Tariffs, Trade Areas, and Self-Storage: Lessons From the “Big Short”
Some dots have connected in my mind recently that are reshaping how I evaluate self-storage trade areas moving forward. Surprisingly, this insight came from digging into the lives and current work of the people who shorted subprime financial instruments during the...
Self-Storage Mid-Year Report 2025 (As Seen by Mark Helm)
Let me share what I’ve gathered about the state of the self-storage industry halfway through 2025. This is based on the latest Yardi Matrix data, Radius insights, REIT shareholder reports, and—just as importantly—my own observations and experience in the trenches....
From Late Fees to Rent Caps: How Our Industry Keeps Inviting Regulation
I hate to say I told you so… but… I told you so. This headline popped up in my news feed dashboard: Now, I’m sure the storage industry will fight this, and they might even succeed—for now. But make no mistake: this is probably just the beginning of a wave of states...
Uncertainty Creates Challenges & Opportunity: What the Shifting Political Landscape Means for Small Self-Storage Players
I am hosting a virtual online Bootcamp in March on the 21st & 22nd and have been revising some of my content for the event. This is the second episode of three, where I will be sharing some of the things I am going to be bringing up that I haven’t necessarily...
Self-Storage vs Flex Space Match Q1 2025!
I have worked with several self-storage investors who are now considering and undertaking mixed-use projects of self-storage and flex space. Flex space is the new shiny object for many smaller self-storage developers. As strange as it may sound, I worked for a...
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