5 Advantages of Real Estate as an Investment

Real estate is a fantastic way to diversify your profile and build wealth. If you are weighing the pros and cons of investing in real estate here are five advantages of real estate as an investment.

1.   Tax Advantages

One of the most enticing aspects of real estate investing are the many tax advantages that come with it. For example, a 1031 allows you to completely defer capital gains taxes while you reinvest your proceeds.

2.   Rate of Return

When compared to other kinds of investments, real estate has a historically high ROI for owner-investors.

3.   Cash Flow

If you are looking for a way to generate passive income, rental properties are a great route to take. Once all the bills and maintenance fees have been paid, rental properties offer a stable and predictable source of cash flow.

4.   Protection against inflation

There is a reason investors call real estate a “Hedge against inflation”. While the price of coffee and gas shoot up and the dollar becomes worth less, your property is more than likely to continue growing in value. Real estate prices have historically increased at a faster rate than inflation has increased.

5.   Equity Buildup

The beautiful part of investing in a rental property is that your tenant is the one who is actually paying off your mortgage debt. Your equity grows immensely over time as your property appreciates and your mortgage is paid off from the rent you collect.

What Happens If I Can’t Complete My 1031 Exchange?

A 1031 is a great low risk method for deferring capital gains tax. But what happens if you can’t complete your 1031 exchange? Long story short; as soon as your 1031 falls through your sale becomes a taxable event to the IRS. An exchange can collapse for several reasons; failing to identify a replacement property during the 45-day period, failing to purchase a property off your 45-day list by the end of the 180-day period, and failing to complete the exchange before your next tax return. If you bought every property on your list and still have money left over, those funds become taxable to the IRS while the rest is sheltered in the exchange.

Sometimes life just happens and you can’t complete your 1031 exchange. You can’t find the right property, or the property you want falls through, or you’re handed one of those “uh-oh” moments. Fortunately, there is no penalty for starting a 1031 exchange and not completing it, other than paying the tax that would have normally been due. The 1031 exchange can be an inexpensive way to “kick the can down the road” to see what might be available. And while there are no repercussions for not completing a 1031, completing a successful exchange will help you maximize your real estate investing.

To learn more about how you can utilize the power of a 1031 Exchange visit The 1031 Investor.

What Information do you Need to Structure a 1031?

Starting a 1031 exchange is as simple as giving your Qualified Intermediary your name, address, and the address of the property you are selling. The QI is the one who makes or breaks it with the fine details. In fact, the QI is a required part of your 1031 exchange and they must be in place prior to the closing of the sale of the old property.

If you are a real estate investor, the structure of a 1031 exchange should be almost invisible to you. An exchange uses all the same professionals that would normally be involved in the selling of a property; title companies, attorneys, real-estate agents, etc. And they conduct themselves in the exact same way; they close the sale of the property and purchase of the new property or properties. The 1031 is an added on piece that enfolds into that process making it very easy for an investor to initiate when using the right Qualified Intermediary.

The key to ensuring that your exchange goes smoothly and has all the information that is needed is an experienced Qualified Intermediary. The QI is the one who will be signing the documents, placing the proceeds into a qualified, insured, trust account, and ensuring that the sales follow the strict protocols of sec. 1031. The QI must be referenced in specific places on the settlement statements and all parties must be notified that a 1031 has transpired.

To learn more about how you can utilize the power of a 1031 Exchange visit The 1031 Investor