truck rental – Page 13 – Dino's Storage

What’s in Your Street Name?

Value. Turns out that your street name has much to do with the value of your home.

Online real estate broker Zillow.com put together a survey of how property values relate to the street names they’re on. The survey team discovered that there’s a lot of power in a name. Street names can indicate whether a neighborhood is old or new, rural or downtown and, often, expensive or cheap. In fact it turns out that property values can swing pretty widely, predicted by nothing more than the street where they’re located.

“We looked at years of data about sales and listings,” Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff wrote in The New York Times. “We learned three things about the relationship between home values and street names: First, names are better than numbers. Second, lanes are better than streets. Third, unusual names are better than common ones.”

How much of a difference can this make? Sometimes enormous.
The most common street name in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is 2nd Street. There are roughly a thousand more 2nd Streets than 1st Streets across the country, suggesting something about our matha abilities.

Nationwide a house located on 2nd Street is worth about 48 percent less than the national average, all other things equal. Spell out Second Street and you make matters worse, those homes sell for 60 percent less than average.

In fact, numbered streets turn people off everywhere in the country except for Atlanta, New York City and Denver. InDenver it seems folks actually prefer streets with numbers instead of names.

Main street is a minus
By Zillow’s estimate a home on Main Street loses 44 percent of its value just by dint of the mailing address. As Rascoff noted, common names in general suffer this fate, and Main Street is one of the most common a town can have. Occupiers everywhere will be pleased to know that Wall Street, while fairly common, tends to have homes worth about 60 percent of the norm.

So where are values above average?
It turns out that every developer who named his subdivision “Shady Acres” was actually on to something. Descriptive names like “Lake Front” and “Sunset” often are indicators of high value, as are unusual names and “Ways,” “Drives” and “Boulevards.” Homes located on Sunset Way, for example, tend to be about 76 percent more expensive than average while Lake Forest Drive gets an 11 percent bump. Idiosyncratic history buffs can also take heart: homes on Verdun Avenue cost 123 percent more than the national average. (The latest Battle of Verdun was fought in France in World War I.)

Don’t read too much into this data.
Rascoff warns readers not to confuse correlation with causation here. In reality, it’s pretty unlikely that home buyers pay close attention to the street signs. Far more likely, they pay attention to what those street signs reflect. Lake Shore Drive has more value because, odds are, that house is somewhere close to a lake and people like water. Mechanically numbered streets may reflect a grid-like or heavily planned development, and older neighborhoods are more likely to end in “Street.” Still, the numbers are there and names have value. They say something about a neighborhood, and might even be a good place to start if you’re looking for a home.

No Surprise: Study Shows Men More Narcissistic than Women

News from the world of psychology: Nearly every stereotype about the gender gap with regards to narcissism, ambition and leadership is right.

That’s according to a study in the March issue of the Psychological Bulletin, the journal of the American Psychological Association. In a review of three decades of survey data from nearly half-a-million participants, researchers found that men are more likely to demonstrate narcissistic behavior than women, regardless of generation or age.

The researchers examined some of humanity’s least-attractive characteristics – manipulativeness, self-absorption, aggression and arrogance among them – and looked at how people responded to statements that included “If I ruled the world, it would be a much better place” and “I know that I am good because everyone keeps telling me so.”

They then qualified “narcissism” according to three facets: entitlement, leadership/authority and grandiose/exhibitionism. Men scored measurably higher than women in the first two categories, and were more likely to agree with phrases like “I like having authority over people” and “I insist upon getting the respect that is due to me.” They were also more likely to exploit others and to believe that they were entitled to special privileges. But there was hardly any deviation between the two genders in the grandiose/exhibitionism category, which includes qualities like vanity and self-absorption.

Higher levels of narcissism have been a helpful adaptation for men, the study said, boosting their self-esteem and emotional stability and making them more likely to take on leadership roles. But it has its drawbacks.

“Narcissism is associated with various interpersonal dysfunctions, including an inability to maintain healthy long-term relationships, unethical behavior and aggression,” lead author Emily Grijalva, a professor at the University of Buffalo, said.

The study doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already assume, but it is the first systematic review to back up the magnitude of gender stereotypes with actual data, according to Grijalva. It also looks into why those stereotypes exist in the first place.

“Individuals tend to observe and learn gender roles from a young age, and may face backlash for deviating from society’s expectations,” Grijalva said. “In particular, women often receive harsh criticism for being aggressive or authoritative, which creates pressure for women, more so than for men, to suppress displays of narcissistic behavior.”

