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Investing in self-storage is becoming increasingly popular because of its hands-off, low-risk and predictable high-reward approach. While it may still be an investment sector that not too many people are taking advantage of, younger investors are flocking to its assets.
Prior to 2008, investing in self-storage investments was not institutionalized because it had never gone through a long-term debt cycle and it wasn’t readily-available for third-party management. Larger institutions and stock exchanges couldn’t figure out a proper model for it based on the major economic credit contractions, while individuals or banks could not establish trust or common ground with investors to create funds large enough to do it.
In 2008, all of that changed, when trust was established in investing in self-storage. Since then, it has served as the best-performing investment asset within the last 26 years. Now, in 2022, with self-storage proving its capabilities as a high-profit investment, the desire to invest in the industry has skyrocketed.
There is a recognizable face behind the self-storage investment movement, however, and his name is AJ Osborne, CEO of Cedar Creek Capital. The firm works to attract accredited investors to this newest commercial real estate asset, in an unorthodox way, by assuming the risk and responsibility behind each investment.
Whatsmore, Cedar Creek Capital is providing a solution for investors who want passive income, but do not have the time to contribute to doing it themselves. The firm will literally spoon-feed investors everything they need to make a sound investment and see a return on their investment.
The average age of investors is dropping, and fast. The self-storage real estate asset is rising just as fast. Investing in self-storage has proven itself in providing passive income to investors, as well as ensuring wealth creation and long-term income.
“Self storage is one of the most misunderstood assets in the world, primarily because it’s the newest commercial real estate asset,” said Osborne. “People are really interested in this asset class, particularly young people. It can be truly hands-off and has high cash flow.”
Cedar Creek Capital and the ‘BIRD’ Model
Cedar Creek Capital is a real estate private equity firm, vertically-integrated, that specializes in the acquisition, development and management of self-storage investments and facilities.
The firm currently operates a portfolio in the excess of over $300 million while continuing to present new, unique and innovative ways to invest in the self-storage sector.
Utilizing its ‘Buy’, ‘Increase’, ‘Reduce’, and ‘Do’ mentality, or ‘BIRD’ investment model, the firm takes on under-performing assets, ups revenue through rate management, proprietary technology and operations, lowers the risk of investment through financing into non-recourse loans, and then repeats the returned principal and process.
The most-unique and crucial part to the firm is that it owns all facilities, management teams, software and assets so that investors aren’t following different avenues, but rather, finding comfort in that it’s all under one roof.
All efforts are meant to guide investors through the great opportunity to ensure optimal wealth potential and portfolio growth. For Cedar Creek Capital, it comes down to vertical integration and synergy across all investments.
“We don’t roll out investors when we are buying an asset, so they are investors for life,” stated Osborne. “This helps us ensure long-term equity and income for investors while returning their principal and profits in just 3-6 years.”
Why Osborne Does What He Does
Before Osborne garnered the spotlight as the CEO of Cedar Creek Capital, became the go-to thought-leader in the self-storage investment space, an Instagram influencer, built both a high-performing YouTube channel and No. 1 self-storage podcast, and wrote the bestselling, Growing Wealth in Storage, he was a 9-5er just trying to provide for his family.
When he was just 33 years old, he was paralyzed in a hospital bed for months as a quadriplegic, due to a rare disease. Additionally, he was also fired from his lucrative brokerage firm position while recovering. He recalls that, had it not been for some timely investments in self-storage over the course of his professional life, he would not have been able to figure out his finances for himself, let alone his family, a wife and four children.
“My wife didn’t have to leave our children with a babysitter while having to pick up a job as her husband is hooked up to tubes in the hospital,” Osborne recalled. “She just went on with a normal life and took care of our kids, making sure they were happy. We didn’t lose our house and I wasn’t worried about paying the bills.”
As the holidays approached, still in a hospital bed, he made a promise to himself that when he got out that he would make things happen. That is when life presented a gift to him as he educated himself and took on a full-time role in the self-storage private equity sector, prompting him to found Cedar Creek Capital. He did it for the financial future of his family, but also with the notion of helping others participate in an asset system that saved them from possible turmoil.
“I didn’t know if I was ever going to be able to get out of a wheelchair, so I said to myself that I’ll just teach people about investing in self-storage,” he said. “We founded Cedar Creek Capital so that people could find financial freedom via a private equity company. I figured I would just let people invest with us to participate in the same success and financial security that I have.”
The reason why Osborne is serving as the face of self-storage investing is because he doesn’t want anyone to ever have to be in a scenario where they are not financially fit to provide for both themselves and their families.
With some guidance, investing in self-storage is as straight-forward as it is lucrative. Considering the industry is still in its infancy, the sky’s the limit for any investor to buy-in with confidence and of sound mind and body.
About AJ Osborne
AJ Osborne, CEO of Cedar Creek Capital, is the leading expert and voice in the self-storage industry. He has been featured on top real estate podcasts and is the go-to resource for self-storage investment advice across social media platforms, including YouTube. Accredited investors can find more information here:https://www.cedarcreekwealth.com/
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