Preparing Your Self Storage Property For Financing

RK Kliebenstein

What should an owner do in anticipation of a refinance or take-out of a construction loan? What are the expectations? Are you ready? This article will help you to prepare for the lender to efficiently process your financing request, and make the process “low impact” on your operation.

I remember as a former lender, the days of the dreaded “site inspection” after talking to a client that was clearly not prepared for any audit or examination of their facility. In fact, those transactions went less smoothly just because I knew that funding was going to be an uphill battle, and that much of the work that the borrower should be doing would have to be done by the lender. In fact, the pricing usually reflected the added work. I won't go so far as to say that you will always get a reduced interest rate if you make proper preparations for the lender, but I would take a gamble and make the process as efficient as easy as possible.

The Process begins BEFORE You Make Application. Long before you pick up the phone to inquire about financing, you should be preparing yourself, your store and the records for scrutiny by a lender. Even the most sophisticated of borrowers can be surprised by the needs of a lender, and that the anticipated loan amount was not realistic because of failure to prepare for the underwriting process.

How To Prepare For Refinancing Your Self Storage Business

On-Site Computer Bookeeping: A full year before the application, begin a file with clean crisp printouts from your site computer of the following:

Rent Roll: A tenant by tenant list, in unit order accounting for the status of each space. This is done last day of accounting period or at the “End of the Month” (EOM).
Management Summary: The EOM report showing the cash, credit, and occupancy summary for the month. Make absolutely certain that you have monthly amounts collected for the following categories:
Rent, Late Fees, Security Deposits, Administrative fees, and Merchandise Sales.
Unit Mix and Potential Income Report: EOM report by size category, the gross potential rent and scheduled rent for each size.
Occupancy Report: EOM report showing by size category the physical occupancy and economic occupancy.
Accounts Receivable or Aged Receivables Report: In two formats, the EOM unit by unit listing of tenants and the delinquent or current status, and a summary of the facilities receivables indicating the dollar amount of delinquent tenants for: less than 30 days past due, 30 to 60 days delinquent, 60 to 90 days in arrears and over 90 days past due.

Financial Statements: Collect clean, unmarked copies of the following:

Month End Income and Expense Statement
Detailed General Ledger
List of Accounts Payable and Receivable

Miscellaneous Documents:

Bank Statements
Utility Bills (Last 6 Months)
Most Recent Property Tax Bill
Most Recent Insurance Policy
Competition And Rent Survey
Copies Of Building Plans
Copies Of Formerly Completed Appraisals
Copies Of Formerly Completed Property Survey
Copies Of Formerly Completed Property Environmental Reports, Including All Test Results (If Any)

Scan these documents to create a .pdf file, and if possible, upload them to a document vault or secure virtual server.

How To Prepare “Yourself” For The Lending Process

You are likely to have several visitors to the property. These visits are often called site inspections and are normally paid for by the Borrower from a required deposit. Here is comprehensive list of site visitors and inspections that will require your attention:

First, if you are working with a broker or correspondent, it is worth the expense to have them spend (at your cost) a few days understanding your property and the market. This will typically cost $2,500 plus expenses.
You are likely to have a visit from one or two representatives of the lender. One is likely to be a senior member of the team whom will be presenting your deal to the loan committee or investor. The other is likely to be an auditor, whom will be examining the records, the market in depth, and the property. These visits are often called site inspections and are normally paid for by the Borrower from a required deposit.
There will likely be an environmental consultant that will be interested in the on-site activities (they really get concerned over business activity from tenants, with great attention paid to painters, automotive related activity and the appearance of prolonged on-site activity). This is normally paid for from the third party deposit account, funded by the Borrower.
A survey will be likely to be performed. This may be an update to an existing survey or a new survey. Again, this is normally paid for from the third party deposit. Are you beginning to see a trend here?
Many lenders require a structural or engineering report. These folks will need a set of plans, preferably the exact ones used to build out the facility.
Some lenders have third party auditors examine the books and records. They will need copies of the financial statements, tax returns and bank statements. Make available to them the paid invoices. This cost may be passed through to the Borrower.
Appraisals are often an integral part of the process. I do not suggest ordering one ahead of the lender as not all appraisers are acceptable to all lenders, there are government regulations and restrictions regarding the ordering of reports, and sometimes there are in-house bank or lender appraisers. After the former, you KNOW who is going to pay for this! Make certain the financial statements, building plans, survey and competition study are ready to be shipped to the appraiser.

