Four problems. One deal. One closing. What does it actually take for a first-time self-storage buyer to push through a due diligence report that surfaces a setback encroachment, a title defect, a survey parcel issue, and an environmental flag. All on the same deal.

Joe Downs sits down with Mike and Stephanie Vostenak, retired corporate HR executive turned self-storage owner-operator and his wife, who closed on Murrayville Self-Storage, a 110-unit facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, just one month before recording.

They walk through the real-time decisions, the legal battles with county commissioners, and the team structure that got them to closing. Joe also shares current self-storage occupancy data, noting the national rate dipped to 82.2 percent as of September 2025, and explains why that gap from the stabilized 85 to 90 percent range signals an opportunity for investors ready to move now.

Listen For:

03:32 Has self-storage income actually beaten inflation for nearly two decades?

08:58 Are most storage operators already planning to automate in 2026?

15:38 Do you know what the average self-storage facility earns per square foot?

20:08 Is national self-storage occupancy where most investors think it is?

GUESTS: MICHAEL & STEPHANIE VOSTENAK

Reliable Self-Storage | Mike’s LinkedIn | Stephanie’s LinkedIn |

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