Written by Victoria Kennedy
When contemplating investing, a common notion is to entrust our finances to a market expert and hope for the best. However, Cedar Creek Capital Founder AJ Osborne takes a different approach.
The self-storage investment expert and influencer has been in the self-storage industry for two decades and has long believed in educating his investors so they can truly make wise, educated decisions.
His company is also the rare sort that allows investors to truly own part of a deal with a $100,000 investment, letting them be true participants, not just investors. Deal owners can expect to benefit from appreciation, cash flow, real estate, and equity not just the occasional dividend check.
“Acquiring a stock does not equate to owning portions of the economy. You aren’t the owner, so you are not entitled to benefits or any other related perks,” he said.
And lots of people want in when they learn that Osborne controls a portfolio with over $300 million in assets across 23 locations in nine states, and offers multiple investment opportunities for accredited investors. Accredited investors, young and old alike, love the CEO’s flawless track record his straightforward, no-nonsense approach to acquiring assets has resulted in never losing a deal and providing outstanding returns to investors. When it comes to educating his audience he takes the same direct approach.
“Increasing participation in the economy can effectively resolve a lot of issues, both in the short run and long run,” said Osborne of his motivation for educating people in making income for life, not only short-term investments.
He’s been educating his audience for quite some time. He’s the most well-known thought leader in the self-storage investing space, offering advice, education, and motivation on Instagram and YouTube.
What’s more? He hosts the most listened-to podcast on self-storage investments and published Amazon’s number one-selling book on the topic, Growing Wealth in Storage.
Education is Empowerment
More than helping people create truly hands-off and passive income streams for life, Osborne and his team at Cedar Creek Capital are passionate about education. Working with his firm, everyday investors have the opportunity and access to invest alongside the company’s founder.
“So, our whole mission is to get normal people in. I’ve turned away massive funds and people who wanted to write us a huge check to the tune of hundreds of millions. They wanted to financially back us, but we didn’t want that, we didn’t need it. We already had our own portfolio,” he said. “So, we declined the offers so we could continue focusing on working with the individual investors.’ The whole thing, for me, is to try to make individuals financially secure, participate in the economy, and allow them access to upsides that they don’t normally have access to.”
Investors For Life
When looking at the mission of most private equity firms and investment funds, they simply try to get investors on board by offering great short-term returns. Cedar Creek Capital approaches its family of investors differently. Osborne and his team aim higher to provide both short and long term returns to investors by allowing assets to mature.
By providing transparent education and real case studies, Osborne aims to keep his investors with him for life, providing endless returns for as long as the asset is held.
“We don’t roll out investors when we are buying an asset, so they are investors for life,” said Osborne. “This helps us ensure long-term equity and income for investors while returning their principal and profits in just 3-6 years.”
From sharing posts and videos that educate about the low cost of turning over self-storage units to explaining how the facility infrastructures work, Osborne takes the time to share the insight that investment bigwigs rarely take the time to share with investors below the ultra wealthy.
Investors can recognize that the low-risk and hands-off investment opportunities presented in his teachings are an excellent way to make use of their money, in a simple and straightforward manner.
“We started a company so that investors can reap all those perks even if they don’t have previous experience or expertise in the self-storage industry.,” said Osborne. “We are fully committed to diligently working towards providing access, opportunities, and education to empower individuals.. To empower them, you have to provide a way to allow them to participate in the economy.”
With experts such as Osborne educating a large cross-section of mid-level investors, the field will become more knowledgeable, and more investors are likely to feel comfortable taking an active role in the economy.
About AJ Osborne
AJ Osborne, CEO of Cedar Creek Capital, is a 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/