Treat each of these visitors cordially. If you are working with a correspondent or broker, offer as much information as you can. With each of the other visitors, answer each of their questions, as completely as needed to answer the question. Be honest. Do not hide the negative facts when asked, but unless it is a material fact, omit the details, particularly opinions or emotional thoughts. Offer to spend the time they need, but let them work independently. Inform your staff to answer questions that are asked.

Again, dispense with non-factual comments. If you do not know an answer, “Do Not Make Something Up”!!!! Simply admit that you do not know, and if you think you know how to find an answer, volunteer to find out. If you have no idea how to get the answer, or you do not want to take the time to get an answer, do not commit to getting an answer. Here is an example:

The visitor asks, “What percent of your tenants are business (not residential consumers)?”
How do you respond? A guess? Do you go to the rent roll and count each of the names that are business names?? How do you account for business units that are rented in a person's name, but are actually used for the sole purpose of business storage? How do you accurately assess space that is part business and part personal storage? In my personal storage units, I would guess that 80% of the junk (and I do mean junk) stored is old business records or materials, but my space is listed under my personal name. It is tempting to say, “most of my customers are businesses”, but if you cannot back it up with factual data, it may be an inaccurate guess.

Lastly, If you do not have or can not generate a detailed competition survey and market study, then pay to have one done. You can use consulting firms, or often can have real estate appraisers whom specialize in self storage projects prepare a study. The costs is usually around $2,000.00 to $2,500.00 and should include maps of each competitor, color photographs, rates and an evaluation of each property. The survey should address occupancy, the number of units and square footage.

How To Prepare The Property For Inspection

This is a great opportunity to give the place a little facelift. Make certain that the landscape is fresh, bare spots in the grass patched, and that everything is clean. If you cannot afford to repair or replace it, make certain it is at least clean. Here is a site inspection checklist that will help you prepare for all of your facility vistors and site inspections:

All signs should be computer generated or printed. No handwritten sings should be inside or outside the office.
The Managers personal effects are not appropriate for the view of customers or visitors.
Clean up the office. Get rid of dead files and broken furniture.
Clean all glass and windows (remember the glass on the fire extinguisher covers)
There is NO place for a television in the office. Watching Days of Our Lives is an absolute sign of unprofessional management.
If you cannot repair or replace broken equipment or fixtures, then have at least three estimates from solid contractors to present to the lender for completion after funding. Expect for large expenses such as roofs, paving or major repairs, that an escrow account may be established to make certain these are done as a condition of the loan. If you do not want the lender to make his own estimates (and I can almost guarantee they will be high), then have the three estimates or proposals ready.
Patch holes in the driveway smaller than one foot in diameter.
If you can paint it, do so! A fresh coat of paint shows attention to details.
Let the correspondent or broker make suggestions on what can be done to make the property look better. Remember, after something is 90 days old, it is typically out of our eye to memory processing.
Pets are great, and sometimes they are cute, but they have no place in a professional office.
Children of customers are enough to deal with, and the owners or managers children should simply not be a part of the daily activity of the property. Their safety is much too important to risk being hit by a car in the parking lot or a nuisance in the office.

Conclusion

Only you can control the presentation of the property. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Consider a lender as a silent partner. Treat them as though they are making a direct investment in your property. Be informed about your property, the competitors and the neighborhood. Do you see new construction within one-half mile of the property? If it is not obvious what the construction is for, take the time to find out. Visit the Chamber of Commerce (of course you are an active member and your Manager has attended the last three meetings), and get all the inside scoop on new businesses to the area, and what is happening.