338. How to Fund Self Storage Deals Without a Ton of Cash (Our Capital “Playbook”)

Self Storage Income

AJ Osborne

Entrepreneurship, Education, Investing, Business, How To

4.9 • 591 Ratings

🗓️ 3 March 2026

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ever wonder how self storage investors get their hands on enough capital to purchase not just one, or two, but several self storage facilities? The truth is that many of them bring very little of their own cash to the table.

Why? Because self storage isn’t just another high-risk investment or business venture. It’s an opportunity. An opportunity to make steady (and passive) returns, allocate more capital to hard assets, and take advantage of massive tax benefits.

After making this crucial mindset shift, you’ll find that there’s always more than enough money out there. From non-recourse (CMBS) loans and SBA loans to capital from family, friends, and other investors, there are countless sources to tap into—if you do your research, know your numbers inside out, and pitch your self storage deal as the wealth-building opportunity it is.

AJ and Conner are breaking down all of your funding options, the ideal capital “stack” for novice investors, and the fastest ways to take down your next self storage deal—even if you’re starting from zero.

What you’ll learn in today’s show:

The capital “stack” any investor can use to fund their next self storage deal
How to pitch your next self storage investment to limited partners (LPs)
The number one mistake new self storage investors make when talking to banks
The different types of loans you can use to finance your self storage facility
How to protect yourself (and your limited partners) when structuring agreements

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Join the SSI Community - https://www.selfstorageincome.com/learn-yt

Transcript

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0:00.0	When you're a first-time investor, these narratives of, I don't have experience, I can't do it. I can't get a loan for a house. How could I get a loan for a commercial real estate property? It's actually easier to do that. Yeah, yeah, no kidding. And when you're a first-time investor, there's products that are specifically made for you. There is so much money out there. It is insane. We are at a time where the stock market is at all-time highs.
0:24.5	A huge... so much money out there. It is insane. We are at a time where the stock market is at all-time
0:23.6	highs. A huge portion of our investors, they're trying to get their money out of the stock
0:28.3	market and put it into hard assets. You walk in there as in I'm the expert. I know this asset.
0:34.5	I have help. We can pull this off.
0:48.5	How do you get capital to invest in storage or any other commercial real estate asset?
0:56.2	This is for everyone, the capital stack, meaning what capital goes where, are we talking bank loans,
1:01.3	investors, no matter how you look at it, you have to break it down. But the reality is a lot of people want to invest, but they don't understand where I get the money or how the money works
1:05.8	to actually buy that asset. So today, we're going to break that down in how does that capital stack work,
1:14.6	meaning your equity, meaning the bank loan. How do you get the money to put down on a new facility?
1:24.0	This isn't just for new investors or first time investors. This is a continual ongoing
1:31.0	process that never ends for investors. So today, we're going to really break this down. How's that
1:37.6	sound? I love it, man. I think it's a fantastic topic. And yeah, no matter what stage you're in,
1:42.1	it's such a valuable thing to know and understand.
1:45.7	Because that is the problem that almost every investor is solving or trying to solve and is solving with every single investment that they're doing.
1:56.1	It's constant.
1:56.9	Investors with banks, with, you know, doing refines, whatever it is.
1:59.8	Like, you're figuring out that piece.
2:01.8	And I think it's probably one of the most important pieces to the whole thing.
2:05.7	I mean, finding the deal, making the deal happen, making sure it's a good deal, all the different things.
2:10.2	Operating it, everything else.
2:11.6	All important things, but none of that can even happen if you obviously don't have this critical piece.
	...

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