Stereotypes about the way men and women exhibit entitlement and leadership can be self-perpetuating, the study said. For example, women score lower on the leadership/authority facet, meaning that they are less likely to wind up in leadership roles. But the resulting lack of female leaders could then reinforce the idea that women are worse leaders and less authoritative, pushing women to suppress those aspects of themselves to conform to gender expectations.

“For a woman who has deeply internalized a feminine gender identity, endorsing gender-stereotypical occupational preferences might be a mechanism used to avow her femininity to herself and to others,” the study said.

The study did include one piece of good news: neither female nor male college students are any more narcissistic now than they were in 1990.

Satisfied Customers Comments Music to Our Ears

When any of our customers move out from our storage facilities, we ask them to complete a survey which includes asking for their honest opinion about our facilities and customer service. We want to be sure we are always on our A-game, taking advice from the negative comments and learning more about our customers from the positive comments.

One of our surveys was recently filled out by Rachel A., who told us she had purchased a new home and was taking her belongings there. On a scale of one to four, with four being the best, Rachel gave our Elkhorn staff a four for being friendly and helpful.She noted that our manager, Diane, “has been helpful and friendly anytime I contacted her! She was the reason why I chose this location over other ones!”

Another customer who recently moved out from our Elkhorn facility, Richele M., said she “Really loved Diane. Great place, very clean & safe. I would recommend this place to anyone.”

We’re pleased to hear Rachel and Richele’s comments and are very happy to have received similar comments from customers at our other facilities. It’s music to our ears!

Here are a few of the things our customers had to say:

“I just wanted to say thank you to whoever puts Bible verses on your sign every few days. I drive right by daily and it has often been an encouragement to me to read those few lines. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been blessed by your willingness to share some of God’s words. Keep up the good work and may God bless you for spreading His promises a few words at a time.” – Heather

“Great place to store!” – Terri S. ■ “Excellent!” – Kevin V. ■ “You rock!” – J. ■ “Carrie was very friendly and helpful. Great experience.” – Krystin R ■ “Great facility and service. Thanks, Kerry!” – Fred S. ■ “Outstanding service.” – Janice S.

“Tammy was very friendly and helpful.” – Marcus J. ■ “Thanks for keeping our items safe and secure.” – Keith B. ■ “I’d like to thank all the staff , they were very helpful.” – Brian T. ■ “Dawn has always been very friendly and helpful. You are very lucky to have her!.” – Gretchen S.

“Great staff, very helpful.” – David W. ■ “Awesome.” – Ken C. ■ “Diane was extremely helpful during my entire move. Thanks!” – Reed R. ■ “Keep up the good work!” – James C.

“Excellent staff and facility.” – Linda D. ■ “Was treated very well by staff and will always recommend Dino’s to my friends. Thank you.” – Clyde K. ■ “Good customer service. Thanks a lot!” – Michelle M.

“I love the words of advice on the advertising boards on the side of your buildings. I read the boards every time I drive by and think about the phrase. I appreciate how they aren’t specifically religious and are sound words. Please continue to have these messages. It is more beneficial than to display weekly storage specials and much more interesting. I absolutely love the message on Douglas!” – Sean H.

Our thanks to all of our customers for choosing to store at Dino’s and for their kind, encouraging and helpful comments.

Love Affair with Cars May Be Ending

Six decades after the launch of America’s interstate highway system, changing habits and attitudes suggest America’s romance with the road is fading. Driving rose almost continuously since World War II, but driving by U.S. households has declined nearly 10 percent since 2004. Since the decline began well before the Great Recession, economics doesn’t appear to be the only cause.

“There’s something more fundamental going on,” says Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Consider these points:

The average American household now owns fewer than two cars, returning to the levels of the early 1990s. This may signal a change in home-building, too, as there is less need for three-car garages.

More teens and 20-somethings are waiting to get a license. Less than 70 percent of 19-year-olds now have one, down from 87 percent two decades ago.

Thousands of people are commuting by bicycle rather than by car. In Minneapolis, for example, about 3,500 people bike to work daily via the Midtown Greenway. That’s double the number of bicycle commuters in 2000.

Online shopping has reduced the number of car trips for shopping.

A record 10.7 billion mass transit rides were taken by Americans last year, a 37 percent increase since 1995. Light rail continues to expand in many cities and ride-sharing services, such as Lyft and Uber, are further denting the need to own an automobile.

The number of drive-ins – whether featuring car hops serving food or giant outdoor movie screens – have sharply declined as Americans drive less.

The number of teens taking drivers education has declined by 40 percent as state subsidies are eliminated and the need to take drivers ed to earn a high school diploma is dropped.

Heck, you don’t even need to own a vehicle to bring your things to Dino’s Storage – we rent trucks at many of our locations, so just give us a call.

Sharing Rides, Sharing Moves

The idea of sharing rides instead of calling a traditional taxi company has moved across the nation and, in fact, into 36 countries. Now a Santa Barbara, Calif., startup is making a similar move in the moving industry.

NextMover offers an alternative to traditional moving companies and to rent-a-truck do-it-yourself moves. The company helps truck owners and pickup drivers earn extra cash by helping with small-scale, local moves. They have been assisting with local moves in Santa Barbara since January, but the concept has already drawn comparisons to car-sharing services such as Lyft, which is now operating in at least 60 cities and Uber which offers ride-sharing in 36 countries.

With NextMover truck owners set their own prices for movers to consider and NextMover takes 20 percent of that. “On the average we are about 50 percent cheaper than similar services. But it turns out that’s really third on the totem pole,” says president and CEO Alexander Kehaya. “The convenience and the community aspect are the things that people consistently tell us when we show them our website and talk about what we do.”

Truck owners vehicles can range from pickups to larger commercial trucks. To participate they must emerge from a vetting process that includes interviews, a background check and vehicle inspection, before they’re allowed to participate. Consumers can choose among truck owners depending on budget and needs, as well as driver bios and user ratings. NextMover is currently assuming insurance responsibility for these initial moves, but the company does ask truck owners to carry commercial insurance.

Co-founder Max James says. “Part of the thing that our platform provides is security for everyone in the sense that the price is what it is. It’s a rate you set ahead of time and if it’s processed through our system, nobody’s going to come to you and say, ‘Hey, we are holding your house hostage until you pay us for it.'”

NextMover is preparing to secure more funding in order to expand to other cities. Kehaya says they’ve already signed up a few hundred truck owners in other cities, such as Austin, Texas.

“We first started with only pickup trucks, ‘your friend with a truck,’ because we realized that there are a lot of pickup trucks that aren’t being utilized and that perhaps people would be interested in using that to make some money on the side,” says James. “We have made a pivot since then and moved to more of a larger, open marketplace. The people with pickup trucks that want to make some money on the side can still do that, but the marketplace is also for small businesses, or people who have a larger vehicle or a box truck that they use for other things. Our platform is so easy for them to use that they are willing to try it out and use their trucks when it is convenient for them.”

“When we switched to this open marketplace, we got good feedback from the truck owners and also on the consumer’s side: Not everybody needs just a pickup,” says Kehaya. “There are some people that would like it if you had a trailer. They would pay more money for that because they’ve got more stuff to move. Sometimes they want two people to come and help them, not just one guy and a truck. It really opened up the services that we can provide.”

There are, of course, limitations to moving with NextMover. It only works for local moves, and is less ideal for people with large houses who truly need full-size moving trucks and comprehensive service. “And we can’t move pianos,” says Kehaya. “You’re better off with somebody who has all the straps and equipment for that.” But Kehaya believes the demand for the convenience and cost savings that NextMover provides is plenty large for local markets.

While NextMover is only available in Santa Barbara right now, Dino’s Storage can lend a hand with available rental trucks at some of our locations. If you need a truck, just check with any Dino’s facility for a location convenient to you, or send an e-mail to customerservice@dinosstorage.com.

Dino’s Customer Service

We strive to have great customer service and do what we can for our customers. Just last week we had a customer come in that had an emergency situation. She needed to have a storage unit and have her mother moved out of her house that day. She didn’t realize that we also have Penske trucks for rent. Needless to say, she rented a Penske truck from us. She got everything that she needed done in the time that she needed to. When she returned the Penske truck to us she came in to personally thank us for the professional service and all the help that we provided. It certainly makes my day when I have those customers that make the extra effort to show their appreciation. That is exactly the kind of customer service that we like to provide to our customers and you can expect to receive at Dino’s Storage. Here are some of the great reviews that Dino’s Storage gets from our customers:

“I will come back again if I need storage again. Thank you!” 🙂 – Rebecca B.
“Tammy was very friendly and helpful.” – Marcus J.
“Thanks for keeping our items safe and secure.” – Keith B
“I’d like to thank all the staff – they were very helpful.” – Brian T.
“Was treated very well by staff and will always recommend Dino’s to my friends. Thank you.” – Clyde K.
“Good customer service. Thanks a lot!” – Michelle M.

If you ever have any questions or would like to come in and see us about a storage unit you can contact Jennie or Tammy at our Bellevue Facility at 1001 Cornhusker Rd – 402-293-4667