Consumers are already paying 25%-33% of their income on housing in hot markets. 

I'll sell a consumable product and get residual commission for years to come.

I’m trying to help someone out and the personal residence/hard money lending is not my forte as I avoid anything consumer. 

Just make sure to consume contents here as much as possible and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

or is it finnicky, frustrating, and time consuming?

I suggest moving forward asking for a "lock confirmation", or in a consumer loan setting, asking for a "locked LE". it may not resolve your issue still, but having it in writing is better than nothing, and hopefully gives you a leg to stand on if you need to duke it out. 

@Bob StevensThere are definitely diminishing returns as you consume more real estate investing content.

I assume if this buyer is living there then its now a primary residence and most HML'ers or PML'er private money lenders will not lend to owner occupants due to the dodd frank and consumer laws.

This negative position can consume years of cash flow to recover.

The more detailed this study, the less likely your business will fail.I think you can get in touch with a Developer who has developed storage facilities to understand the steps involved in development.At the end of the day, buying or building a self-storage facility will most certainly consume time, energy and money.