95 percent occupancy, have cut back marketing efforts and put the operation on cruise control. Why not? You have only a handful of units ...More
November 7, 2006 Brad North
Posted in Articles
The South-Central States
Our roundtable of experts gathered this month to discuss the South Central United States. I’ve asked local broker affiliates to summarize the current self-storage market in their areas and share thoughts on what the future may hold. Gulf Coast States Bill Barnhill and ...More
October 19, 2006 Mike McCune
Posted in Articles,
Development
Storage in a Snap
Most facilities have gaps—vacant, unused space in setback areas, utility easements, parking lots or other spots that for whatever reason never made it into building plans. Operators with growing waiting lists often wish for ways to fill these gaps and push occupancies past ...More
September 21, 2006 Kevin Ford
Posted in Articles
