Blog

Driver’s Wanted

We read this great article on Inc. on what it takes to be an entrepreneur. We think this article is so interesting because it really addresses the common misconception that most entrepreneurs start out with money.

The truth is “Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled” says HBS professor Howard Stevenson from the book Breakthrough Entrepreneurship by entrepreneur and teacher Jon Burgstone and writer Bill Murphy, Jr. Entrepreneurs are used to making do and can even make better decisions because of that.

Especially in an economy such as this one, it is scary to take a leap, but many do and succeed because they have the drive. It brings to mind the old Volkswagen slogan “Drivers Wanted.” Not only are drivers wanted but they are needed.

Check out the article here.


REIT Their Lips.

February 15th, 2012

We pay a lot of attention on what is going on with those real estate investment trusts. Check out these great articles on why 2011 was a great year for self storage and why 2012 is going to be ever better.

Inside Self Storage: Self-Storage REITs 2011 Overview: Acquisitions Dominate the Market, Expect More of the Same This Year.  Check out article here.

Wall Street Journal: Storage REITs Enjoy a Boom. Check out journal article here.

And if you haven’t already, check out our thoughts on our Brokerage Market Update.

Door Number One or Two?

February 10th, 2012

We all have watched game shows where the contestants picked between the prize they were shown behind door number one, or put it all on the line for what was hidden and between door number two.

Buyers and sellers often have a style that can be compared to that.  Act now or wait till later?  If you are thinking about selling now is a great time.  The Capital Gains Tax Rate of 15% expires on the last day of 2012, and current expectations are they will increase to 20% in 2013.  That is a tax increase of 33%.

Here are our Newest Self Storage Listings to whet your appetite:

  • 3 Property Portfolio , 413 Self Storage units, $3,950,000 in West Pittston (Luzerne County), PA
  • Galizia’s All Safe Storage, 339 Self Storage units, $2,185,000, in Fulton, NY
  • East Burg Family Storage, 130 Self Storage units & 15 RV parking spots, $850,000, in East Stroudsberg, PA
  • Kwik’N Self Storage, 50 totals units, $350,000, in Tyrone, PA

See all of our listings here.

The Top 8 Questions We Bet Are On Your Mind:

February 3rd, 2012

  • How long will take to market my property and get to closing?
  • What is my property worth today?
  • Do I have equity in my property that I could realize with a sale?
  • Will I need to put more equity into my property should I refinance?
  • Will I be able to raise the occupancy rate and rental rates over the next several years?
  • Is my property worth more today than it will be in the future?
  • What are the risks of waiting to sell versus cashing in now?
  • How much will it cost me to sell my property through Investment Real Estate?

Call us today at 717-779-0804 for the answers to the above questions.  We will provide you with a free, confidential valuation of your facility, so you can make an informed decision to sell, hold or refinance.

Looking back on 2011

January 27, 2012

2011 may have started off slow but it really picked up some steam as the year went on.  Here are what we think are the greatest highlights from the market in general and from our company.

  • Cap rates now back to levels we saw at the top of the market in 2006-07.
  • Transaction volume picking up steam in the last quarter of 2011.
  • Self Storage REIT stocks were the best performing in 2011.
  • CMBS markets getting started again.
  • Many all cash buyers looking to invest in self storage.
  • Local banks now financing self storage at rates in the 5.5-7% range.
  • Feasibility studies have begun once again.

Here are what we consider our greatest accomplishments for 2011:

  • Last four months of 2011 we closed 5 transactions totaling $12,750,000!
  • We received and completed 4 feasibility studies for expansions and new projects in the last quarter of 2011.
  • We listed for sale $17,435,000 in self storage properties in the last quarter of 2011.

Here’s to a bigger and even better year.

Is the Time Now?

January 20, 2012

We get asked a lot, “How are things really going in the self storage industry?” To answer this question and more click here to check out this great article “Market Update for Northeast & Mid Atlantic Markets” written by John Barry. Here is a short excerpt.

“Well, real estate is always good, as far as I am concerned.”-Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s words appear to echo the sentiment of the self storage industry’s operators in 2011. While timing is also a factor when acquiring real estate investments, the larger operators in our industry appear to be saying that the time is now. There has been a noticeable increase in the amount and number of self storage transactions this year and while the year is not complete, the numbers are certainly up from the last couple years.

We hope you find the full article insightful and that it helps you strategize in 2012.

New Year Resolutions at IRE

January 11, 2012

Here at the Home Office, everyone is buzzing about their New Year’s Resolutions. All the cookies around the office have been replaced with fruit and everybody has their gym bags packed and ready to go. We are happy to share some of our New Year’s Resolutions that we hope will inspire and entertain.

John, our CEO’s resolutions are: To replace two of the cups of coffee I drink per day with green tea, keep my email inbox clean so there are no more than one screen page full of emails in my inbox, tweet once per week or more on my thoughts of the self storage business.

Diane, our Executive Assistant’s personal goals are to walk more regularly and eat healthier, to be more patient and forgiving and to continue my ongoing study of music theory.

Joe, our Controller, resolves to provide all Moove In and IRE customers, employees, and vendors with positive and productive support throughout 2012. I also resolve to provide guidance and prudence to all of our companies in a way that will fully maximize stakeholder value.

Debi, Assistant Controller, would like to focus on her overall health in 2012.

Got an inspiring or hilarious New Year’s Resolution to share? Share it on our Facebook or Twitter page.

It supposedly takes 21 days to form a habit. We wish you luck on your New Year’s (or anytime of the year) Resolutions. If one of your resolutions happens to be buying, selling or just valuating your storage property, well, we are here for you. Have a great year!

Happy New Year from all of us at Investment Real Estate!

January 6, 2012

We hope everybody had a great holiday season. We’re putting down the eggnog and getting back in the swing of things for 2012. To start off we have some big news: we’re getting a little more social in 2012. We will be blogging, doing email marketing, and we’re on Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. We will have great content on these networks such as:

  • New listings
  • Sold properties
  • Valuation trends
  • Market updates
  • Value enhancement tools
  • Helpful tips and articles on self storage and just business in general

We hope you will Like us, Follow us and add us to your Google Plus Circle.  Click on the picture icons below to go directly to the page.

Here’s to a great 2012 and we hope this quote inspires you for the New Year as much as it inspires us:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain.