Beginner interested in self-storage

[Eric Carlstrom]

Hi everyone,

Hoping to crowd-source some ideas on how to get started. I listened to a few BP podcasts yesterday on self-storage, launromats, RV parks, etc. but was hoping to get a bit more granular on specific steps one should take in order to:

• explore the market (resources for this - where to look, etc.)
• find prospective properties (on-market and off-market)
• valuation methods to gauge the potential profitability
• understand the expectation of costs - aside from buying the property, what other things should I be thinking about?

These are just to name a few. Aside from basic investing knowledge and the podcasts I've listened to, consider my a clean slate with no habits. Any guidance will be helpful and valuable. I do have a family friend in Washington State who owns a few units in a small town that I can tap into for knowledge, and will certainly do so in parallel to this.

Many thanks in advance.