Marty McAdams, Marcus & Millichap's regional manager, tells GlobeSt.com that he feels the mini-storage business in Houston is doing quite well and will attract even more buyers as properties come to market. There also seems to be across-the-board demand for nearly every product, he says.

Part of Houston's current success, says McAdams, is rooted in the positive economic press that the city is receiving while the rest of the country is facing tough times amid growing talk of a recession. Other reasons for Houston's positive outlook are the strong absorption rates in apartment, office and retail space, increases in rental rates for most products, eased interest rates and Houston's counter-cyclical economy. And, it's for these reasons that out-of-state investors, such as Southshore Storage's new owner, are showing a marked increase in interest in Houston properties of late. McAdams says the Houston apartment market is also piquing the interest of out-of-state investors. The interest is such that the Houston office for Encino, CA-based Marcus & Millichap is positioned for a boom year, he says.