Striking out, with a home base
Baby boomers Terry and Gia Carlson of Liberty Lake are putting all the elements in place for living their dream life – summers in Spokane and nine months “out there.”
“We’re downsizing,” says Terry Carlson, former owner of the Spokane Peterbilt Truck dealership. “We’ve sold our home in Liberty Lake and plan to keep a townhouse in Spokane as our home base.”
The Carlsons hope to start their adventure in September when they point their 40-foot, 2003 Foretravel motor coach south toward Titusville, Fla., and The Great Outdoors RV, Nature and Golf Resort.
“We will be one of those couples with a home on both ends of the country,” says Carlson.
Even through the Carlsons are simplifying their lives, they still have possessions they are not quite ready to let go, including three Harley Davidson motorcycles and a 1958 Chevrolet Impala.
“I love working on cars and I’ve ridden motorcycles since I was 13 years old,” says Carlson. “I needed a safe place to store my toys when we’re out of town.”
After researching several storage options, including building his own facility or renting, Carlson decided on storage condominiums where people actually buy their units.
A relatively new concept in the Inland Northwest, two local companies are offering buy-your-own commercial-grade storage – GarageTown usa and Fort Knox RV and Boat Storage.
GarageTown was conceptualized by Coeur d’Alene land developers Tom Johnson, Cliff Mort and Jae Enos. Their first complex was completed near Post Falls about two years ago.
“The advantage of storage condos is that people are actually buying real estate and they can resell it,” says Carri Berglund, GarageTown marketing and sales director. “It is a real estate investment.”
The other local company getting into the storage condominium business is Tomlinson Black Real Estate with its Fort Knox RV and Boat Storage, due for completion this year.
“We really got our inspiration from the success of GarageTown,” says Aaron Lake, Tomlinson Black commercial real estate agent.
The company has just poured the footings for the buildings and expects to begin construction the middle of March.
“From our point of view,” says Lake, “it is always more beneficial for people to own than to rent because they are paying themselves versus paying someone else.”
Amenities vary somewhat between companies, but generally include a dump station, wash area, pressure washers, security cameras, keyed 24-hour gate access, clubhouse and individual security systems. Each unit is heated and insulated with a dedicated electrical circuit.
Perfect toy boxes
These storage condos are advertised as the perfect toy boxes for motor homes, boats, classic cars and motorcycles.
“Since recreational vehicles are a long-term financial investment,” says Berglund, “there are always concerns with natural elements such as sun, wind, ice and snow, all of which can be extremely damaging to an RV.”
Says Carlson: “I looked at the GarageTown facility in Idaho and it fit my needs, so I bought two units, back-to-back, in their Liberty Lake development before it broke ground.”
During the construction, Carlson asked GarageTown to remove the wall between his units for one large 24-by-96-foot space with a 14-foot high door at each end.
“That gives me the convenience of driving the motor home through,” he says.
“We plan to travel a lot during the winter,” Carlson says. “If I would have built my own facility I would need someone watching the property. To me, these condos are just a home run.”
Sizes, costs
GarageTown prices vary based on location and size. At the Spokane Valley facility, 19410 E. Broadway Ave., current unit costs are: 16-by-48-foot, $54,900; 20-by-48-foot, $69,900; and 24-by-48-foot, $82,900.
Fort Knox RV and Boat Storage location, 9310 E. Knox Ave., includes five sizes: 21-by-33-foot, $52,000; 17-by-49-foot, $61,900; 21-by-49-foot, $74,900; 25-by-49-foot, $89,900; and 25-by-49-foot with two doors, $92,900.
Monthly condominium dues at GarageTown range between $30 and $35 per unit. (Dues at Fort Knox have yet to be established.) Dues cover insurance for the whole facility, cleaning of the common areas, snow removal, landscaping, paper products for the restrooms, outside lighting and common water usage. Owners pay their own electricity and property insurance.
Contact
“GarageTown information is available by contacting marketing director Carri Berglund at (208) 640-4000 or carri@garagetown.com, or online at www.garagetown.com. In addition to Coeur d’Alene and Spokane Valley, there are two locations in Denver, Colo. GarageTown has just broken ground on a facility in Kennewick and has upcoming locations planned in Hayden, Idaho, and North Spokane.
“Further information on Fort Knox RV and Boat Storage is available by calling Aaron Lake at Tomlinson Black, 622-3560 or lake@tblack.com.
“For a look at Foretravel motor coaches go to www.foretravel.com or call (800) 955-6226 for a brochure.
“The Great Outdoors RV, Nature and Golf Resort information is available at www.tgoresort.com or (800) 621-2267.