While most storage investors buy existing properties, there is another breed that additionally builds storage properties from scratch. This type of approach requires a specialty type of financing and then transferring this debt to permanent status. So how do you bridge the gap between construction and final financing?

Many people would have you believe that population alone is the determining factor in self-storage success. They claim that the only markets worth investing in are those that are large and growing daily. But the truth is that this is far from the key factor to success. In fact, many of these “hot” markets are lacking in a more important trait: profitability. But why?

There are roughly 5,300 colleges and universities in the U.S., and they’re spread out over all 50 states. There is a huge following with these establishments of higher learning for football and other sports, but there’s also a following among smart storage owners. College towns have always been good locations for self-storage facilities. But why is that?